March 10, 2021. Sunny winter day. Spicy Potato Samosas. My family loves Indian food, so much so that both of my kiddos requested Indian meals for their birthdays! One of the items we enjoy tremendously is the little packets of stuffed pastries called Samosas. The …
March 8, 2021. Sunny winter day. Quick & Easy Kale Chips (20 Minutes). When Kale was all the rage a few summers ago, the only way I could get my family to eat this vegetable regularly (and willingly) was hidden in a smoothie. Then, I …
March 7, 2021. Beautiful sunny winter day. Key Lime Pie with Nut Crust.
Jump to RecipeI wanted to make a classic key lime pie today. Unfortunately the graham crackers in the pantry smelled stale, so I improvised and made a lovely nut and cracker crust instead! The pie tastes even better than expected!
Every time I eat key lime pie, it reminds me of warm summer days, and transports me to the time we vacationed in the beautiful Florida Keys. I love that this recipe is so simple, yet so fabulously delish.
This is very different from the Easy Walnut Pie and the Bourbon Pumpkin Pie I made over the holidays because the toasted nut pie crust really adds something to this recipe! To make this Key Lime Pie, I first made the crust, and then the filling. I used the nuts I have in my fridge – walnuts and pecans, but I should think you can easily use any of your favorite nuts. Also, I used regular limes (from Costco) since Key Limes are not easily available in my neck of the woods. The rest of the stuff is mostly pantry ingredients. It just goes to show that making something delish doesn’t have to be overly complicated.
Let’s get baking!
Nut Crust
1/2 cup (50g) shelled walnuts
1/2 cup (65g) shelled pecans
1 sleeve Ritz crackers (or your favorite butter crackers), 1 sleeve equals approx 35 crackers
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar, packed
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt
Pie Filling
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14 oz./396g can size)
1 cup (285g) plain Greek or Indian yogurt
3/4 cup (172g) fresh squeezed lime juice
zest from 3 to 5 limes (grate the zest before juicing the lime)
Topping (optional)
whipped cream
lime zest or thinly slice lime
You will also need a food processor to make the nutty crust, a grater for the limes, and a 9 inch Round Pie Pan.
Gather all the ingredients. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place walnuts and pecans into the food processor and blitz a few times. Add in crackers and process till they resemble coarse crumbs. Add in sugar, melted butter and pinch of salt. Mix to combine. You should end up with about 1 and a half to three-quarter cups of mixture.
Pour mixture into a pie pan. The moistened mixture should clump together when pressed. Press and pat the mixture firmly into the pan till about 1/4 inch (~6mm) thick. Work on the sides first.
Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly toasted. Remove and set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350°F (177°C) and start putting together the filling.
In a large bowl, prepare and put in all the ingredients – lime juice, zest, condensed milk, yogurt and mix to combine thoroughly. Next, pour the filling mixture into the pie crust. Tap the pan gently a few times to settle the filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is a bit wobbly but set. Set on rack to cool. Then refrigerate to chill the pie thoroughly before garnishing and serving.
When it has completely cooled down, slice and serve. I love to eat mine without any topping. Optionally, for a prettier slice of pie, you can garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of lime zest or thinly sliced pieces of lime. Let’s dig in!
The pie tastes best on the day it’s assembled to prevent soggy crust. You can make the crust ahead (make till step 4 of recipe). All you have to do is assemble and bake before eating.
I have eaten many slices of Key Lime Pies, but never really paused to think of its origins. I have always assumed these lime are from the Florida Keys. Upon a short search, I was astonished to learn that the Key Lime trees originated from Malaysia, my home country. These trees supposedly arrived to the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish. They are also know as Mexican or West Indian lime trees. In Malaysia, we call Key Lime limau nipis.
Here are 2 short article about Key Lime Pies & Key Lime
https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/KeyLimePie.htm
http://www.foodreference.com/html/artkeylimes.html
Pie filling recipe lightly adapted from Once Upon a Chef.
Want to make something sweet and easy? Check out my Quick and Easy Honey Cakes => How to make Quick & Easy Honey Cakes (with Citrus Zest)
Love cheese? Love bread? Check out this unusual Cheesy Bread Boat called Adjaruli Khachapuri => How to make Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
Feeling adventurous and want to try something awesome? Check out these Cruffins => How to Make Butter Cruffins (Croissant + Muffin)
If you have a hankering for something crunchy AND spicy, check out my Korean inspired Marinated Cucumber => How to make Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber (Oi Muchim)!
