Sweet and Simple Bakes Jammy Doughnut Muffins

And here you go with another sure fast and good recipe from Rosie and Maria !!

I made the filling with cut apricots and a little blueberries jam and these muffins are so good I suggest you try them even without the topping !! Please visit the site tomorrow for the round up. Go here for the recipe and try it it is so quick you wouldn't believe it !!

TWD Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

Now I realize It's impossible to understand this is exactly the recipe in the title but you'll have to trust me !! I brought it to my mother's and I forgot to take my camera along !

These brownies were chosen by Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell and we really enjoied them, I think they werent as fudgy as usually brownies are because of the baking powder (or maybe I made some mistake) but the cheesecake part was fabulous !! If I'll make them another time I won't make the 'frosting': the marbled swils were so much cuter and I don't think the flavour needed it, but again probably I'm wrong !! Hope you will enjoy as much wandering around in theblogroll

Mimi's art

I recently discovered Etsy and it's such a tresure's filled site !

Yesterday I found out about Mimi Kirchner, a wonderful person and great artist.

She is offering a wonderful pincuschion to one of the people who show the video on her art (you can see it on the right column). I would have done it anyway because I fell in love with her people, but you should see how cute the pincushion is !!!

BBD # 23 Something You’ve Never Made Before : Focaccia Genovese

This month it was Ima group who took charge of the BBD, created by Zorra, and they chose a very free theme : "Something you've never made before", now, I'm sure every one of you has a whole bunch of never tried recipes, I didn't know where to start from when I saw this post by a very nice roman girl, Antonella, and that was it !! I don't know if you know who the Simili sisters are but they are quite famous here in Italy as you saw in the video they teach bread and pasta making all over the country. Their parents had a bakery in Bologna and they often bake using sourdough.

Focaccia Genovese with Sourdough

Ingredients:

500 gr bread flour

300 gr sourdough

260 gr water

12 gr salt

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Topping:

3 TBS water

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

salt

Mix the sourdough with water, add the other ingredients and mix well.

Trasfer on a work surface and shape in a log oil it and put it in an oven pan mesuring 30 x 40 cm and let it rest for around 20/30 minutes and after that flatten it to cover the whole pan, cover and let raise for about an hour and a half. With the tips of your fingers dimple (?) the whole surface of the focaccia (so deep you can feel the pan) and sprinkle with water, oil and salt. Let it double or more (about 3 hours).

Bake in an hot oven at 200° Celsius for 25 to 30 minutes.

Grazie Antonella !!

TFF August Special Avocado No-cilantro and White Onion Salad

Ciao ! This week thanks to Megan's choice I made a very fresh salad without cilantro whish I can't find here but using some parsley instead . It's a great refreshing treat !!! Please visit TFF blog for more !

Daring Baker's Challenge Dobos Torte and a New Baby

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

When we were at the beach in July we met some friends who own two tortoise and Anita was so in love with them thath on the last day they gave her an egg. After almost a month I was in the kitchen fighting with my Dobos (always at the last moment !) when I heard her screaming : La tartaruga !!! And here we introduce her/he to you: we don't know the name yet because Carlo e Anita have been "discussing" since her birth but she already saw the vet and took a bath !!!

And here is the torte ! I made two minis using half the recipe but then after tasting it I did repentish : it's so good !!!

The recipe :

Prep times

• Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
• Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
• Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
• Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes

Sponge cake layers

• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
• 4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Caramel topping

• 1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
• 12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
• 8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Finishing touches

• a 7” cardboard round
• 12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
• ½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

Directions for the sponge layers:

NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)
3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:

NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.

1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!

Directions for the caramel topping:

1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.

Assembling the Dobos

1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.

BBA Slow & Steady Cinnamon Buns

I finally reached my Slow and Steady friends and finally I made these Cinnamon Buns !! They are good but not too rich so you (I really shouldn't!) can indulge without feeling guilty !

I made them in the afternoon and photographed on the terrace table and left out to cool (if this word still exists) . That evening some friends gathered at our home for a simple dinner and when they saw them they just ate the buns as a dessert !! Andrea more traditionally had to hide one for breakfast ! Please visit the BBA page

TWD Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

Linda of Tender Crumb this Tuesday decided on Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie and I wonder why I've never tried it before !!! This pie was exactly what we needed in this oven summer !!! Andrea, who usually tries my sweet baking for love's sake, became obsessed with this pie and asked it for his birthday in November !!

I made the crust with the Graham Crakers and followed the instructions very carefully : it took forever to reach the custard temp !!! I used a plumming torch to brown the meringue and we almost set the house on fire but it was well worth it ! Thanks again to Linda, please visit the TWD blogroll !!

TFF Chili night

I'm finally back to Tyler's recipes with another success !!

