Pumpkin Pie

October now ~ Pumpkin month too and seeing lots of pumpkin recipes in the internet recently.  

PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients

Pie Dough:
250g plain flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
226g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons milk

Filling:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
110g brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
7 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
6 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground clove
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Directions

Make the Pie Dough: In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter and continue mixing until the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks and milk in small bowl.

Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap well and store in the refrigerator for several hours. (The dough will keep for several days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.)

On a lightly floured work surface, roll half of the dough into a 11 to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Line the pan with the dough and crimp the edges. Chill the pie shell for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake the shell until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and beans.

Meanwhile, make the Filling: Lower the oven to 160 degrees C. In a medium saucepan, mix together the pumpkin and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, milks, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, eggs, and yolk. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until set, about 45 to 55 minutes. 

Cool and serve

Recipe sourced from Food Network

                             Overall , I'm quite pleased with the pumpkin filling as I can smell

                              the aroma of the spices and the pumpkin.

                        I thought I want to put a creepy ugly looking edible mice on my pie for the 
                      halloween feel....unfortunately I haven't got that ingredient to make it.. so....

                        

This post is linking to Little Thumbs Up event (Pumpkin), 

organized by Bake For Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY，

 hosted this month by Eileen's Diary .

Chocolate Frangipane Tart With Poached Pear

I am a big fan of Masterchef Australia and MKR (My Kitchen Rules).  Our local TV does not aired both these cooking competition series but only at the cable TV.  As it only aired one episode everyday or once a week, I just couldn't wait for that long to watch the next episode.  Hence I searched all the episodes in Youtube and Dailymotion.  From there on, I been glued myself watching those amateurs cooking up and presenting those dishes professionally.

Here, today, a post recipe from Masterchef Series 4.

Chocolate Frangipane Tart With Poached Pear

Recipe adapted from Audra Morrice Masterchef Australia

Pastry
250g plain flour
pinch salt
60g cocoa powder
100g icing sugar
200g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
iced water

Poached pears
500ml water
250g caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways, seeds scraped
Juice and strips of rind of one lemon
1/3 cup vincotto *
4 medium corella pears, peeled

Chocolate frangipane
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g icing sugar, sifted
2 eggs
100g almond meal
1 tablespoon flour
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways, seeds scraped
100g dark chocolate, melted


1 Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced.

2 For pastry, place flour, salt, cocoa, and sugar in a food processor and process for 30 seconds until mixed. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles crumbs. With the motor running add egg yolk and about 40ml iced water, or just enough for dough to come together.

3 Tip onto a lightly floured surface, bring together to form a flat disc, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate until just firm.

4 For poached pears, place water, sugar, vanilla, lemon peel and vincotto in a deep, small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Peel pears and remove core from base. Place pears, stem-side up in the saucepan and reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer until pears are tender. Add lemon juice to syrup. Remove pears, allow to cool slightly, reserve poaching syrup.  Slice sides of pears in curved lines, starting 2cm from the stem in a curved line down to the base, repeat at 1cm intervals. The pear should be joined at the top and separate at the base, so when you twist the pear the slices will fan out.

5 Roll pastry between two sheets of baking paper to 2mm thick. Butter and flour 4 x 10cm fluted tart  tins with removable bases. Line each tart tin with pastry, trimming the edge to fit the tin. Refrigerate until pastry is firm. Line tarts with baking paper and pastry weights and bake for 15 minutes until firm around the edge, remove pastry weights and paper and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until pastry is set. Remove from oven and set aside.

6 For the chocolate frangipane, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. Fold in almond meal and flour and then melted chocolate.

7 Fill the tart shells with the frangipane, smooth the surface and bake for 20 minutes or until frangipane is cooked. Set aside until firm. Carefully remove the tarts from the tins and place onto serving plates.  Place a poached pear in the centre of each tart, slightly fanned by twisting the pear. Drizzle the tart and plate with a little poaching liquid.

