by Natasha Lowe
So life unfolded into a comforting routine, and one that Poppy looked forward to from the moment she woke up. While Marie Claire was still sleeping, Poppy would start the bread doughs and croissants. She loved the quiet of early morning and the peace and tranquillity of the canal drifting by. Soon the little kitchen would be filled with the sweet, yeasty scent of baking, and when the wind was blowing from the south, people claimed to be able to smell Poppy’s fresh breads right across town. There was always a line waiting outside the bakery before it even opened, and visitors to Potts Bottom often asked for directions to the place that smelled so good.
Every morning before leaving the bakery, Poppy would hang an OPEN sign around her father’s neck and bid him a cheery hello. He always looked back at her with the same startled expression, as if he had just seen something unbelievable. She liked to tell her parents what the day’s specials were, just to keep them involved, and she was sure that on coconut cupcake Mondays the corners of her father’s mouth sometimes twitched. Then, with a bright smile and a wave to Marie Claire, Poppy would skip off to meet the school bus.
At six o’clock, when the bakery shut for the evening, Poppy hung the closed sign around her mother’s neck, trying to avoid looking too closely at the tragic stone face. There was something rather disturbing about her angry, bug-eyed stare, and the enormous mouthful of food Edith Pendle still appeared to be chewing.
Charlie spent as much time visiting Poppy’s as she could, but she liked to get home before dark to feed her goose. He had made a permanent home under the old apple tree in Charlie’s garden and continued to be an excellent eater, gulping down muffins and gingerbread and even the odd grilled cheese sandwich. Sometimes when Charlie walked down to the bakery, her goose would waddle along behind. While she helped serve customers or watched Poppy invent a new cookie recipe, her goose would go for a quick swim in the canal. As soon as he saw Charlie wave good-bye, though, he flapped out of the water, gave his feathers a brisk shake, and scuttled after her with a series of excited honks.
One Wednesday, a few months after the bakery had opened, Ms. Roach appeared in the shop. Ducking down behind the counter, Poppy held her breath and hoped that she hadn’t been seen. “Hello, Poppy,” Ms. Roach greeted loudly, and Poppy scrambled to her feet with a sheepish smile. “I see you have some nice stone artwork out front,” she said, and before Poppy could answer, she pointed to the last ten caramel cookies. “I’ll take all of those, please.”
“Yes, Ms. Roach,” Poppy mumbled, putting the cookies into a box. She waited for Ms. Roach to say something more, but the headmistress didn’t. She took her cookies and left. The next week though, an order came in from Ruthersfield Academy for ten dozen caramel cookies to be delivered to the school every Wednesday. At the bottom of the order was a note from Ms. Roach. It said, “Those were the best cookies I have ever eaten. Your great-grandmother Mabel was a wonderful witch, and you are a wonderful baker.”
And Poppy’s parents? Well, they stood outside the shop for two whole years, watching the people of Potts Bottom come and go. There was always a steady stream of customers to look at, and sometimes people would greet them by name. “Hello, Edith,” or “How’s it going, Roger,” they’d call out, giving the stone statues a friendly pat on their tummies. In the winter months Poppy dressed her parents in woolly hats and scarves, and they became a popular target for snowball-throwing practice.
As soon as the weather turned nice, Poppy liked to sit on the steps between them, munching chocolate croissants and chattering away about new recipe ideas. On Poppy’s thirteenth birthday, when she went outside to hang the OPEN sign around her dad’s neck, she was surprised to notice that he blinked. That was all at first, a blink here, a blink there, and then his mouth started to move. The first thing he said was, “I’m hungry,” so Poppy fed him warm pieces of chocolate butter bread, and it wasn’t long after that, that he began to move. He was more than a little stiff to begin with, but Poppy greased his joints with the best Normandy butter and quite soon he was parading about with an enormous smile plastered across his face.
“I’m sorry about Mum,” Poppy apologized to her dad, because Edith Pendle was still as cold and hard as a Yorkshire paving stone.
