Apple Crumble Pie

Have been wanting to bake an apple pie, which taste like McDonald. Initially i thought McDonald apple pie was make from puff pastry, but after doing some research i realised that the loving apple pie that i ate was deep fry type, which i find it very unhealthy for my kids to eat. So i google the website for some easy and delicious pie to satisfied my craving.

 Here i have to  thanks Janine for hosting this month event or i will never found these and they are really yummy :O "I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink!"

http://not-thekitchensink.blogspot.com/2011/08/aspiring-bakers-10-easy-as-pie-august.html

Ingredients (Makes 12-13 Tarts)

Sweet pastry

- 125g cold butter, (cut into cube)

- 30g icing sugar

- 1 egg yolk, (i used large egg, weighing 70g egg yolk)

- 180g plain flour

-1/4 tsp salt

Filling

- 5 green apple, (skin remove, encore and diced)
- 45g brown sugar
- 30g butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp potato starch, (mix with 1 tsp water)


Crumble topping
- 40g cold butter

- 35g caster sugar

- 45g plain flour

-20g ground almond

Method

Sweet pastry

1. Sift flour and icing sugar together and add salt.
2. Using a pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resemble bread crumb.
3. Add egg yolk and mix till soft dough form. Put it into the fridge to chill for at least 30 mins.
4. Take out the pastry, put in between 2 sheets of plastic or baking paper. Roll into thin sheet about 0.5cm.
5. Remove one sheet, invert and place pastry to cover the tarts moulds.
6. Spread pastry to cover and press the side to remove excess pastry.
7. Repeat till pastry are used up and put it back into the fridge for chill for 30 mins.

Filling

1. Put all ingredients into a pot except the corn flour and water.
2. Using low heat cook the apple till soft.
3. Add the potato starch with the water mix well, slowly pour in the mixture and stir till thicken.
4. Remove and set aside to cool.

Crumble topping

1. Sift flour and ground almond. Add in the sugar and mix well.
2. Using a pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resemble bread crumb.
3. Put it into the fridge to chill until use.

Assemble tart

1. Take the tarts out from fridge and spoon filling into the tarts (i used 3 tsp full in 1 tart).
2. Sprinkle crumble topping onto it and bake in a preheated oven for 25 mins or until slightly browned.
3. Remove tarts and cool on rack.

Some parts of the filling and crumble topping was fully adapted from Happy Flour. Thank you Happy Flour for sharing these finger licking pie. http://happyflour.blogspot.com/2011/02/apple-crumble-pie.html

Notes:

• Sweet pastry was prepared 1 day in advanced. Do not over mixed the dough or it will be tough.
• For sweet pastry and crumble topping can be done by rubbing in method using finger / using fork to rub / pastry cutter or food processor.
• Salted butter was used in my pastry to enhance the pie. (personal preferences).



Papaya Yogurt Smoothie

A healthy cooling smoothie to pair with the heatiness...

Durian Puff

Sorry for MIA again. Just had 2 of wisdom tooth extract and currently on pain killer that cause drowsiness. Have been in dazed and the pain OMG! Finally, its over 4 horrible tooth remove cum a damage nerve all done. Hopefully the wound recover fast and the day for my stitches to be remove. Horray! No more dentist :<  plss.. It durian season now and i can't resist the urge to gobble them up. Ssh! my third attempt on choux pastry, don't understand why i can't get the right consistent of the custard side. My puff was consider ok lol! But the custard always turn out runny and the stubborn gal refused to buy instant custard. No choice now have to go back to whipping cream to replace custard.


Ingredients
Durian cream
600g durian pulp, (blended)
180g whipping cream, (whipped)
2 tbsp icing sugar
21/2 tbsp milk
21/2 tbsp golden syrup or honey


Choux Pastry
250ml water
100g butter
150g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 Large eggs




Will be continue....

Easy Bananas Chocolate cake

Previously, i baked a banana chocolate cupcakes and gave some to my sisters. The feedback was excellent and my elder sis was craving for it. So i decided to bake some to fulfill her bananas craving (monkey loves it) Ssh! Hopefully, she was not reading this! I think it the bananas that makes this cakes so moist and yummy...

Ingredients (Makes a "9 inch square tin")
(A)
200g caster sugar
200g brown sugar
250g cake flour
70g cocoa powder
11/2 tsp baking powder
11/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt


(B)
2 Grade A eggs (70g with shell)
3 medium bananas
90ml water
90 ml chocolate milk
60ml unsalted butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp banana essence
80g chocolate chips


Methods

1. Whisk Ingredients A together well.
2. In another large bowl, whisk Ingredients B well.
3. Add Ingredients B to Ingredients A  stir until combined.
4. Pour into the lined and well greased tin.
5. Bake it in a preheated oven 180C for 45 minutes.

