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Persimmon Chai Cake


Two weeks until I'm back to sunny palm tree filled Los Angeles. I feel like I do a lot of complaining about the weather in Richmond... what can I say? We're a little stuck-up about the weather. I'm hoping to go to the beach and get some surfing in! Hopefully, I haven't forgotten how to use my muscles. I feel like I have wasted away half my body from sitting in a chair 24/7 :(

Just wanted to post this recipe before our an exam on Friday. I had a lot of chai packets so I wanted to make a tea infused cake. Plus, a lot of dried persimmons lying around. Makes a very moist and subtly cinnamon-y spicy cake. Definitely a success! I also learned saying tea and chai is redundant... I've been schooled!



Persimmon Chai Cake

makes 1 loaf

1stick 2tbsp unsalted butter
3-4 teabags of chai (I used 3 twinings ultra spicy chai)
Scant 1 cup white sugar (like 2 tbsp less than a cup)
1 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 oz (1 single serving cup) plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1.5 cup of dried persimmons, chopped (fresh would work well too)
  1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a loaf pan with baking paper
  2. Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat with the teabags in it. Let it sit for about 10 mins
  3. Meanwhile, mix all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, spices, baking powder & soda) in large mixing bowl
  4. Squeeze the butter out of the teabags. Careful not to rip them though! Add yogurt and beat eggs until blended
  5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just mixed. Fold in the chopped persimmons.
  6. Bake for 1 hr - 1hr 20 min. Top may brown at 1 hr but inside the cake might not be done (test with a knife through the middle). You can cover the top with foil until it's done in the oven





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Easy Kimbap - 김밥


The weather has been one fickle lady. Ear numbing cold one day, hot booty shorts weather the next. I just want to go on a picnic by the river, but I don't want to have my teeth chattering louder than my talking. I can't wait for it to be 80 degree weather! Is that around 25 celsius? I still can't use Fahrenheit, BECAUSE IT DOENS'T MAKE SENSE. Like foot, inches and yards. Whaa???

Anyway, one of my favorite picnic foods is kimbap. All kinds of things wrapped up in an easy to eat morsel. It's actually super easy to make, maybe a little bit more prep time. But once you have your mis en place (oh fancy words), rolling it up is a breeze! If you want more detailed instructions, you can take a look at my old blog, MD cooks for 2. (A truly embarrassing old blog)


Kimbap - 김밥

makes 6 rolls ~3-4 servings

2 cups of uncooked rice
3 eggs
1 pack of yellow picked radish
1 pack of picked burdock (or you can use a cucumber for crunch)
3 medium carrots
1 bundle of fresh spinach
1 pack of ham (or any meat or no meat if you're keeping it veg)
6 sheets of nori (sushi seaweed is different from small packs of seaweed, make sure you get the right one!)

sesame oil
salt and pepper
sesame seeds

  1. Wash and cook rice as directed on the package in your rice cooker. You want to use freshly made rice for this. Once cooked and cooled to room temp, add 2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp sesame seeds and fluff up the rice with a paddle. Don't mush or overwork it though.
  2. Peel and julienne carrots and cucumber (if using that instead of the burdock root. but don't peel the cucumber!). Cut your ham into thin long strips 
  3. Bring to boil about 2-3 cups of water in a saucepan. Add a pinch of salt (this makes spinach greener when blanching). Blanch the spinach for about 1 min, rinse with cold water and squeeze out all the water. Season with a pinch of salt and 1-2 tsp of sesame oil
  4. Heat about 1 tbsp mix of olive oil and sesame oil. Fry your julienned carrots for about 1 min, salt to taste, set aside. Next fry up the ham just to heat through.
  5. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, and pour onto an oiled non stick frying pan on low-med heat. Let it cook until it looks partially done on one side and flip to cook the other side. Cut into 1/4" strips
  6. AssemblyOn a sheet of seaweed placed on a sushi mat, add a thin layer of rice and leave about 1 cm at the top. Line up each prepared ingredients in the middle (look at the picture above). Roll the kimbap to tuck in all the filling (away from you) and quickly roll it to let the rice stick on the seaweed. Using the sushi mat, knead lightly and roll a little to keep the kimbap in place. Repeat until out of ingredients.
  7. To serve, oil your hands with sesame oil and run along the roll of kimbap. Cut to 1/2" with a sharp knife. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top for garnish



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Makgeolli Sool Bbang - 술빵


Yay!! Finally a real free weekend!! Also, Happy Valentine's Day! Mine started out amazingly with 2 exams. *roll eyes* I am so sleep deprived, but currently baking at home :) Haven't touched my oven or my kitchenaid in too long!

The bf and I are going to cook together, because I just don't want to sit in a packed restaurant filled with lovey dovey couples. You know??! The only thing I baked where these EKG cookies. Anyway, the real Vday holiday is tomorrow, when the Valentine's chocolates are on SALE!! Yes!!

Here is a recipe for a traditional steamed cake made with Korean Rice wine, Makgeolli or 막걸리. I grew up on this stuff when I lived in Korea! The cake is very soft and rises amazingly, with a slight boozy taste. Oh, I feel so nostalgic...




Makgeolli Sool Bbang - 술빵

makes a 9 inch cake

1 cup makgeolli, korean sweet rice wine (preferably newly opened)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking power
1-2 tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the makgeolli, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar until slightly frothy
  2. Sift flour and baking power directly into the bowl and fold in until totally blended together. (no over mixing though!)
  3. Place a cheesecloth onto your steamer basket and pour in the batter. Scatter sesame seeds over the top is using.
  4. Cover and steam on medium heat for 35-40mins, or until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean
  5. Serve immediately - best when warm and fresh

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EKG Heart Cookies


I make Valentine's day an excuse to eat as many chocolates and cookies as I want. But that's about it. No extra love-y dove-y stuff PUH-LEASE. Maybe just a nice dinner, some flowers, a large box of Godiva and being treated like a princess the whole day. That's it. Seriously :P (honestly though, super low key/ nothing)

When I lived in DC, my roommate made these but she burned all the cookies. oops... but the idea was super cute and nerdy! The bf has also just taken his cardio exam so he should know my 'Atrial flutter' cookies are for him *GAG*  haha

This cookie dough requires no refrigerating time like traditional sugar cookies, which I love. No waiting around just to eat cookies. Ain't nobody got time for that! I hope you have fun making these!



EKG Heart Cookies

adapted from 'bakingamoment' blog
makes 1 dozen large cookies

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cup flour

Royal Icing
1 egg white
splash of lemon juice or vinegar
2-3 cups powdered sugar

  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Cream butter, oil, sugar, vanilla and salt in a stand mixed (paddle) just until everything looks mixed together
  3. Mix in the egg until just mixed in too
  4. Add together cornstarch, cocoa powder, flour and mix until a dough forms
  5. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out hearts or any desired shape
  6. Bake on lined baking sheets for 6-10 minutes until the edges look firm. They will still be soft to touch
  7. Decorate when they are completely cool! For the icing, whisk the egg white and lemon juice or vinegar until slightly frothy looking. Mix in the sugar until it is pretty thick. If you let ribbons dribble back onto the mix, the shape should stay there for 3-5 seconds
  8. I filled up a ziplock bag with the mix and cut a tiny hole. The icing makes for a triple batch of these cookies


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