Langues de chat (cat's tongues cookies): easy cookies to get rid of egg whites

Whenever I make a lot of ice cream, I will get into problem, >*<. Not a big one but it's annoying for me, the problem is I have too many egg whites -*-. I try to make macaron or butter cream but it's still there, so I have to find other way to use it.

Then I remember, there are some of the cookies that use egg whites for their crisp character, like tulie or langues de chat. I make the tulies many time so this time let make something new (haha, for my blog).

Langues de chat is easier to make than the tulies, just pipe the mixture and it will spread into thin cookies in the oven.

So, let's change the problem into something delicious. It'll be a good way to get rid of the egg whites in your fridge too.

Langues de chat (cat's tongues cookies)
Makes about 60-70 pieces

70g	Unsalted butter
150g	Icing sugar (sifted)
120ml	Whipping cream
	Vanilla essence
60g	Egg whites
130g	Cake flour (sifted)
¼ tsp	Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line the baking sheet with baking paper.

Melt the butter by putting the butter in a bowl and place over the pan of simmering water, then take the bowl out of the pan.
Pour the icing sugar and salt in the butter whisk to combine.
Pour the cream into the butter bowl and mix, then whisk in the vanilla essence.

Pour the egg whites into the butter mixture, whisk to combine.
Put the flour into the butter mixture, fold to combine.

Put the mixture into the piping bag fitted with 1.5cm nozzle.
Pipe into 6cm long cookie.

Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown around the edge.

Langues de chat (cat's tongue cookies): easy cookies to get rid of egg whites

Coffee Marbled Cake with Pecan Nut

From the problem that I always have the mascarpone cheese in the fridge but I can't use it all, haha. But what can I do?

The book is cute and there are a lot of the variations. (If you read my blog you will remember that I really love this woman, Takako Inada, I have almost all of her books). Most of the recipe doesn't use butter (last year it's very hard to find the butter in Japan, my friends complained about it every time that I talked to them). So the base are cheese, sour cream, oil or yogurt, it might great for the time that we can't find the butter !

This cake is very easy (again ^_^), the mixture of the cheese and the coffee is a good combination.
The original recipe use a lot of coffee, but I think it a bit bitter, so I reduce it. But if you like the bitter taste you double the amount of the coffee (both in the cake and the icing). So, anyone who enjoy coffee flavor will love this cake too.

Coffee Marbled Cake with Pecan Nut
Makes 15x15 cm

Cake
50g	Cake flour
20g	Almond powder
20g	Pecan nut (lightly roasted and chopped)
¼ tsp	Baking powder
1	Egg
45g	Light brown sugar
30g	Vegetable oil
50g	Mascarpone cheese
	A dash of salt
1tsp	Instant coffee
1tsp	Coffee liqueur
12	Whole pecan for topping
Coffee icing
½ tsp	Instant coffee
1tsp	Milk
20g	Icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line the 15x15 cm square pan with baking paper.

Mix the instant coffee with the liqueur.
Melt the mascarpone cheese in the microwave (about 20-30 seconds), let cool completely .
Sift the flour, almond powder, salt and baking powder together.

Beat the egg with the sugar.

When the egg is light and puffy, pour the mascarpone cheese into the mixture.

Put the flour mixture and pecan nut into the egg mixture, fold to combine.
Pour the oil into the mixture, fold to combine.

Take half of the batter and mix into the coffee mixture.
Pour the coffee mixture into the batter bowl and fold only 1-2 time to create the marbled affect.
Pour the mixture into the pan and place the pecan nut on top of the cake.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.


Mix all the ingredients together, put in the bag.
Use the icing to drizzle over the cake.

Coffee Marbled Cake with Pecan Nut

Puffy Twist Donut: Easy treats for everyone!

It started from the moment that my sister turn on the TV, the picture of the golden fried donut was on the screen, and then she turned to me and told me that "I really want to eat donut.".

And it's Sunday morning, how can I let her down when there are a lot of time, ^_^. I took the flour and other ingredients, then after a little bit of kneading, resting, twisting and frying, I can give her what she ask for.
After that, my donut was gone in front of my eye!
I know that many people love donut, it's a bit of childhood memory plus the love for fried food, haha. because I have to admit that I really love fried food, and I just can't resist it!

This donut is easy to make (oh, you know me I don't like anything difficult, >*<, I think it's happy when you don't have a stress so why make difficult thing). Kneading is easy too, and you can make this treats without an oven. It might be the good start for anyone ho want to make their own bread but don't have the oven yet, ^_^. So, don't be afraid, just grasp all the ingredients and when into the kitchen, you will get your delicious treats for less than 2 hours.

Puffy Twist Donut
Makes 8

200g	Bread flour
20g	Sugar
½ tsp	Salt
1tsp	Instant yeast
150cc.	Milk
30g	Unsalted butter
	Oil for frying
	Superfine sugar

Put the flour, the sugar and yeast in a bowl, whisk to combine, add and salt whisk again. Pour the milk into the bowl.

Use large spoon (or pastry scraper) to mix everything together, and knead briefly to bring all the ingredients together.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead, you will see the dough will be elastic after about 2 minutes.

Add the butter and knead (see the picture in Hand knead bread making - How to) by using the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give the dough a little turn and repeat. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm. Keep folding over and compressing the dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until the dough is soft, pliable, smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny.

Put the dough into a light buttered bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size (can be 1 hour or 1 hour and a half check often depend on the temperature).

Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll into a ball, let the balls rest for10 minutes.
Roll each ball into a rope about 20 cm. long.
Twist each side of the rope into opposite direction (roll one side up, and the other side down).

Hold each end up, the dough will twist together.
Place the finished twists on the baking sheet, let them rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer to 170°C. Gently place the donuts into the oil. Cook until golden on both sides, then remove to drain on paper towels. Place the donut in the bowl of superfine sugar, turn to coat the donut with the sugar, transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan.

Puffy Twist Donut: Easy treats for everyone!