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Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is my grandma's recipe. It has to be Italian parsley, she said other parsley might not work. She also strongly insists that the stems are used as well. She told me that the stems are the most effective because they are closer to the earth. Effect on what, you might ask? My grandma used to make this for herself and me once every 4 months. This is great for cleansing our kidneys. I figured that they might be great for gout too as our kidneys cannot function properly to flush out excess uric acid from our bodies. She warned that this is NOT to be consumed on a daily basis; just once every 4 months. PS: This is not a miracle tea. Please consult a doctor for your kidney and gout problems. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Water, 500ml Italian Parsley Coarsely Chopped (Stems Included), 15g Maple Syrup, 2 TBSP (Optional & Adjust To Preference) Fresh Orange / Lemon Juice, 1 Orange / Lemon Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: Add water, parsley and maple syrup to a sauce pot. *Make sure parsley is washed thoroughly.* Stir to combine well. Bring the heat up to medium and bring it up to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 5 mins. Cover and steep for 10 mins. Remove from heat and add in the orange or lemon juice. Mix until well combined. Strain into serving glass. Serve immediately. Cheers! Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I guess this gorgeous lady needs no introduction. I have been following her since I discovered TikTok. I even tried 2 of her recipes out in the past and I was super excited when she announced her cookbook. Order your copy now! I preordered on Amazon and it arrived last week. I didn't even wait and just dove into her cookbook; there are so many stories and recipes. 1, in particular, caught my attention, which is this simple yet nourishing, heart and yummilicious pasta dish. I have looking for a non tomato based pasta stew recipe for quite some time and this is exactly what I wanted. I love how simple Italian cuisine is. Simple yet sophisticated. I can't find any of the mentioned pasta in the book, so I decided to go with macaroni. I am sure the queen will understand. On a side note, do not skip the cheese rind. It adds a ton of umami to the dish (yes it is 100% edible even tho there're color prints). Try not to skip that. If not, this will remind you not to throw out any cheese rinds in the future. Let's get cooking! Ingredients: Adapted from The Pasta Queen Just Gorgeous Cookbook (Serve 4) Cannellini Beans, 170g High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Yellow Onion Finely Minced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Carrots Obliqued, 2 Unsalted Butter, 2 TBSP Leeks Coarsely Sliced, 2 Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Peeled Tomatoes Canned, 56g Parmigiano Reggiano Rind, 1 Pasta Mista Corta / Ditali / Maltagliati (I'm using Macaroni), 128g Dried Rosemary, Pinch Parmigiano Reggiano, For Grating High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling Equipment: Sauce Pot Heavy Sauce Pot Directions: Soak the beans in a bowl of water overnight, making sure the beans are fully submerged. The next day, the beans should plump up quite a bit. Drain and transfer the beans into a sauce pot. Add water to about 2" above the beans and turn the heat up to medium. Bring it up to a simmer. Cook for about 1hr. *Remove any scum on the surface. Give it a stir occasionally to prevent burning.* After 1hr, drain and set the beans aside. Transfer the liquid back into the sauce pot. *As usual, I like to add all the vegetable scraps into the stock, cook for 3 to 5 mins, cover and infuse for 10 mins, drain and discard the residue. This will be my simple stock.* In a heavy sauce pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is heated up, add onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until translucent. Add in carrots and saute until well combined. Add butter, cover and cook for 2 to 3 mins or until the carrots are fork tender. Add leeks and garlic. Saute until aromatic. Hand crush the tomatoes and transfer them to the pot. Followed by the cheese rind and beans. Saute until well combined. Drizzle some of that stock and deglaze. Add about 1 cup of that stock and bring it up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 1 hr or until the beans are soft. *Add in more stock if necessary. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.* Add in the pasta, I am using macaroni, and stir to combine well. Cook until the pasta is al dente. *If you prefer a soupy consistency add in more stock or water. If you prefer a more stewy consistency cook to further reduce the liquid to your desired consistency.