Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 124 Wife Cake

"Hurry up and go, or it might be gone. I'll cover for you here."

"Hey."

With Zhong Xin absent, the kitchen was filled with joy. Although everyone was quite tired and busy, they were happy because they thought about the money they would receive.

After finishing her last bite, Xinting stood up and said to Xu Qingmeng, "Auntie, I'm going to get back to work."

"Have a sip of water before you go, don't choke."

Xinting obediently drank a bowl of water and then went to get busy.

Manager Yang ate the steamed buns that Xu Qingmeng gave him. His expression was one of surprise and delight. He finished them in a few bites and then went to the back room to grab two more.

Xu Qingmeng originally thought she wouldn't be able to finish what she brought, but to her surprise, not only did they finish it all, but everyone seemed to want more.

The pastry shop is very busy in the early morning. After everyone finished eating, Xu Qingmeng cleaned up the mess on the table.

After tidying up a bit, Xu Qingmeng went to the kitchen to give everyone some instructions for a while. Feeling a little tired, she prepared to leave.

However, before leaving, Manager Yang pulled her aside and said a few words.

"You heard about Su Xiang Ge from Xin Ting, right? I had someone investigate yesterday, and it turns out the person behind Su Xiang Ge is no ordinary person. Even through Madam Huang's connections, we couldn't find a single clue."
However, this new head chef is quite capable; in a short time, he brought the nearly closed Su Xiang Ge restaurant back to life, especially with Zhong Xin's assistance...

Xu Qingmeng roughly understood, but didn't take it to heart. She then said to Manager Yang, "This business isn't something we can handle alone. As long as we do our own thing well, we don't need to worry about anything else."

"Yes, that's for sure. But this morning, Su Xiang Ge (酥香阁) released a kind of pastry called pepper and salt ox tongue pastry. It smelled amazing!"
"Mr. Xu, didn't we agree to introduce a new pastry every month? I wonder if we could introduce a savory one this month?"

Manager Yang's words were vague; it wasn't really about whether it was salty or not. Jinxiuxuan does have both sweet and savory pastries, but they just don't have this particular flavor.

Xu Qing thought for a moment. It was still early, and there was no rush to go back, so she nodded: "This is not difficult. Anyway, we don't have anything to do today. Why don't we give it a try now?"

"Alright, although this is important, the boss should prioritize his own health."

Although the snacks are important, we know that the master's health is the most important thing. Seeing the master like this now, and thinking about the master's cooking skills, we are even more looking forward to it.

And so, Xu Qingmeng, who had originally planned to leave, returned to the kitchen.

When everyone in the kitchen saw her return, they were all puzzled. Xinting thought that Xu Qingmeng had something to tell her, so she asked, "Auntie, is there something else you want to tell me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Qingmeng rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands. She immediately understood that her aunt was going to make a new dessert. Even the other people in the kitchen couldn't help but look over.

Xu Qingmeng never hid anything from anyone when she cooked, and besides, she had personally trained everyone in the kitchen, so there was nothing to hide.

The Chinese pastry that Xu Qingmeng is making today is called Wife Cake.

Wife cake is a traditional Chinese pastry with a crispy outer crust and a rich filling, which can be either sweet or savory.

The name "Wife Cake" comes from a legend. It is said that long ago there was a loving couple; the husband was skilled at making shortbread, while the wife was in charge of selling it.

Their cakes were famous far and wide for their delicious taste and exquisite craftsmanship. To praise the couple's love, people called these cakes "wife cakes".

The sweet version is made from winter melon puree, sugar, and oil, and has a sweet taste. The savory version is made by adding egg yolk, pork floss, etc., to create a sweet and savory flavor.

The kitchen is now well-stocked with everything, and Manager Yang has already bought the winter melon. So, without hesitation, I decided to make some of both kinds of fillings.

Use flour, lard, a small amount of sugar, and a little bit of old-fashioned liquor mixed with warm water to make a water-oil dough. The lard increases the crispness of the pastry, and the small amount of sugar makes the outer crust even crispier.

Next, mix flour and lard together and knead into an oily dough.

Although this process takes a while, water-oil dough and oil-based dough are common flaky pastry making methods, so Xu Qingmeng explained the process to everyone while kneading the dough, carefully breaking it down and kneading it as she spoke.

"The same puff pastry requires different dough consistency for different pastries, so you must be flexible. Of course, you need to practice a lot to master the balance."

After kneading the dough, she set it aside to rest. While the dough rested, Xu Qingmeng started preparing the filling.

"Actually, you can be creative with the filling for this dessert. The one I'm making now is the most common and typical one. Whoever learns it better can try to figure out the filling themselves. Of course, don't make too much at once. If it's too bad or you can't finish it, wasting ingredients, I'll have to consider deducting your wages."

Although Xu Qingmeng said it with a smile, everyone remembered it.

The shop isn't a charity. It's natural for everyone to learn and practice cooking skills. Jinxiuxuan is not incapable of covering everyone's expenses. However, it would be very problematic if everyone wasted the opportunity to practice just because Xu Qingmeng gave them this chance.

First, peel and seed the winter melon, then cut it into small pieces. Boil it in a pot until soft, then remove it and mash it into a puree.

Put the winter melon puree into a pot, add sugar and a small amount of oil, and stir-fry slowly over low heat until the filling becomes thick. Then add roasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, stir well, and it's done.

After doing all this, the dough has risen properly.

Divide the water-oil dough and the oil-based dough into small portions.

Take a water-oil dough ball, flatten it, wrap a shortcrust pastry dough ball inside, and pinch the opening closed.

Roll out the wrapped dough into an oblong shape, roll it up from one end, roll it out into an oblong shape again, roll it up again, and then let it rest for 15 minutes.

Flatten the relaxed dough, wrap the filling inside, and pinch the edges to seal. Place it on the baking tray. After wrapping the last one, hand the tray to Xinting next to her: "Put it in the oven."

"it is good."

"Alright, if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me now. After you've asked, you can try making it in the shop after we close today. This pastry isn't complicated. I'll give you three days. Whoever makes it best by then will get to make this pastry."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately began to ask questions.

Xinting moved a stool for her, and Xu Qingmeng sat in the distance, talking non-stop until the aroma wafted from the stove, making everyone's mouths water and their minds completely captivated.

(End of this chapter)