the Nom Lab.: May 2016

Tsum Tsum Mania: Pooh Bear Buns filled with Eggless Lemon Curd

Original Picture Source: Tsum Tsum Plush Gallery, Disney Apps. Retrieved on http://apps.disney.id/tsum-tsum-plush-gallery.

I am obsessed with Tsum Tsums (pronounced "tsoom tsoom"). Their full name is actually "Disney Tsum Tsums" and they refer to a selection of the cuddliest, most adorable stuffed toys based upon popular Disney & Pixar characters. The oblong, pill-shaped plushies were initially released in Japan (of course, where else?) and their name is derived from the Japanese word tsumu, which means "to stack", because they conveniently bounce and stack up on each other. So... their name actually means "stack stack" - isn't that cute? For all of you 90's babies out there, they remind me of our generation's childhood craze for Ty's Beanie Babies... except that many adults go bananas over these (not that they can't go bananas over Beanie Babies. That's perfectly okay too). As the craze gradually sweeps over North America, Tsum Tsums are starting to have an insane collectability value. As far as I know, however, they're only available through US' Disney stores at the moment (the original ones at least - other similar plushies can be bought online but the quality really isn't the same).

Example of a Tsum Tsum Gameplay - looks at all those adorable faces staring back at you

Disney has also released a mobile game app version of these cute fellas (called Tsum Tsum too). The game is a bit like a cross between Candy Crush and Dots, and while I didn't get hooked on either of those games, I am absolutely head over heels for this one. Basically, you can collect Tsum Tsum characters by collecting points (and coins, concurrently) in the game. As your collection grows, you can choose which main Tsum you want to play with - called MyTsum. Each Tsum Tsum character happens to have a special power which you can activate if they are set as your MyTsum. In a 60 sec-gameplay, that special effect can be a game changer - it can help you collect more points, get more time, etc. Aaaah, that game, I swear, is my daily dose of cuteness therapy (we should all have one of those - especially as we start "adulting").

Tsum Tsum Pooh Bear Buns!

I initially wanted to channel my newfound obsession into making 3D Chigiri-Pan Tsum Tsum bread, but quickly found out that it was too far beyond my bread-shaping skills (remember my GoT DireWolf bread?). My second idea was to draw those cuddly little faces on macaron shells... then I remembered that I had already failed at making those famous French cookies twice. In the end, I resorted to simple melted chocolate decoration to create my Tsum Tsum face, BUT I'm glad I went this route. The buns are made with the Tangzhong method, but using some cake flour instead of 100% bread flour. This allowed the final texture to be just a teensy bit moister than it would normally be, and the bun felt like a pillowy doughnut. I might have gone the safest route, but this is probably one of my proudest bread baking trials (it's that good :3)!

Pooh Bear Buns filled with Eggless Lemon Curd!
I'll admit I feel slightly bad tearing his face in half...

The eggless lemon curd was another experiment that I wanted to add to my recipe repertoire. I love citrus flavors, but lime/lemon curds often use eggs as a main thickener. This eggless version is a lot stickier than what I expected curd to be (is it supposed to be this cohesive? I thought it'd be slicker), but once cooled and refrigerated it is more malleable (well, as malleable as curd can be). I'm not sure how curd is supposed to be eaten - I guess I thought this would be like a richer jam? A spoonful of the stuff alone was extremely adhesive - like peanut butter, except with a tangy taste. As a filling for the buns, however, it was perfect. I'm guessing that as long as it is combined with bread or an accompaniment it will be all good... which means: no eating straight from the pot (dammit). Flavor-wise, it's delicious.

