How to Make Pusheen Dango 胖吉貓糰子

Recently, I’ve fallen in love with Dango 糰子.  Dango is a type of Japanese Wagashi 和菓子.  What are Wagashi?  They are traditional Japanese confections that are usually made of mochi and served with tea.  They could be elaborated with designs and fillings or as simple as these sesame dango, which are slightly sweetened but not filled.  Do you like these Pusheen dangos?  Aren’t they the most kawaii treats you’ve seen lately?   If you haven’t seen my Bunny Dango yet, you should click here to check them out and let me know which one you like better.



My Baby Girls and some of her friends are crazy about Pusheen lately!  I don't blame them!  This chubby little kitten is certainly super adorable!  If you’re not familiar with this cute Japanese Character, you can check out her own website here!



My version of dango are made with just a few simple ingredients.  I don’t use water to mix the dough but only used the moisture from the silken tofu.  The tofu not only added a hint of flavor to these dango, but also more nutritious.  It keeps the dango dough soft and smooth and quite easy to handle.  To achieve the grey color of Pusheen, I added some black sesame powder to the dango dough.  You can taste the sesame but not too strong.  Just keep in mind that if you add more sesame powder, the end product might turn out even darker.  As you can see, they do darken quite a bit after they’re cooked.  



To maintain the gorgeous figure of Pusheen, she has to consume quite a bit of yummy food every day!  Apparently, doughnuts are one of her favorites as you can see from the many pictures that she always seems to be holding one wherever she goes!  



These sesame Pusheen Dangos are delicious as the way they are, but you can also put them on other dessert as an edible decoration.  I made these strawberry pudding dessert cups with Pusheen Dango on top for a good friend’s daughter’s birthday party because Pusheen was the theme! 




This recipe is quite fun and easy to make and I hope you’ll give it a try soon!  Check out the list below for all the ingredients and special tools that I used for this recipe.  Stay tuned for more fun and yummy recipe soon!


Tools and Ingredients Used:
Edible Color Markers (Click here for more information)
Skimmer Strainer (Click here for more information)
Glutenous Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Measuring Cups Set (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Bamboo Picks (Click here for more information)
Black Sesame Powder (Click here for more information)
Doughnut Shape Cereal (Click here for more information)
White Chocolate chips (Click here for more information)
Red Candy Melt (Click here for more information)
Wilton Rainbow Nonpareils (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)
Parchment Paper (Click here for more information)



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Kid’s Bento Lunch Boxes Ideas

One of my favorite activities of the day is packing cute bento lunch boxes for my Kiddos.  As soon as October started, I’ve been making the lunch boxes with Halloween theme.  These lunch boxes are fun and festive.  It’s a way for me to send some love for the kiddos while they are at school.  The picture above is a spaghetti lunch box with Hello Kitty wearing a witch’s hat.  Kitty is made out of a slice of Muenster cheese.  The decorations are seaweed and soy wrappers.  The little pumpkin is a slice of carrot decorated with cut out seaweed. 



I love the Frankenstein bento as well.  It’s made out of a slice of Muenster cheese topped with a piece of green soy wrapper.  Click here to check out the package of soy wrapper that I used.  (I’ll list the tools and other ingredients at the end of this post for your reference as well.)   I absolutely love the soy wrappers as they are so colorful and easy to use.  Best of all, they are made with natural ingredients such as spinach, turmeric, and paprika to obtain those gorgeous bright colors. 




Here’s a simple one with ghosts and a broom stick.  Click here to check out the video tutorial on how to make the witch’s broom and the little ghosts were made out of mozzarella cheese balls decorated with cut out seaweeds.







The picture above is a bowl of Miso Noodle Soup that I made for my Hubby.  I’m sure we can all use some sunshine.  I feel happy just by looking at the cute face on the egg.



Have you heard of Gudetama?  It’s a Japanese cartoon character of an lazy egg (see picture above).  Click here to check out their Facebook page for some funny videos.  My kids and I always enjoy watching them together!



This little girl with spaghetti hair is one of my favorite.  It’s simple and adorable!






The little chick above is made with smoked salmon filled egg, check out this video for the tutorial and recipe.







