Out & About #1059 | Christmas Visuals (Pt. 1): Cookies, Orange Meringue Financier + Holiday Errands

Since I'm homebound this year, the construction of Christmas Cookies were planned accordingly leading up to the statutory holiday.

1) Christmas Cookies

Having scaled the recipe years in advance, compilation was quite straightforward. That said, incorporating eight egg yolks by hand was no simple feat. An additional variance was the introduction of frozen butter. The stick had been obtained from a coworker and left to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. By the morning, it roughly matched the temperature of the fridge. Unfortunately, as with all previously frozen items, there was a distinctive increase in moisture and, consequently, tackiness.

As expected of our household go-to recipe though, the finished dough was highly pliable and grew progressively easy to work with. To ensure even thickness, I made use of two 5 mm cookie guides from OOMOMO. Then, it was time to summon all the Christmas cookie cutters of interest.
Suffice to say: there were plenty.

​A friend's attempt at fixing our oven's finnicky temperature settings were in vain. Over the course of baking the five trays, the internal cavity failed to maintain heat, even reaching temperatures as low as 275 F when the preheat setting was within the range of 350-375 F. A watchful eye was critical to prevent the cookies from scorching before cooking through.

Amongst my fondest childhood memories are the creation of these cookies. A notable recollection was the inevitable burning of the small stars and arms of the angels, primarily due to their lack of uniformity. With practice, I've succeeded in rendering these figures to a golden yellow by positioning them strategically on baking tray and baking the larger cookies first to adequately ensure warmth in the oven.

Being heavily based of butter and further enriched with egg yolk, icing sugar decorations need not apply. Instead, decorating the tops with crystal sugar is a quintessential aspect of the procedure, and it pains me to see the gradual elimination and steep increase in price for crystal sprinkles in the modern world.

It's not uncommon for me to consume an obscene amount of these cookies. Amidst my trials, I deduced that:

• They should never been stamped, as it compacts the cookie and causes rigidity to prevail over an airy, gratifying snap
• Crystal sugar is hardly optional, and is cream of tartar. Vanilla extract, however, should excluded since it does not elevate the profile whatsoever.
• Dusting the rolling pin with flour isn't necessary, but maybe a worthy step if working in a moisture-heavy environment (or with frozen butter)
• Generally speaking, room temperature ingredients ensure the greatest success. In any case though, do not freeze butter.
• The original recipe can be scaled up for a bigger batch; our usual household formula involves doubling the recipe from Elegant Desserts.

2) Orange Meringue Financiers

The vintage butter cookie recipe used 8 egg yolks. Naturally, I'd be left with 8 egg whites for re-purposing. While I brainstormed a number of candidate recipes, the idea of mushy, thawed butter led me in the direction of financiers.

But these wouldn't be just any financiers (flavoured or plain). Sunday Baking's Lemon Meringue Financiers would enable me to maximize the stabilizing qualities of egg whites in two forms.

​​To start, I'd determine the mass of egg whites remaining. Next, I'd scale Sunday's recipe accordingly. The original recipe quantities appeared to use about 3 whites for the financiers and 1-2 whites for the meringue. This is not to say that doubling both recipes was the correct approach. As learned from creating her cakes with glazes and crumbles, there is always excess, sometimes to an undesirable amount. It would be in my best interest to reduce the quantity of Italian meringue than stated.

In the absence of lemon, I turned to a recently acquired Japanese orange for an equally aromatic source of citrus. I'd also include a few drops of orange extract and swap the small amount of cake flour for an equal amount of AP flour.

A) Financier (1.93x)

Ingredients:

• 193 g egg white
• 242 g unsalted butter (intended yield 193 g brown butter; did not weigh)
• 145 g granulated sugar
• 39 g honey
• 120 g almond flour
• 39 g AP flour *
• zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 tsp orange extract

Directions

1. Combine citrus zest with granulated sugar. Mix well to infuse. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a medium saucepot, melt butter until brown spots form. Remove from heat once butter has stopped foaming and an amber tone emerges. Let cool to at least room temp. Do not refrigerate, as it must remain in a liquid state.
   
