Categories
Recipes

Foodie Friday: Warm spiced apple gin punch

It may not be quite the weather for a chilled cocktail on ice just yet, so why not try out this simple recipe that uses apples and Maison Mirabeau Rosé Gin?

Stars Hollow – a spiced apple gin punch

  • 150 ml Mirabeau Rosé Gin (or gin of choice)
  • some grated nutmeg
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 cardamom pods (crushed)
  • 2 star anise
  • Juniper berries
  • peel of 1 orange
  • peel of 1 lemon
  • thyme
  1. Make the spiced apple juice by simmering the apple juice and spices together gently for two minutes.

  2. Add the Mirabeau Rosé Gin (or gin of choice) with spices in a pan.

  3. Serve in glass half pint tankards and garnish with slices of apple, cinnamon sticks and a dusting of nutmeg.

Drinks
apple, gin, punch
Categories
Recipes

Foodie Friday: Apple turnover

This week’s recipe is brought to us by Winning Appliances culinary expert Chloe Skipp.

Apple turnover

Stay cosy this winter with this mouthwatering apple turnover recipe.

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 5 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and finely diced)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 lemon ((grated zest))
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 packet frozen Careme butter puff pastry
  • 1 egg yolk (lightly whisked)
  1. In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt butter until slightly golden and foaming.

  2. Add apples and brown sugar and increase the heat to high. Cook for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and slightly thickened into a syrup.

  3. Place a sieve over a bowl and drain the apple mixture. Set aside ½ of the mixture, and place the remaining mixture and syrup in a blender and process until smooth.

  4. Place the puree back into the pan and fold through the remaining apple mixture, lemon zest and juice and set aside to cool.

  5. Take out pastry from the freezer and slightly defrost. Using a 12cm round cutter, cut 6 rounds and place 1½ tbsp of the apple mixture in the centre of each round. Fold in half and pinch together the edges. Brush with egg yolk and using a sharp knife, score diagonal lines in the pastry (like a sunset), slicing the pastry ¾ through. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. Reserve any leftover egg yolk and place in the fridge.

  6. Preheat oven to 210°C (190°C fan-forced) with 30% steam. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove pastries from the fridge and brush with remaining egg yolk once more, make two small holes in the long edge of pastry and cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Dessert, Snack
Baked goods
apple, baked, baking
Categories
Recipes

Foodie Friday: Apple pie cinnamon scrolls

This wonderful recipe was created by Panaceas Pantry for Kanzi Apples.

Kanzi Apple Pie Cinnamon Scrolls with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

These naturally sweetened apple cinnamon scrolls are a delicious treat, whether eaten fresh from the oven, or with the vegan cream cheese frosting.

Apple Pie Filling

  • 5 Kanzi Apples
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar

Dough

  • 3 cups 450g plain flour (plus extra)
  • 2 tsp 10g instant dried yeast
  • 1/2 cup 125g plain coconut yoghurt (at room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup 45g raw sugar
  • 1/3 tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup soy milk

Cinnamon Sugar

  • 1/2 cup 90g raw sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter (room temperature)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup 140g icing sugar
  • 2/3 cup 70g dairy free cream cheese
  1. I recommend using scales for this recipe and testing that your yeast is active. Ensure your yeast is less than 6 months old.

    Add flour to a large mixing bowl and make a well. Add in yeast to the well and cover with flour, then add yoghurt, sugar and salt to the bowl.

    Hiding the yeast is important to keep it away from the salt, which would otherwise deactivate the yeast. Set aside.

  2. Warm the soy milk in a saucepan until it is around 40-50°C. If you do not have a thermometer you can use your finger to test – the milk should feel fairly warm, but still comfortable to touch.

    Pour the warm milk into the flour mix and, using a wooden spoon, combine until the dough becomes too thick to stir.

    Flour the benchtop and place dough on top. Knead for 7-8 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, adding more flour only as needed to stop the dough sticking to your hands and the benchtop.

    Wash out your mixing bowl, dry and then lightly oil. Place dough into the bowl then cover and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

  3. Meanwhile, prepare the Kanzi apple pie filling. Core Kanzi apples and dice into 1 cm cubes.

    Place the butter, sugar and diced Kanzi apples into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for approximately 20 mins, stirring occasionally, or until the Kanzi apples have completely softened. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

    In a small bowl make the cinnamon sugar by mixing the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. You will use the butter in the next step. Grease a large, deep dish baking tray (ours was 33cm x 25cm) with butter or oil and also set this aside.

  4. After the dough has risen, flour the bench and roll out the dough to a large rectangle. Take time to create an even thickness, around 1cm thick.

    Spread the set aside butter over the entire surface then top with an even layer of the cinnamon sugar. Try to get the whole rectangle evenly covered.

    Next, spread the cooled Kanzi apple mixture on top and again spread evenly.

  5. Now it is time to roll the log. Starting from the long end, roll up the side to create a long log. You want to roll it fairly tightly, but without squishing the dough.

    Once you have created a log it is time to cut it into 12 even slices. The best way to do this is with dental floss, though a very sharp knife will work.

    Place each slice, with the cut side facing up, into the greased tray. Preheat the oven to 180°C and set aside the covered tray of scrolls in a warm spot to rise for a further 30 minutes while the oven preheats.

  6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the scrolls are golden brown on top. Brush freshly baked scrolls with extra vegan butter to get the nice gloss top.

    You can absolutely enjoy them while warm, or allow to cool and follow the next step to frost.

  7. To make the optional cream cheese frosting, sift icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add cream cheese and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth, then spread on top on cooled scrolls and eat.

  8. If these delicious scrolls manage to last more than the day, you can store them in an airtight container in the panty overnight, or in the fridge for a few days.

* Extra flour will be added during the kneading stage and will vary depending on your dough

* Dairy free cream cheese is available in the vegan section at all major supermarkets

* Vegan butter can be substituted with margarine or melted coconut oil

Dessert
Baked goods
apple, baking, cinnamon, scrolls, vegan
Categories
RENO ADDICT Shopping

Domain’s new Apple app helps you watch the market. Literally.

With the Apple Watch due to be released 24 April, Domain have transformed their award-winning iPhone app into the perfect tool for helping house hunters closely watch the property market (pardon the pun!).

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Providing easy access to the information you need throughout the buying, selling, renting and searching process, the Domain app will allow you to:

  • Search and view property information and photos with one touch
  • Receive instant notifications about properties that meet your criteria and when details or inspection times update
  • Organise properties as favourites and schedule inspections
  • Pick up where you left off with your iPhone to explore properties in more detail.

Domain’s Apple Watch app will be available to download free from the Apple App Store following the release of the watch.

For more information.

Categories
Shopping

I pimped my MacBook Air and made it marble!

You know when you discover something really cool there’s the temptation to selfishly keep it to yourself so nobody else can get one and you can be really exclusive? Well, I thought about it, but I’m a chronic over sharer so here we go….

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How damn cool is this marble-look MacBook skin?! I KNOW! I totally pimped my Air. Everyone who has seen it has LOVED it and I’ve already bought one as a gift for one of my besties.

I discovered it on Instagram and had to have one. It arrived from Canada in little over a week and I am so in love with it. Super easy to apply (it’s just a big sticker), fits perfectly and looks great.

IMG_1461

It’s $24.99 with $8 international shipping from Canada. Yes, that’s one expensive sticker but don’t over think it, it looks amazing! It’s available in all MacBook Pro and Air sizes.

You’re welcome.

Buy yours here. This is not sponsored or an affiliate link.

Categories
Travel

My stay at the Karl Lagerfeld designed Sofitel So Singapore

Right at the very end of our recent six-month trip, we were lucky enough to stay at the new Sofitel So Singapore to break our journey from London for a few nights. It is most famous for being designed, in part, by fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld.

Sofitel So Singapore - Standard room

Not only are the interiors very cool (despite the rather small size of the rooms) –a nice mix of classic and modern– there are all manner of great free inclusions like wi-fi, mini bar snacks and soft drinks and a golden (yes, you read right) rooftop pool! It’s very high-tech too with pretty much everything in the room controlled via Apple technology. I never got tired of opening the blinds from my bedside iPad!

Here’s the lobby bar, which was often full of cool young things! I loved the design.

Sofitel So Singapore (Bar at Lobby)

Read my full review and my top five places for design lovers to visit in Singapore on the Expedia blog.