* Final taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Lastly, stir in the rosemary. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowls. Grate some parmigiano over the top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately. Just gorgeous... Mama Mia... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video While I was researching American cuisine, this is the 2nd cookbook that was recommended to me (the 1st is Sean Sherman's The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen). I bought this cookbook without much hesitation. Like any other cuisine, there are so many roots, cultures and stories behind every dish. Please check out The Mosquito Supper Club! American cuisine isn't about just hot dogs, burgers and pizzas. It is so much more. This is the 1st of the many dishes that I wanted to make and I guess I found one that speaks authenticity. I replaced some of the ingredients with the ones I like. Isn't it obvious? I prefer leeks to celery. Lol! Please check out the cookbook. It is detailed with stories and recipes. I cannot wait to try out more of Melissa's recipes. This does half a day of preparing and cooking, but it is 100% worth it. And isn't that why our grandma's cooking so fabulous? Our grandma start prepping the day before to make sure the meat is marinated and everything was in place. Just saying... Ingredients: Adapted from Mosquito Supper Club Cookbook by Melissa M. Martin (Serve 4) Shrimp, 600g Baking Soda, 1/2 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Cayenne, Pinch Hot Sauce, For Marinating Green Bell Pepper, 1 Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, 60g Yellow Onion Finely Sliced, 2 Granulated Sugar, Pinch Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Leeks Coarsely Sliced, 2 Bay Leaves, 2 Jasmine Rice, 390g Parsley Coarsely Chopped, A Handful Scallions Coarsely Chopped, A Handful Equipment: Oven Sauce Pot Heavy Sauce Pot Directions: Shell and devein the shrimp. Reserve the shells. Wash the shrimp thoroughly and transfer them into a shallow bowl. Coat the shrimp well with baking soda. Add water and ice cubes, making sure the shrimp are fully submerged. Set aside for 30 mins. After 30 mins, drain and wash the shrimp thoroughly. Set the shrimp aside for another 30 mins. The shrimps should change their color to opaque pink. *That is to clean the shrimps properly and also to remove any seafoody odor.* Wash the reserved shells thoroughly. Drain and transfer them to a sauce pot. Add about 750ml of water. As usual, I will add all the vegetable scraps. Turn the heat up to medium and stir to combine well. Bring it up to a simmer and cook for 3 to 5 mins. Cover and set aside to infuse for 10 mins. After 10 mins, drain and discard the residue. Now you have a wonderful shrimp stock. Back to the shrimps. Marinade the shrimp with salt, pepper, cayenne and hot sauce. Make sure the shrimp are coated well. Cover and set aside to marinade for 30 mins to 1hr at room temperature. Deseed and quarter the bell pepper. Broil in the oven until charred. Remove from oven, cover and set aside to steam for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the charred skins, coarsely slice and set aside. In a heavy sauce pot over medium-high heat, add 60g of oil. Once the oil is heated up, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Saute until the onions are caramelized. *If it gets too dry, deglaze with a splash of that stock.* Add in garlic, leeks, roasted bell peppers and bay leaves. Saute until well combined. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 5 mins. Deglaze with a splash of that stock. Add in rice and stir to combine well. Season with salt and pepper. Give it a saute and add in the marinated shrimp. Saute until well combined. Add in 600ml of the stock. *If you have any remaining stock, freeze it in an ice cube tray.* Give it a stir and bring it up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to the low. Cook for 8 to 10 mins. *Do not be tempted to stir. The liquid should have almost evaporated and left with puddles of wet rice.* Cover and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Set a timer and cook for 20 mins. *Do not be tempted to unlid and have a peek. Do not. Trust the process.* After 20 mins, turn off the heat and keep it covered for another 25 mins. *Again, do not be tempted to unlid.* After 25 mins, uncover and garnish with parsley and scallions. Give it a quick mix and serve. The bottom burnt crispy parts are the best. Make use of vegetable scraps and shrimp shells to make shrimp stock... My new love for rice... Hearty and yummilicious in every way... