Category: food recipes

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French Apple Tart – Tarte aux Pommes

I made this apple tart last week and it was so good we finished it in 2 days! I just had to share it with you. The original recipe is adapted from The Food Network, you can check it out too! The only difference is that I made the crust by hand instead of in a mixer and did not use Calvados to glaze the apples after. I sliced my apples pretty thin this time, you might want to cut them thicker if you want to have more bite to it, if you slice them too thin they tend to get a bit “leathery” after baking.

I wouldn’t leave the dough in the fridge for too long because if it gets too hard, it’s difficult to roll out and you’ll need to wait for it to thaw before you can work on it so maybe check on it at intervals when it’s in the fridge, as long as it’s not soft, you’re good!

For the pastry:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ( I used regular table salt)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1½ stick of butter (I used 170 grams)
  • ½ cup ice water

For the apples:

  • 4 Granny Smith apples (I used Pink Lady apples)
  • ½ sugar
  • ½ stick cold unsalted butter (I used 60 grams of salted butter)
  • ½ cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
  • 2 tablespoons Calcados, rum, or water

Instructions:

  1. For the pastry, I did it by hand but you can also use a food processor following the original recipe! Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
  3. Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples. 
  4. Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter. 
  5. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. When the tart’s done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. I didn’t have Calvados so I just used apricot jam and water. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Happy baking & stay safe!

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The Discovery of Key Lime Pie

A few months back while talking to someone, “key lime pie” came up in the conversation.

I’ve heard of key lime pie before but never tried it, or even seen them on dessert menus here… So being the curious cat that I am, I decided to bake one!

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My first key lime pie and I fell in love with it, everything about it.

It was tangy, it was refreshing, it was just… WOW. I don’t know for sure if digestive biscuits are considered graham crackers, but they work fine for me as a substitute. In fact I always use digestive biscuits when a recipe calls for a graham cracker crust.

Here’s the original recipe from Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant in Miami! Trust me, it’s totally worth the time and effort. I’m definitely baking another one of these soon.

What You’ll Need:
  • 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2/3 cup Key lime juice (see Tips)
What To Do:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar; mix well then press mixture over bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate to form a crust; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg yolks and lime zest 5 minutes, or until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk and continue beating 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in lime juice just until combined. Pour filling into pie crust.
  4.  Bake 10 minutes, or until firm in the center. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack, then cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips
  • If you can’t find fresh Key limes or Key lime juice, it’s okay to substitute regular limes, even though it won’t be exactly the same.
  • This is best served very cold, so we recommend placing it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
  • Just before serving, top pie with whipped cream or whipped topping and garnish with lime slices, if you’d like.
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Eat my heart.

 

Honey pancakes with buttered bananas and strawberries.

Made a beeline for the kitchen last week during the public holiday, and realised how much I miss whipping up yummies from time to time. This time I added about three teaspoons of HONEYSPREE‘s Creamy Clover Honey to my pancake batter for a slight hint of natural sweetness. I really love the fact that they are adorably heart-shaped, you can get the pancake mold from Daiso! Pretty sure it works with eggs too, although I have yet to try that.

If you missed my previous pancake post containing the recipe I used, >>> ♥ READ IT HERE ♥ <<<

Sometimes following recipe measurements isn’t enough to make it good, the right amount of milk so they don’t spread too thin, the quality of the flour and eggs can determine the taste… How much butter to use so it doesn’t stick to the pan and yet not turn out too greasy, and then you still have to know when to flip it so it doesn’t burn. It’s much like everything else in life, making pancakes; it takes practice to get it right. But when you put a few things together correctly, with the right treatment, in the right amounts, you’ll always get something good that will be well worth the effort. :)

Have a great week ahead! xx

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late night tummy fillers.

Had a rather light dinner so by 11 my tummy was crying to be filled. :/

Have you tried sugar toast? It’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Mummy always made it for me, of course, now I can make it myself. It’s really easy! 

How? Half-toast bread, spread butter, sprinkle sugar, and pop them back in to toast for abit until the sugar starts to “boil”.

Tadaaaaaaa! Quick, easy and very yummy too! Try it! xx

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incase x andy warhol at a curious teepee

also spotted : the non-warhols, but still worth a snap shot.I cannot agree more.

I had a feeling I would run into someone, but obviously, I had no idea who that someone was until I actually met him/her. Mystery solved, I ran into Jon who is director of Cookpad at A Curious Teepee. Cookpad is a really nifty recipe go-to site. Go check it out if you need some kitchen inspiration, fool-proof instructions included.

Will share human photos from the event when I get them.

