Out & About #1161 | Pi Day, Matcha Almond Cookies + Fig Roll-Ups

As any local knows, spring in Canada isn't a guaranteed. Snow is possible any time between November to April, and the transition from winter to summer could last any duration from two weeks to two months. Just as I was ready to transition away from my down coat came flurries and ruthless winds.

​The first weekend of March Break coincided with a handful of local events. One was the Grand Opening weekend of Cong Caphe's Mississauga foray. Having likely seen success from their pop-up in The Food District, the business took to one of the at-grade retail spots just north of Hurontario and Eglinton. Situated at the base of a high-rise residential complex, I wasn't surprised to arrive to find an absence of on-site parking within the proximity.

​Of course, the impact of inadequate parking had been intensified with both Cong Caphe and Ramen Isshin's grand opening promotions taking place over the exact same timespan. Against my better judgement, I pulled up to the front doors of the establishments a few minutes after noon. By this point, the queues were extravagant and vehicles were stationed along the perimeter of the condo buildings.

​Navigating towards the concrete walkways was quite challenging, for strict completion of base asphalt rendered a height difference between the road grade and gutter. Melted snow pooled here, turning to ice as temperatures stooped into the grim, evening hours.

Ramen Isshin's opening promotions included $1 ramen for the first 50 customers, followed by 50% off for the remainder of the day. Needless to say, we did not succeed in making the first batch of entrants. Evaluating the length of the line though, we likely weren't going to make the first 100 either. Cong Caphe's neighbouring lineup was equally tragic. Instead of being perched outside for an undetermined period of time, I decided to return to the comfort of the car and head elsewhere. $10 off ramen simply wasn't worth it.

While meandering back to the 403 on ramp, I recalled it was the 14th of March - otherwise known as "Pi Day". A quick web search identified the pizza spots taking part in the national food holiday. Blondie's at Robert Speck offered a paltry discount of $3.14 with a minimum purchase of twenty-five dollars. Meanwhile, Pizza Nova was offering $3.14 slices and Pi Co. $3.14 Margherita Pi.
The latter was the most intriguing deal by far, so I swooped into the covered garage across from Walmart and made my way towards the food court.

Another line awaited us. Despite its length, traffic appeared to move quickly. I decided to join the line, stepping away every once in a while for sanity's sake.

Queuing indoors enabled a temperate environment, as well as one equipped with indoor plumbing facilities, however unclean they may emerge.

Being poised stationary made me antsy, thus frequent trips were made towards other sections in the mall in the meantime. From To Go Coffee, a Flow Pod Lemon Tea was obtained. While my heart yearned from the Orange Lemon Tea, its base of green tea directed me towards an alternative. The Flow Pod Lemon Tea was the only tea concoction in which black tea could be substituted.

​Mr. Surprise Toys had also opened its doors in advance of its Grand Opening weekend.

​The Pi Co. lineup was far longer than expected. Approximately forty minutes would pass before we neared the counter.

​In order to facilitate orders, the establishment was limiting all sales to the Margherita Pi between 12:00 - 3:14 PM. Customizable pies, salads, and wings would resume sale following the Pi Day promotion period.

Sixty minutes later, we finally departed the stall with two boxes of Margherita Pi in hand. Although basic in appearance, the small round delivered an impressive gustatory experience. The dough was thin, yet crunchy on the edges and chewy and gratifying towards the centre. San Marzano tomato sauce boasted a beautifully tart profile that was accented with soft, stringy puddles of Fior di latte and a light dusting of Parmesan for savouriness. The rounds were finished with basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and 90 seconds in a scorching, 645 F pizza oven. The rotating apparatus within encouraged uniform cooking and delightfully puffed edges.

We enthusiastically sank our teeth into the specimens around 2 PM. The late lunch had caused a surge in appetite, but we were ultimately unable to deplete both of the pizzas. Remnants were consolidated into one box for ease of transport; leftovers were easily revived in a toaster oven for later consumption.
Suffice to say, the Pi Day promotion had successfully introduced us to Pi Co.'s array of commodities, paving the path for future purchases.

