Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Chinsuko

Okinawan Cookies

DSC_5543The Holiday is approaching with record speed. We try not to do too much as to gift giving…yet when I’m in a mall or some boutiques, my heart rate climbs up and I get sucked into a whirlpool of Christmas buy, buy buy…that has something to do with the music that they are playing insensitively. I rarely bake Christmas cookies, though a hot steaming cup of my fav decaffeinated Earl Gray tea needs some accompaniment of sweet little thing to ease my exhausted body and spirit?…yep! And time to re-exam my purchases…mostly buyers remorse…how in the world? I must have been insane!DSC_5549

Chinsuko, an Okinawan cookie that originated in China 400 years ago, were a gift sent by by my son and daughter-in-law. They traveled to beautiful Ishigaki Island south of Okinawa to see my son’s in-laws in late October. This earthy, crumbly and just the right amount of sweetness brings back my sanity…. I wonder if I could re-create this cookie?…right.. I have plenty of spare time... I’m a bit delusional!IMG_2071DSC_5522But vegan chinsukos are surprisingly easy and only need 4 ingredients.

Ingredients and Instruction for 20 Vegan Chinskos, (Print Recipe Here)
I mostly followed Kimihide Machino (町野仁英) ‘s recipe.

  • 75g low Viscosity 薄力粉 flour
  • 75g whole wheat flour
  • 60g sugar or more to adjust sweetness.
  • 60g vegetable oil
  1. Lay the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Sift flours together Set aside. Pre-heat oven to 356F
    DSC_5509DSC_5511
  2. Put sugar and oil in bowl. Whisk until sugar is almost dissolved. DSC_5531
  3. Add sifted flours in the bowl of sugar, oil mixture and combine.
  4. Knead the dough by hand until the dough comes together. Note: if the dough is overly dry add a few drops of oil. Shape the dough to your choice
    DSC_5517
  5. Place shaped dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. After it bakes leave on the cookie sheet until it cools down.DSC_5519

Variation – Yomogi chinsukos

  • 70g of low viscosity flour
  • 70g whole wheat flour
  • 8g yomogi flour (Japanese mugwort) Note: may substitute with green tea powder( 抹茶パウダー), roasted green tea powder (ほうじ茶) or ginger powderDSC_5528
  • 60g sugar
  • 60g vegetable oil

Add yomogi powder in the sifted flours combine well.then follow the instructions above.DSC_5540DSC_5544

My husband usually opts out of Christmas shopping. Instead he worked on Kulebyaka, a savory Russian pie from a blogger milkandbun. It was a quite construction. He had to make crepe-like pancakes first…DSC_5526and it took him almost the entire Saturday afternoon to build. We had this for supper next three nights plus bonus of cinnamon rolls he made from left over bread dough…yeah I know we were over loaded with carbohydrate but it was sooo good.DSC_5555DSC_5560DSC_5564

It’s time to hit my favorite nursery for Christmas greenery…coincidently, reindeers were visiting also. OK, it was not the most famous reindeer of all but it’s Prancer! IMG_2102

IMG_2110 And a baby Cupid! IMG_2104

Here are some photos (imported from his FB) of my son, his wife and her parents. And a new monkey friend of Yaeyamamura (八重山村)1458471_10101681491883759_7099057372477998538_n10662169_10101681480761049_1197443036413243077_oHer parents own a restaurant Kurashita. Her father is an executive chef10700482_10101681480506559_3573007997799425862_o

My son is lucky to have really cool in-laws.

 

 

 

28 comments:

  1. oh lovely to have treats send from home, and your son looks happy :-))

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    1. Thank you Rebecca. Your blog has full of good information, I appreciate for that.

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  2. Lovely post. You've got cool family:)
    We might try to make an experiment version of your okinawan cookies...using only ingredients that we have locally...perhaps we'll discover something new for this season! The Russian pie looks absolutely good...a work of art indeed!!

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    1. Thank you so much Annie. I love to meet your daughters someday to have conversation with them in Japanese.

