chinsuko--three times is a charm

Yesterday, I attempted to make "chinsuko", but failed and posted about it here. After failing, something inside me yearned to succeed--I think I am OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), so, I surfed the internet and found about 4 different recipes listing different amounts of the same ingredients and different temperatures to bake them at and at different amounts of times.

On my 2nd attempt: I came closer to the "chinsuko" taste that I know, but still no shape or flakiness....

Satoshi also tasted it, and said that it didn't have the flakiness of a "chinsuko"...they were quite hard.

The 3rd attempt proved to be a charm...success!

Here is the recipe: Makes 9 cookies
120 g flour (8.43T)
50g sugar (3.5 T)
50g lard (3.5T)
*If you can weigh out your ingredients it may be better than relying on my conversions

1. Cream the lard with the sugar using a hand-mixer--it may not get too fluffy, like with butter
2. Sift in all of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon, then use the hand-mixer to combine
3. The "dough" will be crumbs--this is okay.
4. Into a cupped palm, scoop in some of the "dough" and press it together, like the sushi chefs do with rice at the sushi bars, into little oblong cookies.
5. Bake at 150C (300F) for 30 minutes, then place under the broiler for 5 minutes to brown.
6. Enjoy!

NOTES: I used "wasanbonzato" which is a brown sugar that is used in Japanese confections. I think it is the same as the raw sugar found in the U.S., but not as fine or as brown.

I have LOTS of cookies to eat now...

chinsuko

Stephine of Bean and Plum Discover the World had commented that she found my blog while surfing the net for a "chinsuko" recipe. This got me surfing the web in Japanese. I found a "chinsuko" recipe on this site in Japanese and passed it along to her. She tried it and blogged about it.

For those of you who don't know what "chinsuko" are, they are a shortbread-like cookie that can be found in Okinawa. While they have all kinds of flavored ones like pineapple and purple sweet potato, I like the original plain one and I have also found one dipped in dark chocolate, yum!

Here is the recipe it is really easy to make and doesn't take many ingredients.
Chinsuko from "Mezase Champuru"
Makes 15
100g flour (7.025 T)
70g brown sugar (4.9T)
50g lard (3.5T)

Mix lard and sugar together
Add flour and mix well
Shape into 15 cookies leaving space on the tray as the cookies will spread a little
Bake at 170C(325F) for 30 minutes

NOTES: I used Okinawan pure brown sugar. But the taste is not what I envisioned it to be. I'm not too sure how to tweak this recipe, I made only 9 cookies from this recipe and all spread out to a round shaped cookie--the true chinsuko is supposed to look like a stick or a crinkle cut french fry. Mixing the ingredients together formed a rather firm dough so it was easy to roll between my palms and shape with my hands. Still, Stephine's chinsuko definitely looks better, I will try this recipe again.

UPDATE: the blog, Bean and Plum discover the world, no longer exists but if you would like the recipe, please contact her @ stephiney@gmail.com with the subject reading "chinsuko".

okinawa (day 2-am)

Day 2 started with a buffet breakfast. Taro imo (like sato-imo, sometimes called dasheen) a thick potato soup with corn, cubed aloe with shi-quasa (sometimes called hirami lemon, is like a mix between a lime, lemon and orange), salad with goya (bittermelon), okinawan carrots, spam, egg, weiners made with ukon (tumeric), fried taro imo and beni-jagaimo, papayairichi(green papaya stirfried with chives and carrots).

We then went to the Churaumi Aquarium. Chura means beautiful in Okinawan and umi means ocean in Japanese. This aquarium is big! and has 3 jinbeizame (whale sharks). There were a lot of tropical fish and also some fish that we see in Hawaii fish markets. There were also some species that I've never seen before, like these chinanago (garden eels)--(eew sea worms!!)

Our next stop was the Yanbaru Anettaien, this garden area has a rainforest atmosphere with hego (fern) that are over 10 ft tall!

Lunch was Okinawan style bibimba (rice with Okinawan vegetables cooked in a stone bowl). Bibimba is actually a Korean dish. And aloe sashimi (sliced aloe). Aloe is quite bitter, but tasted good with a splash of lemon and soy sauce.

There was an area where you could try your hand at making chinsuko (Okinawan shortbread) and andagi (Okinawan donuts), I didn't get to try this but the man who was frying them gave me a free one to eat!

Blue Seal ice cream is also very popular in Okinawa. The American name is Foremost. I had Mint chocolate chip (since I can't find this flavor in Japan, not even at Haagen Datz) and Satoshi had beni-imo (red sweet potato).