Ham Sui Gok (Fried Crescent Dumplings)

I finally know how to make these ham sui gok! You usually get these from the bakery or at dim sum. They are really not that hard to make....but then you can not find the recipe anywhere. I know some make with ground pork, dried shrimps, dried shiitake mushroom, chives, and jicama. But I decided to make it a little different and omitted dried shrimps, chives, and jicama. I replaced them with fungus, scallions, and onion. My ham sui gok turned out great just like the the one at the bakery with crispy and chewy shell with tasty filling. I'm so proud of myself!!! I forgot to measure the seasoning so you will have to work on it. The filling should be a litt
le sweet.
I made the fillings ahead of time and the fillings can make 50 dumplings. I usually save the rest in refrigerator and make fresh dough for dumplings each time. I find it easier to do it this way than to make all a once.





Fillings:

1 cup ground pork
3 dried shiitake mushroom (soaked 4 hrs or overnight)
1-2 pieces dried fungus (soaked 4 hrs) should yield 1/4 cup
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalk scallion chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch +3 tbsp water

Seasonings:
salt
fish sauce
sugar
msg
oyster sauce
five spices powder
grounded pepper

Method:

1. Heat some water to boil the mushroom and fungus for a couple minutes. Then rinse and chop into small pieces.

2. Heat wok with some oil and add in ground pork. Stir until almost cook and add in chopped mushroom and fungus. Stir for couple minutes and add in seasonings. Then add in water.

3. Slowly add in cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce. Remove from heat and add in chopped onion and scallion. Stir and leave to cool.


Dough: This dough only make 10 dumplings. The above fillings can make 50 dumplings.

1 cup glutinous rice flour
1/3 cup wheat starch
1/3 cup hot boiling water
1/2 cup water
4 1/2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Place wheat starch in a large bowl and add in hot boiling water. Stir with chopsticks until dough cooked.

2. Stir in sugar and mix well.

3. Mix in glutinous rice flour. Stir and add in water to form a dough. If too wet then add in just a little glutinous rice flour. Knead into a dough.

4. Divide into 10 pieces.

5. Fatten dough in rough shape and add in fillings. Form into dumpling like shape.

6. Heat oil on medium heat and fry dumplings until golden. No high heat as the dumpling might explode.

Pineapple Tarts

Happy Chinese New Year!!! I saw that a lot of people made pineapple tarts for new year so I made some too. I usually buy the one at the supermarket that cost $0.99. But making your own is even better because you get to taste the real pineapple. I only had two cans of pineapple chunks when I want to make these tarts. So I decided to try them and they turned out well. I used less sugar because the pineapple was already sweet from the cans.



Fillings:
2 cans pineapple chunks
1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1. Place pineapple chunks into a food processor to blend until fine but not liquefy.
2. Use a strainer and strain off excessive liquid.
3. Heat a pan, add in pineapple pulp. Stir for couple minutes and add in sugar and salt. Cook until mixture is thicken like jam. Let cool for couple hours or overnight.
4. Form into small balls.


Dough:
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter (soften at room temp.)
1 egg yolk
60 gm icing sugar
1 tsp salt
290 gm all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp custard powder + 2 tbsp water
1 egg yolk + 2 tbsp water for eggwash

Method:
1. Combine ingredients except for egg yolk. Form into a dough. Add in egg yolk at the end and knead well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hr.
2. Divide the dough into pieces enough to cover the pineapple balls. Use a piece of dough to cover the pineapple and flatten into shape. Cut lines to make it look like pineapple. Continue with the rest of the dough. Place on baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Preheat to 350 F.
4. Mix egg yolk and water to make eggwash. Brush over tarts.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.