APRIL ISSUE | APRIL 202 2
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THE ONTARION
Four East Asian dessert recipes to indulge in this month There’s nothing like sweet pudding and chewy mochi to help you make it to the end of the semester BRUBEY HU
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s finals and graduation approach, you might be experiencing stress or anxiety. An effective cure for me whenever I feel mentally-strained is to slow down and make a dessert! During the cooking process, my negative thoughts are gradually dissolved, and getting to enjoy the dessert once it is ready fuels my energy and motivation. Here are four East Asian recipes I have learned over the years that are simple to make and use ingredients you can find in most Asian markets.
milk, egg whites, and sugar. In my version, I add red beans for some texture to complement the smoothness of the milk.
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Snow Fungus Soup is a refreshing soup that can be served warm or cold at breakfast or after dinner. CREDIT: BRUBEY HU
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DOUBLE SKIN MILK WITH RED BEANS I first encountered this tasty, pudding-like dessert when I traveled to Hong Kong in middle school. Double Skin Milk is a famous Cantonese sweet dish that uses simple ingredients such as
500 ml whole milk 3 egg whites 3 tbsp white sugar ⅔ cup red beans 500 ml water Lemon juice (optional)
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Soak the red beans overnight. Cook the beans with water on high heat. When the water begins to boil, turn to low heat then simmer for 50 minutes until the red beans are soft and falling apart. Filter the water out and mix the beans with some white sugar. Pour milk into small bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowls into a steamer pot and bring water to a
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boil. Steam for 5 minutes and allow a layer of skin to form on top of the milk. Take the bowls out of the steamer. Carefully flip up a corner of the milk’s skin and pour the milk into another bowl, being careful to leave the skin. Mix the egg whites, sugar, and liquid milk together. Add drops of lemon juice if
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you don’t like the flavour of plain milk and mix well. Pour the mixture back into the bowls with the skin using a strainer to make the dessert smoother and silkier. Make sure the mixture is under the milk skin! Cover the bowls with plastic wrap again. Steam for about 15 minutes. Add the red beans on top and
your dessert is done! Serve warm or cold.
SNOW FUNGUS SOUP This is my mother’s recipe and it is super easy and yummy! When I was a kid, she usually made a large pot of this dessert soup for the family for breakfast or after dinner. This light soup leaves a refreshing feeling in the mouth. In my version, I add some soy milk for a smooth taste. Serve it warm or cold—both ways are delicious.
Ingredients: • • • • • •
1 snow fungus 8 dry red dates 2 tbsp dried goji berries 2 tbsp rock sugar Milk (optional) Water
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Double Skin Milk with Red Beans is a tasty, pudding-like dessert that uses simple ingredients such as milk, egg whites, and sugar. CREDIT: CAN PAC SWIRE ON FLICKR LICENSED UNDER CC BY 2.0
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Soak the dry snow fungus in hot water until it’s soft. Cut the snow fungus into small pieces with scissors and trim off the dark yellow part. Add water to a pot and bring it to a boil, then add in the snow fungus. Simmer for 40 minutes. Stir the soup then add in red dates, goji berries, and rock sugar. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Make sure the rock sugar is completely dissolved. The soup is done! Add in milk if you desire.
