Out & About #1125 | Apple Crisp + Pandan Steamed Cake - Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger

Out & About #1125 | Apple Crisp + Pandan Steamed Cake

10/10/2025

Whether it's the crunchy leaves beneath my feet or the cryptic sense of numbness that propagates through my entire body, I've began my seasonal deep dive into fall flavours. On one hand, it could be viewed as a form of coping, for recipe testing and development demands concentration and agility, leaving little room for negative thoughts. On the other hand, I could merely be enjoying the flow state of creation and analysis, all while remaining indoors and away from the pressures of society (and inflation). Regardless, tasty treats emerge from each elaborate undertaking.

1) Apple Crisp with Pie Crust Bottom

I had previously constructed two pie dough discs, then unintentionally thinned them out to stretch across three 8.75in diameter foil pie plates. Consequently, they were deemed them unfit for use in traditional pies, such as Apple or Pecan. I decided to take advantage of the prepared bases and attempt an Apple Crisp instead.

Of course, the standard apple crisp does not include a bottom layer. Incorporation of a flaky edge served to contribute textural interest, improve ease of portioning, and, most importantly, maximize efforts already undertaken.

a) Pie Crust

I used two of three prepared crusts for the crisps, which equates to two thirds of SK's pie crust recipe.

b) Filling

A total of 6 apples were used for two Apple Crisps: 3 Ginger Gold and 3 Rave Apples. This was an interesting mix, for this year's Ginger Gold were small and sturdy yet mealy and bland. Rave Apples, which were acquired from Costco for $10.99 in the form of a 5 lb bag, were a mildly juicy, red-green-fleshed specimen embracing both tart and sweet notes. In hindsight, I should have included one more Rave apple for volume, though the impact may have been negligible to the average taster.

Ingredients:

706 g apples (3 Ginger Gold + 3 Rave)
approx. 1/3 cup lemon juice
cinnamon
nutmeg
apple pie spice
ground ginger
approx. 3 tbsp brown sugar
approx. 1 tbsp granulated sugar
pinch of salt
approx. 2 tbsp cornstarch

All ingredient quantities are an estimate, for far and few between are the instances in which I precariously measure out precise weights of apple-macerating components. After peeling, coring, and cutting into chunks, the apples would be set aside while I prepared the crisp topping.

c) Topping

Given that I desired a "crisp" topping as opposed to a "crumble" that would become sodden the day after, I turned to SK's fall recipe repertoire. Drawing inspiration from her Salted Caramel Peach Crisp, I proceeded to assemble my own rendition.

Ingredients:

170 g unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
80 g dark brown sugar
45 g granulated sugar
50 g turbinado sugar
125 g oats
120 g almond flour
170 g AP flour

Directions

Combine softened butter with sugars and salt. Using a whisk, cream with sugars until airy and homogenous.
Add in oats, almond flour, and AP flour. Fold using a spatula, then form into a dough using fingertips once most of the flour is incorporated.
Distribute evenly across two apple crisps.

Source: Costco Business Centre

As I prefer neither starting from melted butter nor working cold chunks of butter into flour, I creamed the butter akin to the early stages of a cookie dough. Dry ingredients would be folded in afterwards, followed by fingertips bringing the mixture to a dough. And, if you ask me, this method worked extremely well!

The Apple Crisps comprised of three layers:

A thin sheet of Pie Dough on the bottom
Apples, cut into chunks and macerated for about 15-20 mins
Crumble topping, distributed thoroughly to ensure complete coverage of apples

plus a light brushing of egg wash on the crust.

Each crisp was hoisted onto its own tray. The oven was set to 350 F and the crisps were baked for about 75-80 minutes, rotated halfway between the middle and bottom racks.

In other words, this meant that:

One crisp ("A") baked on the middle rack for 30 mins, bottom rack for 35 mins (rotated 180 deg), and middle rack for 10-15 mins (rotated 180 deg until golden).
One crisp ("B") baked on the bottom rack for 30 mins and middle rack for 35-40 mins (rotated 180 deg).

In a convection oven, the ideal baking location is at the centre of the middle rack, directly in front of the fan. Crisps that had spent more time on the bottom rack would have a sturdier base, but require a longer period to earn a golden hue.

Results wholly exceeded expectations and, with inclusion of the foil pie plate, looked identical to the versions occupying farm store shelves across the GTA. However, upon closer inspection, one would quickly be able to confirm its homemade origins. The crisp topping was brimming with complexity - not merely a pasty mix sprinkled with cinnamon and soggy oats, but rather a hearty, irresistible crunchiness from incorporation of ground almonds and turbinado sugar. The filling was sweet, but moderately so. Nevertheless, it was far more gratifying than the "sugar-free" editions I had sampled during The Apple Factory's heyday.