3. Add honey into orange-sugar mixture. Whisk to combine.
4. Add egg white and orange extract. Mix well.
5. Add almond flour and AP flour. Mix well to combine.
6. Pour in cooled brown butter, then mix to reveal a homogenous mixture.
7. Transfer to a piping bag for ease of handling. Brush financier pan with melted butter, making sure to blot away any excess.
8. Chill the batter for up to 1 hour before baking. This step is optional and I have not noticed any staggering differences in chilled and unchilled batter.
9. Bake at 375 F for 12-15 minutes, until a longitudinal crevice forms along the length of the financier and the edges turn crisp and detach easily from the mould.
10. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

B) Italian Meringue (1.28x)

Ingredients:

• 64 g egg white
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar * optional
• 128 g granulated sugar
• 77 g water

Directions

1. In a heat-safe bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until frothy. Continue beating at low-medium speed until soft peaks form and the mixture is opaque.
2. In a medium-large saucepot, combined sugar and water. Dissolve over medium-high heat to initiate sugar crystallization.
3. Once the syrup reaches 118 C, remove from heat. Swiftly and carefully, begin streaming into sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites while continually beating the egg whites. Ensure that sugar syrup has not crystallized on the bottom of the bowl by beating in a circular motion along the perimeter of the bowl.
4. Once all sugar syrup has been added, beat on high speed until glossy, stiff peaks perform. The Italian Meringue is ready at this stage.
5. Transfer Italian Meringue to a piping bag. Snip the end of the piping bag off a 45-degree angle, then frost in a zig-zag motion across the length of each financier.
6. Torch the meringue with a blowtorch.
7. Let set at room temperature for 2-3 hours to solidify. Alternatively, the financiers can be placed in the fridge to set quicker. Ideally, the financiers should chill overnight after decorating with meringue. One should allow the financier to return to room temperature before eating.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• For the purpose of financiers, either cake flour and AP flour can be used in its construction. Regardless of the choice, the flour should be sifted along with the ground almonds.
• Do not overmix batter, as it will create large voids and a rough surface, as opposed to the delicate-looking cross-section. Mixing manually is recommended.
• Adding cream of tartar to egg whites helps to create an acidic environment, combatting any fatty residue that may remain in the bowl (ie. after making cookies).
• It is advised for one to familiarize himself/herself with the creation of Italian Meringue before attempting this creation. When done incorrectly, the meringue will weep and cause the underlying layer of financiers to become extremely sodden.
• When consumed fresh, the financiers are crisp on the outside and supple in the inside. The meringue is extremely sweet and loose at this stage.
• When consumed after 24 hours, the financiers will lose their crisp edges and become stiffer, while the Italian meringue boasts a delightful, marshmallow-like texture that is neither cloying nor sticky on the teeth. With this said, it is recommended to wait at least 24 hours to sample.
• Buttering the pan for each batch is not necessary. If using a nonstick pan, as Sunday does, it hardly required as the financiers are easily removed.

​Feedback received was wholly positive, with one remark declaring that the creation was "very fun to eat" due to its uncustomary pairing of fluffy, torched marshmallow and orange-tinged sponge base. I echoed these remarks, recalling every ounce of effort I had mustered to tint the entirety with just one near-empty canister of butane and my mini blowtorch. The lingering zestiness contrasted against the Italian meringue topping in the most complementary manner possible.

Holiday errands have been on the rise - more so than most years, admittedly.

A snowy orthotic appointment later, I popped into the nearby Tim Hortons. This suburban location featured the spraypainted window decorations I associated with my younger years.

Within the store was a decent amount of merchandise, ranging from the chain's very own branded beans to a 20 oz. ceramic mug to giftable ornaments. It would appear that only a handful of the locations outside the high-density areas of downtown and City Centre featured these collections.

