Sweet and Spicy Holiday Nuts

Greetings from Thailand! I am currently on an extended vacation and you can follow my adventure by following me on Instagram (lots of amazing photos!)

Before I leave for the vacation, I have lined up a lot of new recipes and posts so Rasa Malaysia will be updated on a regular basis. I have also arranged for a few guest posts from my friend Simply Reem to fill in the void. As this is the holiday season, we are sharing some party recipes and baking/cookie recipes here. When I told Simply Reem that I wanted her to do guest posts of holiday treats, she immediately thought about this amazing sweet and spicy holiday nuts that are sure to please at any holiday parties.

Just imagine serving a bowl of the nuts to your guests while they mingle, I am almost sure that it will be a huge hit. The sweet and spicy notes couldn’t be more complementary to the crunchy peanuts. Try this sweet and spicy holiday nuts recipe if you host holiday parties this year. The recipe is simple enough and with the most basic ingredients. You can get the cumin powder in the spices section of any regular stores. Enjoy!

(Click Page 2 for the Sweet and Spicy Holiday Nuts Recipe)

Pages: 1 2

View the original article here

Dark Chocolate Gingersnap Cookies with Holiday Stencils

For the first time in my life I think I had a chocolate hangover. Maybe it was eating three additional pieces of See’s candy before I went to bed that threw me over the edge. I’m the savory-girl. The girl that hovers over the holiday buffet table where the cheesy dips are displayed and quietly dips my crackers in the pool of yummy calories in between conversations. But to make it clear, I’ll never double-dip. My table side manners are always in-check.

Offer me anything savory and I’ll eat till the plate is empty. But offer me some dessert and I’ll be happily satisfied with about 3 bites. My love of desserts runs deep and a slice of moist cake or thick-and-chewy cookies are what I crave. Even though I love being around desserts as well, those three bites are enough to end my day perfectly.

So how is it that a savory-girl can get a chocolate hangover with just three pieces of candy? You see, it started two weeks ago when we had a two day shoot at Terranea and the second day was “dessert day”. The chefs were bringing out the most incredible desserts, many of which had chocolate and one of which was the most decadent chocolate brownie I had ever laid my lips on. My fork and fingers had to make sure I had a bite of almost everything single dessert.

Next, these cookies. These dark chocolate gingerbread cookies had me sprung with holiday cheer. Oh my goodness, they’re so good, chewy, and full of fresh ginger and dark chocolate flavor that I swear I ate two in one sitting. For me, that’s a huge feat for savory-girl-me to eat two big cookies back to back.

We adapted these cookies from Alice’s fantastic new cookbook, Savory Sweet Life. Visit Alice’s blog and you’ll be treated to some incredible family recipes, including her spot-on dessert creations. After making her chocolate cookies, we had to re-visit another of her cookie recipes when the cravings called and her cookbook offered the perfect answer to our needs.

Alice’s original recipe is the soft chocolate gingersnap cookies. To make them extra chocolate-y, we added an extra-dark cocoa, along with some freshly grated ginger. What lies before you is a perfectly soft & chewy cookie that you can sink your teeth into.

To make them extra fun and holiday festive, we used sprinkled powdered sugar and Martha Stewart’s cookie stencils. This particular set is currently out of stock, but we were able to find a similar, possibly updated set, over here at amazon. This is the first time we’ve ever decorated with cookies and were curious how they’d turn out. The dark color of these gingerbread cookies provided the perfect base for the whole stenciling.

Each cookie became so much more festive with all the different holiday icon designs. Now these cookies had so much more visual interest and personality. That’s why it was so easy for me to eat two back to back. On top of that, we busted out the box of See’s candy to celebrate Thanksgiving so there you have it, the reason why I had a chocolate hangover.

I can’t wait till I sober up again from all the chocolate in the past week because the first thing I’m reaching for again are a few more of these terrific cookies. I’m addicted!

hugs,

diane

Yield: 24 cookies

Total Time: 30 min

Adapted from Alice Currah's Savory Sweet Life Cookbook. We used at special dark cocoa powder and used fresh grated spices when applicable. Alice's recipes are fantastic, especially her desserts. This is a great cookbook to have in the kitchen.

