Out & About #777 | Week #94 Quarantine Update Feat. My Gingerbread Muse

Breakfasts of late have not strayed far from Cold Brew and Hoddeok. I've been watching my stash of Bran Muffins warily, given their depleting inventory and contradicting availability of freezer space. I finally defrosted one quarter of my purchase from Red Bean Waffle House, concluding a distinct, sweet custardy-ness sandwiched between comparatively thin layers of oil-based batter. (I'd be lying if I said reheating didn't entail greasy fumes filling the air.)

​More of my post-Black Friday purchases arrived: The Bodum Bistro is more finnicky than I had pictured, with plastic parts offering minimal tolerance for locking and detaching. Yet, it served its purpose as a speedy, economic solution for bean grinding.

The year cannot possibly end without reference to the one and only GOT7 - my religion, in other words.

I relished the moments where my fingers could glaze across the pages of Jinyoung's charismatic beauty, where my eyes could familiarize themselves with the contents of the tmrw magazine that arrived unexpectedly before Christmas.

Appearances of the group were rare in physical format. The tangible qualities of the photobook were the closest I would get to any form of interaction for the time being. I don't mind at all the absence of physical albums, as it spares me the dreaded international shipping costs, but would love nothing more than reunion of the septet - be it in digital song format or performance special.

​While majority of the workplace opted for time off, I remained positioned before my laptop. Departures from my desk comprised only of errands and paramedical checkups.

​The week saw detours to Gong Cha for the Brown Sugar Oolong Milk Tea with 2J and a pairing of Cranberry Almond and Lemon Ginger Tea from Tokyo Cheesecake Cafe.

Gone was the Chestnut Rusk I had hoped to obtain a second sampling of.  Lining the cashier were several variations of cookie boxes, each priced according to their quantity and variety of cookies and madeleines. I took to an almond-shaped pastry: The texture was akin to a madeleine-pound cake hybrid, buttery with a dense crumb, and contained noticeable bits of dried cranberry. Any heaviness was offset with a piping cup of tea; priced at $2.50, it was undoubtedly steep given the box's retail price, though the hour was far too late for coffee consumption.

Creations of the week included:

1) Gingerbread Cookies

Not nearly as affectionate as most of the Starbucks' customer base of the soft-baked style of Ginger Molasses Cookies, I opted to adapt Sunday Baking's Gingerbread House recipe for a crunchier, sturdier version. Low and slow was the baking process, for the intent had been to slowly dehydrate the pieces of frosting and "not for eating".

These labels mattered not to me, and I proceeded according to my heart's desire.
Trees, stars, and gingerbread were sourced from the tender, pliable dough, with a healthy dusting of flour for assistance. Decorations would then ensue.

​At first, I combined white chocolate and heavy cream in a 1:1 ratio, hoping to produce a ganache and use it in place of royal icing. The formula never set, despite attempts to temper according to the bag's directions. The result was dry to touch, but lacked the structural integrity required for storage and transport.

​The alternate solution utilized white chocolate and food colouring, and similar steps in tempering for chemical stability. The decorative topping was divided into five bowls: orange, blue, green, fuchsia, and a musty lilac were derived from an artificial colouring quad. 

Less thoughtful were my pipings on the trees and stars. They were, admittedly, very amateur-looking. The designs had stemmed from none other than an excess of chocolate "icing"; most were unapologetically wonky, earning laughter from those witnessing the array.
"Is that a fried egg?" was inquired of one cookie in particular.

​The texture of the cookies was right in the middle of last year's two variations. I had likely left the thinnest batch to bake for too long, for, while they didn't discolour, discomfort was not unpredicted by those with sensitive teeth. For the most part, I enjoyed the rigidity - a pleasant difference from the yolk-enriched cutouts residing on our table for the past week. They are unlikely to be specimens constantly sought out. As such, future iterations shall see shorter baking durations and the inclusion of nutmeg for improved aroma.

2) Bear Mahjong Tiles

​The incredulous overabundance was also injected into an ungreased bear mould - just for fun. Entirely unplanned was its successful removal (partially successful tempering?) and the unmistakable likeliness to mahjong tiles.

While their appearance was unique, their taste varied not from standard Lindt Piccoli Blanc.