Saturday, June 26, 2010

Almond Sticks with Cocoa Nibs - So Good To Be Home


I'm back! Back from an awesome holiday with awesome friends. Somehow, this trip to Taiwan felt more relaxed, less stressed over itinerary and directions, less frustrations, much more enjoyable. I ate alot, bought alot, spent alot and had lotsa fun. Though I've been there twice already, I'd still love to visit the place again, perhaps to the coastal and mountainous areas as well.

After two weeks without baking anything, my oven must have felt really bored and left out. Looking at my stash of supplies and reading the blogs for inspiration, I had two choices - Cranberry Rose Cookies and Almond Sticks with Cocoa Nibs. I opted for the latter as I didn't have rose buds on hand and regretted not buying them when I was in Taiwan. A trip to my nearby supermarket also left me disappointed. If anyone knows where to get these dried rose buds, please let me know!

With the ingredients I have on hand, I made these Almond Sticks with Cocoa Nibs. This was an easy recipe, put together simply with a food processor in a matter of minutes. Despite its simplicity, I love its flavour and texture - crispy with the added crunch provided by the cocoa nibs. The cookie had just the right amount of sweetness with a lovely raw cocoa flavour.


I realised how much I missed baking while I was away. I missed making my own sweet treats, enjoying the process and savouring the end results of the efforts. The sweets in Taiwan were really enjoyable. I visited Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe and Afternoon Tea, both lovely cafes which I wished we had on our shores. However, that familiar aroma coming out from my underused kitchen was sorely missed. So glad to be back, back in my own room, back in my kitchen, back on my blog. As much as I enjoyed my holiday, home is still the most comfortable place for me.


I packed these into simple clear packaging, as thank you gifts to my lovely travel buddies. I hope they enjoyed the trip as much as I do :).

11 comments:

  1. oooo these are nice rights! if your recipe is the same as the one i found online. haha. sounds similar. anw. so sad, i went back ntuc and the rose petals have been oos for like few weeks alr :( BUT i saw that medicinal halls in chinatown sold them! (:

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  2. Yes, they are really good! I took the recipe from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet. Should be the same recipe source right? Sigh, I went to Ntuc and couldn't find the rose buds too...will try Chinatown if I happened to be there...can check out Sia Huat and Koi too...haha.

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  3. wow, what lovely homemade gifts you have baked! These sticks reminds me of biscottis ;)

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  4. wow don't mind to be ur travel kaki...got post travel souvenir from you....did u go to outskirts and stay in minshu?

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  5. Happy Homebaker,

    Thanks! Yea, they do look like biscottis don't they? Texture-wise they're slightly different though, more crumbly :).

    Irene,

    Haha you're so cute. I did travel to Hua Lien, Sun Moon Lake and Tai Chung area. Stayed at Minsu while I was there. I actually liked the Minsu more as they provide very personal service, makes me feel very at home! :)

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  6. These look so pretty :) I've never tried baking with cocoa nibs before. Should really give them a go!

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  7. Once again, i looooovvveeee the cookie!! ^.^ so blessed to be on the receiving end... hehe...

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  8. You've avoided the super hot weather in Taiwan that started this week, how lucky! ;-)

    The almond sticks look really yummy. Any leftovers for me? heehee..

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  9. Ovenhaven,

    Yes you should! I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do :).

    Kristy,

    Yay cool! I just made more cookies...in the cookie-making mood!

    Piggy,

    Really? We must be very fortunate then...haha! Taiwan is such a nice place...by the way, is Taiwan good for baking supplies shopping?

    Haha...I'll be sure to send you some next time *winks*.

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  10. Allie,

    Welcome home! :)

    I have posted your request for the bread recipe. It's actually the same recipe as my cinnamon roll 2. However, I had problem with moderating your comment. So it was not able to displayed... :-(

    Hope you will like the bread!

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  11. Thanks Honey boy! I will try it! :)

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