2 cups (250g) all-purpose Flour3 Tablespoons (16g) unsweetened Cocoa Powder (special or extra dark if you can find it)1/4 teaspoon Salt1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda1 Tablespoon freshly grated Vietnamese Cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon regular ground Cinnamon)1 Tablespoon freshly grated Ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground Ginger powder)1/2 teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg (or 1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg)1/2 teaspoon ground Cloves1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar1/2 cup (114g) unsalted Butter, at room temp.3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed Brown Sugar1/2 cup (100g) Sugar1 Egg1/4 cup (85g) MolassesConfectioners Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, spices, and cream of tartar for 20 seconds or until well combined. Set aside.In a mixing bowl cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (@2 minutes). Slow down mixer speed and beat in egg and molasses until combined, scraping bowl sides and bottom at least once.Slowly stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined. With an 1 1/2" cookie scoop, form balls and place 2 inches apart on lined sheet pans.Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on sheet pan, the carefully lift onto a wire rack to finish cooling.After cool, if using stensil, place stensil over cookies and dust with confectioners sugar or just dust with confectioners sugar.

View the original article here

Holiday Gift Guide 2012

This year, I have added quite many new kitchen gadgets in my kitchen, I even had a kitchen makeover with all new appliances. Anyway, here are some of my new kitchen toys that I really like. I use them a lot, if not on a daily basis, and they are my trusted brands for culinary inspirations. I recommend them as my holiday gift guide for this year. Happy shopping this holiday season!

Nespresso U Espresso Machine

Mr. Rasa Malaysia enjoys a good cup of espresso and coffee, and Nespresso U machine is our choice. I am not much a coffee drinker but I actually enjoy my cup of espresso from this machine. You can enjoy fast, streamlined one-touch brewing and superb espresso with this compact single-cup machine. It is ideal for small kitchens with limited space as the the U features a movable water tank that you can position on either the machine’s back or side plus a magnetic drip tray you can switch from the front to the side for the best fit in your kitchen. Nespresso U works exclusively with Nespresso’s premium coffee capsules (16 are included with the purchase) for locked-in freshness and convenience. If there is one espresso machine you buy, this is it.

 Anolon 10-piecce Set Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel

I have many cookware sets in my kitchen: non-stick, bronze non-stick, carbon steel non-stick, etc. Earlier this year, I have decided to stop using non-stick cookware set in my kitchen. The reason is simple: the non-stick layer of teflon coating eventually get scratched and come off. I switched to Anolon 10-piecce Set Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel and absolutely love the set. I don’t have to worry about getting teflon into our foods, especially my son’s food. What’s more, this 10-piece set will bring a look of elegance and style to every kitchen and the collection is also dishwasher safe. Anolon Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel cookware is beautiful and built to last.

Delonghi Stainless Digital Convection Oven

My two years old son loves his toast and waffle every morning as his breakfast. I have an old toaster but it is no longer reliable as I mostly burned the toasts or his waffle whenever I use it. So, I was looking for a counter top convection oven that I could use because he also loves pizza. When I was staying with my sister earlier this year, she raved about her convection oven for toasting bagel, heating up leftover food, bread, donuts, etc., so I got Delonghi Brushed Stainless Steel Digital Convection Oven. It’s slightly bigger but a great alternative to turning on the oven. It’s also easy to clean as it has a non-stick interior. The large capacity will accommodate pizzas, casseroles, or up to six slices of bread, bagels, or English muffins at a time! Sweet.

Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder

Mr. Rasa Malaysia is a coffee drinker so he needs a solid coffee grinder. Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder fits my bill as it is reasonably priced and sport a modern design. Its compact size is also perfect for my limited counter space. While we use it mostly to grind coffee beans, it doubles as an excellent spice grinder for me, for example: coriander seeds. What’s more, it comes in four (4) gorgeous colors so there is one that fits your kitchen.

