Articles and Recipes — Silicone Baking Mat

Just when you thought cookie season was over, I would like to introduce you to two traditional Chinese New Year Cookie recipes Hup Toh So and Almond Cookies.  

Almond Cookies are created using traditional wooden molds, last year I demonstrated using husMait round cookie cutters and the bottom of husMait measuring cups. See that post here. The base of the 1/3 cup Stainless Steel Measuring Cup fits perfectly into the second smallest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters and the 1/8 Stainless Steel Cup can be used in the smallest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutter.

This year I was able to go to Shanghai Street, in Hong Kong to buy the traditional wooden molds, and I am returning to Helen Au’s A Step Full of You for her Vegan Chinese Almond Cake Biscuit recipe. I love the way the traditional molds shaped the cookies.

Hup Toh So is a walnut cookie this year I am using a recipe from Daily Cooking Quest by Anita. If you are looking for a vegan version, I like this one from What To Cook Today, or simply replace the butter with vegan butter or vegetable shortening.

Products used in baking these recipes: 

Today I am adapting a traditional recipe from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, circa 1950, which I inherited from my mother-in-law. Many traditional recipes are adapted to become gluten-free & vegan easily.  

A few things I look for when considering a recipe: Is there a 'rise' that will be affected? Is there a textural element that will be affected? Sometimes I can compensate for these changes by increasing raising agents such as baking powder, cream of tartar, or substituting aquafaba whip for egg whites. Also being aware of how each raising agent works is important, it may need to be added later, or mixed minimally. For texture, it may be adapted by adding a glutenous grain such as rice flour, xantham gum, or oat flour or molding pastry crusts rather than rolling them. 

I have learned a few things from my recent experiences adapting traditional recipes. One is that vegan butter has a much lower melting temperature than butter. Vegan butter is almost liquid at room temperature, therefore, chilling the dough is a great solution for a too soft dough. The gluten-free dough also benefits from resting either in the refrigerator or at room temperature. The flax egg is a great substitute, so long as you do not mind the look of the flax meal in your bake.  

This is my updated Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate - Mint Wafer recipe.

Chocolate Wafer Ingredients 
2/3 cups (5.3 oz) Vegan Butter
1 cup sugar
1 flax egg ***
2 cups 1-1 Gluten-Free Flour 
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup soy or almond milk

Mint Filling Ingredients
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup Crisco shortening 
Crushed candy canes

Cooling rack  

Method: 
1) In a medium bowl measure and whisk thoroughly gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

2) In a large bowl cream the vegan butter and sugar. When fully creamed add the flax egg. Whip until light and fluffy. 

3) Alternately add dry ingredients and vegan milk. Mixing well and scraping the bowl between additions. 

4) Divide the dough into 4 and chill thoroughly. 

Preheat oven to 350F

5) Remove a quarter of the dough and roll to 1/8".  Cut into shapes. Repeat with the other quarters. Refrigerate the scraps that become too soft between rolling. 

6) Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool 

7) Make the filling by beating together confectioners sugar, peppermint extract, and Crisco until spreading consistency.

8) Spread a thin layer of frosting onto the bottom of a cookie, and top with another, finally roll in crushed candy canes. 

Note:
 Double the filling ingredients if you like a lot of filling!
***1 Tablespoon flax meal + 3 Tablespoons warm water, stir and let stand 5 minutes

If you would like more information on this recipe there is a process tutorial and more still photos of these cookies over on our Instagram page husMait_home 

We would love to hear from you in the comments below if you try this or any of our recipes  

Sending warm wishes to your home, 
from the husMait home kitchen. 

Today I am sharing the pie crust recipe that I have been using for over 40 years. I am including some Baking 101 tips I learned in my high school home economics class. You can find my video tutorial over on our Instagram IGTV.

One Double-Crust Pie Shell
Ingredients
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of solid shortening 
6 Tablespoons cold water 

Equipment 
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Silicone Rolling Mat
Silicone Rolling Pin
Set of 2 Flour Scraper
Essentials Bakeware 5 Piece Set
Melamine Mixing Bowls                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Note: It is important to sift flour before you measure it. The flour inside the bag will have become dense during transport and handling. Then lightly fill the cup, being careful not to pack the flour. Finally, use a knife to level off the cup. 

2) Add the shortening and cut it into the flour. 

