I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 647 - 300: Holy moly, it looks even more like an apple than a real apple! Qiuqiu, I have a sincere suggestion for you!

Chapter 647: Chapter 300: Holy moly, it looks even more like an apple than a real apple! Qiuqiu, I have a sincere suggestion for you!

The TV studio’s recording room was busy as the program’s filming continued.

Xie Baomin was shaping small dough apples. Seeing that Lin Xu had finished wrapping the apple filling, he said, "Junior Brother, go cut a few carrot sections and stick a short chopstick in the middle of each. Once the apples are shaped, they can’t be placed back on the work surface; they need to be lifted with the chopsticks. This way, when they’re steamed, the apples will puff up rounder and more beautifully."

It could be done like this? Lin Xu felt he had learned a new trick. He hadn’t expected Carrots could be used this way, nor had he thought steaming round Snacks could be so simple. In the future, when steaming similar items, I can use this simple method with Carrots and chopsticks. However, if I were to make these frequently in the shop, it would be better to buy a specially made steaming basket.

Lin Xu had seen such specially made steaming baskets before. They had non-slip stainless steel rods welded on top, designed to hold Snacks in place for steaming, and could even be used for buns. The once-famous high-pile buns from the Central Plains were steamed this way.

Lin Xu took a few Carrots and sliced them into sections about five centimeters thick. This thickness ensured the chopsticks could be inserted firmly and provided enough weight to prevent the dough apples from tilting or overturning during steaming. After slicing the Carrots, he took a bundle of bamboo disposable chopsticks and cut them, keeping a piece about ten centimeters long from the thicker head end of each. Then, he whittled the cut ends slightly to form points and stuck one into each carrot section, leaving the top of the chopstick (the thicker, unused end) exposed.

When making this kind of temporary support, the intact head of the chopstick must face upwards. This effectively prevents any splinters from the cut end from getting into the dough apples, which could injure the mouth. Of course, it’s still best to use a professional steaming rack. Otherwise, steaming just once would waste several Carrots and a bundle of disposable chopsticks, which is far too wasteful.

As soon as Lin Xu finished preparing the supports, Xie Baomin inserted a white dough apple onto one of the chopsticks, stem-end up. The apple was shaped so lifelike; even the wrinkles at the calyx were crafted. This was a true test of pastry skills because not only did the wrinkles need to look right, but it was also crucial for the dough apple to retain similar markings after being steamed. Otherwise, the finished product might look correct in form but lack spirit, affecting its final presentation.

"How did you do that part, Senior Brother?" Lin Xu asked.

"You press it out with the tip of a bamboo skewer. An apple generally has five ridges, so just press down five times," Xie Baomin explained, demonstrating the technique as he worked. After shaping the stem area on the larger end of the dough apple, he turned it over, so the smaller end (where the calyx would be) faced up. First, he used the pointed end of a small rolling pin to make a fairly deep, straight indentation. Then, he picked up a bamboo skewer, the kind used for grilled sausages, and laid it flat, perpendicular to the indentation made by the rolling pin. Using the tip of the skewer, he pressed down along the straight indentation, pushing down the surrounding dough as well. He then rotated it slightly, by a few tens of degrees, and pressed again. Repeating this five times in a circle formed the angled ridges of the apple’s calyx.

He cradled the dough apple in his hand, pinching it a few more times to refine the apple shape. The indentations at the top (stem) and bottom (calyx) needed to be distinct, and the "waist" of the apple, its middle section, should be squeezed slightly narrower. This way, when it expanded during steaming, the apple’s shape would be perfectly rendered. The difficulty in shaping leavened Snacks wasn’t in the pinching itself, but in accurately predicting the final appearance after steaming and rising. Only those who could do this could be called masters. After carefully shaping it, Xie Baomin reinserted the dough apple onto the chopstick.

The whole process appeared simple and efficient, giving the impression of being "nothing special," but Lin Xu knew very well that every step was far from simple and highly dependent on experience. If I tried it rashly, I’d definitely mess it up. If this were just practice on my own, messing up wouldn’t be a big deal. But we’re recording a show right now! If that mischievous young editor later decided to include any blunders in the final cut, it would be a huge joke.

"Boss Lin, aren’t you going to try making one?" Zeng Xiaoqi asked curiously, seeing Lin Xu standing off to the side with his hands behind his back, acting as a spectator. Wouldn’t it save time if two people were doing it? Why isn’t Boss Lin helping out?

Lin Xu replied with a smile, "My Senior Brother is the head chef today; I’m just assisting."

Hearing his Junior Brother’s comment, Xie Baomin didn’t stand on ceremony. He passed a piece of dough he had set aside earlier to Lin Xu. "Isn’t there cocoa powder over there? Knead it into this dough to make it a deep coffee color."

Oh? What’s this step for? Lin Xu took the piece of dough and kneaded it a few times. After resting just now, the dough has puffed up a bit more. With sugar added, the Yeast is really active!

Just as he was about to ask, Xie Baomin proactively explained, "Just having the apples isn’t complete; they need stems too. And the calyx area also needs a little something stuffed in, so it looks dark, more like a real apple."

Tsk tsk, Senior Brother is really going all out this time! He even thought of the stems and calyx. The apples made this way will be completely indistinguishable from real ones, right?

He took the piece of dough, pinched some cocoa powder onto it, and began kneading them together. Because the cocoa powder was a bit dry, it wasn’t easy to knead into the dough. It had to be added gradually, bit by bit, until the dough turned a coffee color. This type of cocoa powder, sometimes called chocolate powder, is a Western ingredient but sees wide application in Chinese cuisine. For example, in common flower rolls, unless specified otherwise, cocoa powder is used instead of traditional sorghum flour. The reason is that cocoa powder produces a more attractive color; just a small amount mixed into the dough achieves perfect coloration, whereas much more sorghum flour would be needed for the same effect.