Wusthof Classic Ikon Studio Knife Block Set 

One of the biggest complaints I get from my friends whenever they come to my house was that my Chinese cleavers are so blunt! They have told me repeatedly to get myself a proper knife set so they could use them whenever they come. So finally, I decided to get Wusthof Classic Ikon Studio Knife Block Set, which is a compact knife set with Paring Knife, Utility Knife, Cook’s Knife, and Kitchen Shears—the essentials that I need in my small kitchen. Now, my friends have some sharp knives to play with in my kitchen!

Blendtec’s Designer Series Wildside

I am a Costco junkie and I had seen too many Blendtec demos at the store. I am so happy that I now own one. One of my 2012's resolutions is to eat (and drink) healthy, and Blendtec Designer Series Wildside allows my family to do just that. The super-powerful motor allows me to make smoothie and healthy vegetable and fruit juice every morning. I used it to make organic soy milk, which is my favorite beverage for my family.

Magimix by Robot-Coupe 16-Cup Food Processor

If there is one ultimate food processor to get in the kitchen, Magimix 16-cup Food Processor is probably it. Created by Robot-Coupe, the French company that developed the first food processor, Magimix food processor is a high-performance food processor for home use. This versatile machine includes many components and accessories for a wide variety of uses: mincing, slicing, grating, chopping, blending, cutting, and even mixing batter and kneading dough! What I love about this food processor is the extremely powerful but extra-quiet motor, so using it in my kitchen doesn’t sound like I chainsaw a tree.

Now, you don’t have to splurge to buy a meaning and great gift. I love cookbooks and they are always a great gift, especially for home cooks who are constantly looking for new inspirations in the kitchen. If you haven’t yet purchased my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes,” this year you ought to do that. Released about 15 months ago, “Easy Chinese Recipes” is currently the top-selling Chinese cookery book on Amazon. It has garnered 100 glowing reviews and close to 300 likes.

I love learning and reading about world cuisines and this year, there is a perfect book published by Lonely Planet called The Food Lover’s Guide to the World. Food Lover’s Guide to the World presents a lifetime of eating experiences that will lead you from one end of the globe to the other. Take your taste buds on a tour around the world and cook up your next great culinary adventure.

View the original article here

Cookbooks to Buy this Holiday

Cookbooks are one of the best holiday gifts and this year, many renowned food writers and fellow food bloggers came out with their books, including yours truly. (My first cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes” is available worldwide and on Amazon.com.)

Here are the list of cookbooks you should buy this holiday season, as a gift for friends and family or for yourself.

Peko Peko: A Charity Cookbook for Japan

Peko Peko is a charity project curated by my good friend Rachel at La Fujimama, together with Marc at No Recipes and Stacie Billis. The cookbook offers a vast collection of homey Japanese dishes. The proceeds of this cookbook will go to GlobalGiving Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

The Sweet Life in Paris

I am envious of David Lebovitz because he has the perfect sweet life! He is a mega cookbook author and an A-list food blogger, but more importantly, he is really a very sweet and nice guy. The Sweet Life in Paris chronicles his adventures in the city of lights as well as 50+ original recipes!

La Tartine Gourmande Cookbook

Believe it when I say this: I have been stalking La Tartine Gourmande for over 5 years. The blog is pure perfection with flawless and gorgeous food photography, great story telling and recipes. The good news is that all the gorgeousness and perfection are now in the form of a cookbook. I have seen the preview pictures and it makes me want to eat the book!

The Homesick Texan Cookbook

I remember not too long after I landed on my cookbook deal, I exchanged a few tweets with Lisa Fain at Homesick Texan, who was then working on her cookbook. Time flies and her cookbook is now available and a BEST-SELLING cookbook on Amazon. Check it out.

On a Stick

Earlier this year, I hosted a giveaway of Matt Bites cookbook On a Stick. I love the cookbook as it’s so much fun and beautiful. The 80 party-perfect recipes will come in handy this holiday season. And you’ll know that this cookbook rocks and completely worthy as Matt has already signed on to work on his second book!

Plate to Pixel

This is a food photography guide book by food stylist and photography/food blogger Helene Dujardin of Tartlette. I have a copy of the book and has learned so much about professional food photography. If you love cookbook, I’m sure you will be equally interested in food photography as the book has hundreds of beautiful pictures.

