Thai - Asian Pastries & Dim Sum

ASIAN PASTRIES
& DIM SUM

Lam Thai

AuthorHouse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1-800-839-8640

2014 Lam Thai. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/05/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4157-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4158-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014919383

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,
and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to thank Mrs. My Trinh for her tremendous help in translating my cook book into English and Mr. Khanh Tran for his beautiful pictures.

My gratitude also goes to Mrs. Phan Ha for spending so much of her precious time to organize, lay-out the book, and to see that the publication of this book all in excellent order.

My deepest appreciation to all the help and people that put their efforts to finish my cook book.

Lam Thai

INTRODUCING

Do you enjoy Chinese Dim Sum? Would you like to duplicate those delicate Chinese dishes in your own kitchen? Then my book is your answer.

I am Thai Lam and I have been a Dim Sum Chef for 26 years at various famous Chinese restaurants from Chicago to Los Angeles and Washington D.C. I specialize in Hong Kong style Dim Sum and have held cooking seminars for more than two years. Many of my students come from faraway places to take my courses. Thus, that dedication inspires me to write a Dim Sum cook book to allow anyone to learn to cook in the comfort of his/her own kitchen. I spent more than two years refining the recipes and techniques for a home kitchen and smaller portions.

My motto is YES, 99.9% YOU CAN

When making sponge cake, the best cake flour to use is the American Beauty Cake Flour as it makes the cake soft and moist. At the moment, this type of flour is only sold wholesale to big companies or in 50lb bags. I am trying to convince the head company of Ardent Mills to sell their flour in smaller bags via the local supermarket.

For best result, I would like to use American Beauty Cake Flour make by Ardent Mills.

This brand of premium flour is great for sponge cake, fruit cake, any type of regular cakes, egg custard crust, Asian steam buns and many other cakes shown in my book.

I understand that it is difficult to find this type of flour, but I am hoping that in the future Ardent Mills will sell 5 lbs bags at the local supermarkets.

Techniques #1

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs high gluten flour
• 8 oz sugar
• 5 oz evaporated milk
• 10 oz water
• 4 oz margarine or shortening, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 3 packages of dry yeast
• 6 oz warm water (105 degrees F)
• Filling: custard

Techniques:

1. Put dry yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl, then pour 6 oz of warm water in, stirring a few times and set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast is activated, mixture is bubbling.
2. In a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, eggs, water, evaporated milk, shortening or margarine, remaining sugar and above bubbling yeast mixture. Beat at low speed #2 until the dough does not cling to the edge of the bowl and the dough is smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
3. When dough doubled in size, punch down dough, cut into 2 oz pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Allow them to rest for 4 minutes. Roll each piece out to about 2 inches circle. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of dough. Pull dough over filling and close top by pleating and pinching edges together. Place each roll on a piece of waxed paper, pleated edge down. Space them 2 inches apart on a cookie tray. Allow to rise 40 minutes in a warm place.
4. Brush gently with egg wash mixture on top. Bake at 325 degrees F preheated oven for 18-22 minutes until golden brown.

Note: This bun dough can make many kinds of buns. Same bun dough, just different filling.

Techniques #2

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs high gluten flour
• 8 oz sugar
• 5 oz evaporated milk
• 4 oz margarine or shortening melted
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons dough conditioner (optional)
• 3 packages of dry yeast
• 16 oz water
• Custard filling or your own filling

Techniques:

1. In a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook, combine all the ingredients: flour, sugar, dry yeast, evaporated milk, margarine or shortening, eggs, dough conditioner and water. Beat at low speed #2 until dough does not cling to the edge of the bowl and until the dough is smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
2. When dough doubled in size, punch it down dough, cut into 2 oz pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Allow them to rest for 4 minutes. Roll each piece out to about 2 inches circle. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of dough. Pull dough over filling and close top by pleating and pinching edges together. Place each roll on a piece of waxed paper, pleated edge down. Space them 2 inches apart on a cookie tray. Allow to rise 40 minutes in a warm place.
3. Brush gently with egg wash mixture on top. Bake at 325 degrees F preheated oven for 18-22 minutes until golden brown.

Note: This bun dough can make many kinds of buns. Same bun dough, just different filling.

Ingredients:

• 9 oz water, divided
• 8 oz sugar
• 5 extra large eggs
• 5 oz evaporated milk
• 5 oz coconut milk
• 4 oz butter or margarine
• 5 oz cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon yellow food color
• teaspoon vanilla extract

Techniques:

1. Hand whisk eggs until well blended. Add evaporated milk, yellow food color, vanilla extract and mix well. Combine cornstarch and 4 oz water and mix well. Add to egg mixture and stir until well blended. Set aside.
2. In a medium pan, combine coconut milk, butter or margarine, sugar, and remaining water. Bring to a boil on medium heat then gradually whisk in the above egg mixture, stirring constantly until custard thicken and cooked. Cool completely.
3. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before using.

(Use jumbo sponge cupcakes recipe)

Techniques:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Use one recipe of jumbo sponge cupcake. This recipe will yield two-10 inch cakes.
3. Prepare cake pans: Spray pans with Pam (cooking spray) then line them with round parchment paper.
4. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until top golden brown, a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Immediately invert cake pan on a wire rack. Cool completely.

Frosting:

• 16 oz margarine, softened
• 16 oz shortening
• 8 oz butter, softened