Yin Yang Recipes

YIN YANG COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at low speed for a minute or two until soft. Add the shortening and sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, corn syrup, and almond extract and increase the speed to medium for about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture, then beat slowly until all the flour is incorporated. Next, add half the sour cream, then mix slowly. Repeat until all the flour mixture and sour cream are incorporated. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
• While the dough chills, make the icing. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Combine the corn syrup and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir the hot mixture into the confectioners' sugar, stirring vigorously. Add the butter and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and store at room temperature until the cookies are ready to be iced.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Scoop a ball of cookie dough (about 1/4 cup) onto the cookie sheet one at a time, placing them about 1 inch apart. Roll each cookie scoop into a ball between your palms and flatten each one slightly to a thickness of at least 1/2 inch.
• Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until slightly risen and golden brown on the edges.
• Remove them from the baking sheet with a spatula, and place them on a plate. Ice the cookies by spreading a thin layer of icing on each one with an offset spatula while they are still warm.
• To decorate, make a batch or 1/2 batch of Dark Chocolate Plastique (the recipe yields more than you will need here but freezes well). I like using a round pastry tip and a paring knife to cut out shapes. Roll out the plastique on parchment paper until very thin. Cut a yin yang shape (like a large comma) with a paring knife to fit on the top of your cookie. Use an offset spatula to move the plastique comma onto the iced cookie. You need only one side, because when you place the plastique on the iced cookie, it will stick, creating the black-and-white, yin yang pattern. This may involve some trial and error to get just the right fit, but it becomes easy as you go along. You can use your pastry tip to punch out the "eye" of the yin yang symbol before you place it on the cookie for the full effect.

YING YANG FRIED RICE

Steps:

• Separate egg yolks and egg whites.
• Combine chicken with sugar, salt, corn starch, and vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Heat wok with 1 tablespoon oil and a sprinkle of salt.
• Add rice and break it apart with spatula as it is being re-heated from standing overnight.
• When it has heated through, add the egg yolk and mix in well until egg is cooked.
• Place rice on serving platter, preferably one with high sides to contain the rice and toppings when done.
• Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in wok. Stir fry peas for about 30 seconds, remove and set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in wok. Add shrimp and stir fry about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so the shrimp does not scorch.
• Pour in egg whites and sauce solution of water and corn starch, mix well.
• When it is cooked through, adjust taste with salt, then spoon over one side of the rice to create a Yin Yang symbol with a slight curve in the center of the rice. Rinse out wok and return to heat with 1 teaspoon oil sprinkled with a little salt.
• Add onions and cook for about 1 minute, add sliced chicken and stir well.
• When the chicken is about half cooked, add sliced tomatoes and continue stirring until chicken is done.
• Add ketchup and mix thoroughly. Adjust flavor with a little sugar as desired to balance out the tartness of the tomatoes.
• When done, spoon over the other half of the rice, filling in the curve of the other half.

YIN-YANG SALMON

Steps:

• Stir together the hot sauce, brown sugar, butter, honey, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well blended. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Coat a casserole dish with olive oil. Poke holes in the salmon with a fork, then place into the dish. Pour reserved sauce over the fish, top with green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 C).
• Bake salmon in preheated oven, uncovered, until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 25 minutes.

YIN & YANG

Steps:

• Place salty side of ritz cracker down.
• Cover the other side with cool whip.
• Try to put it all in your mouth at one time.