Easy Chinese Recipes

Last but not least, let’s not forget about my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes.” With Lunar New Year coming up in January 2012, my cookbook will make a perfect gift for Christmas and also Lunar New Year. Sweet!

Bonus Mention:

This is an eBook written by my friend Monica Bhide. In Conversation with Exceptional Women features Powerful and insightful interviews with 50 influential women (writers, chefs, photographers, moms) on developing–and thriving–as a creative professional. I am one of the women featured (ahem!). The book is available on Amazon Kindle, check it out now.

View the original article here

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

It’s that time of year again!

This year, I upgraded a lot of my kitchen appliances and utensils, mostly because of my growing baby G. My adorable son is 14 months and what I’m feeding him/what he likes to eat has largely influenced what I use in the kitchen. Also, as a busy full-time mom, I rely on products that simplify my life. After all, I’ve to take care of my baby, family, blog, cookbook, etc., and the last thing I need are mediocre products that are not durable or breaks easily.

Here are the lists of products I recommend. They make great gifts for your loved ones and will be forever cherished and treasured.

Calphalon Contemporary 10-pc Cookware Set

Believe it when I say this: I’ve never owned a complete set of cookware until I got my Calphalon Contemporary 10-pc Cookware Set. As you all know, I specialize in Asian cuisines and I use my wok or stir-fry pan on a daily basis. I’ve a couple of pots and pans around but they’re old and inferior in quality. When baby G started on solid food, I realized that I need a proper cookware set that I can use to make his food—porridge, soup, pancake, omelet, etc. He deserves the best. My choice was Calphalon Contemporary Bronze 10-pc Cookware Set. Each piece of the cookware (8-in. omelette pan, 10-in. omelette pan, 1.5-qt. covered sauce pan, 2.5-qt. covered sauce pan, 3-qt. covered saute pan, 8-qt. covered stockpot) are nonstick and bronze in color. The heavy-gauge hard-anodized aluminum heats evenly and the multi-layer nonstick are guaranteed to last a lifetime. I now cook everything with my Calphalon cookware set: curry, soups, stews, and baby food. They’re absolutely awesome and the unique appearance is a thing of unsurpassed beauty in the kitchen. I have one (1) set of Calphalon Contemporary Bronze 10-pc Cookware Set for giveaway, which you can enter to win!

KitchenAid 7-Quart Mixer 

Baby G loves all sorts of baking—cake, muffin, pastry, and bread. He has prompted me to take baking seriously. I have a KitchenAid 4.5-Quart Mixer for a while, but the new KitchenAid 7-Quart Mixer is the bomb. It’s the largest (makes up to 14 dozen cookies or 8 lbs of dough), most powerful—and quietest—KitchenAid mixer in the market. With a generous 7-qt. capacity, this machine equips home bakers with a full range of high-performance commercial features for fast, efficient mixing and quality results. Plus, it’s a real eye-candy in any kitchen and available in four colors: candy apple red, medallion silver, black storm, or white.

Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker

I love my Zojirushi rice cooker so when it comes to getting myself a breadmaker, I immediately thought of Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker as I had seen it at Japanese supermarkets. The breadmaker bakes a large, traditional, rectangular-shaped 2 lb. loaf of bread, and has menu courses for a variety of other cooking needs including cake, dough, sourdough, jam and even for making meatloaf. With this breadmaker, I can make breads effortlessly and most importantly, my baby loves the bread as his afternoon snack.

Fujifilm X100 12.3 MP Digital Camera

This camera is high up on my wishlist this year. I got to play with it a little bit when my friend visited me a couple of months ago. It’s a seriously good-looking camera—it looks like a retro film camera but it’s digital, lightweight, and produces very high quality photography. I currently have two bulky DSLR cameras that are quite a hassle to travel with. This is definitely going to be my travel companion as I can still shoot in RAW mode and the ISO settings up to 4000.

