Chapter 77 Lotus Root Starch and Osmanthus Sugar Cake

"Daiyu, why don't you prepare the lotus root starch first?" Yuan Hongqu put the weighed lotus root starch into a white porcelain bowl, and then prepared to pour in cold water.

"Granny, can we use milk to mix the lotus root starch?"

Yuan Hongqu put the water down. "Of course you can, but how did you come up with the idea of ​​using milk to mix lotus root starch?"

"Our milk has a special milky aroma. The lotus root starch has a relatively mild flavor. Adding milk will make the flavor richer, which should make it even better."

"Then let's make two kinds and see which one tastes better."

As long as Daiyu is willing to try, it doesn't matter if she mixes lotus root starch with milk or even wine.

Using fermented rice to mix lotus root starch creates a unique flavor in pastries.

However, children shouldn't drink alcohol, so please don't lead her in that direction!

"Granny, can we also make the layered cake we ate before? Since water and milk can be used to mix lotus root starch, can Longjing tea powder water be used to make light green? Can gardenia water be used to make gamboge yellow? Can red yeast rice powder water be used to make rouge and pink?" Daiyu said, listing the names as if they were her own treasures.

Yuan Hongqu was slightly surprised. She had only explained these color mixing methods once, yet Daiyu could remember them all. Was this the kind of memory a child under eight years old should have?

Although she had never tried using so many colors to make lotus root starch before, since Daiyu had suggested it, why not try them all?

It's just a waste of some lotus root starch!

Moreover, they are all natural coloring agents; at most, they might not taste good, but they will absolutely not kill you.

Yuan Hongqu, along with Daiyu, prepared various colored waters one by one, and then poured them into the lotus root starch.

Then, several people lined up in the kitchen and stirred the lotus root starch together, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they had rehearsed it.

Once the lotus root starch has completely dissolved, continue stirring until the starch paste is evenly colored. Then pour it into a deep dish that has been lightly greased with oil and place it in a steamer.

The thousand-layer lotus root starch osmanthus sugar cake requires steaming one layer, then pouring the second color of batter on top, and steaming it again. The steps are simple, but just tedious.

The layered lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake will take a little longer to cook, while the single-colored ones have already been steamed and taken out of the pot.

Granny Cui from the kitchen opened the steamer, lined it with a thick cotton cloth, and brought out plates of lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cakes, placing them on the counter to cool.

After it cooled down a bit, Daiyu, with the help of Yuan Hongqu, carefully unmolded the osmanthus sugar cake from the plate. Because the plate was greased, unmolding was very easy.

The other items were also unmolded one by one.

Looking at the row of neatly arranged pastries on the table, Daiyu felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Yuan Hongqu cut the lotus root starch and osmanthus cake into small pieces, arranged them on a plate, and then drizzled them with osmanthus honey.

When I was making lotus root starch before, I reduced the amount of sugar.

The osmanthus honey used is made from osmanthus flowers they collect themselves in the autumn, and it comes in several sweetness levels. The one poured on top is medium sweet osmanthus honey. Finally, a layer of golden dried osmanthus flowers is sprinkled on top.

A plate of lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake, looking and smelling delicious, is just missing the taste – I don't know how to make it yet.

The scraps that had just been cut off were also drizzled with osmanthus honey and topped with dried osmanthus flowers, and the kitchen staff shared them.

After the group tried them, Daiyu eagerly asked them which flavor was the best.

In conclusion, apart from the slightly bitter taste of Longjing tea, the other flavors were not diminished at all and were all very good.

Fortunately, the layered lotus root starch and osmanthus cake hadn't turned green yet, so the green color could be removed.

But if you remove the green, it feels like something is missing.

Yuan Hongqu did not remind Daiyu, leaving her to think about it alone.

Such a small problem was nothing to Daiyu.

“Granny, wouldn’t it be sweeter to add more sugar to the green lotus root starch paste? Tea is inherently bitter, I should have thought of this sooner.” Daiyu said with a little annoyance, “It’s such a waste to have that plate of Longjing lotus root starch osmanthus sugar cake.”

"No waste." Yuan Hongqu picked up the osmanthus honey and poured a large spoonful over the light green osmanthus sugar cake.

Daiyu exclaimed happily, "That's perfect!"

Sure enough, with the addition of osmanthus honey, the taste was not only no longer bitter, but also had a subtle, refreshing tea flavor amidst its sweetness, which was quite unique.

"Rouge, Lotus, Dragon Well, Moonlight, Snow After Rain, and Layered Tower—Grandma, these are all homemade. Please try them and see which one you like!" Daiyu introduced the six kinds of lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cakes as if presenting a treasure.

Grandmother Jia looked at Daiyu with a face full of satisfaction, her voice sweeter than the lotus root starch and osmanthus cakes on the table in front of her!

She picked up the silver spoon, took a piece of each and tasted them, then pointed to the layered lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake and said,

"I think this is the best."

"Grandma, we have the same taste!" Daiyu exclaimed happily, her voice filled with joy. "I also love the texture of the multi-layered cake. Each bite is a different combination and a different flavor. Grandma likes this flavor too, so I'll make more of it in the future."

"My dear, this is too much trouble. We won't make it anymore. If you want some, you have so many people in your kitchen, just have them do it." Grandmother Jia pulled Daiyu along.

"Grandma, I'd like to make some more for my eldest and second uncles to try!"

They don't deserve it!

Daiyu looked at her grandmother, who had suddenly become domineering, and felt a little touched, but still said...

“Grandma, my eldest uncle and second uncle, and Brother Lian, Daiyu should thank them properly. Last time I came home, the chief steward of Prince Zhongshun’s mansion came to our house to cause trouble. Fortunately, my eldest uncle and second uncle appeared in time, otherwise the alley next to my house would have been occupied by that steward.”

"Those are all minor matters. If it weren't for those two being so useless, unable to even protect your brother-in-law's family's property, you would have suffered such injustice!" Grandmother Jia was very dissatisfied with her two sons.

Especially Jia She, who flaunted his power all day long on Ningrong Street, but once he left the street, no one took him seriously anymore. Even the chief clerk of the Prince Zhongshun's mansion could get his hands on him.

Jia Zheng is useless; after so many years, he is still just a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works.

That little bit of ancestral wealth is about to be squandered, and it's a pity that none of these descendants have any ambition.

Daiyu found it difficult to respond to Grandmother Jia's words, but she had her own way of calming Grandmother Jia down.

“Grandma,” Daiyu said, lying on Grandmother Jia’s lap, looking up at her with eyes that seemed to sparkle like stars.

Upon seeing this, half of the worry that had been caused by thinking about her two useless sons immediately disappeared from Grandmother Jia's mind.

"My eldest and second uncles were incredibly brave that day. My eldest uncle truly deserves to be called a first-class general; he has excellent martial arts skills! I heard from Granny Yuan that it was my eldest uncle who kicked away the chief clerk's attendant, and then my second uncle went up and argued with the chief clerk. The chief clerk was rendered speechless by the argument and then left."

"Is that really true?" Grandmother Jia didn't believe it.