Out & About #679 | Week #37 Quarantine Update Feat. Breath of Pineapple Bun Scones

The first snowfall of the season arrived earlier than past years, wherein parched, cracking skin and green Christmases were inevitable.

​It was but a fleeting scene of all white though, for the rapid surge in temperatures eradicated the snowy masses over the course of three days. I remained within my humble abode in the meantime, primarily due to workload, but also due to my reluctance to summon winter boots at this early stage.

Seemingly an eternity of a ​homebody state, I proceeded with consumption of leftovers, Highballer Pumpkin Ale - totally not a treat, mind you - purposing the remainder of my couvertures into a silky chocolate mousse.

In hindsight, I should have adopted a more conservative approach to the 2.5 kg bag, as the objective of inventory replenishment largely went unaccomplished on Black Friday. Prices were far from reasonable, and when they were, they were sold out.

Quite honestly, I had dreaded nothing more than the return of yet another Monday, especially after a Sunday of endless edits and a late night technical travesty that terminated in tears. The release of GOT7's Breath impressively erased that uneasiness. I breathed a slow sigh of relief, unaware I had been stifling one the entire time.
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Thank you Youngjae. Thank you GOT7. At the most pivotal times, where I find myself wallowing in tremendous doubt, anxiety, and frustration, thank you for providing a safe haven for faith restoration.

Creations of the week were many and included:

1) Pickled Cucumbers Two Ways (not pictured and unsuccessful)

2) Tzatziki Cucumber Salad, in which forgotten removal of cores resulted in a watery, but nonetheless delicious, mess.

3) Tomato, Potato, and Pork Soup

The combination was a classic Chinese soup similar to the likes of the Malaysian ABC soup - not that I have ever referred to it as such.

4) Fluffy Chive Omelette

The omelette was made fluffy using a half-scramble, half steam method. Ultimately, a fraction of the ingredients were lost due to selection of a heavily weather, no longer nonstick pot.

5) French Onion Meatballs, inspired by June.

Onions were caramelized in conjunction with rendered chicken fat, while the meatballs were elevated with chives and crunchy bits of finely diced pickled radish, otherwise known as 菜脯.

6) Pineapple Bun Scones / 波羅包 Scone

Even days after sampling, the buttery, moist qualities of BNC's Dalgona Scone had remained resilient in my memory. The desire to recreate that scone profile was a prominent, however I was not particularly fond of the sticky, baking soda-y Dalgona topping. In its stead, I opted to swap in the flaky topping of Pineapple Buns.

​There wasn't a single record on the Internet depicting this fusion combination, despite the foods' unmistakably linked origins of Great Britain and Hong Kong. I resorted to the scone formula of the trusty Sunday Baking; her rendition was less traditional that the English tea scone and more dessert-like for the North American palate, just as I was hoping. The use of egg is atypical for scones, though not uncommon in biscuits. An alternate source supplied a 波羅皮 recipe without the use of lard or shortening, though proved ridiculously tricky to work with.

​The final product lacked the sheen and aromatic qualities of a bakery-standard Pineapple Bun, though was an admittedly solid composite of the two infamous treats. Respectable in its own regard, the scone offered a slight crunch, tender crumb, and adequate cohesiveness. Consumed at room temperature, it was quite lacking in all aspects. However, upon being reheated via a steam-toast format, fragrant, plush properties were unleased.

My efforts were rewarded with Magnotta Brewery's surprisingly not-so-light Light Lager.

​Stickers from Sunday Baking's giveaway were unveiled at last!

​The parcel had been packaged with a tremendous amount of care, and the stickers were absolutely adorable! Having learned of the various print trials and QC procedures executed for their production, I was even more appreciative to be one of the lucky twelve selected.

​Majority of the snow had disintegrated by the sixth day of confinement, at which point I was determined to make the trek to CoCo's newest location, and reap the rewards of the final week of opening promotions.

​I was welcomed with blue skies, mild temperatures (read: jacket not required), and an absence of a lineup.

​To further my scone research and satisfy the craving for a hearty Cape Seed Loaf, we swung by COBS Bread just before returning home.

A sugary, somewhat dehydrated Gingerbread Scone was acquired, along with a French Baguette. It was a rather substantial purchase for a small household, though I was reassured upon learning of the freeze-ability of breads from the store staff, along with their recommended reheating measures.

Why, hello Larry. Those truffles aren't for you though.

​Following a fitful Friday night, I woke early to the weekend, "pre-stressing" for the upcoming submission deadline riding on my shoulders.

​A few chores and unfulfilled Square One errand later, I found myself on the 401, screeching at left lane hoggers and their lethargic driving. In reality, that was only the start of my stress.

​Markville was a mess of mall. Despite having arrived at a fairly early hour, parking was determined to be scarce and shoppers absolutely despicable. Once a spot on the asphalt lot was secured at long last, I made my way indoors.

​Weaving around the Apple Store lineup and heavy-footed locals, dodging some obvious out-of-towners in the process, I arrived at Innisfree. It was only at this point that I realized I was empty-handed.
The route was retraced to my vehicle, where my empties were retrieved; I could now commence the mission at hand. The ordeal proved far lengthier and grueling than I had anticipated, and I wished for nothing more than to return home for lunch right away. A collision on the highway set me back some several minutes, but I was glad to have removed myself from the impending retail chaos that passerbys later informed of. ​And I suppose this is the result of partial provincial lockdown.

Back in the west end, I unveiled my sheet masks - all twenty-four of them plus one bonus - only to discover my omission of moisturizing hand masks.

"Innisfree should just get an online shop." I grumbled under my breath.

​Regrets were then promptly drowned in a bowl of purple glutinous rice dessert with taro, coconut milk, and age-old Tangyuan stuffed with ground peanut and black sesame. 
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It was time to immerse myself in the sparkle of holiday décor.