Cookies are treats that satisfy kids and everyone with a sweet tooth. They come in different sizes and flavor, including ginger! In fact, that’s the key ingredient of “Sticky Gingers,” the winning cookie from The Hutong’s 2017 Cookie Monster Charity Bake-Off held in May.

Jennie Chow, the baker who created the recipe, is sharing the secret of these chewy treats, loaded with crystallized ginger, drizzled with gooey caramel, and topped with more crystallized ginger. She will be holding a class at The Hutong on August 12, from 2.30pm to 5pm. But hurry, as there are only 10 seats for the class.

For all of you who are asking how Jennie came up with the recipe, she shares that the inspiration behind “Sticky Gingers” was the first cookie she baked when she was 10 or 11. Jennie said baking has given her so much joy that she turned that hobby into a career, opening a home bakery she named after herself in April 2016. She operates Jennie’s Oven in her hutong apartment. In the fall, Jennie is set to go to New York to start a pastry school at the International Culinary Center.

Cookie Baking Class By “Jennie Chow of Jennie’s Oven”
When: August 12, 2.30-5pm
Where: The Hutong, 1 Jiudaowan Zhongxiang Hutong (southeast of Beixinqiao subway station), Dongcheng District 东城区九道湾中巷胡同1号(北新桥地铁站东南边）
Price: RMB 300 (RMB 260 for The Hutong members)
Notes: This class only holds a maximum of 10 seats. Book your spot now here.

Photos: courtesy of The Hutong and Jennie’s Oven

More stories by this author here.
Email: andypenafuerte@beijing-kids.com
Instagram: @coolkidandy

I fancied myself a cake-decorating master for all of two hours, with visions of fluffy white cakes and frosting galore. Earlier this month I attended a cake decorating class run by the lovely Lianne Cheng. The class was a one-time test run which, for me and five others, lasted from 2pm to 4pm on a Saturday afternoon at the Crib.

The class, though originally advertised as a cake decorating course, actually included more than simply icing. Students also had the opportunity to experience baking cupcakes, cakes, and make the frosting that would later be used to decorate the desserts.

Upon arrival, Lianne supplied us with written materials that listed all the ingredients and instructions for everything we would be making. The recipes that we would be making were lemon cupcakes, black chocolate cake, Swiss buttercream, and cream cheese frosting. We started first with the lemon cupcakes. Under Lianne’s tutelage, we were able to make roughly twelve cupcakes and bake an entire chocolate cake. The participation opportunities were balanced, with each person able to join in on the mechanics of the course including cracking eggs, measuring ingredients, and squeezing icing into piping bags.

Some of the most enjoyable parts of the class – measuring, mixing, and preparing to bake.

But the most enjoyable part was decorating and eating!

After class, I connected with Lianne to find out more about her courses and background. Lianne, a Beijinger for five years, does freelance work and plays ice hockey in the Beijing International Ice Hockey League (BIIHL) when she is not teaching classes. Though Lianne’s tutorials at the Crib will not be continuing on in the near future, she is open to providing customers with tailored, private courses. “I would love to do something like a full day tailored lesson, starting with taking people to the supermarket, showing them what to buy and then how to make a week’s worth of meals in one afternoon.”

Though the course I took with Lianne focused on baking, she is well versed in a wide variety of Western foods and desserts. The chef also wrote her own cookbook entitled Lianne’s Recipes, which includes a combination of sweet and savory recipes that the chef initially created for a community school fundraiser in Nepal. For more information on the cookbook or cooking tutorials, Lianne can be contacted via WeChat, phone, or email (as listed below). It’s sure to be a delectable experience.

Lianne Cheng
WeChat: Lianne238
Email: liannecheng@gmail.com
Phone: 15010053329

Photos by Annie Wang