February 13, 2021. Cold snowy winter day. Butter Cruffins (Croissant + Muffin) with Optional Orange Glaze. Whenever it is cold outside (especially when it’s a snowy day), I simply love to tinker and spend my day inside. Specifically in my warm, cozy kitchen dreaming and …
February 6, 2021. Beautiful sunny winter day. Quick & Easy Honey Cakes (with Citrus Zest). These sticky delicious honey cakes are yummy and bake up in a flash. I wanted to put together something that wasn’t fussy and uses pantry ingredients. So, these cakes are …
February 4, 2021. Late in the evening. Spicy Marinated Korean Cucumber – Oi Muchim (오이무침).
Jump to RecipeI had a sudden craving for crunchy pickles and decided to make this Korean cucumber dish late at night. This delicious, crunchy, and spicy dish is usually served as a side dish or banchan (반찬) at a Korean restaurant.
If you have been to a Korean restaurant, you have probably seen the delightful, small, colorful dishes that are usually served at the beginning of a meal. I always think banchan is like Spanish tapas or Chinese dim-sum. Little morsels of deliciousness, designed to pique your interest and leave you hankering for more!
Typically this is eaten with rice. I like to eat this unadorned, or a tad bit nontraditional – with small pieces of freshly made tortilla or using thin slices of homemade bread to sop up all the delicious sauce…
Anyway, Oi Muchim is a straightforward recipe that requires just a handful of ingredients, the key being cucumbers. I used English cucumbers which have less seeds than regular cucumbers. Gochugaru (Korean coarse red pepper flakes) is the “special ingredient” for this recipe – it’s the same key ingredient used in making the popular Korean staple kimchi. The recipe requires no cooking and can be whipped up in under an hour.
The process is simple. We slice the cucumbers, season with salt, sugar and gochugaru. Then we allow the mixture to rest/marinate and extract the cucumber juice. When ready, we toss the seasoned cucumber slices in a delicious mixture of sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic. And that’s it! Let’s get cracking!
Items listed roughly in the order of use:
2 English Cucumbers
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 to 1½ tsp sugar
1 Tbsp. gochugaru, coarse Korean chilli pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce, if vegetarian)
1½ Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds
2 stalks green onions (scallions), sliced thinly (optional)
You will also need 2 mixing bowls, a pair of disposable gloves, a colander, and parchment paper.
Let’s start by preparing the cucumbers. Wash, clean and dry the cucumbers. Then, peel and discard some of the skin, trim the ends and cut into ½ inch thick rounds.
Place cucumber slices in a large bowl. Next, add salt, sugar and gochugaru to cucumber and mix well. Then, using disposable gloves, combine and gently massage the seasoning into all of the cucumber slices until well coated, about 2 minutes.
When done, transfer cucumber to a colander, and set the colander inside the used bowl to allow the juices to drain. Then, cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the surface of the cucumbers and place the parchment paper on top of the cucumbers. To remove the excess cucumber juice, set a weight (such as a heavy pan, canned goods, cast iron skillet, bowl filled with water, etc.) on top to press down. Set aside and and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour). This resting time will allow the salt, sugar and gochugaru to season the cucumber, as well as draw out the vegetable’s juices.
As the cucumber slices are marinating, in a separate bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, minced garlic, sesame oil, fish sauce (or soy sauce) until well combined. (Do not use the the toasted sesame seeds yet.)
When the cucumbers have rested long enough, remove the weight, and discard parchment paper. Using clean gloved hands, squeeze cucumber slices one last time to remove any excess liquid. Then, transfer to bowl with the prepared dressing. Toss cucumber in the dressing until well coated. When done, add sesame seeds (and chopped scallions, if using) and mix thoroughly. Finally, divide oi muchim into desired portions, and serve immediately.
Keep unused portion in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
I was reading up about Korean banchan and came across this short guide that seems handy for folks new to the cuisine => https://www.tripzilla.com/beginners-guide-banchan/93724
And this one is about the 10 most popular Korean Side dishes => https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-side-dishes-in-korea
Recipe lightly adapted from Sunny Lee’s recipe on Serious Eats.
Love pizza, calzone or roti and feeling adventurous? Check out this delicious Georgian Cheese Bread with a delicious jammy egg in the middle => How to make Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
These Spanish inspired Spiral Bread Muffins are small packages loaded with big bold flavors =>How to Make Spanish Inspired Ham & Cheese Spiral Bread Muffin
This gorgeous bread can be made sweet or savory=>How to Make 16-Point Star Bread
Sticky Braided Cinnamon Knots => How to Make Sticky Braided Cinnamon Knots!
