2013 | stylebriefHongKong

Honey Rose Biscuits

2013-11-04 18:02:52

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Ingredients

1/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup plain flour
2 jars (100g) Ming Cha Rose Honey
100g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
Rose Petal topping
1 egg white
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Rose Tea

Instructions

Turn on the oven to 180 degrees celsius
Add the flour, butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for about two minutes to combine.
Then add Ming Cha Rose Honey and pulse several times, until a dough forms.
Turn dough onto a very lightly floured surface, gather it together and kneed until it all comes together, then roll it gently into a log.
Wrap log in cling film or wax paper and transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Remove log from fridge and cut 1/3 inch slices off the log, rotating the log as you go to ensure that cookie slices stay round.
Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between each.
Bake for 12 minutes or until biscuits are just starting to brown.
Leave on the baking tray to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks.
To make to Rose petal topping
Pace the rose tea in a mortar and pestle and pound gently until crushed.
In a separate bowl whisk egg white and sugar together with a fork until well combined and sugar has dissolved.
Use a pasty brush to brush the top of the cool biscuits with the egg white mixture.
Sprinkle crushed rose petals on the top and shake off excess.
Leave to set and then place in an airtight container.
Biscuits will keep in air tight container for several days.

Notes

Serve with Rose Tea

By Belinda Bath

stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Osmanthus and Palm Sugar Biscuits

2013-11-04 18:09:36

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Ingredients

1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup finely grated palm sugar
1/4 cup of brewed Osmanthus tea
1 tbsp of Osmanthus tea
100g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

Instructions

Turn on the oven to 180 degrees celsius
Add the flour, butter, sugar and brewed Osmanthus tea in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for about two minutes to combine.
Then add Osmanthus tea flowers and pulse several times, until a dough forms.
Turn dough onto a very lightly floured surface, gather it together and kneed until it all comes together and a soft dough has formed, then roll it into a log.
Wrap log in cling film or wax paper and transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Remove log from fridge and cut 1/3 inch slices off the log, rotating the log as you go to ensure that cookie slices stay round.
Use a wooden cookie stamp to stamp each biscuit (optional)
Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between each.
Bake for 12 minutes or until biscuits are just starting to brown.
Leave on the baking tray to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks.

By Belinda Bath

stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

With Melbourne Cup around the corner, we thought it’s time to talk pretty hats. Melever, G/F 1-2 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2708 8899 has a winning way with fascinators and cocktail hats, and if time permits and personal accessorizing is your thing they really step up with colourful feathers, hand-sewn silk flowers and other dazzling bits and pieces crafted from leather and netting. For specific designs you may have in mind, Louie is the man to talk to – he works in costume for film but will bring your dream hat to life. His shop is P3 Fashion Accessories, Shop 10 Yan Nam Mansion, 97 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2360 2600. If you want to create your own hat from scratch try Kwong Yiu Fashion Accessories, G/F Shop 7, 97 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2304 3988 or Trademark East, G/F 94 A-B Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2398 9293.

Exquisite high-end designs can be found at Hat Woman in Central. They stock the genius Philip Treacy and the beautiful Ward & Wylie hats.

Halloween

With Halloween just a few days away we thought we should post a shoot we recently worked on for Playtimes magazine. We found some great suppliers and ideas that might help get you in the mood for some spooky fun. The cupcakes and cakepops are from Party Mate Cakes and we commissioned mini pumpkin pies from RJ at Tai Tai Pie Pies. Ghost meringues, jelly cups and vanilla monster milkshakes kept us busy in the kitchen. And for party craft we painted a wall with blackboard paint from Tin Kwan Paint Pigment Company, G/F 157 Tai Nam Road, Kowloon.Tel: +852 2555 8866, which has blackboard paint in any colour. For blackboard paint on Central side visit Yuen Fat Ho, G/F 77 Hollywood Road, Central.Tel: +852 2546 8931. For tutus in Halloween shades go to Pottinger Street, Central or P3 Fashion Accessories Company, 97 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2196 6805. Black and white butterflies sewn on white and black singlets were found at 1/F Wong Chuk Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. White paper bags are in plentiful supply at 274 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po. Kowloon.Tel: +852 2396 1675.

Hatton Studios

Wanting to learn the craft of jewellery making? Head down to Hatton Studios. Jeweller Nathalie Melville, a graduate from Central Saint Martins, London, helps clients to create handmade pieces – she has worked for Tiffany, Follie Follie and Shanghai Tang, and has worked extensively on bespoke pieces for private clients, too. Her knowledge of precious metals and gems and attention to detail is amazing. Tables and tools are available to rent for those who spend more time and fall in love with honing their technique of the art form. The courses start at beginner’s level and also include private tuition. Some students have carried on further and gone on to develop their own collections.

