The Everything Chinese Cookbook (71 page)

When steaming fruit, it's important to remove the fruit from the pot immediately, so that it doesn't continue cooking in the hot liquid and become mushy.

1 cup canned pineapple chunks

2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened

cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

3 bananas, cut in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons untoasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Drain the can of pineapple chunks, reserving 2 tablespoons juice.
   
3. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the pineapple juice and rice wine.
   
4. Lay out the bananas and pineapple chunks on a glass baking dish. Spread the brown sugar mixture over. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bananas are tender but not mushy (the pineapple will retain its texture). Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
   

½ cup chopped walnut pieces

¼ cup sugar

3 cups oil for deep-frying

1. Blanch the walnut pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove their bitter flavor.
   
2. Spread the sugar out on a piece of waxed paper. Roll the walnuts in the sugar. Spread out on a tray and leave overnight to dry.
   
3. Heat oil to 275°F. When oil is hot, add the walnuts. Deep-fry until they turn golden brown. Remove and drain. Cool and store in a sealed container.
   

4 pears

2 tablespoons honey

4 Chinese honey dates

1. Slice off the top of each pear and set aside. Core the pear from the top, being careful not to go through to the bottom.
   
2. Spoon ½ tablespoon honey into each pear. Add a Chinese honey date. Replace the lid. Steam until tender and serve hot.
   

Guilt-free Indulging

This healthy dessert lets you indulge and fight off illness at the same time. According to traditional Chinese medicine, pears lower cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure, while honey dates build up the blood.

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour

¾ cup lard

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1¼ cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
   
2. In a large bowl, sift the baking powder into the flour. Cut the lard into the flour and mix with your fingers until it forms the texture of tiny balls.
   
3. Add the walnuts, vanilla extract, sugar, and 3 eggs. Mix into the dough to form a paste.
   
4. Take a piece of dough and form into a round ball the size of a large golf ball. Place the ball in the palm of one hand and press down with the palm of the other hand to form a flat circle about 2 inches in diameter. Continue with the remainder of the dough.
   
5. Place the dough circles on a greased baking tray. Brush lightly with the beaten egg. Bake at 325°F for about 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Cool and store in a sealed container.
   

Chinese Bakery

Need a little inspiration before you're ready to get out the rolling pin and start mixing and measuring? Try visiting a Chinese bakery. Classic treats like Mango Pudding and Sesame Seed Balls share space with sticky rice dumplings, foot-long doughnuts, and buns filled with everything from pineapple and taro to red bean paste. All reflect the Chinese belief that no one flavor should upstage any other. Indulge, and you'll leave feeling pleasantly satisfied but without a case of “sugar hangover.”