Psst! I found this nifty guide on using yeast, written by The Kitchn. If you're new at yeast-risen bread baking, you might like this read: http://www.thekitchn.com/working-with-yeast-be-not-afra-72256

Tsum Tsum Pooh Wink ;)

Tsum Tsum Pooh Bear Buns filled with Eggless Lemon Curd

Adapted from Yi Reservation (Buns Dough) and Happy Healthy Motivated (Lemon Curd)

Ingredients:

Tangzhong:

25g bread flour

100 ml 15% cream or whole milk

Pooh Bear Buns:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (7g)

35 ml warm water

1/8 tsp white granulated sugar

280g bread flour

50g cake flour

30g butter

40g white granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

50 ml plain yogurt

85 ml whole milk

1 tsp ground turmeric

(Optional) 2 drops yellow gel food coloring

Lemon Curd Filling:

1 tablespoon tapioca starch

2 tablespoons cornstarch

50 ml warm water
1/4 cup granulated white sugar

12g lemon zest (~3 lemons)

1/4 cup lemon juice (of 1 large lemon)

Preparation:

Tangzhong (Roux):

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and cream. Whisk thoroughly until the flour is completely dissolved and there are no more lumps.

2. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously. As the paste heats up, it will thicken. The traditional tangzhong method is to heat the paste up to 65 degrees C for it to be ready. Alternatively, if you don't have a thermometer, you can sort of "eye it": stir the paste until concentric "lines" start to appear. It should have to consistency of a soft pudding. After a couple of times making it, you'll get the feel of it I promise.
3. Once your tangzhong reaches the desired consistency/temperature, set aside for it to cool. Cover the paste with plastic wrap, making sure that it plasters the paste directly so that it doesn't dry out. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours (and ideally overnight). You can keep the paste for maximum 3 days.

Eggless Lemon Curd:
1. In a small bowl, mix the warm water, tapioca starch and cornstarch. Whisk to thoroughly combine until there are no more lumps left.
2. Transfer the mixture in a small pot and cook on low-medium heat. Stir in the granulated white sugar and start whisking, stirring continuously and aggressively (if you stir too lightly, thick lumps of cooked starch will start appearing and it will be really hard to combine them into a smooth mixture).
3. Once the mixture has thickened and become translucent, it is cooked. Make sure to whisk out all the lumps until it is completely homogeneous. It will initially be fairly thick and sticky. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Give it a last stir to incorporate them into the curd.
4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Right off the pot, it will appear very sticky. It becomes smoother once it has cooled down.

Pooh Bear Buns:
1. Proof your yeast: In a small bowl, mix the warm water and white sugar. Sprinkle the dry yeast on top and set aside in a warm place (yeast is happiest between 70C-90C. If your house is too cold - under 50C it becomes dormant -, place it in a preheated oven or close to a heater). It should become foamy within about 10 minutes.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flours, white granulated sugar, salt and ground turmeric.
3. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the milk, yogurt, activated yeast and yellow coloring if using. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and start it on low speed. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high as your dough starts to form. Once it has become smoother (about 10 minutes), add the butter. Knead for an additional 5-10 minutes until your dough becomes smooth and elastic. Do the windowpane test for readiness by stretching a small ball of dough between your fingers. If you can stretch it into a thin membrane, the dough is ready. If it breaks before your can fully extend your fingers, it needs more kneading (See more info and step-by-step pictures for the windowpane test here).
4. When the dough is ready, shape it into a ball (it shouldn't be too hard - your dough should have a propensity to pull itself back into a ball-shape). Put in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place and let it rise for 2 hours.
5. When your dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release the air. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and deflate it by pressing it down and kneading for 1-2 minutes. Then, weigh it and divide in 10 portions.
6. Divide one of those 10 portions into another 15 smaller portions (these will be the ears and tails of Pooh). Form those 15 smaller portions into balls and set aside. Cover loosely with plastic wrap to avoid drying them out.
7. Take one of the remaining 9 bigger portions of dough and shape it into a ball. Using a rolling pin, flatten it into a roughly round circle. Add a tablespoon of the lemon curd in the middle, ball it up and seal. Roll the dough between your palms, pressing lightly to firm up the seams and reshape it into a nice ball. Place in a corner of a pan.
8. Repeat process for remaining 8 portions of dough. You'll end up having 6 Pooh heads and 3 Pooh butts. Once the main body parts are done (bigger portions of dough), it's time to attach the ears and tails.
9. Using a toothpick, prick tiny holes around the edges of the ears and tails to attach it to the main body part.