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I always wanted to try and make some gumbo. But I was afraid of screwing it up. Maybe perhaps there are loads of different variations of gumbo online and I do not know which is more authentic than the other. And this awesome cookbook has some pretty decent gumbo (just by reading, lol!). Please check out The Mosquito Supper Club! This gumbo has no oil-based roux (which I prefer). Instead, it uses smothered okra as some sorta "thickener". Yes, I know that it takes hours upon hours of cooking okra to break it all down to a gooey texture. But I promised that this is worth it. I changed quite a number of things. I did not use a whole chicken (as I dislike bones with my meat); I used chicken thigh and breast. I also prepared the stock differently. And lastly, I seared the chicken in the pot 1st to get those goody brown bits. You can prepare the smothered okra, chicken stock and mise en place the day before. Everything will be smooth sailing on cooking day. That's what grandmas always do right? That's perhaps one of the many reasons why their food is so good. That... and a whole lotta love. Ingredients: Adapted from Mosquito Supper Club Cookbook by Melissa M. Martin (Serve 4) Smothered Okra: Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, 3 TBSP Okra Stems & Ends Removed Coarsely Sliced, 450g Tomato Peeled Canned, 1 Chicken Stock: Chicken Carcasses, 4 Milk Powder, 2 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Gumbo: Green Bell Peppers, 2 Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, 3 TBSP Chicken Thigh Boneless (Preferably with Skins), 2 Chicken Breast Boneless Skinless, 2 Sea Salt, Pinch White Pepper, Pinch Cayenne, Pinch Hot Sauce, For Marinating Yellow Onions Finely Sliced, 2 Granulated Sugar, Pinch Leeks Coarsely Sliced, 2 Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Bay Leaf, 1 Filé Powder, Pinch Equipment: Oven Sauce Pot Heavy Sauce Pot Large Baking Dish Directions: Prepare the smothered okra. In a sauce pot over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the okra. Saute and turn the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hrs. *The timing varies for different types and sizes of pots. Unlid, and saute every 10 mins to prevent burning. If the okra gets too dry and sticky, add a splash of hot water and deglaze.* Once the okra has broken down to an ugly dark greenish mud, it is done. Hand crush the tomato and add it to the okra. Saute until well combined. Cover and cook for a further 1/2 to 1 hr. *Unlid and saute every 10 mins.* The okra will break down even further and this time, the seeds should be tainted red in color and the concoction looks like wet mud. It is totally fine if there are some burnt bits. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare the chicken stock. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius or 400 fahrenheit. Transfer chicken carcasses into a baking dish. Sprinkle milk powder and salt over the top. Mix to coat well. Wack into the oven and bake for 40 to 50 mins or until the bones are browned. Flip and rotate half way thru'. Deglaze the baking dish with a splash of hot water. *If your baking dish is stovetop proof, you can add 1.5L of water to the chicken carcasses. If not, transfer the chicken carcasses into a pot of 1.5L of water, along with the deglazed liquid.* As usual, I like to add vegetable scraps to further enhance the flavors of the stock. Stir to combine well and bring it up to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 8 mins. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to infuse for 10 mins. After 10 mins, drain and discard all the residue. Prepare the gumbo. Deseed and quarter the bell peppers. Broil in the oven until charred. Remove from the oven, cover and set aside to steam for 30 mins. After 30 mins, peel off the charred skins and coarsely slice the peppers. Set aside. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, cayenne and hot sauce. Coat the chicken well. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 mins to 1 hr. In a heavy sauce pot over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is heated up, sear the chicken thigh skin side down until crispy brown. Flip and sear the other side as well. Repeat the steps for the breast too. Remove from heat and set aside to rest. In the same pot, add onions. Add a splash of that stock to deglaze. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Saute until the onions are caramelized. *If it gets too dry, deglaze with a splash of that stock.* Add in garlic, leeks, smothered okra, roasted bell peppers and bay leaf. Saute until well combined. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 5 mins. Deglaze with a splash of that stock. Add in the chicken and all the juices. *You can coarsely dice the chicken if desired.* Followed by all the stock. Stir to combine well. Bring it up to a simmer and turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook for 1.5 hrs. