Five-Spice Powder Recipes

Five-Spice Shortbread
Adapted from this recipe for Spicy Cocktail Shortbreads.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/5 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or another large-grained sugar of your choice
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder

 Method:

1. In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and 1/5 cup sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. [You can also easily do this with a wooden spoon if the butter is sufficiently softened.]
2. Combine the flour, five spice and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat until blended. If the dough looks a bit too dry to form a solid dough, add 1/2 to one tablespoon more butter.
3. Scrape the shortbread dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pat it into a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. [If you are impatient, pop the log in the freezer for 15 minutes or so.]
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the three tablespoons of turbinado sugar in a shallow dish.
5. Slice the dough 1/4 inch thick and roll the edges of each cookie in the turbinado sugar before and arranging them on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden. Slide the parchment onto a wire rack and let the cookies cool.

Five-Spice Shortbread

Five-Spice Chicken Wings
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon five spice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
• 1.5 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

Method:

1. Mix together all of the ingredients the night before cooking.
2. The next morning, mix the wings so the marinade gets evenly distributed again.
3. Take the wings out from the fridge 15-20 minutes before grilling so the wings are more or less at room temperature before going on the grill.
4. Grill for 3 minutes a side on medium high to high heat, flipping four times total so each side gets direct heat for 6 minutes. Then move the wings to a cooler side of the grill and cover for 8-10 minutes to finish cooking.Feel free to lift your barbecue’s cover to check halfway to make sure the wings aren’t getting too charred. If they are, move the wings to your grill’s upper rack or turn the burners down to low heat.
5. Enjoy the wings with a glass of crisp white wine or a pint of wheat beer!

Five-spice chicken wings and friends