My kids’ all time favorite got to be these piggy ham and cheese sandwiches along with Minions (see picture below)!  These lunch boxes are inspired by The Despicable Me 3 movie that we watched over the summer. The Minions are hard boiled eggs soaked in water and turmeric for the yellow color.  The decorations are cut out seaweeds.  I hope you enjoy today’s bento compilations and lunch box ideas!  If you have any questions, suggestions, or recipe requests, feel free to leave me a comment below. 

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Tools and Ingredients Used for Bento Boxes:
Bento Box 1 (Click here for more information)
Bento Box 2 (Click here for more information)
Hello Kitty Shape Cutter (Click here for more information)
Sandwich Cutters (Click here for more information)
Seaweed (Click here for more information)
Soy Wrappers (Click here for more information)
Bento Picks 1 (Click here for more information)
Bento Picks 2 (Click here for more information)
Bento Picks 3 (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Kitchen Scissors (Click here for more information)
Turmeric (Click here for more information)

How to Make Chinese MahJong Coconut Osmanthus Jello 麻雀(麻將)椰汁桂花糕

Have you heard of one of the most popular Chinese card game called MahJong (麻雀 or 麻將 in Chinese)?  It’s one of my In-Law’s favorite game to play with friends and family.  I made these Chinese MahJong Coconut Osmanthus Jello 麻雀(麻將)椰汁桂花糕 to celebrate my Mother-In-Law’s birthday.  They were fun to make and absolutely fun to eat as well, especially if you’re eating the winning set of “tiles”!



When I was a little kid, I remember sitting next to my parents and watch them play MahJong during the Chinese New Year.   That was how I learned the rules for the game.  Back then, I was secretly hoping that they need to take a bathroom break so that I can sit-in as a substitute!  Those were some fun memories.



I got the MahJong Silicone Mold to make these Coconut Osmanthus Jello and the mold is super easy to use.  I’ll list the product link as well as the required ingredients at the end of this post for your convenience.  To mimic the actual MahJong tiles, I make these jello in 2 layers.  The bottom layer is made with coconut milk and the top layer is made with dried Osmanthus. 



For this recipe, I tested out a few times to get the perfect flavor and consistency.   My kids love the version with milk mixed with coconut milk.  I personally love a stronger coconut milk version.  I’ll list both of them in details in the recipe below so that you can choose for yourself. To color the wordings of the “MJ tiles”, I used my homemade beet root red food coloring (red), matcha green tea powder(green), and homemade red cabbage blue food coloring (blue).  I’ll list the links to the tutorial below for your reference.  Otherwise, you can use store-bought natural food coloring as well.



This plate above is the famous winning hand called 十三么.  Which is considered a rare hand to win because it’s not easy to collect all these tiles in a game.  But it’s a challenge that many MJ players would dream to get this hand in the game. 



These Coconut Osmanthus Jello not only look whimsical and realistic, they are also very refreshing and delicious!  If you know someone who love to play MahJong, you’ve got to try this recipe out!  Wish you all good luck in the game and have fun making this treat.  Remember, Eat, Drink, and Be Happy!  Thank you for stopping by and I’ll see you all next week!



Below is a picture consists of (one of each of) all the tiles in the MahJong Game.  You can look at this picture and reference back where to add the colored gelatin mixture when you make the recipe!  Have fun!




Link to Homemade Beet Root Red Food Coloring Tutorial
https://goo.gl/v7G49A
Link to Homemade Blue Food Coloring Tutorial
https://goo.gl/K6BDHM

Ingredients and Tools Used:
Chinese MahJong Silicone Molds (Click here for more information)
Calphalon Baking Pan (Click here for more information)
All Natural Food Colorings (Click here for more information)
Organic Coconut Milk (Click here for more information)
Unflavored Gelatin Powder (Click here for more information)
Dried Osmanthus (Click here for more information)
Large Measuring Cup (Click here for more information)
Strainers Set (Click here for more information)
Matcha Powder (Click here for more information)
Flat Top Wooden Spatula (Click here for more information)
Measuring Cup Set (Click here for more information)



Disclosure: uTry.it is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Strawberry Milky Lollipop 士多啤梨牛奶棒棒糖

Have your kids started their Spring Break yet?  I know my kids couldn’t wait to have some time off from school.  They want to feel free and not have to worry about homework, exams, book reports, etc.  Today, I’ve a super fun and cute recipe for you to welcome Spring Break!  Check out these Strawberry Milky Lollipops!  Aren’t they the cutest things you’ve seen lately?  Best of all, they are really yummy as well.