ManPans Stir Fry Wok and Steamer Set

When I make Asian dishes, I reply on my traditional Chinese wok and a non-stick ManPans stir-fry wok and steamer set. I don’t steam my food using the traditional Chinese wok because the wok tend to become rusty. ManPans stir-fry wok and steamer set is a perfect combo—I use it for both stir-frying and steaming, for example: dim sum and dumplings. I love it that it’s lightweight and their proprietary Cool Grip handle keep its cool. It’s really the best non-stick wok that I have.

Easy Chinese Recipes Cookbook

Many of you know that my first cookbook came out in September. It’s currently the top selling Chinese cookery book on Amazon and makes a perfect—and inexpensive (only $15)— gift for your friends and family. It has garnered lots of positive reviews from US and international press, and 41 glowing reviews (and counting) on Amazon! Easy Chinese Recipes is going on second print now so pick up a copy this holiday season. I’m almost certain that your loved ones will appreciate and enjoy the cookbook. The book is available at Barnes and Noble book store and online at:

Amazon USAmazon UKAmazon CABook Depository – FREE worldwide shipping!

Australia:

Augusrobertson.com.auBoomerangbooks.com.auBooktopia.com.auKinokuniya.com Australia

New Zealand:

Whitcoulls.co.nzBorders.co.nzWheelers.co.nzPaperplus.co.nzCirclesoft.net

NESPRESSO Pixie Espresso Maker

I’m not much a coffee drinker but Mr. Rasa Malaysia is a huge fan. Whenever we shop at Bloomingdale’s or Crate & Barrel, the tempting aroma of espresso brewed with NESPRESSO Espresso Maker is simply hard-to-resist. So, this is also another item that I wish to get this holiday season. We’ve tried the free samples too many times and think it’s time to make it our own. There are many models to choose from but I personally like the NESPRESSO Pixie. It’s compact, sturdy, and have 6 colors and 2 finishes to choose from…the kind of kitchen toy I’d love to have!

Happy shopping!

View the original article here

'Holiday Dinner In Asian Restaurant' Wall Decal - Removable Graphic

WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won't damage your paint or leave any mess. PLEASE double check the size of the image you are ordering prior to clicking the 'ADD TO CART' button. Our graphics are offered in a variety of sizes and prices.

WallMonkeys are intended for indoor use only.

Printed on-demand in the United States Your order will ship within 3 business days, often sooner. Some orders require the full 3 days to allow dark colors and inks to fully dry prior to shipping. Quality is worth waiting an extra day for!

Removable and will not leave a mark on your walls.

'Fotolia' trademark will be removed when printed.

Our catalog of over 10 million images is perfect for virtually any use: school projects, trade shows, teachers classrooms, colleges, nurseries, college dorms, event planners, and corporations of all size.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

A Little Love from Wall Street Journal Asia, and the Holiday Nostalgia Train

What a nice pre-Christmas gift! Appetite for China was just featured in the Wall Street Journal Asia's round-up of food bloggers around Asia, along with Robyn Eckhardt from Eating Asia, Andrea Nguyen from Viet World Kitchen, Makiko Itoh from Just Bento, Mark Lowerson from Sticky Rice, and many others. We each recommended a dish we "can't live without" in cities across Asia (my city being Beijing.)

Check out the WSJ's slideshow here!

In other news, I spent a few hours last Sunday indulging in a non-food-related interest: checking out relics of bygone New York. Every year around the holidays the MTA digs into its collection of old train cars that ran way back in the day, and takes them for a few spins on Sundays in December to keep them in working condition. This being my first holiday season in New York in three years, riding a Nostalgia Train was high on my must-do list.

This year the trains run on the F/M line from 2nd Ave to Queens Plaza. According to the conductors and various signage on the train itself, the train cars date anywhere from 1930 to 1940, and are decorated with ads from that period (though there were a few anachronisms, such as a presidential campaign ad for Kennedy.) The seats were low and narrow, the train cars themselves were musty and loud, but they seemed just as fast as some of the older models the MTA still runs. 

I liked the subway courtesy signs. Nobody puts up signs like these anymore.

