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How to Be Awesome at Decorating with Fan Art

 
Forget those generic-o prints of flowers from IKEA. Ditch your ripped-up Pulp Fiction poster from college. “Keep Calm and Carry On”? Over it. What your fortress of solitude needs are beautiful renderings of your favorite characters—and a printout collage won’t cut it. Here’s how to classily plaster your space with your OTP.
 

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Recipe: Apple Spice Pie

Excerpted from our Making Dough cookbook from Russell van Kraayenburg.

YIELD: 1 (9-inch) closed pie  |  PREP TIME: 30 minutes  |  BAKE TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds prepared Pie Dough (double the recipe on page 50)

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 pounds Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each

3 ounces granulated sugar

3 ounces brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 ounce (¼ cup) cornstarch

1 egg, beaten (egg wash)

 

Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Divide prepared pie dough into 2 (1-inch-thick) disks, wrap tightly in parchment paper, and refrigerate. Heat butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed. Cook for another 10 minutes, until apples are soft and juices begin to thicken.

2. Mix 1/2 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir into apple mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until filling comes to a boil and thickens. Cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds. Set aside.

3. Place one dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie dish and press into the bottom of the dish, taking care not to let dough stretch. Lightly press dough down around the edges of the dish and cut off any excess. Pour in filling, creating a mound in the center. Set aside.

4. Place second disk of dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and place on top of pie dish. Press edges to seal pie shut. Cut 4 tear-drop holes in the center of the pie to let steam escape during cooking. Cut excess dough from edges. Create a rope edge (see page 54). Lightly brush dough with egg wash. Bake for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.

Posted by Russell van Kraayenburg

Worst-Case Wednesday: How To Survive A Boring Class

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

We’ve all had that one class. You know the one. You drag your feet getting there because you just can’t stay awake. Maybe the teacher speaks in a monotone. Maybe the subject matter is really uninteresting. Maybe it’s a government-controlled test to determine your attention span. Who knows! But either way, if you’re looking for a way to combat sleepiness in that class, we have some tips for you, courtesy of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: College Edition.

Posted by Basia Padlo

How to Tuesday: How to Make Homemade Butter Beer

 
This year for Oktoberfest, why not whip up a batch of everyone's favorite wizarding brew? Butterbeer!
 
According to the Harry Potter books Butterbeer comes in two varieties, cold & bottled or steaming hot in tankards. I've concocted both recipes to share with you here. 🙂
 
The cold variety of Butterbeer (pictured above) is very easy.
 
You'll need…
 
– Bottle of Cream Soda
– English Toffee Flavored Syrup
– Printed Butterbeer Labels
– Transparent Tape
 
First, download these "one size fits most" Butterbeer bottle labels. Print & cut out labels.
 
Pour 2 tsp toffee syrup into the bottle & stir carefully (stirring causes bubbles & you don't want to lose all the fizz.)
 
Tape on the labels after flavoring (so you don't drip on it), serve & enjoy!
 
 
Warm Butterbeer is what I remember most from the books. This buttery warm beverage is perfect for the crisp fall weather and will make you feel like you're in Hogsmeade!
 
You'll need…
 
– Whole Milk
– 1/2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
– English Toffee Flavored Syrup
– 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
– 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
– 1 Tbsp Sugar
– Whisk 
– Bowl (or Stand Mixer)
– Medium Saucepan
 
First we'll make the butterbeer flavored whipping cream. Whisk together sugar & whipping cream. (I used a stand mixer, which made this step much easier.) When the texture looks fluffy add 1 tsp toffee flavored syrup. Mix again.
 
On the stove melt 1/2 tbsp butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add milk & brown sugar. Stir with whisk constantly to keep milk from scalding. (Be sure not to use a metal whisk in a nonstick pan or you will scratch off all the nonstick coating.) When the milk begins to steam take it off the heat and add 2 tbsp toffee syrup. Stir with whisk and pour into tankard. Add a bit of whipped cream for the frothy "head" and serve.
 
And if you want to print your own labels, we've got these for you. Just right click and save as, to get the full, high rez printable version! 
 
 
What's your favorite fictional brew? Let us know in comments.
 
And be sure to tweet us a photo if you try this recipe out!
 

Sarah Shotts is a blogger, vlogger, and “nerdlywed.” Recently married, she blogs about living a nerdy life as a newlywed on her blog. She also vlogs about all things geeky on the Swot Sisters Youtube channel she created with her sister Mary. When she’s not making stuff on the internet she’s busy teaching theatre classes and doing wedding photography and video.
 

Posted by Sarah Shotts

Eight Books for Fans of David Mitchell

(image via David Mitchell on Facebook)

David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas completely floored me: the step-pyramid narrative structure, the inventiveness of each of the interwoven worlds, the neologisms and peculiarly delightful turns of phrase are all nothing short of fantastic, in every sense of the world. And while I’m as jazzed as anyone to crack open his latest novel The Bone Clocks, I’m also already dreading the day when it’s over. Feel the same way? Here are eight picks for us Mitchell fans to read next.

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

BOOKISH EVENTS IN PHILADELPHIA: SEPTEMBER 27TH – OCTOBER 3RD

Photo via Visit Philly

Happy Friday, everyone! There is a most literalicious, booksquisite weekend and week ahead. Enjoy, and if you have any particularly pagesome and readiculous experiences (sipping cider with a great new novel, or laughing 'til you cry at a reading), tell us @apiarymagazine on Twitter. 

love, 

APIARY

Posted by Lillian Dunn