I had two corn cobs around so I found his recipe for a Corn Pudding that sounded very nice, then my brother called saying they were coming to Rome for a few days so I decided for 'the works' and I made his Chili as well.

I must confess right away that other than growing them myself I wouldn't know wher I could find all the wonderful peppers I needed so I just substituted them with italian hot chili but the results were very nice even so.

My brother is a botanist and I always tell my children he knows Everything which is 'almost' true in fact he told us how the power of hot peppers is classified, and how they lately found a super duper hot chili in India ( the guinnes winning chili mesured with the Scoville test ). He wanted to order some seeds for the Botanical Garden of Perugia University where he works but I don't think I'll have the gut to ever try it !!!

Please visit the blog for more wonderful recipe !!

We had dinner at my mother's house and while the grown ups ate the kids destroied the granny's living room !!!

BBA Catching up the Slow and Steady Group !

As you might know the BBA group is baking as a train (?) that is gone so far I cannot even see it anymore, so I didn't want to loose my 'Slow and Steady' group even if that meant baking in the worst heat wave we are having this summer !!!

Starting with the Brioche here I chose the Poor man's one

and having enjoied so much the Dorie's version I made with it another fruit tart !!

Then follows the Casatiello which ended up in a colomba mold

But no matter where I put it was really delicious !! I used Prosciutto and Provolone btw

We are still in the enriched section with the Challah

That I just had for breakfast with some orange marmalade !

And last but not in the least the least.... Ciabatta

Which I tried to shape in the two ways suggested in Crust and Crumb

But apart from the shape both came out with smallish HOLES !

And I forgot to mention that all my baking has been done thanks to Calcifer my sourdough starter !!

TWD Applesauce Spice Bars

This week it was Karen of Something Sweet by Karen who picked Applesauce Spice Bars.I made the bars as directed but omitted the nuts that were just too much for me and what can I say ? It was a funny feeling to be baking in this heat and more to be baking something that smelled like Christmas ! The most important thing to say is that the bars were really delicious Karen, you made a wonderful choice !

Please visit all the other TWDers who are baking in spite of the heat !

Daring Cook's Challenge : Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes

This new Challenge was chosen by Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes, she has chosen a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.

The making of this dish was in three steps: Sofregit, Aioli and the actual Rice.

I used little musky octopuses (moscardini) instead of cuttlefish and left them whole.

I really enjoied the Sofregit and the Aioli but I thought that the rice was a bit mild in flavour, it actually became much better with some Aioli.

TWD Browie Buttons

TWD Banana Bundt Cake ...and all the catching up !

Finally back !! I missed you all so much ! I'm very happy to be able to visit you again and I've a lot to catch up as you worked a lot on the last month !!

This week it was Mary of The Food Librarian who chose this very simple and tasty recipe.

I used a bit more bananas so I added an extra egg, the pan I own ( a silicone rose shaped pan) looked a bit too full so , luckily, I made an extra little cake for Cristina, but I must admit I didn't mesure it before. Unfortunately the rose part stuck to the pan so some 'mice' had it.

I glazed only half cake but I liked both....

Thanks Mary I don't know about you but I have lots of bananas in my freezer !!!

Now , you wouldn't imagine I could stay a whole month without baking (I even brought my sourdough along !) so here are the Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies chosen by Lisa of Surviving Oz (made twice in the heat wave !!)

Denise of Chez Us picked Brioche Plum Tart and we really loved it very very much ! I used sourdough instead of yeast, we made it three times but Anita liked it better with peaches !

Then Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy selected Raspberry Blanc-Manger and we liked it too but I made it with nectarines and I will try it again sicilian style (using almond milk , corn flour and no cream ).

It will take me some time to visit you all but I can't wait !!! CIAO !

TWD Pineapple Daquise

Well I know I'm a week late but I really was in doubt wheather to make this Daquise as I don't like coconut too much and I was afraid it would be too sweet but luckily I've tried it and it was great !!! As someone else said we should always trust Dorie !
My computer is still making me crazy but tomorrow I'll leave for the beach and I don't know if I'll find a computer around , I'll bring Dorie's book along and maybe will post everything at the end of the month !!
Happy holidays !!!!

Daring Baker's Bakewell Pudding

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England





I'm writing this post with my fingers crossed as in the last 10 days every time I was on the net my connection (?) lasted less 3 minutes ! I tried not usinf firefox and apparently......


This tart or pudding was a big success the other evening at some friends house even with the children ! We were having a ' kindergarden farewell' party as our children will start real school in September (sigh) .


I was going to use a simple peach jam I still had from last year but just as I came back home there was a jam jar on my front door saying 'ciliege 2009' (cherries) . It came from Silvia's mother who lives in Tuscany and grows all kind of organic wonders ! So I had to make it a cherry bakewell pudding !!