Adapted with some changes from: http://joyofbaking.com/ChocolateBananaCake.html

Pandan Kaya Roll

A simple Pandan Roll with kaya filling submitting to: Aspiring Bakers #9 July 2011 "Swiss Rolling Good Times" http://obsessedfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/aspiring-bakers-9-swiss-rolling-good.html

After 2 flung cases i was a quite dishearten, so secretly i told myself, this is my finally attempt (the deadline reaching, i have no time). The cake was left to cool on my table and my heart was pounding again. I wonder can the cake be roll, will it break into strip or crack. No! These was easy no cracks, no strip and even allow my son to touch too. Actually, my DH requested for a pandan chiffon, he complaint that i did not bake his favourite pandan cake for a long time and he is misses it so much. While preparing the ingredients for the chiffon, i remember that some blogger recommend that Swiss roll can be bake in chiffon method. So i quickly took a tray out and lined it with baking paper and then at the moment i was wondering should i grease it (luckily i did). Now i can finally roll a Swiss roll cake, tho picture was not well taken and roll was not attractive enough; but i was very contented, my family loves it. Especially my son (his golden mouth), he even took the little crumb i trim away from the cake side to eat licking his finger after eating too.

Ingredients

80g plain flour

20g corn flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg yolks

50g castor sugar

11/2 tbsp pandan juice

90g coconut milk

30g canola oil

1/4 tsp pandan paste (optional)

4 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

50g castor sugar

80-90g kaya (own preference)

Method

1.  Line all the side and bottom of the 35 x 27 x 3-cm tin with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and add the salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and castor sugar until sugar dissolve. Add oil, pandan paste, coconut milk and flour ingredients mix till smooth.
4. Whip egg whites until foamy and add in the cream of tartar, following by the sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peak.
5. Mix the meringue with egg yolks mixture until well incorporated.
6. Pour it into the lined tin and bake it in a preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes.
7. Unmould it immediately when done. when it is cool spread the kaya on the cake and roll it up.
8. Leave it in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove from fridge slice and serve.

Notes:

• For easy folding of meringue with egg yolks mixture, take 1/3 of the meringue and mix well. Then add into the rest of the meringue.
• Pandan paste was added to enhance the fragrance, can be replace with green colouring.
• Trim all side of the cake.
• I just grab the nearest tin around me.

Banana swiss roll

I wonder this Swiss roll was a success or failure again. I flung my previous one, it broke in strip while i tried to roll. These was a modified recipe, i did manage to roll up with slightly crack on the surface. But overall it was still quite good, i mean at least i can still roll up without any breaking in strip or pieces again. But i find it too soft and must really handle with care. It like rubbing lotion on a newborn baby. Phew! Finally manage to roll one after my third attempt. Maybe i should have try to make Swiss rolls like chiffon method.

 I always find that baking chiffon cake are much more easier than sponge cake. Again and again, i end making the same mistake (too greedy) always tried to stuff too many cream and cut my fruit too thick. Oh! Boy look at my fatty Swiss roll, adorable right.... I used the left over cream and play around by piping on the roll. Horrible piping, i know (the cream was not thaw, left in the fridge for two days). But my DH loves this roll alot, he finish the whole roll all by himself. The only complain i receive was the roll was too fragile, must handle with care and his tummy is becoming dibo.

The recipe was adapted from: http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com/2011/07/soft-spongy-banana-cake.html 

The original recipe was from: http://wensdelight.blogspot.com/2011/03/soft-spongy-banana-cake.html

Will be posting the recipes soon.

Fudge chocolaty cake

Suddenly had the craving to take very chocolaty stuff. Hence, recently have been baking alot of chocolate cupcakes to cakes. I was suppose to make a fudge icing, but my laziness creep in, Therefore i just dust some icing sugar on the cake.

Ingredients (Makes a 9 inch square tin)
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
130g dark chocolate
6 tbsps chocolate chips
350ml  chocolate milk
300g self-raising flour
130g unsalted butter, (softened)
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, (beaten)
2 tsps vanilla essence
some icing sugar to sprinkle

Method:

1. Grease and lined the cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Place half of sugar and chocolate in bowl. Heat the milk in a pan and when simmering remove from heat.
3. Add in the chocolate and sugar. Stir till chocolate melted and sugar dissolved.
4. In another bowl, whisk the butter, remaining sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffly.
5. Stir in the beaten egg and whisk for a 5 minutes.
6. Mix in the chocolate mixture, 3 tbsps of the chocolate chips and flour.
7. Pour the ready batter into the cake tin, sprinkle the another 3 tbsps of chocolate chips and bake for 45 minutes or until just set.

Dulce de leche pound cake

Ingredients (Makes 2 loaf tin or 8 inch square tin)

160g unsalted butter
60g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup homemade dulce de leche
200g plain flour
40g corn flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs

Methods

1. Sieve all flour twice and set aside.
2. Grease cake tin if using and preheat oven at 170C.
3. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
4. Add in salt, vanilla essence and dulce de leche, whisk till incorporated.
5. Turn to low speed slowly add in all the sifted flour and whisk till smooth and not lumpy.
6. Add in the eggs gradually one at a time, whisk well.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 170C for 1 hour.

Adopted from: http://allthatmatters2rei.blogspot.com/2008/06/condensed-milk-pound-cake-ii.html with some changes.

Verdict of this cake

• My DH and son like it alot, they had it for supper and breakfast. Each took two slices at ago.
• Don't be fool by it appearance ( lousy presentation and foto taking), the pound cake itself was very moist and light..... I can't describe the feeling some furry feeling with the strong aroma of dulce de leche lingering in your mouth.
• Will try to bake it again using the original recipes with condensed milk.

Hope it not too bad for my first attempt!