* Vincotto is a cooked wine.  I have used balsamic vinegar as a substitute.  Almost the same.

My mum used to make poached pears for us to indulge way back in my younger years and now she still do it for us.    This is why whenever I see recipe with poached pears, it just remind me of my mum.

Wish I could share this delicious tart with my mum.

                                     Ooops....forgotten to take the innards of the tart.  

 This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (June 2014 Event: Butter) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen)

Kumquat Almond Pie Cookies

Aaah.....has the title of this post the word "Kumquat"  makes you recall Mel being the Kumquat lover?  Kumquat is available now at Tesco!!  I bought it at RM3.70 per pack.....isn't it a bargain?

I have been eyeing to bake this recipe for quite awhile......at first I was thinking of using pineapple as filling....and everyday I've been looking, and looking at this recipe but lazy bug was inside me and wasn't even feeling wanted to lift up my legs to stand long hours in the kitchen.    But at last, it was the kumquat makes me do it!  

Kumquat Almond Pie Cookies

Recipe inspired from Sweet Explorations

Ingredients

226g butter, room temperature

160g sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups (I used 420g) plain flour

Filling

½ cup Kumquat Jam *

(puree the sweetened kumquat with 2 tbsp almond meal)

 

Method

In a bowl of electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed till soft and fluffy.  Add in egg and vanilla extract.  Add in all the flour on low speed till dough comes together.

Divide the dough equally into 2 and wrap each dough in between plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180Celcius.

Roll out dough and using your cookie cutter, cut out round or square shape to your likings (I used a 3" round cutter).  Sandwich in between with 2 tsp Kumquat Almond Jam and light press to seal the edges.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or lightly brown at edges.

* To make the Kumquat Jam

20 kumquats
Sugar
Water

Weigh kumquats and prepare half amount of water (in weight) and half amount of sugar (ratio: 2:1:1, kumquat:water:sugar, eg : 200gm:100gm:100gm)

Slice half kumquats and remove seeds. Put cleaned kumquats, sugar and water into a saucepan and cook (on medium heat) until the kumquat looks glossy and soft. 

My cookies didn't do that good compare to Francois of SweetExplorations, as the top was not smooth looking compare to his!  BUT.....nevertheless it was good in taste the cookies!  I wasn't really happy the result of my cookies and was not prepare to post to share it out but the yummylicious make me do it!

                                                                          YUM!

KUMQUAT ALMOND TURNOVERS IN PHYLLO PASTRY

I made a promise earlier but I lied..... I promised that after I made the Kumquat Shaker Pie I wouldn't be posting anymore kumquat recipe anymore but I just couldn't help it and this Ms Kumquat is at it yet another post again!

Well it is all because of the upcoming Bake Along #41 whereby the theme is Turnovers, so I thought I join in the fun to bake along with them and moreover I still have a little 'some'  kumquat jam left.

Initial, today post should be the savoury turnovers but I wasn't very pleased with the outcome of the bakes and therefore I post this Kumquat Almond Turnovers first.

 

KUMQUAT ALMOND TURNOVERS IN PHYLLO PASTRY 

(makes 4 triangles turnovers)

Ingredients

Fillings

100g kumquat jam 

50g ground almond

50g melted butter

1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

5, store bought phyllo pastry sheet *

(when I unwrapped the pack of the phyllo, it was all broken into 3 parts therefore, I took one part which is the size of 3" x 12" to use instead or else I will take the whole sheet to fold, and fold)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the kumquat jam and ground almond together till all combined.  Set aside.

  

Unwrap the phyllo, take out the five sheets needed, and place them on a clean counter. Cover with plastic wrap and then a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Cut the phyllo sheet into the size of 3" x 12".

Take one cut sheet of phyllo and brush all over with melted butter, place another cut sheet on top and brush over again.  (One triangle turnover have 5 long strips).