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)Resting time: 15 minutesBaking time: 30 minutesEquipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin
One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)Bench flour250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadabilityOne quantity frangipane (recipe follows)One handful blanched, flaked almonds
Assembling the tartPlace the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.
The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.
When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.
Jasmine’s notes:• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.Annemarie’s notes:• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).
Sweet shortcrust pastry
Prep time: 15-20 minutesResting time: 30 minutes (minimum)Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film
225g (8oz) all purpose flour30g (1oz) sugar2.5ml (½ tsp) salt110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)2 (2) egg yolks2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.
Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Jasmine’s notes:• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract
Frangipane
Prep time: 10-15 minutesEquipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula
125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened125g (4.5oz) icing sugar3 (3) eggs2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract125g (4.5oz) ground almonds30g (1oz) all purpose flour
Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.
Annemarie’s notes:• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

BBD # 21 Pizza Party

This month's it's Zorra's time to chose a theme and she made us very happy with PIZZA !

Some time ago looking for a sourdough recipe for pizza I found this on the cookaround forum : it's a super succesful recipe coming from Cinzia !



We usually make a variety of toppings : zucchine, tomatoes and anchovies, potatoes....... but if I don't make the favorite one .... I'm in danger !!






Cipolle !!!! (Onions !!)



Sourdough Pizza

280 gr sourdough
450 gr bread flour
250 gr hard durum wheat flour
400 ml water
40 gr extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

Mix everything in the morning and let rise around 5 hours. Shape the pizzas, oil the surface and cover with cling film for around 5 more hours, turn on the oven at the highest setting (I use a baking stone). Meanwhile prepare the toppings. Bake for around 15 minutes. Buon Appetito !!!

TFF Hot and Sour Soup

HOT ??!!! In this heat ? Yes ! It sounded crazy to my husband to have a hot soup the other evening but as soon as he tasted it his doubts had desappeared! Andrea and our friends fought over the leftovers in the pot ! If you dare try a hot soup in a very hot June this will make your dinner !! Please visit the blog for more Tyler Florence inspired recipes !!

TWD Honey Peach Ice Cream

it


Apparently this ice cream was either liked or definitely not .. well for once we all liked it : even Carlo !
I did put the peaches pieces (!) in the ice cream but I made very small pieces so they weren't a bother at all !
My internet is really making me crazy now I have problems with firefox we'll see what comes next !! See you with the fattening daquise next week ! (My mother is leaving the hospital tomorrow so no more guinea-pig nurses !!)
Thanks to Tommi of Brown Interior who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe on her blog. Please visit all the clever Twders for more ice cream !!!

Daring Cooks' Chinese dumplings/potstickers

Finally my computer is working again ! And I'm so happy to be able to post the wonderful recipe from Jen of use real butter her potsticker are just a wonder ! They come together quite fast and are so good !!
We had a great time eating these dumplings and remembering last time I tried to make them which was nine years ago and, to make Andrea happy, I had bought a chinese book about dim sum, gotten all the ingredients from a chinese store and... became crazy making all sorts of fillings and doughs up to late night ! The next day I found out the reason of my 'more than usual' craziness : I was pregnant !
Now Carlo is eight years old and thanks to Jen, Andrea finally had some great homemade dumplings !

Please try this recipe but visit Jen post before and all the Daring Cooks' blogs !!
(Of course the following photos are my potsickers coming together : Jen's are much better !!)

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

pork filling:
1 lb (450g) ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried - rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup (75g) bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 (55g) cup ginger root, minced
3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce
2 tbsp (28g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

OR

shrimp filling:
1/2 lb (225g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/4 cup (55g) ginger root, minced
1 cup (142g) water chestnuts, minced (I substituted some zucchini)
1 tsp (5g) salt
3 tbsp (40g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface (I weighted the ingredients and didn't need any)

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

[EDIT: 5/26/09] There have been two complaints posted about a dry dough and I realize that this rests in the problem of measuring flour which has a different density and hence weight for 2 cups depending on how you scoop it. That is why I also list the weight: 250g. Flour tends to settle over time, so when I scoop it out, I shake several cups' worth back into the container before taking a final scoop of soft, fluffy, flour and I get 250g for 2 cups. When you knead the dough, if it feels hard and dry, then you can add more water. [Warning: it will NOT be a soft bread dough, so don't expect it to be, but it shouldn't be a brick either.] It is perfectly fine to use more than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe as everyone's climate and flours vary. Use your judgment - this is what being a Daring Cook is about. We are trying to cultivate a sense of intuition so that recipes are general guidelines from which you can expand your own style.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.

To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.