Out & About #957 | Holiday Lunch, Puff Pastry Egg Tart Attempt, Olive Oil Brownies + Pecan Tarts

I was met with utmost astonishment when my carpooling partner offered me egg tarts, supposedly just a fraction of those to be brought along for a holiday work potluck.

The tarts in question had been formed from pre-made tart shells (frozen and already positioned in foil tins!) and homemade custard. Lofty, flaky, and unmistakably greasy after reheating, the shells succeeded in exuding the appearance of Portuguese egg tarts, albeit proved devoid of the gratifying buttery essence of Nata I had anticipated.
Custard contents were also on the scanty end of the spectrum, leaving much to be desired as a lover of flan and eggs.

Exchanged were Tri-Colour Pasta with Butternut Squash, Ube Pie, and Brownie Cookies. ​The transaction was then succeeded with a visit to the optometrist.

​Back-to-back classes of Zumba and Boot Camp Conditioning depleted my energy levels - in a good way, of course - though rendered my upper and lower body tender for days to follow, in spite of taking to 1 lb hand weights. 

Tuesday would mark the long-awaited Holiday Lunch, wherein two divisions' worth of staff were celebrated for their efforts throughout the year.

My arrival downtown would be welcomed with the sight of various installations associated with the Calcavade of Lights and a fully functional skating rink. The tree was also finally furnished with orbs and stars.

​In wait of our Greek lunch catering, the lunchroom was readied accordingly.

My baking coworker prepared two mammoth slabs of tres leches cake, which were only decorated with maraschino cherries right before serving to prevent bloody red trails over the whipped cream topping.

​Eventually, at the late hour of 12:40 PM, lunch was finally served!

​Platters of Greek salad, rice, lemon potatoes, various dips, and skewers were arranged along the length of the table. Beyond containers of dry chicken, overdone beef, and severely overcooked pork were a handful of battered shrimp and Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster.

​The sizable square of Tres Leches Cake was quite a sight to behold: porous, incredibly saturated, and sweetened with a luscious three-milk mixture that sent the vast majority of our team in a severe food coma.

​Timbits and Baklava on offer in the kitchen hadn't helped our case either.

Climate conditions on my second in-office day were far milder than the first. I had brought along my standard roster of a lined toque, earmuffs, and gloves, though ultimately only used hand protection consistently throughout the day.

​Christmas decorations have officially landed at Canadian Tire, with the sporting and home hardware giant swapping out spooky black-and-orange lawn décor for sparkly, red-and-green ones.

​Of course, the inflatable inverted triangular logo was of greatest amusement to me.

Strolling towards the centremost part of the Eaton Centre, I chanced across the Tree Light and Snow Show. The segment aired daily and lasted for about two minutes. That said, it is worth noting that only one show takes place during work hours (at 12:30 PM), while others are slated for 5:30 PM, 7:00 PM, and 8:00 PM. (More showtimes are available on the weekends too though.)

​Before hurrying back to the office, a Mistletoe Milk Tea was secured from The Alley.

In contrast to its festive appearance, the colourful cup's contents were not representative of the indulgent flavours associated with the holiday season. Neither salted caramel nor Assam tea were perceived. The presence of food colouring also resulted in a dismal tawny hue, for the blue dye settled to the bottom of the cup with time, staining the included pudding topping a peculiar turquoise shade in the process.

Creations of the week included:

1) Puff Pastry Egg Tart (Attempt)

The sampling of partially homemade Nata had spurred a desire to attempt egg tarts once more. But, unlike the previous trial, I was determined to try the Portuguese edition. After all, if successful, I'd be able to overwrite my most recent tasting experience as positive.

Laminating pastry is no simple feat, for it demands both patience and trust in the process. It started with a slab of butter, flattened to a thin rectangle measuring 11 cm by 15 cm. Next, a dough of identical dimensions was prepared. After chilling, it was rolled to dimensions of 18 cm by 30 cm. This was far lengthier than necessary, which caused excess pastry to emerged on one side after encasing the butter.