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. After 1.5 hrs, final taste and adjust for seasonings with salt, pepper, cayenne, hot sauce and some filé powder. The chicken should break apart easily. Turn off the heat and keep it covered for 1 hr. *Do not be tempted to unlid and have a peek.* After 1 hr, unlid and garnish with parsley and scallions. Serve immediately with some cooked rice if desired. Chickenlicious... Mama Mia... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I always wondered how does London Fog tastes like with chocolate. In case you didn't know, london fog is steamed milk with vanilla and tea. Kinda like a tea latte. So, adding chocolate will be like a tea mocha? Lol! The end result isn't what I would expect: warmth, cozy and earthy aromatic. I seriously tot it will be a bad idea. But I guess I was wrong, so wrong. I topped my London Fog Hot Chocolate with some whipped cream and freshly grated dark chocolate. You can of cos use any toppings as desired; marshmallows will be awesome too. Cheers! Ingredients: (Serve 1, sadly) Oat Milk Homemade / Milk, 110g Heavy Whipping Cream, 110g + 100g Pure Vanilla Paste, 1 TSP Sea Salt, Pinch Earl Grey Tea Bags, 2 or 3 High Quality Dark Chocolate 70% Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 25g + More for Grating High Quality Milk Chocolate Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 20g Equipment: Sauce Pot Hand / Stand Mixer Directions: Add milk 110g of cream, vanilla and salt to a sauce pot over medium heat. Stir to combine well. Bring it up to a simmer and remove from heat. Add in earl grey tea bags, cover and steep for 10 mins. Remove the tea bags and bring the heat up to medium-low. *Do not be tempted to squeeze the tea bags as it will leave a bitter taste.* Add in the chocolate. Stir to combine well and until the chocolate has completely melted. Pour the hot chocolate into serving cups. Add 100g of heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form with a hand or stand mixer. Spoon as much whipped cream as desired onto the hot chocolate. Grate some more dark chocolate over the top. Cheers! You have to give this a try... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I have no idea where did I get this recipe from. It is probably from a co-worker while I was working at a pizzeria. Or maybe not. Anyway, as much as I can remember, I kinda do this differently. For example, I find that adding milk to already melted chocolate creates better emulsification. I also cooked the hot chocolate a while longer to have a much thicker consistency. You don't have to. And in case you are wondering, "caliente" is Spanish for warm or hot. So, this is like a Spanish hot chocolate. Cheers! Ingredients: (Serve 2) Oat Milk Homemade / Milk, 500g Cinnamon Sticks, 2 + More Star Anise, 1 Cloves, 3 Pure Vanilla Paste, 1 TSP Fresh Lemon Peels, 1 Lemon Fresh Orange Peels, 1 Orange High Quality Dark Chocolate 70% Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 100g High Quality Milk Chocolate Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 75g Cornmeal, 1 TSP Heavy Whipping Cream, 100g High Quality Cocoa Powder Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, For Dusting Ground Cinnamon, For Dusting Equipment: Sauce Pot Blowtorch Hand / Stand Mixer Double Boiler Directions: Add milk, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, vanilla, lemon and orange peels to a sauce pot over medium heat. Stir to combine well. Bring it up to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to infuse. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Drain the infused milk and discard all the residue. Stir the milk into the melted chocolate, 1/3 portion at a time, until everything is fully incorporated. Transfer the chocolate mixture back to the sauce pot over medium heat. Stir in the cornmeal until well combined. Bring it up to a simmer and continue cooking until it has thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. *This is totally optional: I burned a cinnamon stick with a blowtorch and smoked a serving cup.* Add heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form with a hand or stand mixer. When about to serve, remove the smoked cup. Pour the hot chocolate into the cup. Top with as much whipped cream as desired. Dust some cocoa powder and ground cinnamon over the top. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Cheers! Super chocolatelicious... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video After I posted my parsley tea on TikTok, I was flabbergasted by the response. As always, I read and replied to all the comments. There are a number of suggestions that I took note and this is one of them. I am not sure about the ratio so I am guessing, 2 bunches of pandan leaves to 1L of water. It turns out pretty good. Full of aroma, smoothing and almost comfy. If you do not know what pandan is, it is kinda like vanilla but widely available in South East Asia. Anyway, I hope you will give this a try. Cheers! PS: This is not a miracle tea. Please consult a doctor for your kidney and gout problems. