- Weeknight beer consumption (because I can sleep in the following morning)
- Interactions with Larry and Mr. Button throughout the day
- Impromptu baking endeavours, should inspiration hit
- Flexible breakfast and lunch options - the freezer is my oyster!
1) Two-Bite Brownies, as adapted from the latest Oat Fudge Bar
The formula had originated from Sunday Baking's Mochi Brownie recipe, though scaled down in terms of sugar level and halved. It was quite delectable as the middle layer of an Oat Fudge Bar, especially when retoasted later for a soft, chocolatey core, therefore I opted to further the investigation.
Exhibited in the emerging batch was the trademark crackliness observed in past brownie creations: They were gorgeous. Unfortunately, only half of the batch could be successfully retrieved from the pan. Once again, the bottoms stuck. A somewhat clean edge could be obtained, though the bits that remained were crumbly instead of chewy.
A few days later, the brownie bites had dried out, presenting resemblance to miserable, stale cake crumbs instead of moist, chewy brownies. I deemed brown sugar to be necessary, in spite of the countless recipes gracing the Internet claiming the opposite. Even SK's recipe had shunned the need for molasses in the mix. It did, however, note a half-and-half brown sugar/white sugar rendition had been constructed for testing. I hesitated not to follow suit.
For my purposes, the recipe was halved, though ultimately yielded an overabundance of batter, filling my mini muffin pan beyond the brim.
- 47 g bittersweet chocolate couverture
- 57 g melted unsalted butter
- 66 g granulated sugar
- 60 g brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 70 g AP flour
- 20 g cocoa powder
With the exception of the dry ingredients, majority of SK's had been precisely reduced by a factor of two. In spite of her original ingredient lineup featuring just 85 grams of all-purpose flour (and utterly omitting cocoa powder), I, in my pre-concert (932) haste, adhered to the full amount plus a bit more. Consequently, the final swirls about the inside of the bowl were executed with caution as to prevent over-mixing.
Beyond the batter-filling blunder, it was affirmed that more flour and the addition of brown sugar and vanilla extract had been the correct choice. For subsequent trials, I'll likely reduce the quantity of granulated sugar further, for this batch resided on the sweet side, and take to my mini muffin pan of twenty-four for even distribution. (I do sense that I may be getting closer to the Farmer's Market classic though!!!)
My mind tends to wander when left unoccupied, unlike the sleepy polar bear whose body regularly permits - and possibly, encourages! (believe it or not) - sluggishness and unapologetic "zone out" periods. After thoroughly browsing the Internet for tips on customizing a basic brownie recipe to meet my needs, I concluded a need for careful comparison of ingredient quantities and ratios. Only by reviewing my trials to date could I determine the next appropriate steps.
"Gooeyness" would result from the fats and wet ingredients, namely butter, chocolate (if using), and eggs. "Cakeyness" would result from dry ingredients such as flour (all-purpose, cake, or alternate stabilizers such as starch), cocoa powder, and, if using, baking powder. Leaveners, as learned from past attempts, would either be physical in the form of aerated eggs, or chemical in the form of baking powder. That said, aeration of the batter was not critical whatsoever, for brownies are intended to be dense and fudgy, rather than airy and sponge-like. While the coveted crackly top may signify success with brownie slabs baked in 8 in x 8 in square pans, surface texture isn't often a factor for consideration in the application of two-bite brownies.
- 68 g bittersweet chocolate couverture
- 40 g melted unsalted butter
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 40 g brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 32 g AP flour → 50 g
- 5 g cocoa powder
Exasperated and unfulfilled, I refused to accept the overbaked, crumbly version of my labours, even if they had unmoulded easily within five minutes of being removed from the oven. As a consequence of another entity's seemingly harmless intrusion, my day's schedule would now be delayed upwards of 60 minutes. The adverse impacts of a single ill-informed decision had proven tragic in the face of my already constrained timeline.
A subsequent batch was compiled, this time in a noticeably hastier fashion. Using this opportunity to experiment a bit more, the ingredient quantities were adjusted further:
- 70 g bittersweet chocolate couverture
- 40 g melted unsalted butter
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 40 g brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 35 g AP flour
- 10 g cocoa powder
Lo and behold, a Purolator truck was spotted before my very driveway just two days before the show! A blessing indeed!
The arrival of TIFF had led to a number of new attractions and, of course, celebrity sightings that I couldn't be bothered with. Social media had informed me of a Studio Ghibli Pop-Up outside the TIFF building; it was a limited time feature that would be disappearing with the termination of the week-long cinema event. Around the 12:30 PM, I steadily meandering towards the intersection of King and John.
While most COVID-induced space constraints had been removed, the lineup format had likely been implemented to prevent crowding within the space, given its compact size, and for prevention of theft. Technically, queue management was arguably unnecessary for visitors were either perusing for purchasing or just for a quick glance about.
At Queen/University, I made a brief stop at Miniso, then and stepped foot into Hot Black Coffee for the first time ever in all my years of working in the downtown core.
Ringing at $3.75 before tax, the Brownie was decently gooey and chewy, though lacking in chocolatey depth. Frankly, a bill totalling over $10 for a mid-afternoon snack was ridiculous.
Sequin-lined items had also made their way onto the shelves, supposedly in preparation for the holidays.