Vintage food ads were pretty prominent throughout the train. I haven't been to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn yet, but hopefully some of these have a more permanent home there.

The last day for the Nostalgia Train to run is this coming Sunday, Dec. 26 (check the schedule here). If you're staying in town for the holidays, or happen to be visiting New York, this is a worthwhile little excursion. Granted, what New York is doing with its trains really isn't spectacular or unique among American cities (after all, San Francisco has vintage trolleys from around the world as a permanent fixture on the F line). But it was a ride on which, for once, everyone on board seemed happy and excited to be there. Complaints about delays and fare hikes could wait for another day. To an often-jaded commuter in New York, this was a neat little celebration of one of the oldest, extensive, and most used subway lines in the world.

Happy holidays, and thanks for reading Appetite for China for another year!

View the original article here

Easy Holiday Gifts: Mini Vietnamese fruitcakes and other ideas

Easy Holiday Gifts: Mini Vietnamese fruitcakes and other ideas - Viet World KitchenViet World KitchenHomeArchivesRecipe IndexVWK StoreClasses + EventsFavorite SitesAbout MePermission and CreditWelcome to Viet World Kitchen where I explore the culinary traditions of Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Join me to learn, create, and contribute!

Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher

Send a messageMy Books

One of Cooking Light's 2010
Favorite Cookbooks!

Asian Dumplings
(Ten Speed Press, 2009)
Reviews & Press Release

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
(Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Reviews & Press Release

Recent PostsMail Call: Lynn's Vietnamese Cookbook GiftsMy Dad’s 80th Birthday BashEasy Holiday Gifts: Mini Vietnamese fruitcakes and other ideasHow to Cook and Eat Well in a Power OutagePandan and Coconut Tapioca Cake (Banh Bo Nuong) Recipe ChallengeMarine Fights Vietnam's Dog-Meat Tradition: LA Times article2010 Cookbook Picks and Food Book FindsBrussels Sprouts with Cracklings and Fish Sauce RecipeThanksgiving Leftovers with Asian Flair: Turkey Pho, Banh Mi, Bun, and More!Videos Fight the Faux Pho PhenomenaRecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesHandy InfoAsian IngredientsAsian MarketsBasic Vietnamese KitchenBook Reviews + moreCooking Tips and ToolsEssentials: Fish SauceEssentials: NoodlesEssentials: Pho Noodle SoupEssentials: RiceEssentials: Rice PaperGardeningHow to Find Asian Markets & IngredientsMama SaysTet New Year CelebrationTravelAwards + Praise
James Beard Foundation
Award Finalist
2007 Best Asian Cookbook

IACP Awards Finalist
2010 Best Single Subject Cookbook
2007 Best First Book
2007 Best Int'l Cookbook

National Public Radio
Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009

Cooking Light Magazine
Oct. 2009 "Editors' Dozen" Top Picks
2010 Editors' Favorite Cookbooks

CHOW.com
Winter 2009 Gift Guide

« How to Cook and Eat Well in a Power Outage |Main| My Dad’s 80th Birthday Bash »

December 23, 2010Easy Holiday Gifts: Mini Vietnamese fruitcakes and other ideas

I love to bake holiday sweets but this year, I unfortunately have little time to do it. I used to stay up late baking up to a dozen different kinds of cookies to gift friends and family. Given my current schedule and obligations, late-night baking sessions were not possible for 2010. I decided to revisit an old friend, the fruitcake, and scale it down.

You may not like fruitcakes but give them a second look. They’re great for the holidays because they keep well for a long time. Actually, they get better with age as the dried and preserved fruit soften and develop a slight boozy quality. Plus, fruitcakes allow you to use up bits of ingredients in the cupboard. I had dried fruit from the past 18 months and nuts in the freezer. I supplemented those things with a bag of mixed dried fruit (the one with blueberries, cherries, cranberries, etc.) at Trader Joe’s. 

The other thing that’s great about fruitcakes is the use of liquor to infuse the cake with flavor throughout. I chopped up all the solid ingredients and marinated them in Slivovitz, East European plum brandy that my dad gave me years ago.

