5 Different Flavors Homemade Gummy Bears 自家製小熊軟糖 (五種口味)

Are you ready for the summer?  I’ve been looking forward to our summer holiday since April! Ha!  Our family truly enjoy the summer holidays!  We love the days when we can sleep in, hang out by the pool or at the beach, cook something fun in the kitchen together, learn something, go somewhere adventurous, maybe explore places we’ve never step foot in, or simply doing nothing all day long!  But, I’m not so looking forward to the summer heat, both mentally and physically!




Today, I’ve got not just one cool recipe to share with you, but 5!   Check out these 5 Different Flavors Homemade Gummy Bears 自家製小熊軟糖 (五種口味)!  Not only they are fun to look at, fun to eat, they are truly quite fun to make as well!



 As you can see from the video tutorial above, I’ve got this cute little gummy bear silicone mold that comes with the dropper, that’s so convenience to use (I’ll also put the shopping link at the end of this post for your reference).  This mold gives nice details to the finish products, as you can see the eyes and toes of the gummy bears clearly! I think that’s totally awesome!  My Little Girl actually helped me made these gummy bears while I was testing the recipes!  We had a blast in the kitchen together!



Check out the recipes on how to make these 5 Different Flavors Homemade Gummy Bears, located at the bottom of this post.  The flavors are Lemon, Lime, Orange, Strawberry, and Blackberry, all made with fresh fruits and their juices!  These are not only delicious and fun, but actually good for you because they are packed with vitamin C and anti-oxidant!  I used a little cooking spray to grease my air tight container (for storage) so that the gummy won’t stick together.  If you plan to finish the gummy bears in a day or two, leave them at room temperature.  Otherwise, it might be a good idea to keep them in the fridge as they contain fresh fruits.  Just keep in mind that the texture might be firmer if you keep them in the fridge.   



As you can see from the picture above, I used up my entire collection of silicone mold!  Yes, you can definitely put these gummy in any molds you like, even just a rectangular tray if you don’t have a mold (you can see from my video above).  You can then cut the gummy out into different shapes with a cookie cutter.  I’ll list some of my favorite molds and cutters at the end of the post for your reference.




I hope you enjoy today’s recipes and tutorial!  Make some treats to celebrate the summer!  Whether you’ll be taking a trip, going on summer camps, relaxing at home, I wish you all a wonderful and fruitful Summer Holiday ahead!



Tools and Ingredients Used:

Gummy Bear Mold (Click here for more information)
Microplane Zester (Click here for more information)
Unflavored Gelatin Powder (Click here for more information)
Heat Proof Measuring Cups (Click here for more information)
Measuring Spoons Set (Click here for more information)
Star Shape Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)Small Flower and Heart Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Android Silicone Ice Cube Tray (Click here for more information)
OXO Egg Turner (Click here for more information)
Pyrex Small Glass Food Storage Set (Click here for more information)Silicone Mold - 6 Small Designs (Click here for more information)

Tangerine Macarons and Happy Chinese New Year (大吉大利馬卡龍+恭喜發財)

January 31st marks the first day of Chinese New Year (CNY).  I’ve been busy baking, cooking, and testing out new recipes while re-visiting some of my all time favorite traditional Chinese New Year must haves.  To celebrate the occasion, I baked these Tangerine Macarons (大吉大利馬卡龍).  The pronunciation of tangerine in Chinese (大吉) sounds exactly like lucky, or fortune as well.  That’s the reason why tangerine is one of the symbols, and must-have's, for CNY celebration.



We have some relatives visiting us from overseas, so, I’ll keep this post nice and short.   I’ll try to post the recipe for these macarons on a later day, so please stay tuned.  Meanwhile, please check out other delectable CNY recipes at the bottom of this post if you’re interested.  As we say goodbye to the Year of Snake and welcome the Year of Horse this Chinese New Year, I want to wish you all good health, great fortune and have a wonderful celebration with your family and loved ones.  祝大家身體健康, 龍馬精神, 大吉大利, 與家人和親友有一個美好的時光。







Traditional Chinese New Year Recipes:

1) Chicken Pot Stickers:
The crescent shape of these Pot Stickers resembles the shape of a traditional gold nugget, in Chinese called (元寶). The dumplings represent wealth for the family.  (Please click here for the recipe and video demonstration)




2) Coconut and Azuki (Red Bean) Glutinous Rice Cake 椰汁紅豆糯米糕:
Rice Cake in Chinese (年糕) sounds exactly like "grow (taller) every year", these rice cakes symbolize growth and improvement for the year to come.  (Please click here for the recipe.)