Adhering to the steps outlined in the tutorial, the dough was chilled then folded three times before being tightly rolled. Unfortunately, due to uneven edges, the extremities of the roll were atypically thin. Meanwhile, the centremost segments were abnormally stocky.
I proceeded to slice and portion the puff pastry rolls across twelve foil tins, the specified serving size for the dessert. While I had managed to flatten each round and re-allocate the pastry to prevent holes in the shell, I was left with about 1 cup of egg filling even after filling.

The dozen of tarts were baked between the temperature range of 410 F to 450 F. As a consequence of drastic fluctuations in oven temperature, the  mixture of egg, sugar, and heavy cream bubbled over, seeped into the shells, and cooked completely before the puff pastry casings had a chance to gain colour. Meanwhile, the custard-only batch baked splendidly, adopting the golden burnt patches acquainted with pastel de nata.

In hindsight, the outcome of this mid-week project weren't half bad. I had, miraculously, achieved flaky layers in the puff pastry base, warranting my opening of the window on a cold, damp, snowy day. The standalone custard cups were phenomenal: silky, eggy, and sufficiently sweet. The sole gripe was the pairing of these constituents in a shallow, somewhat sodden shell. It was this incredibly high ratio of liquid to crust that propelled me in the direction of croissants for next time.

Meanwhile, the office expressed awe and elation towards the tart attempt. One coworker even declared her soul ascending to the heavens - Oh, what touching feedback!

​The project had spanned approximately six hours in total, with approximately four to five of those hours utilized towards the chill-fridge-fold-repeat process of the puff pastry. Commitment was converted into determination; I merely had to trust the process for best results.

​Alas, baking gives rise to a plethora of unexpected blunders. Although batter-folding and bread-kneading skills have been honed over the years, extra effort shall be required of my poor portioning and rolling skills.

2) Olive Oil Brownies

I had just boarded the 503 streetcar when I opened smitten kitchen's e-newsletter to lay eyes on her latest interpretation of brownies: Olive Oil Brownies.

I won't lie: I was hesitant about it, both the elimination of butter and alarming quantity of granulated sugar. Nevertheless, the post had dropped at an all-too-timely occasion, enabling yet another iteration of brownies over the weekend.

​SK's recipe used unsweetened chocolate, which is difficult to locate in stores and even more rarer to find readily available in my household. My go-to chocolate choice of Surfin couverture comes sweetened, thus I'd need to adjust the sugar levels accordingly. The original recipe uses a 3:1 ratio of granulate sugar to unsweetened chocolate by mass. As such, I opted for a reduction of two-thirds, then further rationalized swapping out a portion of the white sugar for golden yellow sugar to yield a chewier, milder brownie.

The calculations would unfold as follows:

• White sugar to chocolate ratio: 345/115 = 3
• 2/3 reduction of specified sugar quantity: 345 g x 2/3 = 230 g

​Thus, the total amount of sugar would total 230 grams. Initially considering a mix of 140 g granulated and 90 g golden yellow, my heart yearned for a softer consistency, ultimately deciding on 105 g granulated and 125 g golden yellow.

• 105 g granulated + 125 g golden yellow = 230 g total sugar

​Due to schedule conflicts, the batter was covered and placed in the refrigerator for about forty minutes before baking. Chilling the batter wasn't listed in the recipe, and I had even wondered whether any negative impacts would arise in the absence of butter (oil remains a liquid when chilled and may cause splitting of the batter) and baking powder (no active reagent to improve texture). Thankfully, the batter merely thickened afterwards and did not split, as I had feared.
As directed, a generous sprinkle of Maldon sea salt was sprinkled about the surface before baking. This addition, while seemingly insignificant, was pivotal in contributing complexity and offered sharp notes of umami to offset the bitterness of olive oil, especially for those with prominent aversions towards its innate properties.

​SK advised baking for 30-34 minutes, or until a toothpick is retrieved batter-free. After 32 minutes, a toothpick emerged relatively damp. I allowed the tray to bake for two minutes more at a lowered temperature of 330 F, preserving its softer consistency. The surface was lightly crackly, the underside thoroughly set with distinct crust, and the centre gooey and plush, bearing just the right amount of chewiness. Most importantly, it wasn't offputtingly sugary or needlessly chewy on top, which is often a result of heavy reliance on granulated sugar.

