Out & About #1117 | A Repeated Narrative, Biscoff Butter Mochi + Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Fast forward seven years, I didn't think I'd be reliving the feelings of angst, stress, confusion, and helplessness all over again. With time, I've come to understand that some workplaces simply do not grow. They remain stagnant, and expect you to do the same - to conform.
But I've never been one to conform, nor one to sacrifice efficiency and growth to keep more senior colleagues complacent.
If anything, one should be alarmed if the methodology from thirty years prior were still being applied to modern day issues! Improvements come not with resistance to change! Alas, the cause for bullying commences here.

Since the same narrative keeps repeating each week, I've slowly lost the willpower to detail every incident in hopes of seeking insight and input from others.
I continue to complain, of course, but the obstacles are seemingly endless. One can only withstand so much before entering into a phase of spontaneous combustion, and I've far exceeded that point in the new role - almost wishing for severance for my sanity's sake. (What a dire thing to say in the face of an ongoing battle for financial survival.)

​Further all-day meetings ensued, much to my displeasure. Perhaps such events are just time-consuming by nature, but I've definitely concluded that I wish to be part of none going forward.

Over lunch, I escaped towards Gong Cha. We had somehow negotiated a longer lunch break for "brainstorming", but I gladly excused myself from the group in favour of recovering a proper lunch break.
​I ate quickly to maximize my walking time, but risked indigestion. While the trek wasn't far, it was uncertain how long the hidden path would take to cover. Despite droplets beginning to descend from the sky, I persevered. The objective was to confirm whether GTA outposts of the bubble tea franchise would constitute the lucky recipients of the Felix promotional items.

​Seeing the poster on the window, my curiosity was answered. There was a Felix standee near the ordering counter as well!

The girl behind the counter welcomed me with a smile. She confirmed that the Felix cup sleeves had indeed landed in stores and could be obtained with purchase of one of the "Felix Pick" drinks:

1. Brown Sugar Signature Milk Tea + Pearl
2. Oolong Tea + Coconut + Milk Foam
3. Taro Milk Tea + Pearl

I opted for the first drink, as it was closest to my Gong Cha go-to of Brown Sugar Oolong Milk Tea with 2J. However, it was worth noting that these were customized selections, thus quite pricey after the add-ons.

Through redemption of forgotten loyalty points, I succeeded in reducing my bill total by eliminating the extra charge of pearls.

I then sipped on the drink while heading (hurrying!) back to the office via the unmarked trail anticipated to be future Webb Drive.

​The next day, I fell victim to an excruciating team meeting spanning 2.5h in duration. The process had been extended for reasons beyond me; while we could have concluded within the scheduled 90-minute time frame, none of us were permitted to depart until all items had been discussed at a sluggish pace.

​Braving the threat of precipitation, I ventured in the opposite direction of the mall. The provincial government's preference for mixed-use high-rises has introduced a constant stream of new vendors to the City Centre neighbourhood. Food Basics is hardly basic in terms of their pricing, but a welcome grocer addition to the otherwise restaurant-heavy strip along Confederation.

​Adjacent vendors include Baskin Robbins and Church's Chicken, which offered Daily Deals ranging from $3.79 to $7.99 plus tax.

​I opted to take advantage of a car wash coupon later that afternoon, but forgot to the verify the conditions for earning bonus Optimum points. Consequently, the minimum spend value was not met.

​The silver lining: the cashier had been kind enough to forego his own fuel discount card when my mobile app version (and mobile wallet!) faltered.

​A third consecutive day in the office is enough to make anyone go mad. I spent most of the day ranting, though lunchtime was reserved for roaming the mall to determine the market price of coffee filters.

Countless calls and back-to-back issues demanding resolution later, I heaved a giant sigh and contemplated my next steps. Just prior to departing, a young member of staff waltzed into the space with a biodegradable ice cream cup in hand. A single, green-tinted sphere rested within. The observation immediately prompted me to undertake a quick search: Surely enough, Ruru Baked's Ice Cream Truck was back at Square One.

​I had been hankering for ice cream all day, and it seemed as if my deepest desires were finally answered. Tofu Fa and Honeycomb Cereal Milk in a sugar cone were procured as an attempt to reinstate joy into my otherwise depressing day.

​In the absence of a lineup, the process was quick, and the weather was breezy enough that the scoops did not disintegrate within seconds. The Vegan Tofu Fa exuded a tackier consistency than expected, with no discernible hints of the advertised ginger brown sugar syrup. It resisted dissolution better than the creamier Honeycomb Cereal Milk residing underneath. My browsing partner's pick was again crowned the superior flavour, for it was delightfully indulgent without being satiating, sweet without veering into cloying territory, and a wondrous pairing of milkiness and crunchy sponge toffee bits.

As the sun transitioned over the roof of the Civic Centre, I relished in depleting the remaining of my cone in the shade, by the Celebration Square fountain. The little joys in life were genuinely impactful in changing the internal narrative.

​I went home, ranted some more, then returned for Fresh Air Fitness.

Much to my surprise, I bumped into the man who had applauded my sense of rhythm at the previous session (1111).
"Oh?!" we both uttered in unison.
"Here for Zumba?"
"Yes!"
What a pleasant - and humourous - coincidence! He had marked the exact spot beside me on the turf.