My original Vietnamese fruitcake recipe called for 1 cup of mei kwei lu chiu (Chinese sorghum and rose petal liquot) or orange-flavored liquor, but I was out. The Slivovitz I used was made by Hungarian producer Zwack, which is widely available in the U.S. It tasted quite nice, like a lighter version of the Chinese liquor but not as aromatic. I could have gotten zwacked on it but had to keep chopping up my nuts and fruit!


From one recipe I got 9 minis – that’s roughly 8 gifts with 1 leftover for you. After aging, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and then parchment paper to ensure that it stays moist. Tie a ribbon around each one and you’ve got a great present. For extra sturdy protection, put the wrapped and ribboned fruitcake into the original disposable baking tin (we washed ours after removing the cakes). That’s what I did before sliding one into the mailbox for Karen, our letter carrier.

Loaf cakes like fruitcakes are perfect for scaling down into minis. They are cute, satisfying, and make a nice statement. You’ve still got time to bake a batch for the weekend gift giving opportunities. 

If you’re crammed for time, here are some more easy homemade holiday gifts:

Tangerine Meringue KissesChile Garlic Sauce – no canning, just put it into a jar and tell the recipient to refrigerate itThai Sweet Chile Sauce – same as aboveSriracha Chile Sauce - ditto but will take a few days so gift it for January 1 or Lunar New Year (Tet)

Got last-minute homemade holiday gift ideas? Don't keep them to yourself. Share them below!

Posted in Cooking Tips & Tools, Recipes: All, Recipes: Dessert and Sweets | Permalink

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us |

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Cranberry-orange port conserve (or Cranberry Cabernet/Shiraz/whatever wine I had on hand at the time) is what I used to make if I didn't have time to do anything else! Bag of cranberries, some sugar, one segmented orange, peel and all, and the wine. I remember lugging four jars of it to California for gifts one year not long after I graduated...

If I can't manage even that though - I'll write a short story or poem for each individual I plan on giving a present to (but that's not actually food...even if I write about it!)

Posted by:Shuku |December 25, 2010 at 07:12 AM

Your fruitcakes look yummy!

This year, I made jars of Chili Garlic Sauce for friends and family on Thanksgiving day.

http://vietspices.blogspot.com/2010/11/tuong-ot-toi-vietnamese-chili-garlic.html

As for Christmas gifts, I made frosted cranberries, candied orange peels and candied grapefruits peels.

http://vietspices.blogspot.com/2010/12/mut-vo-buoi-boc-chocolate-candied.html

http://vietspices.blogspot.com/2010/12/mut-cam-candied-orangeu.html

Posted by:Annette |December 26, 2010 at 11:36 PM

Shuku: The recipients of your gifts are surely quite fortunate!

Annette: Thanks for sharing your homemade gifts.

Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |December 28, 2010 at 09:21 PM

Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by:  | 

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Post a comment Comment below or sign in with TypePad Facebook Twitter and more... You are currently signed in as (nobody). Sign Out (URLs automatically linked.)

Your Information

(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Name is required to post a comment

Please enter a valid email address

Invalid URL

Be Connected Get news via RSS or email
 Get updates in Facebook
 Follow me on Twitter
 Receive newsletterSearch VWK

Share Shots#flickr_badge_source_txt {padding:0; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}#flickr_badge_icon {display:block !important; margin:0 !important; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;}#flickr_icon_td {padding:0 5px 0 0 !important;}.flickr_badge_image {text-align:center !important;}.flickr_badge_image img {border: 0px solid black !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper {width:150px;}#flickr_www {display:block; text-align:center; padding:0 10px 0 10px !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#3993ff !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:hover,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:active,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited {text-decoration:none !important; background:inherit !important;color:#3993ff;}#flickr_badge_wrapper {background-color:#ffffff;border: solid 1px #000000}#flickr_badge_source {padding:0 !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#666666 !important;}www.flickr.comMore in Viet World Kitchen pool. Add yours!popular recipes

Viet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2010 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2010/12/easy-holiday-gifts-mini-vietnamese-fruitcakes.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});

View the original article here