An underlying layer of pie crust also added an unexpected flakiness to the autumn treat, blurring the boundary between "crisp" and "pie" without veering into the territory of excessiveness. The emphasis did not shift from the crisp; the pie crust base merely made it easier to slice and portion.
I had hastily brushed a thin coat of egg wash on the exposed edges of the pie crust, but refrained from sprinkling my signature turbinado finisher. This yielded a snappy texture without even the faintest hints of sweetness. If evaluated as a standalone crust, I would have deemed it somewhat lacking in the absence of coarse sugar, however it should be noted that there was plenty of turbinado in the crisp topping and an adequate blend of warm spices in the filling. Moreover, the relatively neutral profile allowed for the addition of vanilla ice cream, if desired. The Crisp should be consumed within three days; after this period, transfer to the refrigerator for preservation up to three more days, toasting as necessary. Delineation of textures becomes more difficult at this point though.

2) Pandan Steamed Cake

I hadn't been eager to immediately delve into further fall baking preparation after the madness of the past seven days. That said, I unknowingly found myself on the baking side of YouTube once more and fell into a stream of Cantonese recipes by 廚娘的365日.

A minty green Pandan Steamed Cake caught my attention. The texture was described as "Q", aka chewy, while the interior gave off a sponge cake-like appearance. Curiosity was piqued immediately, especially when it was confirmed that all ingredients were readily available. Most importantly, the procedure was extremely straightforward and did not involve much active labour - or dishes for that matter! (As you can tell, I'm positively repulsed by the thought of washing after prepping apples and preparing dough.)

The recipe was incredibly accurate in all aspects, with each stage mirroring that of the video demonstration. Aside from my batter being more saturated, the texture was identical.

I had taken advantage of the Proof function of oven, allowing the contents to ferment at 100 F (~37-38 C) for 65 mins. This yielded the exact consistency depicted in 廚娘's video, in which she had recommended fermentation a 30-35 C for 1h.

Before fermentation

After fermentation (100 F, 65 mins)

Just like hers, my version also revealed plenty of air bubbles and a somewhat tacky batter. After mixing, the batter was slightly less viscous and foamy with fine bubbles.

After steaming for 30 minutes, I adhered to the directions of waiting for 5 minutes before removing the steamer lid and then allowing the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Again, I observed the same visuals as shown in the recipe video. The surface was glossy, even without the recommended brushing of oil, the edges bearing a tight structure of fine voids, and the underside delicate and reminiscent of an oil-based sponge.

Source: 廚娘的365日, 2024

An enticing pandan aroma was detected from the brilliant-hued round. True to the recipe, the cake was indeed bouncy and springy - the perfect 糕點 for snacking! Admittedly though, it wasn't quite sweet enough for my liking. As other commentors had noted, increasing the amount of sugar in the recipe or swapping for black sugar made for a more delectable rendition.

I opted for sweetened condensed milk to dip, for it accentuated the ethereal fragrance of pandan and adequately enhanced the overall composition of the steamed cake. When paired as such, the cake tasted like a wonderful, springy mantou - all without the horrors of kneading, portioning, and rolling! The first few bites were condensed milk-forward, but the lingering aftertaste of pandan is nevertheless unmistakable.

As indicated by a dark green strip towards the base of the cake, there may have been more moisture in the batter than anticipated, thus it would have been in my best interest to mix once more before steaming and steam for longer.

The cake was received surprisingly well by members of the office - with remarks returning positive and in appreciation of condensed milk!

Lunch walks spanned mall errands and seeking relief from 30-degree conditions early in the week and shockingly chilly temperatures towards the midpoint way of the work week.

On my first office day, I returned to find my office belongings dumped out from my IKEA bin into a cardboard tray. A printed note had been left with my things, notifying seizure of my personal bin. Needless to say, I responded with shock and outrage. I fought to retrieve my personal belongings, and reinstated my wrongfully dislodged supplies into the container. Some admin clearly had issues with me, but didn't bother to fact check before starting office drama.

The latter days involved trying Lindt's new drink series. It is worth noting that the lineup of caffeinated beverages was only a recent addition to the Square One outpost, for the PATH had been selling them for at least a decade.

While delectable at first, I quickly felt ill. The reason was unknown, but perhaps the intense dose of caffeine and sugar had impacted my tired body more gravely than expected.

I spent the last twenty minutes of lunch break roaming the AGM's latest exhibition, "The Search for the Black Madonna and Green Tara".

Frankly, the vast majority of the exhibit relied on "spiritual connection" - an intangible sensation that I could not tap into whatsoever.

Items consumed over the week included:

Knorr's Chicken Flavoured Fried Rice

This abomination of a packaged meal stained my microwave lid yellow, overflowed while reheating, scalded my hand with flying bits of rice, and tasted like MSG with uncooked peas. Suffice to say, it was practically trash.