“I’d like to make a new recipe using the remaining egg whites,” I said. “It only requires egg whites and sugar, but the sugar needs to be a lot finer. You just whip the two together, then make it into small mounds and bake them.”
We can use the piping tip I made before! I’d made metal piping tips for Nassius’s birthday cake earlier in the year, as well as an eggbeater, which Eva was particularly happy about, since it was easier than using a fork. For today, I handled the whipping with my magic. Eva then transferred the mixture into a piping bag and began piping small circles.
“The heat shouldn’t be too high,” I warned her. “They need to be baked thoroughly at a low temperature.”
It was a bit frustrating to be forbidden from doing things myself, but I also couldn’t deny that Eva was a great chef. Mary was actually allowing her “lady” to stay in the kitchen for quite a long time, perhaps because she’d enjoyed ice cream just that much.
The ice cream mixture was in the maker, and the meringues were in the oven, so I could now leave the rest to Eva.
I decided to make a hair accessory with Mary until it was time for tea. I used the dark navy fabric to make a bow, then I cut out small circles of white fabric to add a polka dot pattern.
“Is your gown made of the same material, my lady?” Mary asked. She seemed worried that the color was too dark for the season.
“Yes, but the collar is white, and I sewed on the same pattern with these white circles,” I explained. “The sewing curriculum became more difficult starting this year, and I’m also sewing a winter gown now. I also have to sew a lining into it, so it’s a bit challenging.”
I’d actually already finished sewing my dark green dress for the Harvest Festival, and I’d begun working on a second piece, which was a beautiful shade of blue. The sewing teacher had said she’d feel bad if I had to wear the same gown for three years, so she’d given me three dresses worth of fabric. The fabric for my third dress was red, which the teacher had insisted on because I’d kept choosing cool colors. I’d never worn red during my previous life, so I was a bit worried about it. I felt that I’d look really childish wearing it now, so I was planning to hold on to it and use it for a gown when I was in my third year.
I hope that by then, I’ll look more glamorous. I was pretty thin all over during my previous life, so I’d like to have more of an hourglass figure this time.
There hadn’t been any good options for summer fabrics left, so the teacher had promised she would purchase some more for me before the fall term. In other words, I was going to end up sewing a total of six gowns. Since I was still growing, she was going to accept four of the six pieces being only basted. I’ve got my work cut out for me.
“I’d like some new shoes,” I mentioned to Mary. “My current pair is too tight.”
They’d been a bit loose at first, but I’d grown into them, and now my shoes were too small for my feet.
“My! I apologize for not noticing sooner.”
I’d been hoping that we could maybe go shopping together, but Mary was going to go buy them on her own. Darn!
We didn’t regularly have teatime at the Granger home, but we did today—and with ice cream! We still had a little further to go before we’d be well off enough for daily teatime.
“I’ve never had anything like this before,” my father said, surprised by the ice cream.
Nassius and Henry both seemed obsessed with it.
“This dish is called ice cream, sister?” Nassius asked, looking sad that he’d already finished his.
“That’s right. Tomorrow, we’ll make a batch that’s strawberry flavored.”
That news brought a smile back to Nassius’s face. He’s so cute!
It was understandable that he wanted more, since we only served a small portion during tea. We were saving the rest of the batch to serve after dinner.
“This is so good, sister!” Henry raved, also disappointed that there wasn’t any more.
Don’t be so sad, Henry. It wouldn’t be good to fill your stomach up with cold things. It’s still only April.
“In alchemy club, we made an ice cream maker, so we’ll be able to enjoy this treat in the summer as well,” I assured him.
If we didn’t have eggs, we could even try making sherbet. As always, the only eggs we had were those gifted by the queen, since they were still too expensive for us to buy. Sugar was also a premium item, since it was imported from the south. Could maple sugar be harvested in this part of the world? I should look into that.
Eva’s recipe seemed to be great as-is, so the only decision I had to make with the strawberry ice cream was whether to use fresh strawberries or jam. I guess jam might be easier for the Festival of Verdure. I think we’ll make a thin jam that can be swirled throughout the ice cream, creating a marbled look. That’ll be easier, which is good since I can’t be at the club all day.
“It would be nice if we could get the cooking club to help... It might not hurt to ask President Caesar.”
I didn’t know anyone in the cooking club, so it was very possible that they wouldn’t help us. The alchemy club also didn’t have a great reputation among female students. In fact, almost the entire rest of the student body thought they were weirdos.
I wonder why the alchemy club members are seen as weirdos but the magic club members aren’t. Oh, it was probably those dirty lab coats! I bet they gave people a bad impression of the club. Well, they’re always sparkling white now!
Since we were making freezers, it was possible that we could make the ice cream ahead of time. I need to check with them to see how much they’re planning to make!
On Sunday, Samuel visited in the afternoon, so he joined our taste-testing of the strawberry-flavored batch.
“This is called ice cream? It’s delicious!”
Samuel was trying to play it cool, but after he’d devoured his ice cream, he stared at me while I finished mine. I’m not giving you any. It was nice to see that the new flavor was so well received.