Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookie is an all time American favorite cookie for all ages.  In the corporate cafe where I work, these cookies are gone in a fly, especially when they just come out of the oven - warm and soft.  Kids would snap them in a hurry whenever they see chocolate chip cookies.  They come in soft or hard/crunchy textures.  I like the soft one.  Chocolate chip cookies are readily available at most food places but nothing beats homemade ones - they are fresh, natural, and no preservative.  There are myriad of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there and of course, I have not tried all of them but from the few that I did, I prefer the recipe below.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

It's square, it has pineapple filling inside, and it's delicious.  They are sold in many Chinese markets under various brands, most of them are made in Taiwan.  You can also find them from local Taiwanese bakeries, such as Sheng Kee but nothing can top the pineapple cakes made at home.  I am fortunate to have friends from Taiwan and have been introduced to various types of Taiwanese food, this pineapple cake is of them.  Even before I make them at home, my husband used to love this cake.  He occasionally bought them at the market.

To make this cake, you will need the square molds.  I don't have them at the moment so I borrow from a friend of mine, Olivia.  I am not sure if you can get the molds here in the States, Olivia got hers from Taiwan.  I have to admit that I don't make the pineapple filling from scratch.  They are sold "ready for use" in Taiwan in baking stores and I got them from friends (or their husbands) who regularly go back to Taiwan.  See photo below.  Again, I don't know if you can find them here for personal use.  Note: it's not pure pineapple - it's combined with some winter melon.  I am not sure why they add winter melon, perhaps to make a better filling texture?

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

My son decided one day that he wanted to make blueberry muffins.  He browsed online and found this recipe from allrecipes.com.  It's so simple to make and yet it's the best muffin we have ever eaten so far - it's moist & not too sweet inside and crunchy on the outside.  So, if my 11 years old son can make it, I am sure you can too, try it.  In case you want it quick, here it is.

French Chocolate Truffles

I decided to try something new this Christmas, aside from the usual holidays cookies or sweets - French chocolate truffles.  This recipe is from a French mom from my son's preschool many years ago.  It's very easy to make and they are delicous.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate (Trader Joe's Pound Plus-Dark Chocolate)
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 4 oz unsalted butter
• cocoa (dutch cocoa is her preference)

Preparation:

1. Melt the chocolate with milk in a pan (or microwave)
2. Add the butter
3. Stir when the butter is melted
4. Put in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours until it's hard enough to make it into small balls (I left it in the fridge for at least 3 hrs)
5. Form little balls in your palm, then roll in the cocoa.  

Note: You can add vanilla extract, alcohols, i.e. rum, cointreau, cognac, etc. to the chocolate

Japanese Light Cheesecake

My family loves this light cheesecake - its texture is cake-like, not cheesy.  I guess you could call it the Asian version of the regular cheesecake.