Apple Pie

Apples are usually eaten raw, and I love them skin and all, green or red or pink... But maybe not the core.
Baking them is lovely too and today I have an apple pie recipe to share.
Normally I stick to a very old apple pie recipe handed down to me by my mum. She loves apple pie and especially that particular recipe.

I decided to use some left over shortcrust pastry from which I made some pastry shells for mini fruit tarlets and there were some apples wrinkling in the fridge... and try out another recipe for apple pie.
I often see the chefs on T.V baking the pie without even cooking the apples or covering the apples with pastry and wondered how they tasted. After flipping over several recipe books and apple pie recipes I found one to my liking but I tweaked it to my taste.
Thank you very much to Alex Goh. (This book is a part of several series from him but unfortunately the publishers didn't reprint any of them, but you can still find some of it in another compilation by another publisher)

Okay although  I chose his Pear Frangipane (Alex Goh - Irresistible Pastry) but I made it into an apple pie. He made his own custard for the filling but I opted for the instant and quicker way! Below is the the apple pie recipe with the changes I made. I know, it is a bit confusing but bear with me.
*Apples & book images courtesy Google.

Apple Pie

Shortcrust Pastry B source Alex Goh, Irresistible Pastry.
250g flour
150g butter/margarine
2 Tbsp butter
1 egg yolk
40g butter

Method
Mix butter and flour until crumbly.
Add in egg yolk and sugar, then add in water and mix to form a dough.
Wrap in plastic sheet and refrigerate for 30 min.
Take out and roll the dough to desired thickness.
Cover the greased pie dish, and if you like crimp the edges and prick the surface with a fork to allow steam to escape.

egg yolk

cubed cold butter

flour and butter

flour, butter, egg yolk, water and sugar mix well to form a dough

shape dough into a ball, cling wrap it and chill in fridge for 30 min

once chill, roll out dough onto greased pie dish

Filling
4 cups of milk
6 Tbsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla
sugar to taste

6 apples, cored, and sliced thinly.

Apricot Glaze ( I didn't have any apricot jam, so I used marmalade instead)
150g apricot glaze
80g hot water
Double boil apricot glaze and water until glaze melts.


Method
In a pot pour about 1/3 of the milk first and add the custard powder. Mix well so there are no lumps before adding the rest of the milk. Cook over medium heat and add sugar and vanilla. Keep stirring, as custard tend to burn easily. The mixture will thicken and keep stirring until it cooks. Take off fire and cool.
I'm sorry I didn't take pics for the custard or apricot glaze.

Assembling the pie.
Pour the cooled custard into the pie dish. Use a spatula to level the custard before arranging the slices of apples on top of it.
Bake at 150 C for 30 min.

Once the pie is cooled, brush the jam glaze over the apples. This will make the apples glossy and more delicious.

The masses had gotten to the pie by the time I snapped this!

Happy Baking.

Orange Cake

Been a while, but here is another cake I made earlier but due to some problems  I couldn't post the recipe or the pictures then...
I used the very same bundt tin. This recipe I got from Dapur Tanpa Sempadan - Mat Gebu's blog.
Very delicious and moist.

This cake only has 5 ingredients!! But I added a simple orange glaze as the topping. It is that whitish thing dribbling down the spirals of the cake.

Moist Orange Cake

source: Dapur Tanpa Sempadan

130g butter

1 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup sugar (put aside 1 Tbsp)

2 eggs (seperate the whites and the yolks)

1 orange, take the peel and the juice

Method

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add in the egg yolks and beat again.

Add in the grated orange skin. Mix well.

Alternate at low speed if using  hand mixer, the flour and juice. Mix well.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy then add in 1 Tbsp sugar

and continue beating until egg whites become stiff.

Fold the egg whites into the batter, bit by bit.

Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan or baking tin.

Bake at 175C for 45 min or until cook.

For the orange glaze

4 Tbsp icing sugar

1-2 tsp orange juice.

Add the juice to the icing sugar, one tsp at a time.

Stir slowly until smooth.

You might need more if you want the glaze to be runny.

Gently pour over cooled cake.

Happy Baking.

Brownies

I had an order for brownies the other day, and of all things a cute scooter was chosen as the deco!
Since I can't make figurines out of fondant and gum paste, a toy one was used.
The recipe is one that I have used quite often and a personal favourite as it is easy and uses cocoa instead of cooking chocolate. That eliminates the need for a double boiler to melt the chocolate...LOL Memang I am little malas when it comes to melting chocolate.
People say you can use the mircowave also, but I tried and believe me it DIDN'T work! Hangus adalah!!
But butter, ah yes that is more easier and I put the required amount in a mircowave proof bowl and a saucer or small plate to cover, so that no buttery splashes all over the oven. Set it on high for 40 seconds - done!!
Right, back to the brownies, I got it from Mama FaMi's Spice and Splendour blog. Thank you Mama!

toot.. toot! cute pink scooter huh?

Brownies
source: Mama FaMi's Spice n Splendour

1 cup milk
1 cup melted butter (this is about 250g butter/margarine)
1 cup hot water (optional, add one Tbsp instant coffee, leave out if there are kids eating)
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (I added another tsp)
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder

Method
In a bowl, mix milk, melted butter, hot water and sugar. Whisk and mix well.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Gradually add in the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture until combined.
If there are lumps sieve the mixture first before pouring into cake tin.
Grease a 12" x 12" square cake tin and pour the batter in.
Bake at 160C for 25 - 30 min.

There will be cracks on the surface of the brownies, but don't worry it is normal.
Let brownies cool before taking it out. Cut into square and it is ready to be eaten.
If you like drizzle some melted chocolate over the top with edible sugar glitter or chocolate rice.

Happy Baking.