After that, Geng Youran became even more adept at cooking.
The licorice water needed for making 'Guanghan Cake' this time was also readily available.
First, weigh out an appropriate amount of licorice root, put it in water, and simmer over low heat until the medicinal properties of the licorice root are fully extracted. Then, filter out the licorice root residue with a cotton cloth, leaving the licorice root water.
Next comes processing the rice flour. Making 'Guanghan Cake' requires both glutinous rice flour and regular rice flour.
Slowly add the cooled licorice water to the rice noodles while kneading with your hands until the rice noodles are fully moistened but not sticky, and feel similar to damp sand.
Use a sieve to sift the rice noodles to obtain fine, granular wet rice noodles. Cover the sifted wet rice noodles with a damp cloth to retain moisture.
Before steaming the rice noodles, line the steamer with a damp cloth to prevent them from sticking together.
When steaming, first spread a layer of wet rice flour, the thickness should be moderate, do not press it down.
Cover the steamer and steam over medium heat after the steam comes up, so that the rice flour clumps together on the surface. Then sprinkle a layer of dried osmanthus flowers evenly on top.
Spread another layer of wet rice flour on top and continue steaming until the surface solidifies. Repeat this process.
Geng Youran and Hongshi laid out three layers of dried osmanthus flowers.
This was Hongshi's special request, as he remembered that his mother loved osmanthus flowers.
After the last layer of rice flour has solidified, cover it with a damp cloth and continue steaming over medium heat for 15 minutes to ensure the cake is fully cooked.
After steaming, remove and let cool, then cut into your desired shape.
Geng Youran also specially prepared a small jar of osmanthus honey for Hongshi, instructing him to pour the osmanthus honey on top when eating it, as it would taste better.
The next step is to make 'Punggao' (a type of rice cake).
To make 'Puff Cake', you need to choose tender white puffs, and then boil them in water to soften them.
After cooking, mash it into a paste for later mixing with rice noodles.
Mix the mashed mud with the rice flour evenly.
During the mixing process, add an appropriate amount of sugar to increase the sweetness.
Place the mixed pudding batter into a steamer or steam pot.
Steam over high heat until the rice cake is fully cooked and fragrant.
After steaming, remove the steamed cake and let it cool.
Geng Youran handed the food box to Xiao Anzi, then squatted down and said to Hongshi:
"Young prince, if you want to eat pastries in the future, you can send someone to find me anytime. Don't run out alone anymore, or Consort Li will worry."
Xiao Hongshi nodded, then grabbed Xiao Anzi's sleeve and ran out.
At this moment, Xinyi quietly came to Geng Youran's side and said:
"Even though Consort Li is such a fickle person, her children are all sensible."
"yes."
Geng Youran's tone was full of regret. She had met all three of Li Jingshu's sons, and apart from their appearances, they didn't resemble her much in terms of personality.
It's a pity, they're all good kids.
As for Li Jingshu, the moment Hongshi arrived at Geng Youran's courtyard, Geng Youran had someone send her a message.
Although she didn't like Geng Youran and thought she was pretentious, she was relatively at ease because Geng Youran wouldn't harm the child.
Xiao Anzi escorted Hongshi to Li Jingshu's courtyard, entered the house, handed over the food box, and then withdrew.
Li Jingshu dismissed everyone except her trusted nanny. She glanced at the food box on the table, then reprimanded:
"How dare you sneak out of the study! Have you finished your homework?"
Hongshi knelt on the ground and whispered:
“Mother, I’m sorry. I just wanted to go out and have a look around, I didn’t mean to linger. Who knew I would get lost and end up in Princess Geng’s courtyard by mistake. Please forgive me, I won’t do it again.”
"Fifty chapters in large characters!"
"...Yes. Mother, the pastries on the table are the ones that Geng Gege taught her son to make. Please try a piece."
Seeing that his mother's tone had softened, Hongshi quickly got up, opened the food box, and took out the pastries and osmanthus honey.
"Mom, your favorite osmanthus honey tastes so good with this dessert."
But Li Jingshu didn't take it; she just gave a perfunctory "hmm," then called over two nannies to send Hongshi back.
Hongshi left the house dejectedly. When he turned to look at Li Jingshu's courtyard again, he saw her maid pouring all the snacks into the swill bucket.
From that moment on, Hongshi never ate osmanthus-flavored pastries again.
The New Year is fast approaching, and Prince Yinzhen's mansion is decorated in a lively manner.
Geng Youran had seen this kind of scene many times before and was used to it, but Nian Yunrong's performance surprised her.
Because of Nian Gengyao, the Fourth Prince visited Yunrong Courtyard more often last year. In addition to frequently exempting her from the greetings to the Princess Consort, he also gave her gifts as a matter of course.
As a result, Li Jingshu replaced the porcelain in her room batch after batch.
Nian Yunrong did not show much pride. First, she had her servants deliver New Year's gifts to each courtyard, and then she went to pay her respects to the Fujin every day.
These actions further increased Yinzhen's positive impression of her.
Because there was an additional concubine in the household, Geng Youran had a lot more free time this year.
"Princess, Princess Wanru has sent someone to deliver New Year's gifts to you."
"Oh? Let me see it."
Just then, Geng Youran was sitting on the couch, eating melon seeds and drinking tea, when Xinyi came in with a box.
Geng Youran opened it and found it was a forehead ribbon.
"The embroidery is indeed exquisite."
Then Geng Youran had Xinyi hand the prepared return gift to the eunuch so that he could give it to Wanru.
In addition, Geng Youran also prepared some gifts for the courtyard that she is familiar with on a regular basis this year.
Of course, it was all food, and it was all packed directly from the pastry shop outside Yinzhen's residence.
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