Essence of Vanilla

Recently my sister ‘taught’ me a new appreciation for home-made vanilla essence – it’s without sugars or preservatives. And I have to say the end product looks so great it should be valued as a work of art plus it makes a wonderful gift, too. I don’t know where she found the recipe but she told me her process:

Grab a glass jar with a good lid – great vintage ones are available here in Hong Kong, Central from Cat Street curios shops – or copy my sister and use a small bottle of vodka. Pour 200ml vodka into a clean glass jar and split three to four vanilla beans without cutting to the end and put into the jar. Store in a cool, dark place – give it a shake now and then so you keep infusing the vodka with the vanilla pods. In three- four months you will have perfect vanilla essence.

Vanilla Syrup Cake

2013-09-25 18:43:02

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Cake

180g butter, softened
1 cup castor sugar
4 eggs
200g almond meal
1/4 cup self raising flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla essence
1/4 cup milk

Vanilla Syrup

3/4 cup raw sugar
1 cup water
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Place the softened butter and the sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
Add the almond meal, flour and vanilla essence and mix until combined.
Fold through the milk.
Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool.
For the syrup, place the sugar, water and Vanilla beans in a saucepan and stir until sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and allow to boil for 8 minutes until slightly thickened.
Allow to cool.
Pour 3/4 of the syrup over the cake and allow to soak in.
Use the rest of the syrup when serving.

Notes

Serve with thick cream or mascapone.

By Belinda Bath

stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

A cutting kind of story…

Scissors on-duty: doing ‘craft’ makes us appreciate a great pair of scissors and I find the look of vintage ones really appealing, but nothing beats a new pair. They cut, change and shape so much the perfect pair is always sharp and ready to work. Pinking shears are handy, too for going around paper, felt and seams if you don’t want to overlock or zig-zag. Distinct looking ones can be found at a little hole-in-the-wall store at 1/F Wong Chuk Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. If you think of it take along some old ones – the owner is very obliging and will sharpen them while you wait. If you’re on the lookout for haberdashery items head to Hop Shing Hong, G/F 260, Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2729 1035. It’s great for beautiful scissors and much, much more.

Sau Wa Fong Street

Sau Wa Fong Street is a street with style and spirit and there’s always some new store or restaurant opening up and creating a buzz. There are some people who just have an eye. Susan Man of Manks, was brillant when she opened the original Manks on Elgin Street, Central, in the late-80s. It had a kind of dreamy, relaxing atmosphere – I used to wander from floor to floor just looking at all these incredible things: light fixtures sourced from Sweden and Finland from the 1960s, unusual tables, Bedarmeier style hall chairs from Sweden, works of art and antiques that were never seen in Hong Kong before. Her beloved Shih Tzu’s dogs, Dumpling and Noodle were pretty cute too, staying put on her lap most times. Now there are two Manks stores run by Susan and her husband Paul Fung, the Sau Wa Fong Street store is housed in a 1960s old building and the second one is at The Factory in Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen. Here you will find Scandinavian modern design furniture, art and decorative pieces – think Panton and Hans Jakobsen – plus European antiques circa 1880 -1970. Man and Fung pick up extra special antiques and source anything beautiful style-wise, and they are always happy to work on bridal registries too.

G/F 36 Sau Wa Fong Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2522 5115

Sau Wa Fong St Read More…

Celadon

We love… celadon. The term celadon describes the pot and its glaze. Its history is long; celadon shards were found as early as 25-220AD in an Eastern Han Dynasty tomb in Zhejiang. The first time this pottery arrived in Europe they were grouped together and named celadons. The name is thought to have come from the shepherd character Céladon who appears in a 17^th century play called L’Astrée dressed in grey-green ribbons and cloak.

Celadon ware has subtle variations in the soft cloudy blue, blue-green and grey shades. The colour – and this is where things get scientific – comes from the small percentage of iron in the glaze (0.5 to 3 percent) which is applied fairly thickly to the entire pot and fired to about 1300˚ centigrade in a reducing atmosphere (removing the oxygen from the glaze). The result is these really dreamy translucent blues and greens.

Potters will always try for the perfect celadon glaze, but it’s all in the firing – the results can be either exciting or disheartening. Every time my mother opened her kiln after a 12-hour firing and 12 hours plus of cooling, I couldn’t wait to see the result. The first time she experimented with a celadon glaze I was amazed – there in front of me were these beautiful pots in almost otherworldly hues just waiting for loving homes.

For beautiful celadon pieces head to Units 1-3, 3/F, Kowloon Bay Industrial Centre, 15 Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon Bay. Tel: +852 2796 1125.