Sitting

She learns how to sit on her own for few seconds.

Rock my baby

   

Ta-da! Just got this rocker chair. I wish I have this way before after she gave birth.

I had to hold her while she sleeps, when I need to go to the bathroom.. Too much, I know! 

Envy Apple Pie

Apple skin peeling

A half-eaten apple pie

Looks like my enthusiasm for baking has manifested itself more often lately. When I surveyed the kitchen the other day to look for things to bake, I found a bag of apples and decided to bake the classic apple pie.

Crusted pie is all well and good but too much crust can be off-putting. So, I went with the crumbly streusel topping which upped the yumminess factor, IMHO.

[Recipe]

For the pie dough: Combine 300g all-purpose flour and 30g brown sugar. Cut in 150g margarine with flour mixture until pea size. Add in 75g cold water. Mix just until combine. Transfer onto the table then fold lighly until it form into a dough.

For the apple filling: Combine 75g white sugar, 30g brown sugar, 27g cornstarch, 1g salt, a pinch of nutmeg, 2g cinnamon, 5g lemon juice and 15g melted butter. Mix with sliced apples (~6 pcs.). Fill in the unbaked pastry shell.

For the streusel topping: Mix together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup of butter in a bowl. Sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes. Do not let topping to get too dark.

Feeling citrus-y

Lemon Meringue Pie

Over the long weekend, I made this and reminisced about one of my Grandma's  wonderful specialties. She liked to make a pyramid style meringue top. I couldn't make it exactly like hers; it ended up all puddle-y. My family, my bf and I really adore all deserts that include lemon, especially lemon pie. I swear they taste better the longer they sit in the refrigerator. It's all gone within a couple of days. Now, I'm gonna make it again and tried something new -- maybe, I'll add some chunks of strawberries with the lemon filling and see how it goes.

[Receipe]

For the crust: Sift 60g bread flour and 60g cake flour. Add in 60g sugar. Cut in 60g butter into small pices and rub till everything becomes yellow. Add in 1g salt, 1g vanilla extract and 35g eggs. Put them on table, press and fold gentle until it forms dough. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes  to 1 hour. Roll it out and put it on the pan. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350F.

For the lemon filling: Combine 2g lemon zest, 120g white sugar 150g eggs, 50g lemon juice and 50g water salt in heavy small saucepan; whisk to blend. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until curd is hot and thick enough to coat spoon (do not boil), 4 to 5 minutes. Add in 85g butter and mix well. Transfer lemon curd to small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface; chill until cold and slightly firm, at least 2 hours. Pour in the crust pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.

For the meringue (Swiss): Whisk 120 egg whites, 200 white sugar and 2g vanilla extract together at high speed until formed. Use to top lemon filling

Bambi

Nara, May 2012

Loving Japanese design for all reasons. Clean and minimal with a great simple aesthetic.