January 18, 2021. Cold sunny winter day. Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread). It’s MLK day and the kids don’t have school today. So, it’s a busy day making and feeding the family more delicious stuff. We started off with our favorite Colorful and Happy Veggie …
January 10, 2021. Cold winter day. Spiral Bread Muffin. This is one of the recipes that I’ve been meaning to write up and share for the longest time. One of my favorite bakers, Luis Troyano, from the Great British Bake Off, shared this recipe way …
December 22, 2020. Cold clear winter day. 16-Point Star Bread.
Updated on January 5, 2021.
Jump to RecipeThis is my absolute favorite holiday recipe for year-end baking. Most star breads have 8 points, but I doubled mine to 16 for more layers, more swirls, and even more wow when it lands on the table!
I’ve been making these for years now – the original dough recipe is from King Arthur Flour and tweaked to suit my taste. I wanted to make these look extra special the holiday season. I love to make, eat, and give them as gifts for family and friends. They look fancy (fan-cee!) and are always a hit with adults and kids too.
This bread looks spectacular but isn’t that difficult to make. I have made ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls and fun cinnamon knots and this one is surprisingly a fairly forgiving recipe on the shaping side. Plus, it’s easy to switch up the filling if you are not a fan of cinnamon or sweet filling. You can use your favorite spread like Nutella, good quality jam or conserves. Or if you prefer, make this a savory bread by omitting the vanilla extract used in the dough and substitute with pesto, cream cheese or any of your favorite savory paste or sauce. The trick is making sure that the filling isn’t too wet or chunky, which would hinder the forming of the beautiful shape.
Overall, there’s 3 parts to making this bread – first, preparing the dough and filling, then combining and shaping them into a star, and finally finishing and baking. It is important to allow the dough to rest and rise as written in the recipe. I’ll show you step by step on how to cut and shape the dough -you will have a handy visual guide from start to finish.
I still have the copy of my much used recipe printout – it’s spattered, tattered and barely legible in parts. I’ve scrawled so many notations on the front and back of the paper I think it’s time to type it up and share. Hopefully, you’ll love this as much as I do.
Let’s get baking!
You will need these items to make ONE large star dough. The filling you pick can be sweet or savory. The sweet filling is made with cinnamon sugar, and the savory one is filled with basil pesto cheese.
I’ve listed the ingredients in roughly the order they are used.
Dough
2 tsp. (7g) active dry yeast
¾ to 1 cup (177g to 237g) lukewarm water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough
2 Tbsp. (25g) granulated sugar
2 cups (250g) All-Purpose Flour
½ cup (50g) instant dried potato flakes
¼ cup (28g) nonfat dry milk
4 Tbsp. (57g) unsalted butter
1 tsp. (5g) vanilla extract (omit if making savory filling)
1 tsp. (6g) salt
For Cinnamon Sugar Filling
½ cup (100g) turbinado sugar
1 Tbsp. ground Cinnamon
For Pesto Cheese Filling
6 Tbsp. Basil Pesto, homemade or store bought
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
For Egg Wash
1 large egg plus 1 Tbs. milk or cream beaten
I find that a stand mixer is the most efficient way to make the dough. You can also use the dough function on your bread maker or knead by hand. To make and shape the bread, you’ll need parchment paper, a rolling pin, a sharp knife/bench scraper or a pizza cutter.
Let’s start by gathering all the ingredients and prep to make the dough.
Bloom the yeast by adding the 2 teaspoon (7g) of yeast to ¾ cup (177g) of lukewarm water with 2 tablespoon (25g) of sugar. Stir and set aside for 5 minute.
Then, sift the flour and dry milk into the stand mixer bowl. Add in the dried potato flakes. Whisk to combine. When the yeast is ready, pour into the dry ingredients. Start the mixer on low and slowly add in the rest of the ingredients. Knead well on low till a soft and smooth dough is formed, about 7 to 10 minutes.
When ready, shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough and let it proof for at least an hour or until it has doubled in size.
For sweet cinnamon filling, simply mix the turbinado sugar thoroughly with the ground cinnamon. Set aside.
For savory pesto filling, simply measure about 6 tablespoon of your favorite pesto, and grate about 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
Punch down and divide the dough into four equal pieces. Then, roll each piece into a ball and let it rest for another 15 minute. When the dough is resting, prepare the work surface and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour the work surface and a rolling pin. Cut out another piece of parchment approx. 15″ by 17″ (38 cm x 43 cm) and place over the work surface.
