Vegan Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 Mclntosh Apples

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Crust:

350 gram All Purpose Flour

160 gram Apple Sauce

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1/8 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder

Green Food Colorant

Instruction:

Chocolate Bread Pudding (with video)

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

2 pieces Bread loaf ends

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup Raisins

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Whole Milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1/3 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Instruction:

Sweet Poached Pear

Our grandma has a big pear tree in the backyard.  Every fall, there will be many adorable pears diggling in the tree and waiting to be harvested.  Ethan, my little boy, loves to help.

Ingredients:

30 Pears, small size, prefer green and not ripe

2 1/2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Lemon Juice

1 Lemon Zest

Instruction:

To prepare ahead…

1. Peel the skin of the pears.  Cut off the steams and the bottoms.  Cut the pear in havles vertically to keep the pear shape.  Rinse.

Note: The pears I used here were really green, and their cores were soft enough to keep.  If the pears you are going to use have hard cores and seeds, please remove them.

To cook, day 1…

2. Place the pears in a large pot and fill the pot with water that just enough to cover them.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring it to boil over high heat until bubbling.  Turn down to low heat and simmer it for another hour.  Remove it from the heat.  Leave the pears in the pot over night.

To cook, day 2...

4. Bring the whole pot to boil again over high heat until bubbling.  Turn down the heat to low.  Simmer it for another hour, or until the syrup is thickened.  Remove it from the heat.

To serve…

5. This delicious treat is a wonderful pair with ice cream, or a highlight for any pastry.

Note: Keep the pears in a air-tight jar in a fridge.  It can be kept up to a month.

Turtle Pancake

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup Whole Milk

1 egg

1/2 Ground Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/8 teaspoon Salt

Instruction:

To prepare the batter…

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together until it becomes smooth and has no lump.

2. Pour the batter in a zip bag.  Sqeeze the batter to a corn of the bag.  Tie up the top.  Trim a tiny hole off the corner as a pastry bag.

3. Grease a frying pan with half teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat.

4. When the pan is hot enough, "draw" an outline of a turtle body with the batter.  Cook it for 10 seconds.

5. Fill in the rest of the body part and cook for another 1 minute.  When the pancake is firmed enough, flip it over and cook for another 1 minute.

6.  With the same tecnique in step 2, "draw" an outline of a turtle shell.

7. Last, make some mini pancakes for the turtle feet and the turtle head with the rest of the batter.

8. To assemble the turtle, place a mini pancake on each foot and the head.  Place about 3 pancakes in the centre.  Then, place the shell on top.  Serve with maple syrup.