3) Vegetarian Chop-Suey (羅漢齋):
As we enjoy many meat and fish dishes for the Chinese New Year, this Vegetarian Chop-Suey (羅漢齋) is a must have to balance out the diet.  (Please click here for the recipe)





4) Matcha Shortbread Cookies (抹茶酥餅):
A great homemade gift to bring when we visit our relatives during the CNY celebration.  (Please click here for the recipe)

  

5) Butter Cookies:
A great homemade gift to bring when we visit our relatives during the CNY celebration.   (Please click here for the recipe)






6) Homemade Fruity Pork Jerky (自家製果汁豬肉乾):
Meat Jerky is a popular treat for CNY in many Southeast Asia Countries. (Please click here for the recipe)

Cranberry Sparkling Martini

Can't believe it's only a few days from Christmas!  Are you in the Holiday mood yet?  If not, give this Cranberry Sparkling Martini a try and you will be in the Holiday mood for sure.  Forget about the holiday baking and chaotic shopping malls for a while.  Let's relax with a Holiday drink, and cheers!



I love the slightly sweet and tart flavors from this Cranberry Sparkling Martini.  First, I prepare the cranberry syrup by cooking up some fresh cranberries with some water, sugar and orange peels.  Let the syrup steep a little so the flavor really infused into the syrup.  When you're ready to put the cocktail together, prepare the orange zest sugar rim for the martini glasses.  The orange zest is so fragrant and refreshing, and truly brightens up this drink.  Not only the sugar rim tastes wonderful with this drink, it makes the martini glasses super festive as well.



I finished up the drink by shaking up some vodka, sherry, and the cranberry syrup along with some ice.  Then, top off the glasses with some champagne, or you can use processo as well.  The bubbly is so refreshing and makes this Cranberry Sparkling Martini really sparkle, fun and festive.



Now, you've got a festive and refreshing cocktail under your sleeves, hope you'll give this a try on your next gathering.  Cheers!




Please drink responsibly.  Health and General Disclaimers.

Orange Curd—Sunshine in a Bowl!

My whole family adores citrus, not just in sweet treats, but in many savory dishes as well.  I’ve made citrusy vinaigrette such as this one here and it’s been my family’s go-to salad dressing ever since.  With all the citrus fruit I get from my In-Law’s garden, it’s hard not to love these fruits.  If you haven’t done so, check out this Meyer Lemon Curd with Vanilla Sugar Recipe, it’s good on almost everything, such as toasts, scones, tarts, or even by the spoonful, ahem….don’t ask me how I know that.



So, with the super sweet oranges that I got recently, I’ve made some orange curd.  I put quite a bit of zest in this curd because I love the aroma from the zest.  The zest contains the essential oil and carries lots of flavor, even more so than the juice itself, in my opinion.  So, I didn’t strain this curd after it’s done cooking because I want as much zest in my curd as possible.  If you prefer a smoother curd with no zest, by all means pass the cooked curd through a strainer, the choice is yours. 



This Orange Curd taste like sunshine in a bowl to me.  It’s tart, its’ sweet, and it’s refreshing, yet it’s also very rich and creamy without any cream in it.  It puts a smile on my face every time I taste it.  I’m sure it’ll do the same to you if you give this recipe a try.  If the weather in your area is less than perfect, this Orange Curd  will brightens up your day.  Happiness could be really simple, as simple as a tablespoon of orange curd on a slice of homemade bread.  I believe happiness depends on our attitude in regards to how we perceive things around us. 



Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.  So, please share with me, what kind of recipes make you feel happy?  I would love to hear from you and give your recipe a try too.   Meanwhile, be happy and keep smiling.  You never know who would fall in love with your smile.