Rainbow Fruit Galette

Heyooo. Finally back to posting on the blog, now that I have some down time on SICU. I made this large galette for the last week of Pride month. I did think about making a pie, but pies are so time consuming! The only time consuming thing here was slicing fruit and loving the rustic look.

I enjoyed making this because the fruits are so bright and colorful and remained so after baking. Basically you're baking one pie, but with 5 different flavors! What a deal! You can tailor the recipe as you like and use different fruits depending of the season. I felt like these were choices that worked and made for a yummy jammy tart pie.

Rainbow Fruit Galette

makes 1 large 13x10" galette

1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice water

1 cup ea. fruits, sliced (strawberries, peach, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries)
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
lemon zest

2 tbsp raw sugar
1 eggwash

1. For the crust, I used Ina Garten's pie recipe, which is equal to make 2x9" pies. So if you have a favorite pie crust recipe, please feel free to adapt: In a food processor, pulse butter with flour, sugar, salt and vegetable shortening until pea sized. Drizzle in ice water until dough clumps together. Turn out onto clean surface and roll into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 mins
2. Meanwhile for each sliced fruit, place in a small bowl for each and mix in sugars, lemon juice and a little bit of zest. Allow to macerate for a few mins.  
3. Preheat oven to 375F. I rolled out my dough into a rectangle the size of a half sheet pan (~18x13"). Drain each sliced fruit and arrange in a line leaving 1" borders. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of white sugar on top.
4. Fold galette edge over fruit. Eggwash the folded edge and cover with raw sugar.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown and fruit juices bubbling. Allow to cool for 1 hour so that the juices have time to become jammy

Read More

Apple Pie Cheesecake

I went apple picking upstate with the bf's fam two weeks ago and hauled a bag of apples home. I've been eating one daily and now have BECOME SICK OF APPLES. Soooo, I decided to make apple pie filling and put it in a cheesecake! After moving to New York, I can't and won't stop eating cheesecakes. It did give new life to plain apples and they were tolerable again :P

The apples that we could only pick were the Shizuka variety, since we went late and everyone already picked all the fuji and honeycrisp apples. It was like a plague of locusts just swept through the apple trees. But it worked out for me because shizuka apples are sweet, slightly tart, firm and perfect for baking or cooking. Since we had to pay an entrance fee to enter the grounds, you bet your butt I ate a lot of apples to get my money's worth! I couldn't look at another apple for days. Except I'm stuck in the SICU for 5 weeks and my food tray always includes an apple :(

I wanted to make a lighter cheesecake and incorporated a lot of yogurt. It still tastes very much like a rich cheesecake, but so much better for my muffin tops ;)

Apple Pie Cheesecake

makes one 9" cake

Apple pie filling
2 large apples peeled and diced, use firm slightly tart apples like pink lady
1 tsp butter
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

1. On low medium heat, melt butter and spices. Add 1 tbsp water, diced apples and sugar
2. Stir often and cook for about 6-8 mins until apples are slightly soft
3. Make the cornstarch slurry by adding water and cornstarch together until no lumps. Drizzle into apple filling
4. Cook for additional 3-5 minutes to thicken and until it bubble. Set aside to cool

Yogurt Cheesecake

Your favorite pie crust recipe (I use Ina Garten because she is a Food Goddess!)
2 8oz cream cheese
1 3/4 cup whole milk Siggi (I used) or greek yogurt
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400F. No need to roll out the pie dough. Just press into a 9" springform pan and up the sides a little. Poke holes with fork. Blind bake pie crust for 15 mins
2. Reduce oven temp to 325F. In a mixer or large bowel beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in yogurt, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice
3. Beat in 1 egg at a time, making sure not to over beat as it can introduce bubbles
4. Cover springform pan sides with foil and place in larger pan to make a water bath. Pour room temp water into the bath until half way up cheesecake pan
5. Bake for 50-60 mins until middle is just set. Crack oven door open and cool in oven for 1 hour. Let cool completely at room temp afterwards
6. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight to set
7. Make the top pretty with dried apple slices and pie crust leaves!

Read More

Mini Scotch Egg Hand Pies

I'm currently packing my bags to go back home to LA (yay)! I'm bringing one suitcase filled with MILDLY cold weather clothes and two empty suitcases. Lol, why the empty suitcases?? Because, my mum usually takes one week out of her schedule to make me a ton of my favorite foods and keeps them frozen, so I can bring it back to Richmond. YAS, she is the best. And, I can seriously fill 2 suitcases no problem. In fact, I'm usually stuck at the check in counter with my mum bringing stuff back home because my suitcases are too heavy -_- Sometimes, the frozen rice cakes and soondae (Korean blood sausages) I bring has to be hand carried. I always have to get my carry ons personally checked by TSA security and I get weird weird looks when they hold up my vacuum sealed sausages.

