When my Guinness Cake arrived in the office on Monday morning, I noticed that the rate of consumption had stalled compared to most days. The final piece remained in place until lunchtime, which was triple the period required for the adjacent Butter Tteok to vanish. However, office remarks were positive - overwhelmingly so! While I hadn't observed most people take to the cake, I was later informed that the bitterness of the cake was indeed reminiscent of Guinness' wondrous qualities, perfectly offset by the subtly sweet, yielding frosting.
Almost one year later, I'm extremely proud to declare that my presence is observed and, above all, my abilities recognized. The office had welcomed me at long last, noticing periods of my absence and excitedly gravitating towards me when present. While I despise the constant need to participate in meetings, those that actually require my engagement does not constitute time lost.
This week has given rise to yet another whirlwind of emotions. It has been extremely hectic, in which I constantly found myself in conversations that I neither expected, or did not expect to go beyond the specified duration. I continue to despise the work and its seemingly endless nature, but am starting to feel mournful: The relationships I've strived so hard to build are finally bearing fruit.
This week has given rise to yet another whirlwind of emotions. It has been extremely hectic, in which I constantly found myself in conversations that I neither expected, or did not expect to go beyond the specified duration. I continue to despise the work and its seemingly endless nature, but am starting to feel mournful: The relationships I've strived so hard to build are finally bearing fruit.
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Appearances in the office were brief. At Walmart, I spotted a low-quality K-pop Demon Hunters tiger plush being retailed at an atrocious $54.95. This was an outrage considering that my recently acquired CoCo plush cost well under half the price and featured superior and significantly softer material.
In spite of floral installations in the Grand Rotunda signifying the arrival of spring, Mother Nature was compelled to disagree with an influx of flurries and brisk, single-digit temperatures throughout the week.
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Appeasing some of my anxieties was an LCBO stopover - the first of this year's, might I add!
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The opportunity allowed for a well-deserved restock of sake, along with craft beer. Proof of age was, shockingly, not requested during this visit, which led me to contemplate whether ongoing work stress had resulted in a telling, withered appearance.
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Availability of imported seasonal produce is on the rise. Recently, grocery stores have seen a surge in Fuji apples and mangoes. The latter served as a splendid complement to Nani's Gelato's Mango Lassi formula.
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I slaved away for the rest of the work, actively questioning when my stress-induced weight gain would dissipate. Office sightings of fruit cake, brownies, and sour candy weren't beneficial to my case, though I was mindful to increase exercise accordingly.
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1) Matcha Layer Brownie
It was on Tuesday morning amidst rushing to prepare my lunch for another in-office day that my mind wandered in the direction of matcha brownies. The vision was oddly specific: Brownies with a layer of Matcha "Brownie" on top. When I had arrived in office and saw the Mini Egg Brownies constructed by another member of the office, I couldn't help but admit to a sense of déja vu.
"I was contemplating matcha brownies, actually." I began.
"Yes!" The creator of the Mini Eggs Brownies immediately stood up to voice support.
"See you Monday." piped another colleague.
The exchange was amusing and lovely all the same.
It was on Tuesday morning amidst rushing to prepare my lunch for another in-office day that my mind wandered in the direction of matcha brownies. The vision was oddly specific: Brownies with a layer of Matcha "Brownie" on top. When I had arrived in office and saw the Mini Egg Brownies constructed by another member of the office, I couldn't help but admit to a sense of déja vu.
"I was contemplating matcha brownies, actually." I began.
"Yes!" The creator of the Mini Eggs Brownies immediately stood up to voice support.
"See you Monday." piped another colleague.
The exchange was amusing and lovely all the same.
When the weekend rolled around, I took to The Brownies To End All Brownies, adapting it to align with my vision.
Ingredients:
A) Original Brownie Batter
Directions
Ingredients:
A) Original Brownie Batter
- 128 g unsalted butter
- 135 g 52% chocolate couverture
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 95 g dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 30 g AP flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 22 g olive oil
Directions
- Line a 8 in x 8 in square baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place diced unsalted butter and chocolate couverture in a large, heat-proof bowl. Gently melt in bursts in a microwave until just fluid. Do not subject the chocolate to prolonged periods of high heat.
- Dissolve instant espresso powder in the chocolate-butter mixture. Add in vanilla. Mix well and set aside. Let cool to at least room temperature before using.
- Combine eggs, sugars, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl or Pyrex pitcher. Thoroughly aerate using a whisk until thickened and pale in colour. The mixture should be able to form loose ribbons in the bowl, then vanish within seconds. A hand mixer is not necessary; this consistency should be able to be achieved by manually whisking with a wire whisk.
- Ensure chocolate-butter mixture has cooled to at last room temperature. Continue to let cool if still warm.
- Gradually incorporate aerated egg mixture into chocolate-butter mixture. Combine well.
- Add in flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine, ensuring no streaks of flour remain.
- Drizzle in olive oil and fold until homogenous.
- Set aside while preparing the Matcha Brownie Batter. Alternatively, transfer to the lined square pan and bake at 350 F for 35-40 mins for non-matcha brownies. The surface should be set with signs of crack propagation, while the centre slightly moist but not runny.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
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