Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole month since I last posted a recipe.  I've been so busy with school and work that I kept on making excuses to not write a post.  Actually, I believe the last time I posted was close to the end of my winter quarter and then the weeks passed by so quickly when I was busy writing papers for my final exams.  That period of time was crazy!  It was the first time in my whole life that I wrote soo much!  I had to write a 10 page research paper for my education class and more essays for my writing class.  Now, I'm taking 20 units.  I decided to challenge myself because I felt like I had too much free time, which ironically, I did not use that time to write posts.  :/  Anyway,  here I am making excuses again. I would like to dedicate this post to I.S.  I don't know if you would like your name out on the internet, but yea. :)  Due to your encouragement, I wrote another post.  I'll try to post consistently...

Today, the recipe I'm sharing with you is espresso shortbread, from Annie's Eats.  Honestly, I never drink coffee, but I enjoyed these cookies.  I was too busy during the Crazy Day to taste these cookies, but they smelled good.  They were also really simple to make.  So if you're busy and you don't have enough time for hands-on stuff, make these cookies.  All you have to do is mix up the cookie dough which you can do in a matter of minutes, roll out the dough, and then chill it.  Easy peasy!

The cookies also look very cute and neat because all you have to do is cut them out in squares and then poke holes in them with forks.  


Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Oreo Cheesecake

Last week, I stayed at my school for the first weekend because Jason Chen came over to sing at a Taiwanese Festival that a club at my school was holding.  I don't think I'll be staying at school often because it was kind of boring.  Also, my week seemed really long afterward.  I felt like it was Wednesday when it was only Tuesday.  Anyway, I was too tired to start posting any things that I made on the crazy day.  But I don't want to neglect my blog for a long period of time again, so here I am again!

The first recipe I'll be posting is for an Oreo cheesecake.  I got the recipe from the blog Buns in my Oven.  This recipe is definitely a keeper!!  It is a really simple recipe that was not time consuming at all.  This cheesecake does not require a water bath, so you don't need to worry about that.

It  was a really tasty treat.  Simple to make, so you should definitely make it when you are crunched for time.  Also, Oreo lovers, you're in for a big treat!  The cheesecake has Oreo's in the crust and in the filling. :) Yummm.

Oreo Cheesecake

 

The Crazy Day

So every week at church, after service, there is a snack area called Sonlit Terrace. Every week people take turns bringing muffins, croissants and similar items.  Since it was the summer, I decided to sign up for bringing the snacks one day.  It was going to be a great excuse for a baking challenge.   I was so excited! I didn't decide what I wanted to make until a few days before and it was a hard decision.  I ended up with eleven things I wanted to make.

The items I made were:
Oreo cheesecake bites
Oreo cupcakes
Green tea cookies
Lofthouse sugar cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
Espresso shortbread
Double chocolate chip cookies
Funfetti cupcakes
Cheesecake brownies
Glazed lemon cookies
Almond biscotti

I will be Posting each recipe one by one because it would take forever to post all of it at once.  Here is a preview of all the things I made.


All these things took me 11 hours to make.  I was in the kitchen for the whole day baking. It was fun, but tiring.  With my brother's help I was able to frost the cookies and clean up without sleeping too, too late.  After my baking spree was over, I was soo tired that I couldn't fall asleep.


The end product. :)

Green Onion Pancakes 蔥油餅

From when I was small my grandma would occasionally make green onion pancakes, otherwise known as scallion pancakes 蔥油餅.  I really enjoyed eating the pancakes.
 
I was always interested in trying out this recipe and I got the chance when there was a potluck at my youth fellowship.  This is a post from a really long time ago, by the way.  I'm going to post about 11 items soon, but I'm getting this out of the way first.

My best friend was there when I made it and she really liked the end result.  I honestly don't remember too much about the tastes, but I think this recipe is worth making.  The only adjustment I would make is not use as much oil.

Green Onion Pancakes 蔥油餅 

Pan Pizza

After a long time of having this pizza in my to-do list, I can finally cross it off.  I have always wanted to try making some pizza, but I never got the chance until my mom's off day (the day she takes a break from cooking).  

The pizza was really easy to make and it reminded me of Pizza Hut's pizza. It had a nice crispy crust that tasted just right, due to the generously greased pans.   If you had a tiring day, you can make this pizza for an easy dinner.  I actually got the recipe from my book, America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.  The recipe also happens to be the same one that Tracey from Tracey's Culinary Adventures used.


Pepperoni Pan Pizza