Haha. I also have no shortage of embarrassing stories in the airport. There was this one time I bought a gigantic Costco pack of lady supplies and I just took it out of the box package since it was bulky and put it in the zipper front compartment of my suitcase. So, I land in Richmond and I just happen to be on a plane with a bunch of military men. I'm waiting for my suitcase at the baggage carousel with my bf, when we spot it. Somehow while my bf picked up my suitcase, the zipper got stuck on the rotating band so he yanked on it... At least 20 pieces of lady supplies came flying out of the bag and landed on the military men's combat boots and on the carousel!! I was in so much shock it took me a minute to register what had happened and then I scrambled to pick up all the fallen stuff and had to chase some that was rotating away. I literally wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury myself in it. AND I couldn't just walk away since I had to wait for my other suitcases UNGH. An old lady next to me even patted my shoulder and said that it happens to the best of us. (SERIOUSLY?? I don't think that ever happens to anyone)

I blame it all on my bf! Haha, retelling this story really makes me cringe inside again :(  Anyway, getting back to this recipe... I've always wanted to make scotch eggs, but I still have this fear of deep frying things and getting splattered by grease. I'm just clumsy like that! So, I made a hand pie version of it. They are so cute since I've made them with quail eggs and then wrapped them up in puff pastry. They would make great appetizers for your Christmas holiday dinners! Also, they make great airplane food and I'll be bringing them on the plane. I hope my neighbor doesn't mind the flaky pastry falling all over him... :P

Mini Scotch Egg Hand Pies

adapted from bbc.co.uk
makes 6 mini pies

6 quail eggs (plus 1 extra if you think you'll bust one!)

1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage meat

1/4 onion, finely diced

6 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated

pinch of salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp dijon mustard

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed

flour for dusting

1 chicken egg (for egg wash)

1. First, soft boil the quail eggs: bring small pan of water to boil. Add quail eggs gently and cook for 3 mins. Then place in ice water for about 5 mins. Peel eggs carefully as they will be soft inside. Place in fridge (I did this step the night before)
2. Preheat oven to 400F and take out your puff pastry sheet to thaw out. Mix (using your hands) sausage, chopped onion, parmesan and chopped parsley together until well blended. Season with a pinch of salt and a lot of pepper
3. Open the thawed sheet of pastry onto a floured surface. Roll into 12x12" square. On one side, divide into 4 strips (two that are 2.5" wide and 2 that are 3.5" wide).  And then divide the other side by 3. So you have 2.5x4" and 3.5x4" rectangles. Roll the smaller rectangles a little wider so they are more like 3x4".
4. Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on the smaller rectangles. Then pat down a small spoonful of the sausage mixture over the mustard, leaving a 1/2-1cm border around the edges. Blot quail eggs with kitchen paper to get off the moisture and place in the center of the sausage. Cover eggs with a thin layer of sausage 
5. Beat a chicken egg and brush along the borders of the pastry bottoms. Lay the larger 3.5x3" pastry over the filling. You may have to roll it a little bigger to get it to cover the filling. Use a fork to press the borders together firmly to seal
6. Transfer the unbaked pies onto a lined baking tray. Brush the pies with the beaten egg and cut small slits on top for steam to escape. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and cooked through. Leave to cool a few minutes before gobbling.

Read More

Apple Pie Biscuits

I can't believe it's been a month since I last blogged. :O I've been too caught up at school. We're studying Neurology and literally my brain hates learning about the brain. Is that too meta? lol. This is going to be a quick post, because I'm on a cooking frenzy to get ready for Friendsgiving with all my stranded Californian buddies. I hope it turns out well so I can share the recipe with you guys! Fingers crossed!

For now, I leave you with a recipe you could make with your eyes closed! Apple Pie Biscuits! And yes, the picture below is my bf still in his scrubs from a long shift at the hospital (don't worry, they're clean). Even if he's dead tired, I still need a prop holder/hand model haha. He thinks I need to give him more credit on the blog. *eyes trying so hard not to roll* :P

Apple Pie Biscuits

adapted from Joythebaker
makes 12 biscuits

Apple Filling
1-2 fuji apples, cored and sliced v thin

2 tbsp unsalted buter, cubed + cold

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

Biscuit

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, in small cubes

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp white sugar

3/4-1 cup cold butter milk

Topping
1 large egg beaten

2 tbsp raw sugar (demerara sugar)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 425F for 10 mins (rotate 1/2 way)
2. Filling: In a small pot, melt the butter and stir in cinnamon and sugar. Add the apples and cook until the apples become a little limp and the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool
3. In a food processor (or by hand), stir all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, white sugar). Pulse the butter in until the dough resembles small peas. Add buttermilk gradually until moistened and holds together (start with 2/3 cup and add more if necessary)
4. Roll gently and pat dough into a rectangle 8x10", a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the cooled apples into a 1-2 layer over half of the rolled dough. Fold the bare half of the dough over the apples and press the edges to seal and pat in the edges.
5. Use a sharp knife and slice the dough into 9-12 squares. Carefully transfer biscuits to a lined baking tray using a flat spatula
6. In a small bowl, whisk topping (sugar, cinnamon, salt). Brush tops of biscuit with a beaten egg and sprinkle the topping generously over them
7. Bake for 12-14 mins until the biscuits are risen and golden brown

Read More