Alas, I had ventured in for two primary objectives: the bathroom and my second Baileys Iced Capp of the season.
Being utterly distracted by the items in my surroundings - such as a never-before-seen Pain au Chocolat - I had forgotten to uncheck the "Whipped Topping" option, amongst the other modifications I had requested during my Drive-Thru order. My beverage was delivered with a snowcapped surface, a drizzle of syrup, and at full sweetness. Being unable to sip it as is, I resorted to waiting until returning home.

Horrified I was to find the topping upholding its original presentation, inclusive of all textural features, at least one hour later. Regular whipped cream would have disintegrated within minutes of a warm vehicle, yet this "topping" was so synthetic that not even bursts of hot water could ease it down the drain. The lack of dissolution had me questioning whether it was, in fact, edible at all!

​My stopover would also see procurement of a Whole Grain Pecan Banana Bread Muffin, which would later be preserved in the freezer. No tax was great.

​I'd later make rounds at the library, the bank, and LCBO, spotting trees both humble and elaborate.

​A miniature Akko haul had also somehow been weaved into the plans. A Cocktail Bun (雞尾包), tray of Butter Buns (排包), Garlic Bun, and mini Hot Dog and Custard Bun duo would be unveiled shortly afterwards.

There was an undeniable sense of pride in snatching one of the first few trays of pai bao for the day, for this was one of the bakery's most popular items and known to sell out throughout the day. While Pineapple Buns and BBQ Pork Buns may see regular production during operating hours, the trays would only be introduced to the shelves once per day.

The Garlic Bun piqued my curiosity, and I swiftly nabbed one for sampling. True to its name, it was delightfully pungent, encasing a sizable mound of garlic butter within its plush, spongy interior. One could liken the specimen to a Malaysian Coffee Roti, wherein salted butter was swapped for an alum-enhanced version and the sweet casing for uniformly distributed, toasted sesame seeds.

Once lunch was had, I reviewed my grocery finds: a 1kg pack of garlic from Loblaws and Japanese oranges from BTrust. The former incited quite the headache, for there was no way I'd be able to utilize the whole tube before they turned to dust.

Between the countless chores and errands, there was little time for food preparation. Frozen entrées aided in keeping me sane; meanwhile, alcohol calm and unbothered. Admittedly, packaged food from T&T have seen drastic improvement over the years. Meat is included in decent portions and quite tender and flavourful as well.

In stark contrast is the generally lacklustre outcome of ordering UberEats. Despite the HST holiday, service fees and delivery fees are, regrettably, still subject to taxes. Two BOGO bowls of Q04 Taiwanese Style BBQ Sausage and Minced Pork on Rice / 臺式香腸肉燥飯 and an order of L17 Taiwanese Style Braised Pork Trotters/台式古早滷豬腳 totalled forty dollars after fees, applicable taxes, and tip.

At first glance, the bowls appeared promising. The sausage was glossy, the meat supple, and the yellow radish sweet and crunchy. Even the rice was appealing: defined grains that were simultaneously sturdy and tender. Without a doubt, it was a substantial meal. However, upon closer inspection, the proportion of rice to toppings was found utterly disappointing. Moreover, the meat was simply sodium-laden instead of seasoned. Identical remarks were concluded of the braised pork trotters: While topped with crunchy spring onion and brimming with gelatinous fibers, the dish was excessively salty and devoid of complexity. Overall, both items boasted less value than T&T's singular nine-dollar platter of Braised Pork with Potato (skip the potato though).

​Leading up to Christmas Day, more errands ensued. Braving the wet, snowy conditions, I found myself irritably weaving through the aisles of Walmart, BTrust, and, finally, Loblaws in what appeared to a war zone for last-minute shoppers. Overwhelmingly unpleasant it was, and I vowed to avoid shopping for essentials before the madness of the the holidays.