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  3. These okinawan cookies look melt-in-mouth and wonderful. Lucky you having a husband who can cook so good!

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    1. Thank you Angie for your kind comment. Are you by any chance, looking for a apprentice? I love to study cooking under your guidance...you're amazing cook!

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  4. こんばんは。沖縄のチンスコウは私には少し味が濃いかったです。手作りでしたら、お好みの味に出来ますので、素敵です。去年石垣島に行きました。年末年始は沖縄です。 現地でチンスコウを食べてきます。シナモンロールもとても美味しそうです。

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    1. コメントありがとうございます。 お正月は沖縄だなんて、なんて素敵!楽しい旅になりますように。その写真も今から楽しみにしています。

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  5. Those cookies look very tempting! I'd love to taste one with a cup of tea.

    I wish my BF cooked like you husband. Lucky you.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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    1. Thank you Rosa. And thank you for posting beautiful photos each week.

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  6. Wow! I like these nice and easy Japanese vegan cookies! I have to tell my Aussie vegan friend about this recipe and I think she will love it.

    I reckon your son is a lucky guy! He has a sweet and cheerful wife, cool in-laws, a cool dad that cooks well and a beautiful mum like you!

    Zoe

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    1. Thank you so much Zoe! You're much too generous! But can you repeat the last parts? Just kidding!

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  7. low viscocity flour means starch (tang mien) or low protein flour???
    gotta try this recipe soon....

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    1. Thank you Chef. Low viscosity means means wheat flour of low viscosity, gluten level is low. This recipe is interesting because require low viscosity and whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour gives this recipe a little bitter after taste which very earthy and organic to me.
      By the way, your sausage looks fantastic!

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  8. These Okinawan sweet treats look fascinating! I love discovering regional food and Japanese regional food is almost unknown outside of the country. The green version is particularly tempting!
    Your husband has made a perfect kulebyak! He is really a very talented baker!
    Your son's parents-in-law do look very cool and nice indeed! Thank you for sharing your family albums with us!

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  9. Olá querida, passei por aqui para agradecer sua doce presença
    no meu cantinho.Obrigada !!!
    AMO PASSEAR POR AQUI E APRECIAR SUAS LINDAS POSTAGENS!!!
    Abraços, Marie.

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    1. Thank you so very much for visiting and kind comment.

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  10. I love learning different treats from different countries! They look green and delicious!

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    1. Thank you very much. I think your blog is charming and fun to learn of Greek culture.

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  11. たまにちんすこうを食べたくなる時があるので買っています。何でも手作りなさるんですね。私もアールグレイかレディアールグレイが好きですが、デカフェのを探してみます。コーヒーは美味しいデカフェを探していたんですが、illyのを最近できたお店で見つけ、おいし~いクッキー2,3個でほっとくつろいでいます。昨年からクリスマスプレゼントは孫たちだけに贈ることにしましたが、夫と2人の家でもクリスマスらしい雰囲気をつくるのは好き。クリスマスが終るとすぐにお正月の飾りにチェンジ・・・日本の主婦ってこの点で忙しいですね。

    ご家族にも恵まれお幸せそう。何よりです。

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    1. ありがとうございます。 このちんすこうは本当に不思議な味です。 紅茶に良く合います。 もう何十年とお正月は日本に帰ってません。ドンナ感じですかねえ。私共夫婦も孫中心のクリスマスです。 ふふふ。孫は可愛いですよね。

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  12. Oh my the cookies and pie look so good! What a feast and a fun day too!

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    1. Thank you Judit and Corina. Your blog is very fashionable and chic!

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  13. oh... cookies look scrumptious! I love it!

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  14. That Kulebyaka looks amazing - well done to your husband! I'd like to say I'll totally try it, but I have such a long list of things so I can't say for sure if I ever will... maybe if someone cooked it for me... . :D

    Those cookies look very nice too - they remind me of Scottish shortbread, but in a vegan version, and with green tea powder, but I bet they're lovely little bites!

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  15. Thanks for the good and very helpful information and I like it so much. Thanks for sharing this with me.
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