I was never interested in baking till 2 years ago.
Been trying different recipes here and there on my free time and some special occasions to explore the baking world.
Have to say, it's been fun. Baking, well cooking in general, is science. It's been so much fun to combing different ingredients together to create different flavors. It's endless!
Anyways, it's two days away from Thanksgivings Day. Last year, I made apple tartlets for my family with homemade chai ice cream with my brother. This year, I am making two kinds of pies : Rosemary apple pie and pumpkin pie. Still trying to figure out the special recipe for the pumpkin pie (I want to put two kinds of pumpkin fillings....). Anyways, here is the apple pie I will be baking and made a recipe of it.
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R o s e m a r y .
A p p l e .
P i e
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i n g r e d i e n t s
Crust :
3 cups plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
250g worth of unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons of rosemary infused water*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary
Pinch of salt
* Boil rosemary and water together, then let it cool and sit together overnight.
Filling :
6 large Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon lemon
** This recipe will make about 9" pie
Shift flour, caster sugar and salt together. Add unsalted butter and mix them together using a bench scraper. Make a hole in the center. add egg yolk, vanilla extract, rosemary infused water, and fresh rosemary. Use folk or wooden spoon to wisk them together slowly. When the wet ingredient is some-what together, use a bench scraper to mix them together, just make sure there are bits of butter still remaining and flour is sticking with the wet ingredients enough.
Make it it into a ball shape, cover the dough lightly with a plastic ziplock bag or saran wrap. Place it into a fridge for 15 ~ 20 minutes - so that when you roll it out, it won't stick to the rolling pin or the dough won't crack while you roll it out.
Cover the surface with flour. Take out 3/4 of dough, Roll it out evenly and create 10 ~ 11" diameter disk. Roll the rest of the dough as well but place them separately in separate plastic covers and stick them the fridge again. (I recommend placing them on baking sheets - it will be easier to take it out, when you are ready to place them into the pie plate.
Make the apple paste next.
Take 5 apples, cut them into cubes (1/2 to 1 inch cubes). Place chopped apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon and water in a saucepan. Let is slowly cook in low heat for 20 ~ 25 minutes, stir it occasionally so it won't burn.
While you are making the apple paste. Thinly slice the last apple, sprinkle cinnamon and lemon. Let it sit in the fridge. When the paste is mushy but still contains apple bits, turn off the heat, drain liquid/juice out, then add flour. Stir well.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Take out the crust out of the fridge. Grease the pie plate, place the 10 ~ 11" disk dough. Make sure 1~1 1/2" of dough is hanging out of the pie plate. Then roll out the other dough to around 1/8" thickness. Cut them into 3/8" wide strips. Place the paste into the pie crust, and then place the thinly sliced apple on the top neatly. Place the strips, weave them together, and then fold in the dough that's hanging off the plate. Brush the top of the pie with caster sugar diluted with water, place it in the oven, bake it for 45 minutes to an hour.
Let it cool and when you are going to have a piece, have it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy!
11.22.2011
11.16.2011
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R e c e n t
D r e ^ m s
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1. I was standing in a desert/middle of no where. I saw landmines going off right next to me and people screaming and running pass me. I wanted to run away as well and told myself to "run, run, run" but both of my legs were stuck in the quicksand. Then I saw a giant black shadow over me and I look up ; it was an U.S solider. He approaches me slowly with M16 rifle and pointed the gun on my head. He told me with deep voice that I am going to die. The next 10-15 seconds, everything was in slow motion. As I heard the trigger going off, I woke up, sweating and felt numb.
2. My heart was pounding so much and the chest was in a massive pain. Then I was sitting in the doctor's office. The room was so bright, since I faced toward the windows and the sun was setting. I felt the warm kind wind blowing through my body and the white curtains danced along winds. The doctor's body was backed against the windows, so I couldn't see his face, all I saw was a grey-ish silhouette of a tiny man. Even-though I cannot see his facial features, I can hear his voice saying that I had few hours to live. Since I was in a major pain and felt like my chest caving in, the news felt nothing to me. It actually made a lot sense in my mind. I couldn't say anthing and I put both of my hands toward my chest. I could feel the heart beating louder and louder. I fell off the chair and curled my body into a fetus position. I don't know why but I remember smiling and really thought about what I really wanted to do for my last moment in life but all I could think about is how life is short. Somehow in the dream, I knew I wasn't going to live that long, so I felt like everything was alright as it is. I closed my eyes and waited for my time to come.
3. ( I keep having a dream about my old cat. He was so special to me.
The last time I saw him was when I was 9 years old. I couldn't say goodbye. He disappeared )
I was in my studio, drawing with my head against the desk surface. I heard meow. I looked up the window and saw a dark shadow, and it was my cat. He jumped down the window and rubbed his tiny body against my legs and purred. I rubbed behind his ears and chins, asked him where he has been all of this time. He got up on the desk and looked at me. He wiped his face with his paw, then slowly I saw something growing behind his back, it was 6 wings. It grew larger and larger, and when it got to the point the set of wings were double his size, he begun to float. I panicked and somehow all these emotions floated inside of me. I felt the sudden fear and it brought back the memory of "losing" him. I rushed out the room and grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen. Then went back my studio, grabbed one of the wing and tore all his wings off using the knife. He fell down to the floor meowed over and over. I dropped the fruit knife and stared at my hands for a while- bloody and shaking from adrenaline. Then I cried out loud saying sorry to him over and over, and as his voice gets weaker and weaker... I felt awful and miserable from what I've done, though In my head, it made a perfect sense. I wanted him to stay with me and didn't want him to disappear again. He looked at me and his meow sounded like "why, why, why?" Then I woke up from myself crying.
