Chocolate Strawberry-Marshmallow Whoopie Pie

I get so inspired every time I watch Unique Sweets on the Cooking Channel. And let me tell you, I watch it at least one episode a week... well, more like every other day. I watch it again and again, and all the episodes never get old.

The sweets that stood out the most were the ones with the natural ingredients. No food coloring. Raw foods. One of the bakers made red velvet cupcakes using beet juice as food coloring. How cool is that. After thinking about baking without artificial food coloring and flavoring, I wondered what my maple syrup marshmallows would taste like if I added the freeze dried strawberries right after I made a new batch.

I heart freeze dried strawberry!!! The marshmallows had that strawberry aromatic. So much fragrant that if I didn't make them myself, I'd think a strawberry extract or some sort of artificial strawberry flavor was added to the recipe. Now I'm so addicting to freeze dried strawberry. I want to bake more things with them as a highlighted ingredient.

The other day, I was flipping through a baking book, reading out the recipes' names. Brek stopped me when a recipe caught his attention and told me, "You haven't made whoopie pie in awhile." He was right. Last time I made them was for Halloween treats. The very next day, I came up with chocolate strawberry-marshmallow whoopie pie recipe.

Luv, luv, luv!!! Brek really liked the strawberry aromatic in the marshmallows. Camden wanted only strawberry-marshmallows because... well, he just loved marshmallows. I think he was on to something because strawberry-marshmallows did taste good by itself.

I highly recommend using a whoopie pie pan for this recipe as each cake will bake perfectly round with a good dome. It also comes in handy for not just baking whoopie pies. I've baked cookies with this pan to achieve that perfectly rounded cookies. (Check out my perfectly rounded chocolate chip cookies).

Chocolate Strawberry-Marshmallow Whoopie Pie
makes 6

Chocolate Cake
3 Tablespoons (0.7 oz) cocoa powder
3 teaspoons instant coffee granulate (optional)
3/4 cup (3 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup (3.5 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) coconut milk
3 Tablespoons safflower oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray the whoopie pie pan with the cooking oil. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, coffee granulate, flour, and baking powder. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar.
4. Add the milk and oil then whisk until creamy.
5. Mix in the flour mixture just until just combine.
6. Using the medium scoop, place the batter onto the prepared whoopie pie pan.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until the toothpick inserted in the middle of any cake comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
8. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cakes into the rack to cool completely. NOTE: While the cakes are cooling, make the strawberry-marshmallows (recipe follows).
9. Turn over 6 of the cakes.
10. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of strawberry-marshmallows onto the cakes.
11. Place the other cakes on top of the strawberry-marshmallows to make whoopie pies.
12. Roll the side of the marshmallows onto the crushed freeze dried strawberry.
13. Serve right away or keep them in an airtight container at a room temperature for up to 3 days.

Strawberry-Marshmallows
2 cups freshly whipped maple syrup marshmallows
2-3 Tablespoons freeze dried strawberry, divided

NOTE: Look for the freeze dried strawberry that only have strawberries as an ingredient. Just Strawberries is what I used in this recipe. One bag is pretty expensive, so I use them wisely in my baking.

Wait until the chocolate cakes are made and in the cooling stage before making the marshmallows. The freshly whipped marshmallows make it easier to place between the cakes. Only 2 cups are needed for this recipe. What to do with the leftover marshmallows? Make regular marshmallows or add more crushed freeze dried strawberry to make more strawberry-marshmallows for future treats. (Notice the chocolate covered strawberry-marshmallows photographs. See, the possibilities of strawberry-marshmallows are endless.)

1. While the marshmallows are whipping in the stand alone mixture, roughly break the freeze dried strawberries into small pieces.
2. Once the maple syrup marshmallows are freshly whipped, scoop about 2 cups into a bowl. (Just estimate the amount that'd be enough for 6 whoopie pies.)
3. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the crushed freeze dried strawberries.
4. Use the strawberry-marshmallows right away, as stated in the instruction above. Save about a tablespoon of crushed freeze dried strawberries as garnish.

Allergy Info: The chocolate strawberry-marshmallow whoopie pie is free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut), and fish.

Candied Heart Beets

Yes, candied heart beets. What a fun name!!! Since I promised myself to eat more veggies and fruits for my 2014 new year's resolution, I've been looking out for new veggies and fruits that I have yet tried. One of them was beets. But I seriously didn't know what to do with the beets. I didn't know how to cook them or to eat them.

With the Valentine's day approaching, I decided to give the beets a try. I bought a bunch home, but I kept passing them, sitting in my veggie basket. Contemplating!!! Then it occurred to me. "Hey, maybe I can dried them into chips like I did with the old apples." Oh boy!!! Did I find something sweeter AND healthy for my kids and me!!!

I made just enough to fill up one tray. Feel free to double or triple the recipe. The baking time really depends on how thick the beet slices are.