Place 1-2 tablespoons of the kumquat mixture on the bottom right corner of the sheet and fold it up like a flag, corner to corner. Continue to flip the triangle (don’t fold them too tightly or the will explode in the oven), until you get near the end of the strip. Slice off the top left corner of remaining unwrapped phyllo, then brush remaining “tab” with melted butter and fold over to seal the pocket.

Place it on seam-side down, on the prepared pan. Brush the turnovers with egg wash.

Bake, uncovered, until the turnovers are browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on racks and serve warm.

 I added the ground almond into the kumquat jam so it won't be runny while baking but only need to seal the phyllo properly else it will 'burst' out.

Delicious and crispy!  You can always use mixed berries as the filling; and if I am making with phyllo again, I think I used blueberries.

I am submitting this post to Bake Along hosted by

 Zoe of Baking for Happy kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings.

 



 

KUMQUAT SHAKER PIE

The "Ms. Kumquat", that's me, Mel, is at it again.  Posting another kumquat recipe.  I promise that this will be my last kumquat recipe.  Hope no one is complaining....  I wonder why should anyone complained when I am posting some delicious dessert here, right?

KUMQUAT SHAKER PIE 

Recipe from Food52.com

Makes a 9-inch pie 

Ingredients

6 oz kumquats (about 180 -200g)

1 large lime

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (divided)  (I put in 130g but still sweet!)

4 large eggs (divided)

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch

1 tablespoon water

1 All Butter Pie Crust with Almond (see below recipe)

Method

Rinse kumquats and lime thoroughly. Cut kumquats in halves to quarters lengthwise, depending on the size. Remove the seeds. Slice the kumquats into eighth inch thickness. Place sliced kumquats in a small, non-reactive bowl. Zest the lime, and add the zest to the kumquats. Juice the lime into the bowl with the kumquats, making certain not to incorporate any seeds. Add salt and 1 cup sugar to the bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside overnight, or up to 24 hours, stirring once or twice during that time.

Place a rack in the lower middle position of the oven, and preheat the oven to 425º F.

Separate one of the eggs, placing the white into a small bowl, and the yolk into a medium bowl. Set the white aside. Add the remaining 3 eggs to the bowl with the yolk. Whisk until foamy. Whisk the melted butter into the eggs in a steady stream. Whisk in the tapioca flour until no clumps remain. Stir the kumquat mixture into the egg mixture. Set aside.

Roll out the bottom crust of your pie dough, and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the top crust so it barely overhangs the edge of the pie pan. Give the filling a final stir, and pour it into the crust. Gently spread out the kumquat pieces.

Add the water to the reserved egg white, and whisk until combined. Brush the egg white mixture onto the outer half-inch or so of the bottom pie crust. (This will help to create a good seal between the top and bottom crusts.)

Roll out the top crust of your pie dough. Gently drape it over the pie. Trim so there is about a half-inch of overhang. Tuck the overhang over, so the edge is between the top crust and the pie pan. Flute the edges to seal. Brush the top of the pie with the egg white mixture, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Cut several steam vents in an attractive pattern near the center of the pie.

Bake pie for 30 minutes. Rotate pie 180º and cover with foil. Decrease oven temperature to 350º F. Continue baking until the top crust has puffed up and a knife inserted into one of the steam vents comes out clean, about 25 more minutes.

Let fully cool on a rack. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, but bring to room temperature before serving. 

All Butter Pie Crust With Almond

Recipe from Simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour

16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

3 to 6 Tbsp ice water, very cold

Method

1 Start by cutting the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and placing in the freezer for 15 minutes so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2 In a food processor, combine flour, almond flour, salt, and sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.

3 Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

5 Add filling to the pie.

              
                         What do you think the pie pattern shape I made?  Nice ?

                 See the kumquat rind?  Ooo.....I love it! 

Kumquat Tart

Hello everyone,

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 to you!  May the year 2013 brings you good health and may you stay happy at all times!

