Inspired by Xizhou

xizhou

inspired by

bakery recipes with a xizhou twist by leah sprague

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index INTRO

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BREAKFAST pu’er muffins

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rose coffee cake

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ham scallion scones

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DESSERT spiced papaya crumble bars

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sesame five-spice shortbread

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sichuan pepper peanut butter cookies

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A NOTE FROM LEAH

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intro

Exploring new places is always the best inspiration.

After spending so many days wandering the Xizhou morning market and trying new foods, I was inspired to incorporate these new flavors into the foods that I was comfortable with, such as my favorite Saturday morning muffin recipe (page 6) or my go-to peanut butter cookies (page 16). Each recipe in this cookbook is Western, but has a special twist that highlights a local ingredient. Sichuan pepper, pu’er tea, rose jam, dried papaya‌ all these offer unique flavors that bring you back to the markets of Xizhou.

I want to make sure that the local ingredient is the star of each recipe. Each recipe includes information about the ingredient, such as how it is traditionally used in Chinese cooking or its history.

This cookbook is truly a labor of love. I am beyond grateful for the everyone at the Linden Centre: to Jeanee and Brian for letting me start on this project, to Bryce for helping me navigate the kitchen, to the kitchen staff (especially Mrs. Wang and Chef Yang) for helping me find ingredients and allowing me to invade their space, to the business office and the front desk for trying everything and providing so much helpful feedback and support. Some recipes flopped (sesame seed cinnamon rolls) and some required many re-dos (the bitter scones). However, I can confidently promise that each recipe in this cookbook was tested and proven to be delicious.

I hope you enjoy each recipe as much as I do.

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pu’er tea muffins Makes: 18 muffins

Temperature: 220°C (425°F)

INGREDIENTS 3 c all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp ground pu’er tea 2 eggs, room temperature 1 c granulated sugar 1 1/4 c milk 1/2 c vegetable oil coarse sugar, for sprinkling ground pu’er tea, for sprinkling

Time: 45 minutes

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Butter two muffin tins and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon ground pu’er tea until combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined.

4. Boil milk with remaining 1 tablespoon of pu’er tea. When cooled, mix in milk and oil to egg and sugar mixture.

5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix everything together by hand. Avoid overmixing. The batter will be very thick and somewhat lumpy.

6. Pour batter into muffin tins, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and ground pu’er tea.

7. Bake at 220°C degrees for 5 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 190°C and continue to bake for 15 more minutes until tops are lightly golden and centers appear set.

8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before serving.

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: PU’ER TEA

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Pu’er tea is a type of fermented tea originally from Pu’er, Yunnan. Pu’er is rolled, dried, then fermented so the leaves gain a rich, earthy flavor. Its taste and health benefits made it a highly-prized item that was carried along on the Tea Horse Road to Tibet, where it was traded for Tibetan horses. Xizhou is one of the towns along the Tea Horse Road. Although tea is almost exclusively used for drinking, some people like to eat fried tea leaves or boil eggs in tea.

LEAH’S TIP

For a less intense pu’er tea flavor, replace the 1¼ cup of milk tea with 1 cup of plain milk.

This will result in a paler muffin, which contrasts beautifully with the ground pu’er tea sprinkled on top!

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rose coffee cake Makes: one 9x9 inch cake

Temperature: 180°C (350°F)

CAKE 1/2 c butter, softened 3/4 c sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 2 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 c milk CRUMBLE FILLING 1/2 c butter, softened 2 tbsp cinnamon 3/4 c flour 1 c packed brown sugar 1/4 c rose petals

Time: 90 minutes

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 9x9 inch baking pan and set aside.

2. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides occasionally. Mix in the vanilla and egg.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add one half of it to the mixer, and when mostly combined, add the milk. Once the milk is mostly incorporated, add the rest of the flour.

4. To make filling: in a small bowl, pinch together the softened butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon until soft crumbs form.

5. Pour in ½ of cake batter into prepared baking pan, and spread to all four corners.

Sprinkle ½ the filling over top, then pour in remaining cake batter, and spread carefully across the top, disturbing the filling layer as little as possible. Sprinkle the filling and rose petals evenly over the top.

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: ROSES Yunnan’s mild winters and summers allow the region to grow flowers throughout the year. Today, Yunnan province produces more than 50% of China’s total cut flowers. Rose petals are mixed in a variety of products, ranging from brown sugar cubes to jam to milk popsicles.

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ham and scallion scones Makes: 8 scones

Temperature: 180°C (350°F)

INGREDIENTS 1/3 c granulated sugar 2 c all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup ham, cubed 2 scallions, chopped 8 tbsp butter, frozen 1 egg 1/2 c heavy cream + 1 tbsp for brushing

Time: 30 minutes

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ham, and scallions.

3. Grate frozen butter or cut into pea-sized pieces. Add to flour mixture and mix until it resembles coarse meal.

4. In a small bowl, combine egg and cream and mix well. Pour into flour mixture. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using hands, shape dough into a ball, making sure to fold in all the loose clumps.