Shaped Pooh Buns - Risen after 2 hours of proofing

10. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let rise again for 1.5 to 2 hours.
11. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take off the plastic wrap and loosely cover top of the pan with aluminum foil (I just placed a sheet over it). Bake for 35 minutes.
12. Let it cool 5 minutes after taking the pan out of the oven. Then, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for an additional 10 minutes.
13. In the meantime, melt some chocolate for the facial decorations.
14. Use your Tsum Tsum picture of choice as a guide to draw the Pooh faces (I used a toothpick as drawing tool).
These buns will remain soft and moist, if well-covered, for 2-3 days only.

The Legend of the Sticky Mochi Dumplings: Chè trôi nước

By Passionthy 6:00 PM Desserts

"Touch magic. Pass it on."
— Jane Yolen, Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood

Chè trôi nước & Chè trôi nước bột báng lá dứa:
Sticky Mochi Dumplings & Pandan Tapioca Dumplings in a Sweet Ginger Syrup
- I love the tapioca dumplings :) they look like soft jade pillows

Myths and legends are abundant in Vietnamese culture, and they usually shape the basis of our moral boundaries. These oral traditions often underlay the origin of a cultural belief, practice and/or, often enough, of a culinary dish. Amusingly, while they are passed down from generation to generation, storytellers are generally female. As my Dad explains it, "Ask your mom or your aunt - they probably know the stories of our dishes. We men just eat them."

Learning about folklore was a treat during childhood, especially during Vietnamese school. I mostly learnt to read Vietnamese through them. As children I guess we have this instinctive wonder for all things fantastic and unmistakably unreal, and I was no exception. After years and years of retelling, the shape of those ancient tales have changed: like spun sugar crystallized to a hard candy, each sentence a gossamer sweet thread of satiny sheen. I was a 12 years-old at the top of my 1m50 (still am... I haven't grown much taller since ...snif), and I would pop those fairytales in my mouth and savor each of them like a fruit drop.

This is the story of one of my favorite Vietnamese desserts: chè trôi nước. Literally translated, it means "Dessert drifting in water" ("Chè" = dessert; "Trôi" = drifting; "Nước" = water). A more recognizable description would be "Dumplings filled with sweet mung bean paste, with a shell made from mochi (glutinous rice) flour." Those mochi balls are usually served warm, bobbing gently in a ginger syrup and garnished with toasted sesame seeds and a splash of coconut cream.

Chè trôi nước: Sticky Mochi Dumplings in a Sweet Ginger Syrup

It has some similarities to Chinese Tangyuan and, like that dessert, it is also traditionally eating during the Winter Solstice festival. However, the taste is distinctively different.

More accurately, this is the legend of those mochi balls - called bánh trôi. "Bánh", in Vietnamese, loosely refers to a wide variety of savoury or sweet cakes and bread. There are many Vietnamese dishes which use a basis of mochi dumplings, so this tale isn't specifically for the ones in ginger syrup.

It is said that a long, long time ago, on the day of the Winter Solstice, the wife of a beggar froze to death. The husband had no money to bury his wife, and as a last resort had to sell his daughter to a wealthy family. You have to understand, funeral rites represent an important and traditional way of life to the Vietnamese people. A proper burial is an essential precondition for the deceased soul to transition to its next life. Otherwise, it is believed that the soul will wander aimlessly in pain.

The daughter was heartbroken at the idea of being separated from what was left of her family, so the father decided to salvage and beg for enough money so that they could share a last meal. He received just enough for one sticky glutinous rice ball. The mochi dumpling was torn in half, and as they both chewed in mournful silence, the father tried to console his daughter. "Today, we might be separated, like the halves of this dumpling ball, but remember that they used to stick together, like our family. In a close future, when life gets better, I will come back for you, and this time to represent our reunion we will each eat a whole mochi dumpling."

Three years passed, and while the daughter remained in her new family to work, her father still did not return. However, the daughter still believed in him and thought that perhaps, perhaps life was still not treating him too kindly, but that soon enough, he would come back. Remembering her father's last words before they parted, she asked her host if they could prepare mochi dumplings and affix them to the front door as an offering to the Door God, and to guide her father "home". The owner of the house agreed, and so the daugther prepared two of the biggest and roundest mochi dumplings and placed them on each side of the house's door frame.