Despite being stripped of the aromatic essence of butter, this oil-containing variation earned great praise within the household for being moist and chewy, rather than dry and cakey, while exuding the lusciousness of silky, semisweet chocolate. In fact, the endeavour spurred interest in advancing future brownie trials in the direction of liquid fat. Sometimes, oil-based baked goods are too greasy for their own good. At other times, the elimination of butter was incontestably for the better.

The following day, the centre remained moist, as it had at the time of completion. However, its exterior dried out slightly, yielding a chewier, sweeter first bite with comparatively muted notes of olive oil. Notwithstanding this texture change, it was still an enjoyable brownie. At the same time, I may contemplate less oil and more flour for sturdier structure.

In summary, the success-inducing swaps would result in:

• 115 g chocolate, melted
• 130 g olive oil, heated with chocolate till fluid
• 105 g granulated sugar
• 125 g golden yellow sugar
• 20 g natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 85 g AP flour
• Flaky salt (smoked Maldon) to finish, sprinkled before baking

​
350 F for 32 mins, then 330 F for 2 mins.

3) Pecan Tarts

Because turning on the oven for a single spurt of baking often doesn't feel warranted, I began to contemplate a secondary creation. The leftover disc of pie crust had been tossed into the freezer after completing the Ube Pie, though defrosted just a few days later for my first attempt at Pecan Tarts.

In order to ensure pliability, the disc was transferred to the fridge to thaw slowly the evening prior.

The recipe would essentially be a scaled-down replica of SK's infamous Pecan Pie. Tremendous success awaited me with each revisit, making it was a no-brainer as my starting point. From the round of pie dough, I'd obtain enough shells to fill ten muffin cups in a not-so-uniform fashion. Construction of nata earlier in the week had exposed my consistently poor portioning skills, prompting an extra degree of meticulousness this time around. To facilitate removal from the pan, strips of parchment were placed underneath each shell, forming an "X" shape. In hindsight, the strips weren't all that necessary, for removal was effortless and the edges merely fell into the custard during baking.
​
While preparing the custard, the shells were transferred to the freezer to prevent shrinkage.

The filling was scaled down by two-thirds to accomodate for tarts demanding more crust than custard:

• 64 g (4 tbsp) butter
• 127 g (2/3 cup) brown sugar
• 138 g (1/2 cup) golden syrup
• 150 g pecans, chopped and toasted (325 F for 5-7 mins)
• 2/3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2/3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

​Slight overflow was witnessed at first. However, even with the filling bubbling over and staining the circumference of the shell, the tarts emerged spectacular - flawless even! Wither even the slightest they did not.

Fitted with a delightfully crunchy top, gooey custard centre, and flaky edges, the creation was likely my favourite tart consumed to date!

​A proper snowfall descended upon the GTA towards the latter end of the work week. The light dusting was adequate in sustaining a wintry aura, however disintegrated rapidly as temperatures climbed to the 1-2 degree mark in the early evening hours.

​That said, opportunities for Peppermint Hot Chocolate and a Brownie Cookie were not missed.

After my last Friday Zumba session in the foreseeable few weeks, I took to LCBO for a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai. Unfortunately, inventory has shifted in the direction of flashy wines, holiday bundles, and gaudy-looking gold bottles instead.

Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo Sake was procured as a stand-in sake, yet ultimately proved more delicious than fathomable. Naturally, this led to the inevitable instance of over-indulgence and slumping into the soft caress of Larry as palpitations surged.

Unlike Hakutsuru, the 750 ml bottle had, interestingly, been imported from the States.

​Over the course of the week, Black Friday and Cyber Monday acquisitions slowly materialized on my doorstep. From NomNom Coffee Sticks from De Mello to Surfin and Blancor couverture from Lindt, the pre-Christmas unboxing ordeal was admittedly extravagant.

​Having curiously added a jar of Lindt Dark Chocolate Spread to my basket, I unveiled the 200 gram jar shortly upon receipt. The formula had been filled far below its rim and emitted a gritty, stabilized consistency, rather than the sticky, viscous Nutella-like properties I had predicted. The spread's inclusion of hazelnuts in the ingredient list was another compelling discovery.