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1) Matcha Almond Cookies

Before venturing out of the house, I had began to dabble in a batch of cookies. SK's unfussy sugar cookie recipe served as the foundation for cut-and-bake cookies using matcha from Jeju and blanched almond slices.

Ingredients:

• 225 g unsalted butter
• 200 g granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 40 g matcha (O-Sulloc Jeju Matcha)
• 357 g AP flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• approx. 2 tbsp milk *as needed to loosen mixture
• 40 g blanched almond slices

Directions

1. Combine softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter together, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a sturdy spatula spoon as needed.
2. Add salt, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix again until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure even mixing.
3. Add flour, baking powder, and matcha. Cover the stand mixer bowl with a tea towel or flour shield. Mix on low to prevent flour from escaping the bowl, then gradually increase the mixer speed until a dough is formed.
4. If the dough is too dry and begins to travel up the paddle, add in 1-2 tbsp of milk to loosen the mixture.
5. Add in blanched almond slices. Mix until just combined, as continuous mixing will cause breakage of the delicate almond slices.
6. Separate the dough into two portions, each weighing in at around 473 g.
7. Roll out the dough using 5 mm thick guides, aiming to form a rectangle. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and transfer to the fridge. Repeat with the second portion of dough. Chill for 30-50 mins.
8. Preheat oven to 350 F.
9. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into squares or rectangles. For best results, use a ruler and pastry cutter.
10. Arrange cookies on a Silpat, placing the thickest cookies along the perimeter. Strive for a minimum spacing of 0.25 in; these cookies will rise due to the baking powder, but spread minimally.
11. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
12. Serve and enjoy!

SK had specified 390 g of AP flour, though I had opted to exhaust my stash of Jeju matcha by replacing 40 g with the entirety of my O-Sulloc canister. While the matcha had performed horribly when brewed for a latte, it radiated a surprisingly grassy profile when used in baking. In fact, the cookies were concluded to be bitter due to its intensity.

I went positively berserk when the first batch burned. O-Sulloc's Premium Matcha would not be acquired a second time.
The second and third batches were watched with the vigilance of a hawk, as to prevent history from repeating itself.

In the end, the household concluded greater preference for the darker version - They were comprehensively crunchy without unwanted astringency. On the other hand, the lightly browned pieces were distinctively bitter, leaving a sharp aftertaste following consumption.

The trial confirmed the following:

• Using a stand mixer can give decent results, but all ingredients must be relatively uniform in temperature.
• A spatula spoon is superior to a standard spatula for scraping stubborn bits from the inside of a Stainless steel bowl.
• When replacing AP flour with matcha, do not replace more than 10 g for every 114 g of butter.
• 40 g of blanched almond slices was the appropriate amount of mix-ins for a roll-out cookie. Any more would hinder the formation of a cookie dough slab.

2) Fig Roll-Ups

Inspired by Fruit Roll-Ups and made possible by the Dehydrating function on my oven, excess Fig Jam was transformed into a delectably chewy snack.

The remaining amount of Fig Jam was spread into a thin layer using an offset spatula. The slab would then be dehydrated at 170 F for about 1 hour, baked at 350 F for about 15 minutes, then dehydrated again for 30-50 minutes. Frankly, the precise duration of dehydration is unknown to me, for I was simultaneously preparing the cookie dough as the tray resided within the oven.
Notwithstanding this approach, it is important that the mixture was dehydrated rather than baked, as crunchy edges would shatter instead of allowing for neat, tight rolls.

​While my resulting slab was a tad tacky still, rolls could be formed without issue.

​The presence of gelatin helped to maintain pliability while encouraging cohesion. Lemon juice and a small amount of slab cane sugar contributed to complexity, for figs are one-dimensionally sweet on their own.