Note: There are three ways of incorporating the flour using two knives, or a pastry blender, or rub it in with your fingers. If you decide to use your fingers it is important not to overwork the dough or let the mixture get too warm. 

Note: When measuring shortening, press it firmly into the cup, pushing out any air bubbles that will affect the measurement.  

Note: When using knives or the pastry blender the mixture will look like small peas. If rubbing the mixture will look like coarse sand. 

3) Add the water, one tablespoon at a time. Gently mix with a fork or silicon flour scraper between each additional tablespoon of water. Note: Do not overwork the dough. 

4) Bring the dough gently together using your hands and place it on the husMait silicone rolling mat. And form a ball and divide it into two. 

5) Roll the crust into a circle. Dust the surface of the rolling mat lightly with flour and roll into a circle to fit the size of your pie plate. The husMait Silicone Rolling mat has easy to read design that includes measurements for dough sizes. These graduated circles take the guess work out of what size to roll the dough. 

Note: Flatten the 1/2 dome into a disc, pinching any obvious cracks together. You can continue gently repairing cracks that begin at the edges by gently pinching it together as you roll. 

Note: Lightly flour underneath the crust occasionally to allow the dough to move as it enlarges. 

It is my hope that the tips and tricks I share here will help you become a more confident and successful home baker.  So that you will be able to share your love in real and tangible ways. 

What are you doing in your kitchen that is environmentally friendly?

Here in the husMait kitchen we reduce, recycle, reuse, compost, and buy in bulk to reduce packaging to name just a few. 

We design and source products with carefully chosen materials and an uncompromising focus on quality. Products that are durable and will last; and will eliminate the use of single-use items.

Our husMait Non-Stick Mini Muffin Pan and Non-Stick Baking Sheet eliminate the need to line with parchment or paper cup liners. Baked goods release easily, and less water is needed for hand washing, or the pans can go directly into the dishwasher, which reduces water consumption further.

Our Silicone Baking Mat eliminates the need to line a pan with parchment or tin foil and is very easy to clean up. Using the Silicone Baking Mat reduces water, the mat itself is virtually non-stick, and it reduces the water needed to clean a traditional pan with a stuck-on mess.

Many dough recipes call for covering a bowl with single-use cling film, the husMait Silicone Rolling Mat has a tacky back that can be used in its place. The Silicone Rolling Mat is flexible enough to be used to wrap dough to chill in the refrigerator. These two mats go a long way to helping our kitchen become a zero-waste zone.

At our kitchen sink, husMait Palm Brushes and the Long Handle Bottle Brushes are put to use every day. They have naturally soft and dense bristles for delicate yet effective cleaning; positioned to scrub at all angles and suitable for any surface. The strong bristles maintain shape and structure to remove tough smoothie or coffee stains. The bottle brush ideal for cleaning all shapes of reusable water bottles and reusable to go cups. 

We believe quality products that will last at a reasonable price will make a difference to our earth.

Happy Earth Day 2021! From the husMait kitchen.

A family favorite traditional Gingerbread cookie recipe that I have been baking for close to 40 years, and have substituted gluten-free flour, plant-based milk, and plant-based butter. 

We loved the crisp texture and ginger flavor these cookies delivered!

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We lived in Hong Kong for 30 years, longer than I lived in the United States!         In that time Chinese New Year became a traditional holiday for our family, rivaling the festivities of Christmas. This year Chinese New Year falls on Feb 12, 2021, and it begins on the evening before is celebrated for at least 3 days and often longer. It is a time of elaborate dinners, gift-giving, trips to the Victoria Park Flower Market, Dim Sum, and Lion Dances. 

Food is central to Chinese New Year traditions in the way it is created, gifted, and consumed.  There are customs and traditions going back generations in regards to the variety, shape, and color of the food. So when I saw Helen Au’s Vegan Chinese Almond Cookies I knew I had to make them. 

Unfortunately, I do not have traditional wooden almond cookie molds. A quick google search will show you what I am talking about. However, as I was contemplating this challenge I came up with an amazing cheat! The basic premise of a cookie mold is to compress the sandy texture dough into a solid shape that can be turned out onto a baking surface. While living in HK for 30 years I became very adept at substitution and ingenuity- So I just reverse-engineered, and used what I have to create a mold - the base of the 1/3 cup Stainless Steel Measuring Cup fits perfectly into the second smallest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters and the 1/8 Stainless Steel Cup can be used in the smallest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutter.