Out & About #1025 | Cracking Chocolate Thai Tea, Costco Dixie + Attempting Dubai Chocolate

​Some weeks are a bit crazy, and others crazier still. The temporary return of my browsing partner gave rise to a plethora of unplanned engagements, which strictly intensified the impacts of my existing commitments. Energy levels were running low without many opportunities for recovery, if any.

Work-from-days would entail arguably low-commitment kitchen endeavours, endless chores, and munching on the remnants of Pecan Pie and Russian Honey Cake.

1) Thai Tea in a Cracking Chocolate Shell

Having been sent a number of images and videos about a certain "viral" cracking chocolate shell beverage, I decided it was time to validate my suspicions once and for all: It would not taste any different with the exception of added chocolate shards that do not incorporate readily.

​​My rendition would involve my go-to Thai Tea as of late and a thin layer of Surfin. After melting an approximate 50-75 g of the semisweet couverture, I took to carefully lining the inside of one of my many plastic cups inherited from previous purchases. The unsealed would then be placed in the freezer until solid; just five minutes were needed for the thin coating.
Once the prepared Thai Tea was poured within, the chocolate lining softened slightly, causing the sides of the cup to yield with ease. To achieve the signature shatter effect, the cup was placed back into the freezer - sealed this time - for about 20 minutes to harden. Within this period, the shell solidified and the ice melted, allowing the beverage to remain chilled but not icy.

The chocolate coating cracked readily, though did not alter flavour of the drink drastically. At best, one could taste faint hints of chocolate as the drink came to room temperature. Consuming the drink indoors in an air-conditioned setting had preserved the temperature of the beverage, thus I was merely left with chocolate shards at the bottom of the cup that had to be scooped out separately.
Should I have taken the drink to a saunter in thirty-degree weather outside, I may have experienced a mocha-laced Thai Tea of sorts, though the creation wasn't novel enough to warrant a second trial. Furthermore, I did not enjoy that the creation was limited to cold drinks and the mandatory use of a plastic cup. This material neither serves to insulate its contents and is also susceptible to warping and deformation if smeared with hot, just-melted chocolate. As with many food trends as of late, the venture sought out additional labour efforts and time without producing justifiable results.

2) Dubai Chocolate Attempt

​Another recent fad circulating online has been Dubai Chocolate. Those acquainted with my habits ought be aware that Swiss chocolatiers of Lindt and Läderach constitute my consistent favourites. Budget brands, or even those with Belgian origins (681), have wrecked havoc on my skin. In other words, I wasn't excessively keen on ingesting chocolate with unknown origins, or bracing myself for potential breakouts resulting from consumption.

That said, I recalled my forgotten stash of pistachios from Tavazo Nuts, as well as a handful of bulk barn specimens. The latter proved nearly impossible to deshell, and my thumbs were aching terribly afterwards. Surprisingly, the pinkish variety from the Middle East opened quite readily. Nevertheless, the process was lengthy: approximately thirty minutes would pass before I successfully obtained 150 g of the coveted nut.

i) Pistachio Paste/Homemade Pistachio Butter
​
​My unofficial - and utterly unplanned - guideline for transforming the nuts into a homemade nut butter is as follows:

Ingredients

• 150 g pistachios, no shell
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 40 g raw creamed honey *
• 46 g canola oil *

Yield:

• 610 g bowl + pistachio paste (not sure about this? XL bowl weight is 1007 g, L bowl is 686 g)
• 175 g pistachio butter (no oil)
• 221 g pistachio butter (with oil)

Directions:

1. Arrange pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Transfer pistachios to food processor and pulverize until a paste forms. This may take several rounds of pulsing and scraping down the sizes of the food processor. Be mindful of overworking the motor if using a relatively frail food processor.
3. Once the mixture begins to exude oils and slowly bind together in the food processor, add in salt and blitz once more. Transfer to a medium-large bowl.
4. Add in honey or alternative choice of sweetener. Mix well to combine. Note that the addition of any liquid will cause seizing of the mixture.
5. Gradually mix in neutral oil to reinstate a spreadable consistency. For my purposes, canola oil was gradually mixed into the seized nut butter in quantities of: 13 g, 17 g, and 16 g. This amount may differ based on the desired output consistency, thus it is recommended to add the oil in intervals and check after each incorporation.
6. Transfer to an airtight container until use. Do not refrigerate.

​Infrequently do I subject my mini food processor to such strenuous tasks. Nut butters are finnicky in the sense that any liquid will cause seizing - an aspect I'd come to discover firsthand. As noted above, neutral oil assists in restoring its consistency. Beware though, for it also reduces shelf life.

Before addition of oil

After addition of oil

​I could have - and perhaps should have - stopped at homemade pistachio butter. It was scrumptious, slightly coarse, and the perfect, stabilizer-free peanut butter substitute! But, of course, these projects do not cease so quickly.​

ii) Kunafa Dough

Unable to suppress my curiosity towards Dubai chocolate, an even grander venture would be undertaken the following day. I'd investigate Kunafa, a shredded Filo dough that serves as the base for many Middle Eastern desserts.

In encountering a seemingly simple recipe for the dough, I set out to construct the batter the following morning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup = 130 g AP flour
• 1/2 cup = 65 g cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp = 2 x 15 ml = 30 ml oil
• 1.5 cup = 375 ml water

Yield: 563 g Kunafa strands

​The original recipe was converted from US cups to metric units for my ease and sanity. The components were whisked together, sieved, then transferred to a squeeze bottle I had previously procured. Albeit its small opening, the trails of batter left by the squeeze bottle were still much thicker than the fine, vermicelli-like hairs of authentic Kunafa. It was in this moment that I realized the significance of using a squeeze bottle with an opening no larger than the diameter of a pin.

I'd hover over my nonstick pan for approximately 30-35 minutes. The first two batches were total throwaways, being too wide and soggy. Latter attempts revealed thinner strips of dough, but immediately dampened upon removal from the pan. The recipe had instructed removal from heat before the dough changed colour, however it was only through a slow dehydration process that a crisp texture could be achieved. Continued dehydration would take place concurrently in the toaster oven as I depleted the rest of the batter on the stovetop. In the end, the strands succeeded in maintaining a crisp texture, but emerged slightly coppery, like toasted desiccated coconut.

iii) Assembly

In the absence of chocolate moulds, I opted for Reese's Cups visuals using silicon cupcake liners.

Ingredients

• 416 g semisweet chocolate couverture
• 115 g Kunafa pastry, crumbled
• 70 g homemade pistachio butter

 Directions: 

1. Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. I skipped tempering in consideration of time and remaining chocolate inventory, though feel free to temper or use coating chocolate, as per Sunday Baking's usual suggestion.
2. Combine Kunafa pastry with pistachio butter. Given my limited yield of pistachio butter, I merely took to 70 g of the prized production. This resulted in a ratio with more crunch and less fluidity, especially since my pistachio paste was viscous to start.
3. Distribute melted chocolate across six silicon liners. Each would see a base layer of melted semisweet chocolate, followed by 1.5 tablespoon's worth of crumbled Kunafa and pistachio butter, then finally another layer of chocolate to seal the filling within.
4. Refrigerate until set, about 5-6 hours.

Risking jaw pain, I'd gnaw at one of the Dubai Chocolate Cups straight of the fridge. The morsels embraced every chocolate lover's dream, but saw its pitfall in awful proportions. The top and bottom layers of Surfin were too thick, while the interior grew stiff with refrigeration. Allowing the pieces to thaw at room temperature enabled easier consumption, though the chocolate still shattered as opposed to bending with ease.

Results were hardly consistent with the sharp snap and gooey cross-sections witnessed across social media. My chocolate cups were extremely rigid, while the scanty amount of pistachio paste had caused the Kunafa shards to mimic the texture of cereal instead. As with the Cracking Chocolate drink, the amount of effort did not translate into a proportional amount of satisfaction.

In hindsight, Dubai chocolate bars were much thinner, possessed greater surface area (for clean snapping), and included a malleable, oozing layer of pistachio paste-smothered Kunafa. My rendition did not align with these ratios whatsoever.

​The remaining quantity of Kunafa would be layered between the remaining amount of melted Surfin and an unmeasured amount of Blancor, then set in the freezer between two layers of plastic wrap. Six hours later, the slab would be unveiled and the plastic removed. It would then be transferred to the fridge to gently thaw before slicing.

​Although this version was much easier to eat, its profile was noticeably sweeter. Furthermore, the slab was tragic to slice as the cracks would propagate in all directions around the Kunafa.

I'll likely need to invest a ten into one of the specialized retailers offering the product for the proper gustatory experience. In the meantime, my homemade pistachio butter shall serve me well on Challah toast.

A number of errands were executed during my periods away from the office, including delivery of frozen baked goods to my browsing partner and obtaining double-sided tape from Staples (that ultimately did not fulfill their intended purpose).

Along the way was an impromptu stop at T&T. I had yearned for a hot dog bun, but ultimately departed without one in review of their steep price and condensation-trapped packaging.

​Instead, I'd emerge with a Passion Fruit Yogurt Drink w/ Lychee Jelly. The beverage set me back just $4.49 plus tax, concluding it more affordable than most bubble tea outposts. The concoction was gratifying with chewy inclusions of passion fruit seeds and jelly and refreshing with the inclusion of yogurt.

My later stopover for Wonton Express takeout would enable a detour to Akko for proper buns. I managed to snag a single Hot Dog Bun at the ever-reasonable price of $1.90 plus tax for the trip home, though the secondary mission of 排包 would not be accomplished as the bakery had already run out of stock - at the early hour of 2 PM too!

Upon returning home though, Wonton Express quality was discovered to have plummeted drastically. The wontons were laden with salt and immersed in an msg broth. The dumplings, while gargantuan, had suffered the same fate, complete with a fish odour, more salt, and, again, the same despicable MSG broth. Fish Dace Balls now lacked texture and tasted more of starch and stabilizer than fish. Beef Brisket was passable, but not impressive. As usual, the rice noodles were broken.

The entire meal set me back $42.40, yet was hardly filling, let alone satisfying. Wonton Express has now officially been blacklisted.

More chores would unfold. The latter part of the week would see a toasted Peanut Butter-Condensed Milk Pai Bao.

By Thursday, I'd somehow sink my teeth into a horrifying Butter Tart from my browsing partner. I'd gag at the pasty tart shell, then the cloying filling which immediately resulted in surging headaches. The oozing interior would contain commercial pie stabilizer, resulting in bubbliness rivalling The Apple Factory.

​Finally, Friday came around. The early part of the afternoon was spent at Costco's Dixie location, for I had already missioned southeast for a Facebook Marketplace transaction. (Alas, those ventures never go with hiccups.)

​This location featured boxy shopping carts with a rigid upper layer - an improved design, should you ask me.

​Original Sun Chips, 1 kg packs of Lotus Biscoff cookies, and even Waterloo Brewing's 0.0% Radler were located!

Before departing, we each took to a $1.50 Hot Dog. It was near the soft drink lid storage area that I learned of Costco's complimentary on-site coffee grinder. ​

"Is the Radler any good?" asked the man verifying our receipt at the exit.
"I don't know! I hope so!" I responded, eyes wide. "I've been looking for it for a while."
It would appear that many customers had taken to a pack during their grocery- and houseware-replenishing trips.

The verdict would be revealed later that day: the Radler tasted practically identical to the alcoholic version! With the exception of a mildly hoppy aftertaste, I could hardly pinpoint any other distinguishable differences. Staying true to its name, the formula was indeed a Radler, not a mere juice or soda disguised as a non-alcoholic alternative.

Fruity and invigorating, the can served as the ideal complement to the hearty, somewhat spiced Lotus biscuits that the Internet had grown to love. I can also confirm that mixing the specimen with Heineken 0.0 reinstated the artificial hop-iness while preserving its alcohol-free nature.

With the arrival of the weekend came yet another rainstorm - and a relentless downpour at that.

​Outdoor events suffered tremendously from the atypical summer climate conditions, while parts of the GTA would witness flooding once again.