I made these Strawberry Milky Lollipop over the weekend with my Baby Girl.  If you’re looking for some fun activities to do with your kids on their days off, this recipe would be a fun and delicious project.  These lollipops are also a perfect treat if you’re planning a kids party as well.



The flavors of these homemade Strawberry Milky Lollipops remind me of these Strawberry and Cream lollipops that I loved when I was young.  Better yet, my homemade version is made with real strawberries and no artificial flavors or coloring.  Since there are only a few ingredients in these lollipop candies, the strawberry flavor truly comes through. 



If you haven’t done so, be sure to check out my video tutorial at the top of this post on how to make these cuties!  I’ll show you step by step on how to make the traditional lollipop shapes and the strawberry shaped ones as well.



An alternate to shaping the lollipop is to cut the rolled candy into tiny dots (as shown in the picture above.)  I personally prefer these smaller ones as they are perfect for 'portion control!'  I’ll list all the ingredients and tools used in this recipe at the end of the post for your reference.



If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my Youtube channel here.  That way, you won’t miss out on any future videos and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new tutorial published.  Thank you for stopping by and I wish you all a fun and sweet Spring Break!


Ingredients and Tools Used:
All Natural Beet Rool Coloring Tutorial: https://goo.gl/uWBS7D
Sweet Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Organic Honey (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Unsalted Butter (Click here for more information)
Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Freeze Dried Strawberry (Click here for more information)
Lollipop Sticks (Click here for more information)
Infrared Thermometer (Click here for more information)
 

Hello Kitty Red Bean Dumplings (凱蒂貓紅豆湯丸) for Chinese New Year

Do you enjoy Asian Style dessert dumplings (湯丸)?  Eating dessert dumplings is one of the “must-have” Chinese New Year tradition as the pronunciation of dumplings in Chinese represent the whole of the family, or the united of the family (團圓).  Many traditional Chinese New Year dishes represent good luck or some types of well wishes.  That’s because we all wanted to kick off the new year with a great start, don’t we?   



As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I want to pass on as many of the Chinese cultures and traditions to my kids as possible.  One of my favorite ways to pass on the traditions is through food.  To get them more interested, I often get them into the kitchen to cook with me.  As I was testing recipes last week, My Baby Girl joined me in the kitchen to create these adorable Hello Kitty Dumplings together.  If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my “recipe testing video”.   You might have noticed that the Kitties on the Instagram video had much bigger noses, and they looked more like piggies!  So, I made some adjustments for this week’s video tutorial to reclaim Kitty’s beauty!   



These dumplings turned out so adorable and delicious.  It was so much fun to make them together with my Kids.  If you haven’t done so, check out the video tutorial above for the step-by-step instructions.  In respond to many of my Dear Readers’ requests, I did a voice over on this video instructions instead of the usual captions-only format.  But by all mean, click on the “cc” button on lower right corner of the YouTube video for Close Captioning if you prefer.   



In my video tutorial, I included a few tips to make these cute dumplings.  So, be sure to turn up the volume and follow along! 



Last year, I shared with you the Black Sesame Dumplings with Ginger Syrup post.  (Please click here to get the recipe).  For these Hello Kitty Dumplings, I filled some with my homemade Red Bean Paste and left the remaining dumplings as plain.  I’ll post the homemade Red Bean Paste recipe below for your reference.  Or, you can also use canned/ready-made red bean paste from the Asian Supermarkets. 



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tutorial, stay tuned for more fun Chinese New Year Recipe next week!

Tools and Ingredients used:
Glutinous Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Organic Dried Red Beans (Click here for more information)
Ready Made Red Bean Filling (Click here for more information)
Wilton Edible Candy Marker (Click here for more information)

 

Christmas Fruit Tart with Meyer Lemon Mousse

 
Will you be hosting a Christmas party this year?  Or, will you be a guest at a friend’s or family member’s house?  Honestly, I enjoy being a guest more than hosting a party at my place.  One reason is that I don’t really have a backyard that is spacious enough to host parties.  The other reason is the tremendous amount effort needed, such as planning, preparation, and cleanup!  As a guest, I’m always happy to bring desserts!  And I’m sure any host would be pleased to see this festive and gorgeous Christmas Fruit Tart with Meyer Lemon Mousse!  But of course, you can still make this pretty fruit tart even if you’re hosting Christmas gatherings at your place.  This tart will make a beautiful centerpiece for sure.
 