Another year passed... And another, and another. And still the father did not return. However, every year on the Winter Solstice day, the daughter persisted in making those 2 mochi dumplings and placing them beside the door. Over time, the story of her filial piety and dedication spread through the neighboring villages and pulled everyone's heartstrings. In response, people started imitating her, making glutinous rice balls and eating them on the day of the Winter Solstice. As the story got distilled into legend, eating bánh trôi became a symbol for family union.

I will be sharing two recipes: one for Chè trôi nước, and a little variation of it where the dumpling skins are made with tiny tapioca pearls. I have discovered this second version of the dessert when I traveled to Cambodia, and I was so delighted by this new mouthfeel that I decided to experiment a little bit and try out a recipe with pandan flavoring.

Apparently, there is also a Vietnamese version called Chè trôi nước bột báng ("bột báng"= tapioca), however I have not had any luck finding it when I was travelling in Vietnam.

Chè trôi nước & Chè trôi nước bột báng lá dứa:
Sticky Mochi Dumplings & Pandan Tapioca Dumplings in a Sweet Ginger Syrup

Sticky Mochi Dumplings in Sweet Ginger Syrup (Chè trôi nước): 2 Variations

(Adapted from The Ravenous Couple and The Spices of Life)

Ingredients:

Sweet Ginger Syrup:

2-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled, roughly crushed and sliced (I happen to love ginger. Reduce to 1-inch if you find the flavor too intense)

350g palm sugar or brown sugar

6 cups water

(Optional) 2 pandan leaves (if frozen, thaw them first)

Filling:

1 1/2 cup peeled split mung bean, soaked overnight (about 1x16 oz bag)

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

5 shallots, thinly sliced

2 green onions, chopped

4 tablespoons coconut milk (Subs.: I favor coconut-flavored soy milk)

Mochi skin (Double these ingredients if you're only making mochi skins, and not the tapioca skin as well):

8 oz (1/2 bag) glutinous rice flour

1 cup warm water

Tapioca skin (Double these ingredients if you're only making tapioca skins, and not the mochi skin as well):

225g tapioca pearls (the small white ones, not the big ones for boba)

2 tsp tapioca starch

1 1/2 cup pandan juice, warmed up (See recipe down below) OR 1 1/2 hot water + 1 tablespoon pandan paste (concentrated extract)

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Pandan juice (Skip if you won't be making tapioca skins):

1 packet pandan leaves, fresh or frozen

250 ml water

Accompaniments:

(Optional) Toasted sesame seeds

(Optional) Coconut cream

Preparation:

Pandan juice (Skip if you won't be making tapioca skins):

(Adapted from The Baking Biatch - Step-by-Step pictures)

1. Peel off the tough parts from the base, and get rid of the old and dried out leaves.

2. Rinse well.

3. Snip the washed leaves into 2 cm pieces and put in blender. Add the water.

4. Pulse the pandan mixture for 3-5 minutes until it forms a pulpy mash.

5. In a large bowl, pour the pandan mash over a cheesecloth or a sieve, and squeeze to extract as much juice as you can. You want to get about 1 1/2 cup of pandan juice. If you do not reach that volume, repeat the blending process with the paste you just squeezed, and add the missing amount. Set aside.

6. (Optional) If you want to obtain more pandan juice, repeat the blending process. For one pandan package, you should be able to obtain flavor for 3 blending cycles (although it will be weaker than the first blend).

Tapioca skin:

1. Place the tapioca pearls in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Depending on what you chose, pour the pandan juice or water + pandan extract in a pot, and bring to a boil. As it is heating up, add the sugar and salt. As soon as it starts boiling, remove from heat and pour into the bowl of tapioca pearls. Mix well. Set aside for 1h-1h30, or until the tapioca pearls have absorbed all the liquid.

3. Add tapioca starch to the bowl of softened tapioca pearls. Be careful not to crush the pearls as you fold the tapioca starch in.

