Pecans will produce the most similar result but I’m sure that cashews will also work.

Do you think this would also work with cashews or some other nut? It sound really good but I’m not a fan of walnuts.

I used to use Global santoku knife and their pairing knife and really liked them.
But since last year I’ve been exclusively using the house brand by Korin, a reputable Japanese knife maker based in NY.
Now I use their Hammered Damascus Santoku https://www.korin.com/HKR-TDSA-180_2
And Hammered Damascus Nakiri https://www.korin.com/HKR-TDNA-165_2 (my favorite – it’s a vegetable knife)
They have other great knives as well and you can try them out if you visit their store. But I think the house brand has really high quality and very good price compared to some other bigger brands. The santoku and nakiri are on the lighter and shorter side, which is very easy to maneuver for me. You can also check out the same line for a longer knife if you’re more comfortable with chef’s knife.
PS. They also provide mail-in knife sharpening service and has great how-to videos on this topic. My husband helps me sharpen all our knives learned from their tutorial.

Hi Valerie, I love the winter melon pastry too. They are so delicious however very labor intensive to make.
The pastry is similar to this one: https://omnivorescookbook.com/dan-huang-su/ I was planning to develop a recipe for it, but ended up delaying it again and again because I thought no one would make it… Will definitely look into it again 🙂

Thanks Maggie Z. I should actually try the szechuan peppercorns before ruling them out! LoL I just can’t beyond the “numbing effect”, but from what you say, they do have their own flavor. I’ll pick some up and see how it goes, and thank you for your subs for “just in case.” This is a BIG request, but you wouldn’t happen to know how to make the winter melon cakes or buns? They aren’t a mooncake. My absolutely favorite Chinese Pastry (besides those BIG almond cookies). When I lived in SF, I’d walk to Chinatown every week and stock up on both. All the walking would eliminate the calories. LoL They are those flattish, flakey buns with the winter melon paste inside. OMG I miss them so much! They are probably a lot of work–but so worth it. I have a recipe for the almond cookies, but still not the same. Both not too sweet just yummy!

I love the flavor of Sichuan peppercorns in this recipe but you can totally skip it. I would use ground black pepper to as a replacement since I’m not sure if white pepper pairs well with the sweet taste. For more heat, some chili flakes or a very small pinch of cayenne pepper would help.

You can as long as the nuts do not turn too dark in color (will taste like burned if over fried).