Put the parchment down, roll out the dough balls into approx. 10″ (25cm). I find that I can use the outline on my pastry board or silicone mat to help guide the size of how much to roll out.
Place the rolled out dough on the prepared baking sheet. Take the prepared parchment sheet and place onto the work space. Brush the egg wash on the surface. Next, evenly spread about 1/3 of the filling, leaving about ¼” (0.6 cm) border around the edge of the dough.
Note: it’s important to leave the edges unfilled so the dough can seal properly during shaping. If not, the filling will leak out during baking.
Next, roll out a second circle, and place it on top of the filling-covered circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect… just overlap the best you can. Then, repeat the process of brushing on the egg wash and spreading the filling until the 4 dough balls are used up and there is filling in each layer except the top.
For the savory filling, spread the pesto first – 2 Tablespoon per round, then scatter about a third of the grated cheese evenly before placing the next piece of circle dough on top. Repeat as described above.
The completed Star Bread assembly structure is as follows.
Bottom base layer: dough + egg wash + filling,
Second layer: dough + egg wash + filling,
Third layer: dough + egg wash + filling,
Top layer: dough.
When the 4 layers are in place, put a round glass rim side down in the middle of the dough stack. Press gently to leave a round imprint, and using a pizza cutter, bench scraper, or sharp knife*, cut the circle into 32 equal strips. Make sure to cut through all the layers, from the edge to the center of the round imprint in the dough circle.
*I have used all 3 tools and prefer the pizza cutter for this step. It provides the best control and leaves clean cuts.
Then, using your hands, carefully pick up two side-by-side strips and twist them away from each other 3 times. Gently pinch the ends to seal the 2 strips and form a little point. Repeat with the remaining cut strips of dough until you have 16 points all together. See the video clip below to see how I shape the star points.
Also adding the images of how to shape the star below.
Next, cover the shaped dough with plastic cling wrap and let it rest for 45 minutes to an hour or until it becomes puffy. I usually place my dough in a warm spot in my kitchen to encourage the dough to rise, typically on top of my oven, or inside my unlit oven with the light on.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). After the last proof, brush the entire dough with the egg wash.
Purely optional, for the sweet filling you can top the bread with some decorative sprinkles at this point. Or for a savory bread, you can top with chopped fresh herbs or dried herbs of your choice.
Pop the tray into the oven and bake 15 minutes, until it’s nicely golden on top. You can leave it in the oven for another 2 to 3 minutes if you like it darker. When ready, remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
Optionally, for the cinnamon filling bread, dust your gorgeous star bread with confectioners’ icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature. For the savory pesto bread, top with fresh chopped herbs of your choice.
Your 16-points star bread is ready. Bon Appetit! Lets eat!
I have been asked why 16 points vs the usual 8? Well, when I started making this, it was 8 point. And I find when pulling apart the bread, eating 1/8th of the bread was a bit too large. So, I decided to make one extra cut for each section when shaping the dough. For me, the 1/16th slice is the right size to go with my cup of coffee, plus if I wanted to eat another slice (or 2) I can easily pinch off another one and not feel too guilty for eating another slender slice. lol!
Also, I find the thinner points to be aesthetically and visually more pleasing to my eyes. You know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all. I like how this look when baked. Plus, I have friends mentioned that it looks like a pretty flower, which I agree.
Here are a few more pictures of my previous efforts.
I was curious what other holiday breads are usually eaten around the world during this year end/ new year time. Found this short article on NPR on 5 global Christmas bread => https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/21/460188083/beyond-panettone-5-global-christmas-breads-to-nibble-on
According to the article the Italian “Gubana is related to the strudel, babka, cozonac, and other Eastern European pastries that are “stuffed” with filling and coiled in a pan to create an appealing spiral pattern when sliced.” I’m intrigued by the Gubana description, which is going on my to-bake list!
Love to try out more cinnamon bakes? Check out my sticky braided cinnamon knots here => How to Make Sticky Braided Cinnamon Knots!
Try this fabulous and tasty Persian inspired buttery rice that is loaded with flavor and yummy toppings => How to Make Festive Buttery Bejeweled Rice
A fun and fabulous take on making little apple tarts => How to Make Petite Apple Flower Tarts
Fancy something savory? Check out these delicious cream cheese crescent rolls =>How to make Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls: Spicy and Plain!
December 14, 2020. Cold grey day. Sticky Braided Cinnamon Knots. I love the smell of spices baking in the oven, especially with butter. Like the tray of cinnamon rolls I made here, or the cardamom knots in this recipe. The smell of baking bread is …
