Shortbread Cookies With Orange Zest-Checkerboard&Spiral shaped

This recipe is from Pastry Chef Jacques Torres.
Slight flavor of orange taste with chocolate/vanilla cookies are perfect match for afternoon tea.

taking out seeds from vanilla beans.

Bowl of powder sugar+egg yolks+cubed butter+grated orange zest+ salt+baking powder+flour

This is Orange Vanilla dough wrapped in vinyl

Vanilla & Chocolate dough. needs to be refrigerate for 1 day because it allows the gluten to relax and flavors(orange, vanilla, chocolate, butter) absorbs the flavors.

create thin layer of dough & brush water on to the dough for them to stick together. Then, bake them att 400F about 15 minutes.

 

KeY LiMe PiE

step 1: make graham cracker crust. crust crumbs + butter+sugar

step 2: create filling. lime juice+condensed milk+lime peels+egg yolks+ little bit of green coloring

This is how it looks like when you stir them. stir them lightly with fork or whisk

Step 3: fill them in and place it inside of the oven at 325F for 15~20 minutes.

decorate with whipped cream+lime garnishes

Fuji Apple Pie

I am ashamed to say this but..... I hate books.
But! I love cookbooks. They fascinates me <3
I went to a library in Pasadena to check out some cool baking books.
After reading them, I realized that I got a long way to go...there are so many ideas and techniques!
So, I decided to ask my lover to pick one recipe out of gazillions of them! * Apple Pie *

flour+sugar+salt+butter+milk

I couldn't find anything to roll the dough, so here is my empty bottle

placed the dough to the plate

I made ridges and made them pretty & I added crushed graham crackers to be more crunchy.

With extra leaves, I made leaves. then to the frig

Fresh, Crisp Fuji Apples

chopped apples with butter+sugar and melt them on boiling skillet for 20 mins.

placed apples to pie crust and topped with leaves

After 30 mins in the oven....lovely warm apple pie

November's Sweet Potato Cake II

It's November and Fall is finally here...

I couldn't stop myself from buying ripe sweet potatoes at the market. Since it's in season, i bought 2 lbs. for $2. What a bargain! Too bad I spent $45 at Whole Foods Market....!!!!

Moving on---On the first sweet potato cake I made, I added rum and it threw the taste away. 

This time- no rum.

So...sponge cake( dipped in hot milk used from making sweet potato mix) with the mix of sweet potato baked in hot milk+butter+sugar. then, another layer of sponge cake( dipped in hot milk) with chocolate chips & syrup on top and garnished with slices of almonds. 

I wanted to take my sweet time to decorate it but....I got tired and I have to wake up in 6 hours...so here ya go!

Jar of Hope

Yesterday, I took empty jar and labeled it as " Sweet Tooth". 

Then, I started going around the house and collected pocket chains. 

I also put my daily tips I get from work & I'm planning to put my paycheck in here too.

I know it's not much but this jar of hope will help me to open up my own store. *sigh~*

care to make any donations? tee hee~