A different group of instructors led this session. One was a familiar face from ​last year's segment, while two new instructors led the group through Latin/Bachata, pop, and Afro-inspired tunes with tremendous energy. An hour flew by before I had realized - the class was incredibly fun and the cooler external conditions furthered my degree of enjoyment.

​I bypassed the lobby of the Civic Centre, chancing across a gala of sorts on my way back to the parking garage. On the P1 level, I discovered two boys, unattended, attempting wheelies on e-bikes. Allowing the act at all was an indication of poor parenting; that said, the only response I could have was exercising vigilance while slowly making my exit to street level.

A gorgeous sunset accompanied my evening drive back. The crescent moon in the distance cued Moon You in my head. It continued to play as I switched lanes for the on ramp, serving as a quiet reminder that I'm not alone in this fight.

GOT7 delusions aside (Ha!), I am also highly aware of the kindness extended by those around me.

Termed as "day one(s)" or "ride of die" in modern vocabulary, there are those that have never left my side regardless of life changes, big or small. This group includes long-time friends, family (a reference I use vaguely), and, most recently, my browsing partner.

​I must admit that I'm extremely fortunate to be a recipient of their attention, time, concerns, and care. Without them, life would undoubtedly be triple the effort to live, especially considering the current state of affairs.

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Creations of the week included:

1) Biscoff Butter Mochi

Often does my mind wander, and, through that process, do new ideas come to fruition. The inclusion of "Hawaiian Butter Mochi" on Ruru Baked's truck spearheaded the concept. "What about a Biscoff edition??" I had thought. It was a light bulb moment for sure.

Ingredients:

• 75 g of unsalted butter, melted
• 190 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 68 g Smooth Biscoff spread
• 2 eggs
• 8 g Vanilla extract
• 400 ml (1 can) coconut milk
• 110 milk
• 220 g (2 cups) glutinous rice flour (1 cup = 110 g)
• 1 tsp (5 g) baking powder

Yield: One 8 in x 8 in pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
3. Add in sugar and mix well. Add Biscoff Spread and mix again.
4. Add eggs and mix well to incorporate.
5. Add liquid ingredients: coconut milk, milk, and vanilla extract (if using).
6. Add glutinous rice flour and baking powder. Mix well to ensure no lumps.
7. Transfer batter to a parchment-lined 8 in x 8 in square pan.
8. Bake at 375 F for 58 mins, then 350 F for 15 mins, for a total bake time of 75 mins.

​These scrumptious mochi bites were heavenly for Biscoff lovers such as myself. Harnessing the beautifully spiced undertones of the Belgium cookie spread and a perfectly crunchy, crackly surface that mimicked the cookie itself, my experiment was deemed an unbelievable success.

On the first day, the exterior remained crisp while the centre chewy and delightful. On the second day, moisture had seeped into the crust, causing soddenness to prevail. Nevertheless, the creation stayed true to its name.

​On the third day, I transferred the batch to the fridge in fear of mould forming. After all, the batter contained a staggering amount of liquid (one whole can of coconut milk) and fat. In hindsight, I could have reduced the quantity of butter as the Biscoff spread contained oils of its own. Better yet would be a smaller batch that could be consumed within twenty-four hours for optimal texture variance.

In summary: The trial was spectacular, but ideal if quartered (or fifth-ed?).

2) Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

My gripes about the stand mixer are seemingly endless. Due to wrist strain from excessive mousework in the office, the apparatus was unveiled for a double batch of cookies.​

​The formula would be directly sourced from Sunday Baking's collection of cookie recipes and scaled up for my purposes.

Ingredients:

• 235 g butter
• 200 g brown sugar
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 300 g AP flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 16 g matcha (1 tbsp = 7-8 g)
• 100 g (2/3 cup) white chocolate couverture, chopped (+ more for topping)

Yield: 32 cookies, each measuring 3.5 in / 9 cm in diameter

​Unfortunately, the stand mixer has a tendency to fail under non-ideal conditions. Factors impacting output include: butter chunks of different temperatures, cold eggs added at the same time (instead of one by one), and more. Creaming partially softened butter involved several rounds of scraping the inside of the bowl; incorporating eggs entailed further rounds of scraping and mixing. Eventually, the dough had been worked so extensively that the temperature of the butter had risen, causing loss of structure.

​My cookies spread significantly, resulting in wide, thin discs with crispy edges and a chewy interior. After cooling though, they revealed distinctly crisp properties throughout.

​The matcha of choice for this trial was Momo Tea's Take accented by 1/4 tsp of Daigyo's Autumn of Mt. Fuji. Resulting was a prominent grassiness that paired exceptionally with my choice of white chocolate couverture: a sophisticated grassiness without unwanted astringency.

​I'm more than a little hesitant in bringing the specimens for sharing in my close-minded, suburban office. Let it be known that, while I've received nothing but positive commentary from friends, anxiety levels are insurmountable when presenting to the uncultured beings plaguing my current workplace. Clearly, the "baking imposter syndrome" had never been fully overcome.