To start the year 2013, I have baked a Kumquat Tart.
I hope you won't gave me a remarks of saying......kumquat again?!
Well, kumquat is one of my favourite fruit.....so I will try to use this to bake all types of cakes or tart to indulge in....

The tart crust I used here is the same from my Lemon Tart (Shortbread crust from joyofbaking).

As for the filling, I just created it myself ....with kumquat puree, eggs, milk and sugar.  You can called this as Kumquat Egg Tart too.  I baked this for 20 minutes and thought the filling already set and cooked.... I used only 2 eggs which supposed to use for 3-4 eggs.

I will try to perfect it the next time....

  

 Hope your start of the new year 2013 has been a good one so far....... well, I am lazying at home catching some movies....  with a cup of tea and a few slices of this kumquat tart...

 

Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart 

Shortbread Crust:

Recipe from Joy Of Baking
 

1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing sugar)

1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Lightly butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 or 9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. 

In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. 
Add the cold butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. 
Transfer the pastry to the prepared pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) 

Gently pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C  and place rack in the center of the oven. 

Place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake the crust until golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. It is now ready to be filled.

Lemon Cream

Adapted from Rima of BisousAToi
 

3/4 cup lemon juice
lemon zest (as much as you want)
4 eggs
245g caster sugar
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature

To make the lemon cream, place the sugar in a large bowl.
Finely zest the lemons and add the zest to the sugar. Mix with the tip of your fingers.
Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk well.
Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water without touching, in order to thicken the cream. Stir constantly, it is ready when it coats a wooden spoon.
Remove from the heat and let cool a little before adding the pieces of soft butter tablespoon by tablespoon. Mix well by hand first until the butter is melted, then with a hand mixer to lighten the cream. It can take a few mins.
Once the crust is cold, fill with lemon cream. 

Level it and chill in fridge overnight, before serving.

The shortbread crust still stays crunch and crispy the next day...... I thought I make a blunder when I make the crust because it shrunk and puff up while baking and makes my heart bob, bob, bob....thinking it is a flop again..... nevertheless I just use it.
And I complain to my sister that this shortbread crust is no no good.... but it turns out SO GOOD!!
hee...sorry....!

  
The original recipe for Lemon Cream is using Meyer Lemon but I just use the normal lemon which resulted a little sour.... unless you want to add more sugar in it but I chose not!

And finally I have this beautiful rectangular pan which I have been looking for so long........... and thank you my dearest Sister S for getting this for me......all the way from NZ from my favourite shop... Briscoes... and it is half price!!
I remember I used to go there almost everyday.... oh my....

Apple Strudel

Hello my friends, good day to you!

Time pass real fast and it is already Saturday.  What do you intend to do today?  Out grocery shopping or stay at home?  Hmm....weekend usually is crowded at the supermarket/shopping centres.  To me, I rather stay home and catch some movies!

Staying at home means I need to make something to eat while watching TV.  Just wanted to clear some apples away in my fridge; hence, I have made this Apple Strudel!

 
 APPLE STRUDEL
 
Ingredients
1 sheet store bought puff pastry
   

Filling

4 or 5 apples, (I used Granny Smith), peeled and slice

25g butter

100g brown sugar

40g raisins

½ tsp cinnamon powder

some toasted walnuts, chopped to small

2 tbsp plain flour 

1 small egg for egg wash

To make the Filling

Heat up frying pan and melt in the butter and sugar.  Add in apple slices and raisins.

Stir fry the apples till tender and soft.  Add in the cinnamon powder and flour to 

thicken it.  Dish up and let cool.

Place pastry on a baking sheet with greased proof paper.

Spoon mixture down center of dough and sprinkle the walnuts all over. Cut slits in dough 1 inch apart lengthwise down each side of filling. Brush each 1-inch dough strip with beaten egg and fold over dough. 
 

Brush top of pastry with remaining egg and sprinkle with reserved sugar mixture. Bake at preheated oven 180C for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm, or allow to cool before serving.

 You may serve this with some ice cream together.....taste real delicious!