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Pandan Leaves, 2 Bunches Water, 1L Gula Melaka, 15g (Optional & Adjust To Preference) Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: Separate the pandan leaves from the roots. Discard the roots. Wash the leaves thoroughly. Coarsely cut the leaves and transfer them to a pot. Add the water and gula melaka. Turn the heat up to medium and give it a stir. Bring it up to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 5 mins. Remove from heat. Cover and set aside to infuse for 10 mins. Strain to a serving cup and enjoy immediately. Cheers! Cheers! Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video It was kinda outta the blue that I asked a random stranger on TikTok about South African cuisine. She gave me 3 dishes. As always, I researched and went down the rabbit hole. This is one of the dishes. So, you will be expecting some South African recipes coming your way. Being the way I am, this isn't your authentic or traditional Malvapoeding. I added a few extra ingredients, steps and processes. For example, I used browned butter to enhance the flavors or I used Amarula cream instead of vanilla. Either way, this is a wonderful pudding or cake. This is a simple and rather straightforward recipe. An extra tip is to fold in the flour mixture properly or you will have lumps of flour in the pudding. You can choose to whip but I don't think the pudding will rise as much. On a side note, after my research, I find out that nobody talks about South African cuisine enuff. I mean, I didn't even know. It is super underrated and deserves more recognition. Don't you agree? Ingredients: (Make one loaf) Pudding: Unsalted Butter, 150g + More For Greasing Eggs, 2 Demerara Sugar, 50g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 50g Whole Milk, 120g Apple Cider Vinegar, 14g Apricot Jam, 60g Amarula Cream, 2 TBSP Fresh Orange Zest, 1 Orange Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 150g Baking Soda, 5g Sea Salt, Pinch Sauce: Heavy Whipping Cream, 110g Demerara Sugar, 60g Fresh Orange Juice, 80g Amarula Cream, 1 TBSP Equipment: Oven Hand / Stand Mixer Loaf Pan Sauce Pot Directions: Prepare the pudding. Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius or 350 fahrenheit. Lightly grease the loaf pan with some butter and lined it with parchment paper (bottom and sides). In a sauce pot over medium heat, add butter. Cook until the butter starts to "sing". Once the "singing" subsides, continue cooking for another 30 secs. Drain the browned butter thru a sieve lined with a coffee filter and over a bowl. Set aside to drip. In a large mixing bowl, add eggs. Whisk eggs with a hand or stand mixer until tripled in volume. Add in the sugar and whip until the sugar has dissolved and is well combined. Followed by milk, 14g of that browned butter, vinegar, jam, Amarula cream and orange zest. Whip until well combined. In another large bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine well. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well combined, 1/3 portion at a time. *Make sure there are no large lumps.* Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Wack into the oven and bake for about 30 or 35 mins or until it passes the skewer test. While the pudding is baking, prepare the sauce. Add cream, the remaining browned butte r (you should have 113g, if not, add some olive oil to compensate) , sugar, orange juice and Amarula cream. Stir until well combined. Bring it up to simmer and continue stirring until homogenous and thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside. Once the pudding is baked, poke some holes with a skewer and drizzle some of that sauce onto the pudding. Return to the oven and continue baking for another 5 mins. Set aside to cool down completely. Run a spatula along the edges of the loaf pan. Unmold the bread onto a serving plate. Slice and serve immediately with some of that remaining sauce. Yummilicious in every way... