Simple apple turnover

Living in Hawaii makes people extra sensitive to weather change. A five degree drop in temperature makes it feels like the island has entered its winter phase, which is the best time for all kinds of baked apple desserts. This recipe is perfect if you are in a somewhat lazy mode but still craves for homemade pastry. All you have to do is to chop some apples, toss them in a mixture of sugar and spices, wrap them in a pie crust and throw it in the oven. Seriously, it cannot get any simpler than this. 

Ingredients:

Pre-made pie crust 1

Apples 2

Brown sugar 2tbsp

Cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp

Nutmeg 1/2 tbsp

Instructions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 425F

2) Cut apples into thin slices and mix them with sugar and spices

3) Let the apples sit in the sugar mixture for at least 5 minutes

4) Place pie crust into a loaf pan, add apple slices and fold edges over

5) Heat for 45 minutes.

It's an animal cookies party!

Last weekend I made these cute animals cookies for a party and people absolutely loved it. Even I love cute cookies, I have always been lazy to make cutout cookies because they require so much effort. But this recipe is relatively easy and you can always store the cookie dough in the fridge and bake one cookie or two to reward yourself after a tough day of work.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted margarine, at room temperature

⅔ cup sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 large egg

Directions:

1) In a medium to large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer together until light and fluffy and butter becomes nearly white.

2) Beat in the egg until thoroughly incorporated. Add in vanilla extract.

3) Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients in three increments and fold/stir to combine.

4) Divide the dough in two batches, one sized ⅓ of overall mixture, the other ⅔ of the overall dough. Knead/stir cocoa into the smaller portion of dough.

5) Wrap doughs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one-hour or overnight to firm up before shaping.

6) Set oven to 350F. Roll cookie dough into half an inch thick. Cut out desire shapes cookie cutters (this is the fun part where you can use you imagination)
7) Spray baking pan with oil. Set cookies on the pan. Bake for 12minutes or until the edge turn golden brown.