4. I was having a ritual with you. You had a white veil on. I had a black veil on. You kneeled down, and put your hand out. You had a pair of leather gloves on, and I can hear the sound of gloves from every tremble that each fingers made. I couldn't hear your voice but I know you for sure you were asking for my hand. I put my right hand out and you kissed it through your white veil, then passed me a black arrow. A black bow appeared on my other hand and I pointed toward your heart. The beautiful sound of string and one simple sound of thump. Through tiny holes of veil, I saw the arrow landed to your heart. You didn't make any single sound, but I saw your body trembling. Then I see silver lead like slimy substance coming out from the wound. Then your fingers and arms, toes to legs, it slowly turned into a liquid. I could see you agonizing in pain, I reached my hand toward you, and when the tip of my fingers touches your head, your became comepletely shapeless. I took off my veil and wore your veil and ran my fingers against your remaining matter. I felt a sharp pain on my index finger. Quickly I remove my hand and I saw a blood. I look down on the silver substance, then I see the black arrow I shot you with. I saw my fingers falling apart and turning into liquid like him. I didn't feel any pain while turning into a liquid, but I rather felt relieved. Through a tiny holes of white veil, it sucked all the lights from the sun. Made my face all hot and it felt hard to breathe. But when I woke up, I felt really happy to see you in my dream.
I need to make all these dreams into comics / drawings.
R e c e n t
D r e ^ m s
///////////
1. I was standing in a desert/middle of no where. I saw landmines going off right next to me and people screaming and running pass me. I wanted to run away as well and told myself to "run, run, run" but both of my legs were stuck in the quicksand. Then I saw a giant black shadow over me and I look up ; it was an U.S solider. He approaches me slowly with M16 rifle and pointed the gun on my head. He told me with deep voice that I am going to die. The next 10-15 seconds, everything was in slow motion. As I heard the trigger going off, I woke up, sweating and felt numb.
2. My heart was pounding so much and the chest was in a massive pain. Then I was sitting in the doctor's office. The room was so bright, since I faced toward the windows and the sun was setting. I felt the warm kind wind blowing through my body and the white curtains danced along winds. The doctor's body was backed against the windows, so I couldn't see his face, all I saw was a grey-ish silhouette of a tiny man. Even-though I cannot see his facial features, I can hear his voice saying that I had few hours to live. Since I was in a major pain and felt like my chest caving in, the news felt nothing to me. It actually made a lot sense in my mind. I couldn't say anthing and I put both of my hands toward my chest. I could feel the heart beating louder and louder. I fell off the chair and curled my body into a fetus position. I don't know why but I remember smiling and really thought about what I really wanted to do for my last moment in life but all I could think about is how life is short. Somehow in the dream, I knew I wasn't going to live that long, so I felt like everything was alright as it is. I closed my eyes and waited for my time to come.
3. ( I keep having a dream about my old cat. He was so special to me.
The last time I saw him was when I was 9 years old. I couldn't say goodbye. He disappeared )
I was in my studio, drawing with my head against the desk surface. I heard meow. I looked up the window and saw a dark shadow, and it was my cat. He jumped down the window and rubbed his tiny body against my legs and purred. I rubbed behind his ears and chins, asked him where he has been all of this time. He got up on the desk and looked at me. He wiped his face with his paw, then slowly I saw something growing behind his back, it was 6 wings. It grew larger and larger, and when it got to the point the set of wings were double his size, he begun to float. I panicked and somehow all these emotions floated inside of me. I felt the sudden fear and it brought back the memory of "losing" him. I rushed out the room and grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen. Then went back my studio, grabbed one of the wing and tore all his wings off using the knife. He fell down to the floor meowed over and over. I dropped the fruit knife and stared at my hands for a while- bloody and shaking from adrenaline. Then I cried out loud saying sorry to him over and over, and as his voice gets weaker and weaker... I felt awful and miserable from what I've done, though In my head, it made a perfect sense. I wanted him to stay with me and didn't want him to disappear again. He looked at me and his meow sounded like "why, why, why?" Then I woke up from myself crying.
4. I was having a ritual with you. You had a white veil on. I had a black veil on. You kneeled down, and put your hand out. You had a pair of leather gloves on, and I can hear the sound of gloves from every tremble that each fingers made. I couldn't hear your voice but I know you for sure you were asking for my hand. I put my right hand out and you kissed it through your white veil, then passed me a black arrow. A black bow appeared on my other hand and I pointed toward your heart. The beautiful sound of string and one simple sound of thump. Through tiny holes of veil, I saw the arrow landed to your heart. You didn't make any single sound, but I saw your body trembling. Then I see silver lead like slimy substance coming out from the wound. Then your fingers and arms, toes to legs, it slowly turned into a liquid. I could see you agonizing in pain, I reached my hand toward you, and when the tip of my fingers touches your head, your became comepletely shapeless. I took off my veil and wore your veil and ran my fingers against your remaining matter. I felt a sharp pain on my index finger. Quickly I remove my hand and I saw a blood. I look down on the silver substance, then I see the black arrow I shot you with. I saw my fingers falling apart and turning into liquid like him. I didn't feel any pain while turning into a liquid, but I rather felt relieved. Through a tiny holes of white veil, it sucked all the lights from the sun. Made my face all hot and it felt hard to breathe. But when I woke up, I felt really happy to see you in my dream.
I need to make all these dreams into comics / drawings.
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