fandomhigh | Baking Workshop 6/12, Monday Morning

Piper smiled at the students as they arrive. It might have been a nervous smile. She pointed out today's assignment. "We're making snickerdoodles today. Chocolate ones even because chocolate makes everything better."

"Oh, and the first one of you to ask me if they're made of people gets detention," she continued, wondering if she could really abuse her power like that.

She hands the students a list of ingredients and instructions. "As usual, I'm around if you have questions or need help with anything."

"Try not to burn the classroom down," Piper added, remembering what happened last week.

Equipment Needed

Mixing Bowl

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Baking Sheets

Spatula

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F

Combine sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs.

Mix well.

Stir in cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Blend well.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls.

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set.

Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

[ingredients and instructions from here]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Anders spent about fifteen minutes going over the instructions. "Aw, this can't be that hard," he told no one in particular. "And no open flames this week."

He carefully preheated the oven and started measuring out his ingredients. The only thing that really stuck him for now was the bit about how the butter had to be softened. How do you soften butter?

With a shrug, Anders set the stick of butter down on the counter and started pummelling it with both fists.

Willow watched Anders beat up the butter.

"Serves the cookies right for mocking us."

Anders gave her a sheepish smile.

"Well, they haven't yet, but I'm trying to get the jump on 'em."

"It's right there in the name," Willow said. "First they mock, then they draw pictures of our humiliating downfall. It's very traumatic, really."

"They what?" Anders stopped pounding on the butter; it was pretty well softened by now, though there was probably less than half a cup inside the wrapper thanks to wayward splatters of it all over the counter. "Oh. Snickerdoodles. Right. I hear you make good cookies though. I don't think they'll be mocking you."

"Chocolate chip," Willow said, modestly. "I can also put together an oatmeal, so then you can pretend you're eating healthy. I've never tried snickerdoodles before."

"They don't look that hard," Anders replied, although his expression didn't make the statement very convincing. "You have previous cookie experience, at least. This'll be my first time."

"It'll be a piece of cake," Willow assured him. "Well, except for the part where it's cookies."

"Yeah, cake's way easier to -- is that where that expression came from?" Anders shook his head and scraped the butter into his mixing bowl along with the eggs, sugar, and one and a half times the amount of vanilla he was supposed to use. "Probably not."

"Cake's not too bad when you buy a mix," Willow said. "Alternatively you can skip that part and just eat the frosting right from the can."

"I make a mean cake from a mix," said Anders. "Well, cupcakes actually. I'm trying to cut down on the frosting, though. I used to eat pretty healthy when I first got here, but Zero introduced me to junk food and I've slipped so bad on my diet ever since."

Careful this time to not turn on the power before he put it into the bowl, Anders grabbed the mixer and blended the ingredients. "Okay, wow, that smells good already. Frak, the oven!" He darted over to set it at the right temperature (for once) before going back to the next step. "One of these days I swear I'll remember that at the right time."

"Just cook 'em longer," Willow said, waving it off. "Cookies are very forgiving."

"Even if they're laughing at us and drawing pictures of our humiliation?"

"All the more reason to leave them in the oven until they beg for mercy," Willow pointed out.

Anders started laughing and had to put the mixer down. "I seriously like the way you think."

Willow beamed proudly. "Thanks, Anders!"

"No problem, Willow." Anders gave her a bright smile and measured out the next batch of ingredients. There was probably too much flour; leveling-off wasn't a concept he'd grasped yet.

"Hear that, cookies?" he told the mixing bowl. "Give me any attitude and you're gonna be in a really hot place for a long time. And then you'd get burned and that would suck, because no one would want to eat you and appreciate your cookie goodness."

"Good job!" Willow said as she concentrated on mixing her own ingredients. "That ought to make them cry."

Anders poked his tongue out between his teeth as he started rolling the dough into balls. "Wouldn't they be more like sobbydoodles then?"

"Weepydoodles?" Willow suggested. "Assuming they still want to persue their art career."

Anders started mixing the sugar and cinnamon together, then decided it didn't seem like enough and doubled the amount before he put the dough balls -- which didn't seem quite moist enough -- in to coat them. "I wouldn't want to make them cry that much."

"Personally I think they should cry a little," Willow said. She got to making her own dough balls. "First of all for mocking us. Second because I don't think any artist worth his or her salt has been known for giggling."

"Think if we bake them just long enough they'll learn their lesson about giggling?"

"They will if we poke them with forks," Willow pointed out.

Anders grinned as he put the extra-cinnamon-sugary dough balls onto a cookie sheet. "Well then, we'll fork 'em good."

Re: Bake

willbedone.livejournal.com - 2006-06-12 22:14 (UTC) - Expand

cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com - 2006-06-12 22:37 (UTC) - Expand

willbedone.livejournal.com - 2006-06-12 22:40 (UTC) - Expand

cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com - 2006-06-12 22:53 (UTC) - Expand

willbedone.livejournal.com - 2006-06-12 22:58 (UTC) - Expand

cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com - 2006-06-13 00:03 (UTC) - Expand

willbedone.livejournal.com - 2006-06-13 00:47 (UTC) - Expand