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is a classic Italian Neapolitan dessert. It is made of up deep-fried dough balls, roughly the size of marbles, traditionally coated with honey, and usually shaped in a wreath. This is why it is served during Xmas season. Shaping the dough into marble sized balls doesn't have to be perfect. It will look gorgeous at the end. This recipe is pretty simple and straightforward but the tricky part is to coat the dough balls with honey at the right time. All the important details are written down below. You can decorate your Struffoli however you want. I love mine with cherries and sprinkles. Slivered almonds will be fantastic, or you can dust some ground pistachios too. It's Xmas, so why not? Anyway, here I wish you lovely people a Merry Xmas! Ingredients: (Serve 8) Unsalted Butter, 25g Demerara Sugar, 25g + 15g Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 250g Baking Powder, 4g Sea Salt, 7g Cookie Spice Homemade , 1 TSP Beaten Eggs, 100g Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, For Frying High Quality Pure Honey (I'm using clover), 185g Fresh Lemon Zest, 1 Lemon Sprinkles, For Garnishing Glazed Cherries, For Garnishing Slivered Almonds, For Garnishing (Optional) Equipment: Heavy Sauce Pot Dutch Oven Hand / Stand Mixer Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Cookie Butter " page for the cookie spice recipe. In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy with a hand or stand mixer. Followed by sugar. Cream until well combined. In another large bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix to combine well. Whip this flour mixture into the butter mixture, 1/3 portion at a time, until well combined. Add in eggs and knead until it comes together into a dough. Once it comes together into a dough, knead lightly inside the bowl to pick up all the nooks and crannies. Form into a ball. *If the mixture is too dry, add more beaten eggs, 1 TBSP at a time. If the mixture is too wet, add more flour, 1 TBSP at a time.* The dough should be tacky, but not sticky. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 mins. In a dutch oven over medium heat, add about 3 inches of oil. *You can check the temperature of the oil by inserting a wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles start forming around the chopstick, the oil is ready for frying.* On a lightly floured surface, pinch a small dough and roll it into a long log with a small diameter of about 1/4 inch. Slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Roll each piece into small balls. *Keep the rest of the dough covered to prevent from drying out.* Gently drop the dough balls into the oil. Use a spider to gently move the dough balls around. This is to prevent them from sticking to one another. Do not crowd the dutch oven. Fry in small batches. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove the dough balls. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining dough. Set aside to cool down slightly. In a sauce pot over medium heat, add honey and sugar. Stir to combine well. The mixture will bubble up and then subside. At this point, immediately add lemon zest and the fried dough balls. Using a spatula, mix to coat the dough balls well with the honey mixture. Once the honey has almost evaporated but is still fluid, remove the mixture onto a tray and set aside to cool down slightly for about 3 mins. Transfer onto a serving plate and use a spatula to shape it into a wreath shape. It should be sticky enuff to hold its shape. *You have to move quickly or the honey will harden and make it impossible to shape.* Scatter sprinkles and glazed cherries over the top. You can add slivered almonds too. Slice and serve immediately. *You can reheat the Struffoli at a preheated oven of 90 degree celsius or 195 fahrenheit for 8 to 10 mins or until the Struffoli is soft enuff to slice.* Mama Mia... Merry Xmas! Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video As I said in my previous post, I wanna do something different for Xmas this 2022. Initially, I was planning on making a Panettone. But somehow or rather, this German Stollen intrigued me. I did some research and went down the rabbit hole (as I normally would). There are loads of variations online. And 1 caught my attention. That is the masterful Richard Bertinet ! He used Frangipane as the fillings (which is genius) and he finished the bread off with a liqueur infused butter. That wowed me! You can check out his full recipe here . I am not a fan of marzipan as it is coked up with sugar and corn syrup. Not a fan. I am 100% sure that Frangipane will be an excellent alternative. And I am right! As for the dough, I still stick to Peter Reinhart's version. He used a sponge as a starter which will further enhance the bread's flavor and texture. You can get his recipe from his famous cookbook: The Bread Baker's Apprentice . Yes, this requires a full day work, but I guarantee that it is 100% worth it! You can even wrap this up as a Xmas gift. Speaking of which, Merry Xmas lovely people! Ingredients: Inspired by Peter Reinhart and Richard Bertinet (Make 6 loaves) Sponge: Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 128g Active Instant Dry Yeast, 25g Whole Milk Lukewarm, 227g Fruit Mix: Golden Sultanas, 340g Dried Fruits Mix (I'm using Foodsterr ), 340g or A Combination