Lu Qin began making the Ice Crystal Cake.
He first washed the glutinous rice and Japonica rice, then ground them into flour using a small millstone.
The ratio of Japonica rice to glutinous rice was three to seven. He added boiling water, white sugar, and a variety of other ingredients, mixing them into a sticky batter, which he kneaded into dough.
He placed the dough on the counter and continuously slapped it with both palms.
This slapping wasn't done randomly; it involved a lot of skill and required effort.
The professional term for this technique is "slapping dough."
Slapping the dough is a crucial step in the entire process of making Ice Crystal Cake.
If done correctly, the Ice Crystal Cake will be transparent and bubble-free.
This technique is similar to pounding the dough for rice cakes, but with a key difference: rice cakes are pounded after being steamed to enhance their stickiness, whereas slapping the dough is meant to allow the dough to fully absorb the oil.
Next, he added a specific amount of roasted peanut oil.
Once the oil was poured in, no stirring was needed. If the slapping was done well, the dough and the peanut oil would naturally merge together in just a few minutes, without leaving any trace.
After a short wait, Lu Qin found that the dough and peanut oil had indeed blended seamlessly, which was quite magical.
Then, Lu Qin arranged a set of four-centimeter square molds, poured the dough into them, and placed them in a steaming pot.
The charcoal used to steam the cakes had to be fruitwood charcoal, as small details like this were important. Ignoring them would affect the final taste of the Ice Crystal Cake.
The next challenge was controlling the heat.
Without over five years of experience in making Ice Crystal Cakes, it would be hard to master the heat control.
But for Lu Qin, with his top-tier Ice Crystal Cake-making skills, this was not an issue.
Thirty minutes later, Lu Qin opened the steamer.
A set of sparkling, translucent Ice Crystal Cakes was presented before him.
They were perfect—flawless.
This was authentic, traditional Ice Crystal Cake.
A three-tiered bamboo steamer could hold up to sixty pounds of Ice Crystal Cake at once.
The cakes were neatly arranged on bamboo boards, looking very pleasing to the eye.
Finally, Lu Qin added a little osmanthus honey and calendula flowers to the surface of the Ice Crystal Cakes.
After they cooled, the Ice Crystal Cakes were ready.
Lu Qin picked up one piece and tasted it.
The flavor was quite unique—at first, there was a refreshing sweetness, and after a bit of chewing, a distinct, rich aroma followed.
The taste of the Ice Crystal Cake was unique, with layers of flavor that lingered on the tongue, leaving a delightful aftertaste.
It could easily surpass any Western desserts or cakes.
Lu Qin packed the cakes into transparent plastic boxes, five ounces per box.
The price was 25 yuan per box.
He wrote the price on the whiteboard and noted: "Limit of two boxes per person."
Lu Qin also sealed the green bean paste in cups and placed them in a foam cooler.
Green bean paste served hot in the morning was not friendly to the stomach when chilled.
Lu Qin moved all the ingredients to the food cart, checked the time, and then went to wake up Lu Xiyao.
"Yaoyao, wake up! It's almost 9 AM. Today, Mom is sending someone to pick you up, and you'll be spending the weekend with Grandpa and Grandma."
"Umm... Daddy~! I was eating ice cream in my dream, and as soon as you called me, it disappeared!"
"So?"
"So, Daddy, you have to make it up to me with an ice cream! I want a chocolate-flavored 'Kawaii Duo.'"
"Let's see how you behave. Be good at Grandpa and Grandma's today, no mischief."
Lu Qin pinched the little one's nose.
"Daddy, can I come back early? I'll miss you."
"Sure, I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM."
"Okay~!"
Lu Xiyao jumped up, gave Lu Qin a hug, pressed her little face against his, then went to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Breakfast was fried eggs, ham, and oatmeal.
The little one ate and drank her fill.
A few minutes later, a Bentley car stopped at the door.
Lu Qin grabbed three boxes of Ice Crystal Cakes and handed them to the little one.
"Daddy~! What's this?"
"Ice Crystal Cakes. One box is for you, keep it for yourself. The other two are for Grandpa and Grandma."
"Ice Crystal Cakes?"
The little one looked at the translucent, sparkling cakes inside the box and became very excited.
"Daddy, can I try one now? They must taste so good!"
Lu Qin pressed her hand down. "You just finished breakfast. No eating now, you can have it later."
"Okay."
The little one obediently nodded.