4. Cover and set aside until needed.

Sweet Ginger Syrup:

1. If using, scrape pandan leaves with the tines of a fork to release their flavor, then tie them into a loose knot (just enough so that they don't come apart when simmered).

2. In a pot, place the ginger, sugar, water and pandan knots. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved.

3. Lower the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes to get all the flavors to steep out. Turn off the heat and set aside, covered until needed (no need to refrigerate)

Filling:

1. Rinse and drain the split mung beans that you have soaked overnight.

2. Then, put mung beans in a microwave-safe bowl, add 4 tablespoons of water and process with microwave for 2 minutes. Take the beans out and try to mash with a spoon after every 2 minutes. Repeat this step until beans can easily be crushed with your fingertips. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at the time, in between microwave cycles if mung beans start drying out.

Alternatively, you can also steam them in a rice cooker. When beans are softened enough, set aside and allow them to cool.

3. In a pot, drizzle a bit of oil and caramelize the shallots. When they're a nice golden brown, take them out and drop in the green onions. Sautée them only briefly. Set aside.

4. By now, the mung beans should have cooled down sufficiently. With a rubber spatula or a potato masher, work the beans into a smooth paste. It should have the texture of mashed potatoes, although it might not be as light.

5. Then, transfer the mashed mung beans into a large bowl and add the shallots, green onions, sugar, salt and, if using, the coconut milk or coconut-flavored soymilk. Mix well.

6. Divide mung bean mixture into scoops of 1 tablespoon and roll the filling into balls (Tip: you may find it easier to form the balls if the mixture is refrigerated 1-2h). Cover loosely with a plastic wrap and set aside.

Mochi skin:

1. In a large bowl, add glutinous rice flour and warm water. Mix well until it forms a dough with Play-Doh consistency.

2. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and only uncover as you need as this dough dried and toughens quickly. Keeping your hands wet will help to soften the dough.

Assembling the mochi/tapioca dumplings:

1. Start with the mochi skin as this dough will dry out quickly once prepared.

2. Pinch small portions of mochi dough, roll into a ball and flatten on the palm of your hands so that you get a nice disk. It should be 1 1/2 bigger than your mung bean balls.

3. Place a mung bean ball in the center of the dough and wrap mochi skin around it. Pinch the ends together and gently roll the dumpling in your palms to smooth out the edges and ensure that they are cohesive.

4. Repeat process for 50% of the mung bean balls.

5. If you have excess mochi dough, roll those into small balls - they're soft and chewy once boiled, and are a nice addition to the finished dessert even if they do not contain any filling!

6. Use tapioca skin for the remaining 50% of the mung bean balls.

7. Scoop up a mounded tablespoon of tapioca pearls (aim for about 1 1/2 the size of your mung bean ball). Keep a small bowl of water close by as you will need to keep your hands wet.

8. Flatten the tapioca pearl mixture into a disk (it won't be a perfect circle and will be thicker than the mochi skin - tapioca will be harder to work with), and add a ball of mung bean filling in the center.

9. Wrap the tapioca skin around your mung bean filling and start making circular motions with your palms. You want to achieve a closed tapioca sphere. If there are some bald spots, add a tiny bit of tapioca pearl mixture and press it into the rest of the tapioca skin with wet fingers.

10. Repeat for the rest of the mung bean balls.

11. You can use the remaining tapioca pearls to make small balls without the filling too, but those will be harder to chew than the mochi balls.

Cooking the dumplings:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Add the mochi and tapioca dumplings into the boiling pot, but make sure not to overcrowd it. There should still be space between the dumplings. Stir occasionally to make sure that they don't stick to the bottom or to each other.

3. Let the mochi balls cook for about 5 minutes, and the tapioca balls for 10 minutes. Both will rise and bob to the surface once cooked, but the tapioca balls may need additional simmering time to soften.

4. Remove the dumplings to a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain and add to the warm sweet ginger syrup.

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle a bit of coconut milk if you want. Enjoy!

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Tsum Tsum Mania: Pooh Bear Buns filled with Eggless Lemon Curd

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