of Raisins, Sultanas, Currants, Dried Apricots, Candied Orange Peels, Candied Lemon Peels, Dried Cranberries. Kirsch / Cointreau, 227g Dough: Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 567g Demerara Sugar, 28g Sea Salt, 10g Cookie Spice Blend Homemade , 2 TSP Fresh Orange Zest, 1 Orange Fresh Lemon Zest, 1 Lemon Eggs, 2 Unsalted Butter Softened, 141g Fresh Orange & Lemon Juice, 113g (If Needed) High Quality Olive Oil, For Greasing Frangipane: Unsalted Butter Softened, 125g Granulated Sugar, 125g High Quality Almond Meal, 125g Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 50g Sea Salt, Pinch Eggs, 2 Stollen: Slivered Almonds, Fillings Egg, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Unsalted Butter, 250g Icing Sugar, For Dusting Equipment: Sauce Pot Hand / Stand Mixer Oven Directions: Please visit my " Cookie Spice Blend " page for the recipe. Prepare the sponge. In a large mixing bowl, add flour and yeast. Mix to combine well. Stir in the milk until well combined. *The milk has to be lukewarm.* Cover and set aside for 1 hr or until doubled in volume. Prepare the fruit mix. Combine everything in a large bowl. Cover and set aside until ready to use. Prepare the dough. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cookie spice, orange and lemon zest. Knead in the eggs and butter until it's starting to come together into a dough. Knead inside the bowl to pick up all the nooks and crannies. *If the mixture is too dry, add the fruit juice, 1 TBSP at a time. If the mixture is too wet, add more flour, 1 TBSP at a time.* The dough should be soft and tacky, but not sticky. Transfer onto a floured surface and continue kneading for 5 to 8 mins. At this point, drain the fruit mixture and reserved the liquid. *I like to transfer the dough and fruit mixture into a large bowl, because I do not have a large working surface to knead everything together.* Knead the fruit mixture into the dough. It may get too wet because of the fruits, add in more flour if necessary. Continue kneading for about 3 to 5 mins until well combined. *I still prefer to knead my dough with hands, so I can feel the dough. You can of cos do this on a stand mixer.* Grease a large bowl with olive oil and transfer in the dough. Cover and set aside to rise for 45 mins to 1 hr or until doubled in volume. While the dough is rising, prepare the frangipane. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy with a hand or stand mixer. It should resemble a mayo consistency. Add in the sugar and continuing creaming until well combined. Followed by almond meal, flour and salt. Lastly, add in the egg and 2 TBSP of that reserved liquid. Whip until fully incorporated. When you hold up the frangipane, it should hold its shape and not fall off from a spatula. Cover and set aside until ready to use. Shaping the dough. After 45 mins or 1 hr, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh and divide into 6 equal portions. Keep the rest of the portions covered with a lint free kitchen towel while working on 1. Shape into a ball. Coax the dough into a rectangle with about 1/2 inch thick. Flip and spread a very thin layer of that frangipane onto the dough with some gap along the edges. *Do not over spread or it will ooze out during the shaping and baking process. If you have any leftovers, you can freeze it for your next baking adventure.* Sprinkle some slivered almonds onto the frangipane. Fold the top edge about 3/4 way down, pinching it down lightly. Fold the bottom edge over that folded edge, pinch it down lightly as well. Seal off the 2 ends. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, seam side down. Gently coax into a crescent shape. Repeat the steps for the remaining dough. Cover and set aside to rise for 1 hr. Baking and finishing. Preheat the oven to 175 degree celsius or 350 fahrenheit. Lightly season an egg with salt and beat with a fork. Brush 2 layers of that beaten egg onto the dough. Wack into the oven and bake for 20 mins. Remove from oven, rotate and continue baking for another 20 to 50 mins or until it is dark amber in color. Once the bread is baked, remove from oven and set aside to cool down slighly. Melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in all the reserved liquid. Mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to use. Prepare a large tray with lots of icing sugar. When the bread is slightly cooled, but still warm, brush generously with that melted butter, or if your pot is large enuff, dip in the bread. Dredge the bread with lots of icing sugar. Dust off any excess sugar. Repeat the steps for the remaining bread. Set aside to cool down completely. Stored in paper bags. It will taste better the next day. It can be kept at a cool and dry place for up to 1 week. Slice and serve. Did I nail it? Recipe Video: