Apple Crisp Pastry

Apple Crisp Pastry

　　Ingredients: 250g flour, 200g lard, 100g water.

　　Seasonings: 500g apples, 100g sugar, a little white芝麻, peanut oil, and cornstarch.

　　Preparation method: Bake. Place 2/3 of the flour on the work surface, add lard and water, mix well, and knead into a water-oil dough. Take 1/3 of the flour, mix with lard to make a dry oil pastry. Peel and core the apples, then dice them. Heat a pan over fire, add peanut oil, sugar, and apple cubes, and stir-fry until slightly cooked. Add cornstarch to thicken the juice, then remove from heat. Sprinkle in roasted and fragrant sesame, mix well to form the filling. Divide the water-oil dough and dry oil pastry into 30 portions each. Wrap the dry oil pastry inside the water-oil dough using the method of “opening small layers” (small laminating technique), then encase the filling, shape into apple-like forms, and use a toothbrush to spray a bit of red food coloring on one side of the apple shapes. Mix the remaining flour with spinach juice to make a leaf-green dough, then shape into apple leaves and stems to decorate the colored apple forms. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven over medium heat until done.

　　Flavor profile: Resembles an apple, rich fruity aroma, with clear layers of crispness.

　　Technical tips: Too high baking temperature will prevent layer formation; too low may cause filling leakage and result in dark, unclear layers.