Sweets for a Saturday #28

I apologize. I haven't had a chance to comment on all your blogs or thank you all personally for linking up last week. I've just been so busy what with my new job and the nearly 90 minute commute both ways. By the time I get home, I barely have time to exercise, eat dinner, and prep for the next day before going to bed. But, I promise I will organize my time better and try to get back to everyone on the weekends.

But, going back to last weekend, here are your Top 5:

1. Brookie Bars - Piece Love & Cooking



2. Oreo Madness - Living So Abundantly



3. Icebox Oreo Dessert - Heidi's Recipes



4. Vanilla Buttermilk Cake - Penny Pinching Provisions



5. Baby Key Lime Tarts - The Sweet Swiper




The Rules:

1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your treat.
   
2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
   
3. Share your delicious sweets from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
   
4. Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
   
5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.

<center><a href="http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8s1iBIPyjRCu16ifFno6WFUkuhjUbgdTM35QWUi9P1Mxvt-v02Rt9MiOjnqP13K1dPvY99i4vB4ocS1763DUJKQiOUuGulW0IVv4_qV3r-HT0RHb7pGNKnWSsk3-2A2B_RRXuUWfc30/s1600/Plumpy+%25282%2529+button.jpg" /></a></center>

Oyster Sauce Meatballs

I grew up in an Americanized household. Unfortunately, that meant that my sisters and I didn't learn to speak Japanese the way our grandparents could. But, luckily, we still kept the Asian influence in our food. Of course, that meant that our kitchen pantry was usually stocked with 20-pound bags of rice, gallon jugs of soy sauce, and large bottles of oyster sauce. Believe me, we went through a lot of that stuff very quickly.


One of the dishes we enjoyed growing up was an oyster sauce chicken and broccoli dish. One night, however, I didn't have any chicken or broccoli, but I did have ground turkey and some other vegetables. So, I decided to improvise and made Oyster Sauce Meatballs instead. I threw in some carrots and celery too to make it healthy. I was totally pleased with how it all turned out. The flavors melded together deliciously and the red pepper flakes that I added in gave it a nice little kick. This new recipe is going to be a keeper in my book and will make an appearance in my Asian kitchen for years to come.



Oyster Sauce Meatballs (by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1.25 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
salt, pepper
dash garlic powder
1/2 round yellow onion, chopped

2 c. water
1/2 c. oyster sauce (or less if you won't want it that strong)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. sugar
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. water

2-3 carrots, sliced into thin coins
3 stalks of celery, sliced diagonally

Combine the ingredients for the meatballs. Form the meatballs, then bake at 350F for about 25 min. While the meatballs are baking, combine the ingredients for the sauce in a large pan and set aside.

Saute the carrots and celery in a pan until they are tender but still crunchy, about 3-5 min. Set aside.

Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce. Put the pan over medium heat until the sauce begins to boil. Once it starts to boil, add the cornstarch and water mixture until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Add the carrots and celery to the meatballs and keep cooking for about 10 min. until everything is heated through. Serve over rice.

This recipe is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked

Chocolate Croissants

Well, you all know my dad's favorite treats, so now I'll share one of my mom's. As I've mentioned before, my mom loves the movie, "It's Complicated." You might remember this one scene in the movie where Meryl Streep and Steve Martin are making chocolate croissants in a bakery late one night. Well, ever since watching this movie, "It's Complicated," my mom has been begging me to make her some chocolate croissants. However, as many of you know, croissants are not the easiest thing to make. They require a butter packet and turns that you need to keep track of, not to mention the fact that they start with a yeast bread which takes time. The idea of even attempting these croissants got farther and farther from my mind.



Then, I came across Sarah Flinn's recipe on her site, Call Me Fudge (she also has a great picture tutorial so you can see exactly what to do). Her croissants looked so wonderful and the best part was that they employed a simpler method. Instead of a butter packet, you simply dot the dough with butter before folding it up. I made sure to ask her a LOT of questions and she was so sweet to answer them all so that I could understand exactly how to go about making the croissants. Finally, I felt confident enough to begin.

It is still a long process since there's a lot of waiting time involved - rising, chilling, etc. So, I started making the dough the night before so that we could have them for breakfast the next morning.

I filled each one with a Hershey's nugget and dressed them up by drizzling more chocolate on top. Then, my mom and I took a bite. We marveled at all the buttery layers and were both pleased that the Hershey's nuggets had melted inside for one deliciously gooey chocolaty bite after another.


It was a long process, to be sure, and a lot of hard work, but it was all worth it to see how happy my mom was. One day, I will be daring enough to make croissants in the more conventional way, but, for now, this one is going to be my go-to recipe.



Croissants (adapted from Call Me Fudge)

1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 c. milk (I used skim milk)
2 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 milk chocolate Hershey's nuggets
1 egg yolk

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk (about 105-115F) with 1 tsp. of sugar. Let stand 5 min. until foamy. Combine the flour with the salt and remaining sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. Knead together to form a dough and shape into a ball (I had to add a tablespoon or so of water in order to get everything to hold together). Place in a greased bowl and turn your dough over so that all sides are greased. Let rise until it doubles in size (about 30 min.-1 hour).

2. Roll the dough out in a long rectangle. Dot with butter (a little more than 1 Tbsp.). Fold in thirds (like an envelope) then turn so an open side is facing you. Dot with butter and fold again. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for about 30 min. (the dough will rise while it chills)

3. Roll out chilled dough into a long rectangle. Dot with butter. Fold in the left and right sides until they meet at an invisible center line and then fold it in half at that line. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Roll it out again into a long rectangle, dot it with butter, and repeat the folding step. Wrap it up and put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 min.

4. Repeat Step 3 again. Chill the dough for at least 30 min., but preferably overnight.

5. After chilling the dough, roll it out into a 12"x16" rectangle and cut into eight 4"x6" rectangles. Cut the Hershey's nuggets in half lengthwise. Put two pieces in the middle of each smaller rectangle and roll up one third of the dough (from the shorter side first) over the chocolate. Roll it over and seal it to the other side. Place the croissants on a greased cookie sheet and put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 min. (this will prevent the butter from running out of the dough)

6. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F. Remove the croissants from the fridge and brush each one with the egg yolk mixed with a little water. Bake for 15-20 min. Let cool a little and drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

This recipe is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked
Let's Break Bread Together
Sweet Tooth Friday
My Meatless Mondays
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Bake with Bizzy
Hearth n' Soul Hop