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saturday ♥

i fell asleep after managing to blog a post last night. i just closed my eyes for abit and the next thing i knew it was 6 in the morning… unread text messages, fb chats, i barely managed to sleep my lappie before i crashed again.

and then i woke to a chain of whatsapp messages and then, a phone call. clara was nearby and wanted to swim sooooo, i dragged myself out of bed, had lunch and we spent the whole afternoon by the pool and in it a quarter of the time.

time to get a little summer color on my skin…

oh well, as usual, i get hungry after swimming so we decided to whip up some yummies… and i ended up teaching clara how to make scrambled eggs. it’s really easy! if you’re not convinced, watch this! :)

ps : the only thing she could cook before this was maggie mee. that’s one item to add to the “what i can cook” list babe!

seeeee! the eggs turned out fab! anyone can make scrambled eggs! and clara said it tastes better than mcdonalds! yummmmmmmm :)

was contemplating heading out to soul cos so many of my friends will be there, but i’m feeling so bummed from all that chlorine and sun. i think i’m gonna chill out at home and turn in early tonight… i’m checking out h&m’s online store & it’s making me really anxious. i can’t wait for the store to open here in singapore, like FINALLY! how have we been surviving without h&m? i actually have a couple of items in my shopping cart (don’t ask me why, it’s not like they ship internationally… they don’t, right?) who wants to be nice and get me some h&m? *chuckles

i also can’t wait to get my hands on these two items i ordered from the closet lover! i’ve had my eyes on that marc jacobs-inspired dress for the longest time! those of you who have been reading my blog would know that i used to model for them, and i must say, the stuff they’re bringing in just gets better & better! well done girls! :)

okay, mummy’s calling for durian time! after which i’m gonna go dig through my wardrobe & look for outfit inspirations for next week.. that is if, i can stop shopping online for shoes at xquisis. i’ve been wearing my miu miu inspired crystal heels a lot and everyone loves them! (see sidebar for blog promo!)

happy sunday in advance! muaaaaaaaa ♥

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salad attack!

meet my first ever potato salad. (:

i saw ed’s sister’s mango, avocado & prawn salad post last night and was craving for a “salad fix” today. don’t have avocado at home & i didn’t want to dig through the freezer for prawns so i settled for a potato, egg and salami alternative instead. (yes jones, i’m enjoying your salami, ALOT!)

it’s a really simple dish to put together but it tasted really good considering it’s my first attempt at a potato salad. mummy doesn’t really make salads other than her “famous” fruit salad. if you wanna try making this, here’s how! :)

  • dice potatoes and boil
  • hard boil an egg then cut into 8 wedges. or you could slice them, it’s up to you really…
  • cut cherry tomatoes in half or leave them whole
  • for homemade croutons, usually i’d fry them in butter in a pan but today i got a tad lazy and just tossed them into the toaster along with the salami cut into small pieces so the bread absorbs some of the flavour (yummmm)
  • when all that is done you just have to throw everything into a deep bowl, add butter, mayonnaise, a tablespoon of olive oil, bacon ranch dressing, sea salt and a dash of cayenne pepper for a kick of spice. i also added small cubes of gruyere cheese cos i love cheese!
  • for presentation purposes you can add the croutons last, which i totally forgot about cos i was so hungry. they’ll also stay crunchy longer that way
  • sprinkle with grated parmesan (optional)

go with your gut when it comes to how much dressing to add, i really don’t stick to measurements when i cook, it’s a taste and see thing for me. and you should really check out rachel’s salad post, i’m sure it’s much healthier than mine! ♥

Mango, Avocado & Prawn Salad Rach: Just a little something to share with you guys :) I’ll just keep this short and sweet as I’m not that good with words. But it’s probably one of the best salads I’ve made and tried so far. Key ingredients that you’ll need: Mango – For that tangy sweetness (to complement the prawns). Avocado – A good healthier substitute for mayonnaise for that creamy goodness. Prawns – Adds some crunch to it… and you won’t feel like a total herbivore. Butt … Read More

via cinnamonsin

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granny's apple tartelettes

i stumbled upon this recipe while surfing random blogs… it looks so yummmmy, it’ll be a pity not to share!

if anyone tries this recipe please let me know if it’s good!

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Apple Tartelettes Recipe:
Makes four 4- inch tartlets

Pate Sucree:
2 tablespoons (20gr) slivered almonds
1/2 (60gr) cup powdered sugar, unsifted, divided
1/2 stick (56.5gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
pinch of salt
3/4 cup (90gr) all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place almonds and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, ground nuts and salt on medium speed until well-combined. Slowly add remaining powdered sugar and flour and mix well. Add the egg yolk and mix until incorporated. Shape dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
Place the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out four 6- inch rounds and fit them inside four 4- inch tartlet molds, patting the dough in with your fingertips if it breaks on you as you transfer the rounds. Gather the scraps and set aside.
Prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the shells for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

Apple Compote:
1/2 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon (2gr) ground cardamom
2 tablespoons sugar
4 medium apples (your preference. I went with Fuji)
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (60 to 80ml) water

On a flat surface, cut the vanilla bean in half lenghtwise without cutting all the way through and scrape the seeds from the pods with a pairing knife. Place them in a large saucepan along with the cardamom and sugar. Set aside.
Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Add them to the vanilla and sugar mixture along with the water. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat down, cover and let the apples stew for 30 to 45 minutes. Check every 20 minutes to and add water to the mixture if the liquid evaporates faster than the apples can cook. I tend to cook mine just unti soft so that they keep a bit of texture under the tooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Divide the mixture evenly among the tart shells.

Apple Topping:
2 tablespoons (15gr) granulated sugar
zest of half a lemon
2-3 medium apples

In a small bowl, rub together the sugar and lemon zest so that the citrus natural oils can flavor the sugar.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples (the thinner the prettier. Decoratively arrange the slices over the compote and sprinkle evenly with the sugar.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top appples are golden brown.

enjoy! :)

see the original post at :

http://tartelette.blogspot.com/2009/04/recipe-apple-tartelettes.html

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