5. Shape into a 7 inch circle, approximately 3/4 inch thick, and cut into 8 equal pieces.

With space between each triangle, place on the prepared baking sheet.

6. Brush each scone with a little bit of heavy cream, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: YUNNAN HAM The famous Yunnan ham, originally from Nuodeng village in Yunlong county (a 4 hour drive, directly west of Xizhou), has a history of thousands of years. Locals use salt to cure pork legs in a process that takes 2-3 years, producing a delicious smoky flavor and a deep mahogany color. Once the curing process is finished, the ham is often enjoyed stir-fried or steamed.

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LEAH’S TIP

The secret to an amazing scone is having large chunks of cold butter in your dough.

The butter will melt in the oven, resulting in heavenly, buttery layers of air throughout.

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papaya crumble bars Makes: one 9x9 inch pan

CRUST 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar PAPAYA FILLING 1 cup dried papaya 1/2 cup flour 1 cup light-brown sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt CRUMBLE ½ cup sugar ½ cup flour ¼ cup butter, softened

Temperature: 180°C (350°F)

Time: 90 minutes

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 180˚C. Butter a 9x9 inch baking pan and set aside.

2. Make the crust: In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, butter, and white sugar. Blend until crumbly and combined.

3. Transfer crust mixture to the prepared pan.

Using your hands, pat crust evenly into pan.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a rack to cool.

4. Place papaya in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Finely chop until it resembles a jam.

5. Combine 1/2 cup flour, papaya, brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.

Using a handheld electric mixer on medium speed, beat until combined; scrape down sides of bowl twice. Pour papaya mixture over crust.

6. Make the crumble: mix the sugar, flour, and butter together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Evenly spread over the papaya mixture. Place in oven and bake until the papaya mixture is no longer glossy and a little firm.

7. Let bars cool completely before cutting into squares.

INGREDIENT HIGHLIGHT: DRIED SPICED PAPAYA Dried spiced sour papaya a popular snack for Dali locals. In the late summer to early fall, when the sour papayas ripen, many families prepare the fruit by mixing it with brown or white sugar and local perilla plant, then letting it dry.

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sesame five-spice shortbread Makes: one 9x9 inch pan

SHORTBREAD 1 c soft butter 3/4 c powdered sugar 1 3/4 c flour 2 tsp five spice powder* 1/3 c black sesame seeds 1 tsp vanilla extract *FIVE SPICE POWDER 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground star anise 1/4 tsp ground fennel seed 1/4 tsp ground pepper 1/8 tsp ground cloves

Temperature: 170°C (325°F)

Time: 50 minutes

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place parchment paper into a 9x9 baking pan and set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together.

3. Mix flour, spices, and black sesame seeds.

4. Mix flour and cream mixture with vanilla.

5. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

6. Remove from pan and cut into squares while warm with a sharp knife.

INGREDIENT HIGHLIGHT: SPICES While “Chinese five spice powder” is not actually a spice mixture you can find in supermarkets in China, each ingredient is separately very common. Around the perimeter of the bustling wet market, vendors sell countless spices, seeds, and 14 other dried ingredients.

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sichuan pepper peanut butter cookies Makes: 12 large cookies

Temperature: 180°C (350°F)

INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 2 teaspoons pepper 1 stick softened butter 1/2 c brown sugar 1/2 c granulated sugar 1/2 c peanut butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg

Time: 40 minutes

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

3. In a mixer, beat together softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Mix in peanut butter until incorporated, about 30 seconds on medium. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, scraping after each addition. Reduce mixer to low and slowly add dry ingredients, just until incorporated.

4. Take 3 tablespoons of the dough and roll into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using a fork dipped in cold water, make a cross in the dough. Repeat with the rest of the dough, keeping 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are golden brown and the centers are puffy.

6. Cool before serving.

INGREDIENT HIGHLIGHT: SICHUAN PEPPER Yunnan cuisine is significantly influenced by its bordering province, Sichuan.

An essential to many Yunnan dishes, Sichuan pepper is a common spice with a unique aroma that leaves a slight tingly numbness in the mouth.

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a note from leah

My interest in food has grown slowly but surely over the years.

I baked every once and a while throughout middle school and high school. However, it was in college that I found the freedom and community that turned food from a side hobby into a passion. Baking turned into a way to relieve stress, and a reason to invite friends over. Through Penn AppÊtit, my campus food magazine, I discovered the world of restaurants, which I began exploring with other people who were equally passionate about food. My friends were working at famous bakeries in downtown Philadelphia, growing their own sourdough starters, and experimenting with seemingly exotic ingredients like tahini. Conversations always lead back to new restaurant openings, or gossip about famous chefs. I was exposed to a whole new world, and I couldn’t get enough.

Now, food means more to me than just something to enjoy at meal times; for me, food is a way to be creative, a way to learn about a culture and history, and a way to bring people together.

This cookbook was published in August 2017, at the end of my marketing internship. As of the publishing date, I was a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania, double-majoring in Nutrition and Public Health.

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leah sprague leahsprague.com leahsprague@gmail.com issuu.com/leahsprague 20