 
The crust of this tart is a simple cookie crust. It’s crunchy, buttery, and sturdy enough to hold up the Meyer Lemon Mousse fillings.  The Meyer Lemon Mousse filling is super easy to prepare.  It involves some mascarpone whipped cream and Meyer Lemon Curd.  Click here to check out my homemade Meyer Lemon Curd recipe.  If you want a short cut, it’s okay to use a store bought Lemon Curd as well.  After all, it’s the holiday and it’s alright to give yourself a break if you are in a hurry.  But the good news is that you can make the Meyer Lemon Curd ahead of time and they’ll last quite a long time in the fridge.  
 

 
I used green grapes, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, and persimmon to garnish this tart.  It’s quite self explanatory in terms of how to arrange the fruit to form the Christmas Tree.  You can be creative and use other fruits that you like.  For example, kiwi slices for the tree, yellow peach for the star, and other small fruit as ornaments as well.  These are the fruits that I have on hand so I used them.  The fresh fruit compliment the Meyer Lemon Mousse perfectly.  It’s refreshing yet decadent at the same time.  The mousse filling has a light, fluffy and silky mouth-feel, which contrast wonderfully with the crunch cookie crust.  The pomegranate seeds add a little pop and tartness in this tart.  And its natural color simply brightens up the whole tart.
 

 
It’s such a festive and simple dessert to enjoy!  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and make it for your holiday celebration.  If you do try the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a message below or email me a picture on how it turned out.  I can’t wait to hear from you!  Stayed tuned for more fun and festive holiday treats next week.  
 
Tools and Ingredients Used:
 
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)
Mascarpone Cheese (Click here for more information)
Rectangular Tart Pan (Click here for more information)
Parchment Paper  (Click here for more information)
Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream (Click here for more information)
Pie Weight (Click here for more information)
Pastry Cutter (Click here for more information)
Pastry Bag (Click here for more information)
Wilton Closed Star 2D Pastry Tip (Click here for more information)

 
P.S. Current Giveaway: The Origami Zoo Kit (Open till December 18th, 2016)

 

 
 
 
 

How to Make Christmas Wreath and Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies

How’s your holiday shopping so far?  I’m just glad that I did most of mine online these days.  I simply do not like the shopping malls' crowded parking lot nor the long lines at the check outs!  Are you the same?  Or do you think that’s part of the fun from holiday shopping?  Fortunately, some of my holiday gifts are going to be homemade edible gifts and DIYs that don’t require a trip to the mall. Gifts such as these adorable Classic Shortbread Cookies.      



As you can see, I decorated them as Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Trees for a more festive look.  I’ll list the cookie cutters and other tools that I used in this recipe, at the bottom of the post for your convenience.  These cookies are quite simple to make and lots of fun to decorate.  My kids had a blast decorating and eating their own creations. 



If you haven’t done so, please check out my video tutorial above.  You’ll see how easy it is to make these adorable cookies.  Best of all, I mostly just used chopped pistachios and dried cranberries for the decorations.  I simply love these natural and festive colors for the holidays!  Not to mention, they add some wonderful flavors and textures to the cookies.



There are only a few simple ingredients for this classic shortbread cookie recipe.  The key to a wonderful shortbread cookie is the butter!  Therefore, please use the best quality of butter that you can get your hands on.  They make a huge difference in the end product.  Also for your reference, you will find the butter that I trust and love... right below this post.



Baking and decorating cookies have became one of our holiday traditions.  We also bake and build gingerbread houses together.  If you haven’t check out my classic gingerbread cookie recipe from last week, simple click here.  You sure don’t want to miss that one!  What are some of your holiday traditions?  Share in the comment session below.  I can’t wait to hear from you. 



I have been baking these Classic Shortbread Cookies all year round and not just for the holidays because they are so delicious.  They are super buttery and a little crunchy, thanks to the pistachio nuts on top.  The pistachio adds a nice and subtle nutty flavor to these cookies.  Definitely a fun treat for holiday and everyday afternoon tea.  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon and add it to your holiday baking list.  Stay tuned for more festive holiday treats next week!  