If she were allowed to open the plastic box, she would have definitely eaten one.
Lu Qin thought for a moment, then grabbed another box.
"This one's for your mom."
"Okay."
The driver took the boxes of Ice Crystal Cakes and helped Lu Xiyao into the car, shielding her head.
He respectfully said to Lu Qin,
"Mr. Lu, I've taken Miss Yaoyao. The chairman and his wife haven't landed yet, so I'll take her to Mr. Shen."
"Mm, alright."
Lu Qin nodded at the driver.
"Goodbye, Daddy~! Remember to miss me~!"
"Mm, will do. Goodbye, Yaoyao."
After watching the Bentley leave, Lu Qin turned and went back inside. He hopped on his tricycle and headed towards Sunshine Primary School.
Fifteen minutes later,
The tricycle food cart arrived at the school gate.
The school gate was tightly shut, and the campus was empty.
Since it was the weekend, the students were off, and the breakfast stalls had mostly disappeared.
People in the neighborhood had just begun to wake up.
Some were walking dogs, some were buying breakfast.
With no work to do, everyone's pace of life had slowed down.
After setting up his stall, Lu Qin had his first customer approach.
"Good morning, boss. I've been waiting for your Stir-Fried Rice Noodles. Three orders, with eggs, ham, and lean meat."
"Okay, coming right up."
"Boss, do you have green bean paste today?"
"Yes, it's in the foam box on the right, please help yourself."
"Okay! Three cups of green bean paste too!"
As Lu Qin stir-fried the noodles, he also hung up the whiteboard with the menu.
A customer glanced at the board and saw the Ice Crystal Cakes listed for 25 yuan a box, with a limit of purchase.
"Boss, you have a new product today, Ice Crystal Cakes? Where are they?"
"In the large box on the left, made fresh this morning."
"25 yuan a box, a little pricey."
Lu Qin smiled and explained,
"Making Ice Crystal Cakes takes more effort and time, so they're a bit more expensive, but they're really delicious."
No one doubted the deliciousness, given the excellence of the Stir-Fried Rice Noodles and green bean paste.
The Ice Crystal Cakes were likely just as good.
"I'll take one to try."
The customer had Lu Qin make the Stir-Fried Rice Noodles while he bent down to grab one.
The delicate and beautiful Ice Crystal Cakes lay in the transparent plastic box, and the customer couldn't help but exclaim,
"Ice Crystal Cakes, right?"
"I've never had them, but they look really good. Let me try."
The customer carefully picked up a piece of Ice Crystal Cake. It was so exquisite he hesitated to bite it.
He brought it closer to his nose and sniffed. The mixed fragrance of flowers and rice penetrated his senses, refreshing and comforting.
"It smells so good!"
Finally, the customer took a bite. The soft, glutinous, and sweet taste instantly opened his eyes.
"So delicious!"
"Sweet and fragrant!"
The customer was excited. The unique taste and delightful flavor of the Ice Crystal Cake left an unforgettable aftertaste.
"I've never had such delicious cakes before!"
"The cake hasn't been refrigerated, but it still has a cool feeling when you eat it. So amazing!"
"I'll take two more boxes, boss."
"Sorry, Ice Crystal Cakes are limited to two boxes per person."
"Wow, limited purchase!! Alright then, I'll take just one more."
The customer seemed a bit disappointed but paid via WeChat Wallet.
99.5 yuan appeared in Lu Qin's account.
The customer hurried off, eager to share the delicious treats with his family.
After the first customer left, others started to gather around.
These were all customers who had enjoyed the Stir-Fried Rice Noodles yesterday.
The delicious aroma of Lu Qin's Stir-Fried Rice Noodles had stayed in their minds.
"Good morning, boss, two orders of Stir-Fried Rice Noodles, with everything."
"I've been thinking about your Stir-Fried Rice Noodles, I'll take one order, plus a cup of green bean paste."
"Boss, you're finally here! I came down at 8 AM, but you weren't here, thought you weren't coming today! Quick, three orders of Stir-Fried Rice Noodles, fully ld with chili!"
"Hey? Boss, it says 'Ice Crystal Cake' on the board. Which one is it? Is it good?"
Lu Qin packed the freshly Stir-Fried Rice Noodles and handed them to a customer.
He then moved out a dozen or so boxes of Ice Crystal Cakes and stacked them neatly on the counter.
"This is the Ice Crystal Cake. It tastes really good. You can only buy up to two boxes per person."
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。