Candied Heart Beets
serve 2

2-3 raw beets
1/2 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F degrees.
2. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside
3. Wash and peel the beets.
4. Thinly slice the beets with a vegetable peeler or a knife, making sure they are the same thickness. A mandolin slicer would work too.
5. Using a heart shape cookie cutter, cut the beet slices into heart shapes.
6. Coat each beet slice with the sugar on both sides.
7. Arrange the slices onto the prepared baking sheet, a few centimeter apart. NOTE: I also baked the scrapes of the beets without sugar. I grinded them to make beet powder for future baking when red food coloring is called for.
8. Bake the beet slices in a preheated oven for an hour.
9. Turn off the oven but leave the beet slices into the oven until crispy, about 2 hours or overnight. NOTE: The baking time for making candied heart beets really depends on the thickness of the beet slices. Be sure to check each beet slice for the crispiness to the touch before baking them longer. If the beet slices are still soft to touch, turn the oven on to 225°F degrees then turn it off as soon as the oven is preheated. Leave the beet slices in the oven for another hour.
10. Enjoy or store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Allergy Info: These candied heart beets are free from or can be make without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish. Told ya these beets are healthy snack!!!

Chocolate or Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls

Happy Chinese New Year! This year, it falls on Friday, January 31st. And it's the year of a horse, when it is "time for all people to go forward confidently in the direction of their goals and dreams". What a great advice!

When I was living in the Bronx, my parents would go to Chinatown on a weekend before or after the Chinese New Year. They always came back with bags full of food: roasted ducks, lots of fruits, especially oranges, and some sweets that came in the red box. The candied lotus seeds were my favorite sweet, which I already add to my (future) candy making adventure.

My parents would honored my late grandparents (my dad's parents) with these food. They would light the incense, wishing my grandparents a happy new year. After the incense burnt out, it was time for everyone to share the foods that were offered to my grandparents. I also received a red envelop with lucky money from my parents. The amount usually depended on my age. As I got older, I would get more cash. Lucky me!

 

I told my friend this story, and she said that it reminded her of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). I found it very interesting that even though we are from different cultures, the traditions of honoring our love ones are very similar.

I started to celebrate the Chinese New Year a little earlier this year. I baked egg custard yesterday for my kids afternoon snack. Turned out to be overly sweet for me, but my kids devoured the little tarts. Today, I decided to venture into something deep fried, sesame seed rice balls.

I made these sesame rice balls many moons ago as part of my learning to cook dim sum. They didn't turn out well. I wasn't sure why, but it might have something to do with not fully understanding the recipe's instruction. This year, I researched different recipes and decided to come up with my own version.

With that said, the sesame seed rice balls turned out much better this time. They tasted lighter and crunchier, though they weren't golden brown. The techniques and ingredients are pretty simple. Plus, no eggs, no gluten, and no dairy. It's pretty friendly allergy free sweets.

These rice balls are usually filled with red bean paste. Since Camden cannot have legumes, I made the filling using chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Afterward, he told me that he would like it plain. So I made another batch without the fillings, which was a done in a lightning speed. Taking it to the next level, I made palm sugar caramel and drizzled on top of the rice balls. Camden was right! Yummilicious!

Glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour can be found at any Asian markets. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. I made enough just for my kids and me because (you know) fried food taste better when eaten right away. 

Chocolate Sesame Seed Rice Balls
makes 8 rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.
2. Add the cold water.
3. Knead the dough inside the bowl. NOTE: If the dough is too dry, add half of tablespoon of cold water. If the dough is too wet, add half tablespoon of flour.
4. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
5. Roll the dough into a log and cut them into 8 equal parts. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, mix together the chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Set aside.
7. Place white sesame seeds on a plate.
8. Place a cooling rack over a sheet tray. Set aside.
9. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
10. While the oil is heating up, take a dough ball and flat it with your fingers into a disk.
11. Add the filling in the middle of the dough disk. Remember, a little bit of the filling goes a long way with this bite size dessert.
12. Pinch the sides to seal. NOTE: If the filling pops out, add slightly less filling next time. You may need to reshape the dough. 
13. Squeeze the dough then roll it inside your palm to form a ball.
14. Continue with this method until all 8 rice balls are formed.
15. Roll the rice balls in the white sesame seeds. Press the seeds into the dough, so they will stick to the rice balls.
16. Drop the rice balls into the hot oil.
17. Deep fried them for 3 minutes. Stand back as the rice balls may puff up causing the oil to splatter.
18. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
19. Allow the sesame seed rice balls to cool a bit, about five minute, before serving. Remember the chocolate filling may be piping hot.

Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls
make 10 small bit rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons palm sugar
1/2 to 1 Tablespoon water

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
2. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and spices.
4. Add the cold water.
5. Knead the dough inside the bowl.
6. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
7. Roll the dough into a log, about an inch in diameter and five inches in length.
8. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on to a non stick mat.
9. Roll the dough log on to the sesame seeds, making sure that the log stays the same size.
10. Cut the log into ten equal pieces. There is no need to shape them into balls. These are bite size shapes.
11. Drop the dough into a hot oil and deep fry them for 3 minutes.
12. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
13. In another pot, heat the palm sugar and water until the mixture is bubbling.
14. Drizzle the palm sugar caramel onto the sesame rice balls. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: These sesame seed rice balls are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. If you don't have legume allergy, you can fill the rice balls with red bean paste, which are sold at any Asian markets. You can also make your own by grinding cooked red beans with sugar into paste.