Tools and Ingredients Used:
Scalloped Edges Round Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Holiday Mini Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Star Shaped Sprinkles(Click here for more information)
Silver Dragees (Click here for more information)
Candy Cane Sprinkles (Click here for more information)
Red Heart Sprinkle for Bowtie (Click here for more information)
Multi Color Dragees as Ornamens (Click here for more information)
Wilton #2 Small Round Piping Tip for Icing (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Meringue Powder (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Pistachios (Click here for more information)
Dried Cranberries (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)

Current Giveaways:
1) Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas Craft Book and Wrapping Paper (Open till December 4th, 2016)

2) Origami Zoo Kit (Open till December 18th, 2016)

Classic Gingerbread Cookies–Decorated 3 Ways

How was your Thanksgiving celebration yesterday?  Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed time with your family and friends.  As we put the left over roasted turkey into the fridge, it’s also time to take the Christmas tree and ornaments out from the storage!  Okay, maybe not exactly at the same time, but you know what I mean!  We’re moving on to the next holiday, Christmas! It’s definitely one of my favorite holidays of the year!



To put you into the holiday mood, let me share with you these festive and adorable Classic Gingerbread Cookies!   I decorated them in three different ways while using the same cookie dough as the base.  As I was baking these cookies, the house smelled like a little bakery shop!  The pungent and earthy spices in these cookies are amazing.  The deep and rich aroma of the molasses is undeniable in these gingerbread cookies!  The wonderful aromas and flavors of spices simply reminded me of the wonderful time of Christmas! 



I certainly felt that Christmas came early this year!  My Little Girl and I spent a fun afternoon decorating these cookies together!  It’s simply therapeutic to sit back, pipe out icing, and decorate these cuties with sprinkles (okay, maybe a little cookie tasting in between as well)!  It was amazing to see the creativity shown on My Little Girl’s cookies.   



A few months ago, I shared these Home Sweet Home 3D Sugar Cookie with you for Valentine’s Day.  They were just as much fun to make and I used the same cookie cutter for these Mini Gingerbread House Cookies (see picture above).  This time, I used some edible star sprinkles on the roof, silver dragees for the door frame, and peppermint candy canes sprinkles to decorate the walls of the house.  It was so whimsical that I felt like a little fairy sprinkling pixie dust!  I’ll list the tools and ingredients that I used at the bottom of this post for your convenience. 



Of course, we've got to have the classic Gingerbread Man...and his family as well!  How can we not have them!?  I had 2 different sizes of gingerbread man cookie cutters and I’ll list the different bake times on all different cutters in the recipe below for your convenience.



Last but not least, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!  They are definitely my favorites!  And guess what, you don’t need a separate cookie cutter for them!  Take a closer look, they are the little gingerbread man flipped up side down.  Watch the video tutorial above to see how I  made them.  These are just way too cute!  With all these three different decorated cookies, they sure looked like a winter wonderland in my house. 



I hope you enjoy today's recipe and tutorial.  Stayed tuned for more fun recipe and tutorial next week.  If you haven’t entered the Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas Craft Book giveaway yet, there’s still time to do so.  You sure don’t want to miss it!  Until next time, have a wonderful Friends and Family Friday!       


Tools and Ingredients Used:

3D Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter (Click here for more information)
Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Silver Dragees (Click here for more information)
Candy Cane Sprinkles (Click here for more information)
Pink Pearl Sprinkle for Cheeks (Click here for more information)
Red Heart Sprinkle for Bow-tie (Click here for more information)
Red Pearl Dragees For nose (Click here for more information)
Wilton #2 Small Round Piping Tip for Icing (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Ground Cinnamon (Click here for more information)
Organic Ground Ginger (Click here for more information)
Organic Ground Cloves (Click here for more information)
Organic Unsulphured Molasses (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Salted Butter (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Candied Coated Chocolate (Click here for more information)




Classic Gingerbread Cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in spices, the egg, and molasses.

Turn mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, until just combined. Divide dough in half, shape each one into a disk, and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats. Lightly dust flour on a clean surface and roll the dough into 1/8-inch thick.

Stamp out gingerbread man or gingerbread house shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake until crisp and slightly golden on the bottom. I baked the small gingerbread man ones (1 1/2 x 2-inch) for 10 minutes; the gingerbread house pieces for 12 minutes, and the medium/large gingerbread man ones (2 2/4 x 3 ½-inch) for 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks.

Decorate with royal icing (Recipe Followed) and have fun!
 
Royal Icing Recipe:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated and no lumps. Place in small piping bag with a small round tip to decorate your cookies.