“Oh, she’ll come around,” Roger Pendle said brightly, and she did. But it took her another two years. It was Poppy’s fifteenth birthday when Edith Pendle finally opened her mouth and spat out the remains of a Twirlie bar. “Ugh!” She grimaced. “That tastes disgusting.”
“Mum!” Poppy cried out, giving Edith Pendle a hug. She was still a little cold and hard to the touch, but Poppy could feel her mother’s heart beating away.
“Be a love, Poppy, and whip up a batch of those fabulous homemade Twirlies you bake on Mondays, would you?” Edith Pendle smiled at her daughter and added, “I see now you were born to be a baker.”
Poppy was happy to oblige, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Poppy lived all her life in the little cottage bakery down by the canal. The picture of Great-Granny Mabel was moved from the house on Pudding Lane and hung on the shop wall above the counter, right next to Poppy’s Baker of the Year award. Every time her parents ate something that Poppy had made, they would close their eyes and sigh, then point at the photo and say, “Your great-granny Mabel would have been so proud of you.”
Occasionally when Poppy had created something especially fabulous, she would get so excited that fireworks would explode out of the bowl. Or perhaps a bouquet of rainbow-colored balloons would appear in the oven along with her latest creation. Whenever this happened, Poppy simply smiled and gave a shrug, because she really didn’t mind being magic, just so long as she could keep on baking.
SIMPLE BAKING TIPS FROM Poppy’S BAKERY
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.Always wash your hands before you begin baking.
2.Ask an adult for permission and/or to help you to set up and use kitchen equipment, crack eggs, cut with knives, or take pans in and out of the oven, etc.
3.Good ingredients make the best cakes and cookies. Nothing is better than butter!
4.All the cookie recipes can be easily halved if you don’t want to make a full batch.
5.Measure your flour by gently scooping it out. Don’t pack the flour down, and always level off your measuring cups and spoons. A simple way to do this is to draw the back of a knife across the top, swiping away any excess flour.
6.Poppy recommends using kosher salt in all her recipes. If you are using regular salt, you might want to use a little less.
7.When a recipe calls for eggs, use large, not extra large, and make sure they are at room temperature. Just leave them out on the counter for an hour before you start to bake.
8.You might want to use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is cooking at the correct temperature. Sometimes ovens will run hotter or cooler than the temperature they have been set at, and it’s good to know this before starting to bake.
9.A rubber spatula is an extremely useful cooking tool that has a rubber head. It’s the best tool to use for scraping bowls clean and getting batter into pans. Most kitchens have at least one!
10.It’s a good idea to wash up your sticky bowls and pans, and put away ingredients when you have finished baking. If you do this, the adults in your house will be much more likely to let you use the kitchen again. They tend to get a little cranky (and rightly so!) if you leave them all your cleaning up.
11.And the most important rule of all: Have fun and enjoy sharing your goodies with your family and friends. If your cakes sink or your cookies are a little too crispy, it’s okay. They will still taste delicious, and the only way to get better is to keep practicing.
>
Recipes
Poppy’s Famous Chocolate Melt-Aways
Makes about 50 melt-aways
These are just as delicious as they sound. One bite and they literally melt away on the tongue. Full of butter and good dark cocoa, they are a chocolate lover’s dream. If you don’t mind them crumbling a bit, sandwich some softened vanilla ice cream between two melt-aways for an extra special treat.
~ INGREDIENTS ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups self-rising flour (or all-purpose flour with a teaspoon of baking powder mixed in)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (NOT hot cocoa mix)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
~ METHOD ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.Make sure your butter is really soft—this is important; otherwise, the ingredients won’t blend together smoothly. The best way to soften butter is to leave it out of the fridge overnight so it comes to room temperature. You can soften it in the microwave for a few seconds, but be very careful not to melt it. You want soft butter, not melted butter!
3.If you have a food processor or standing mixer, just dump in all the ingredients and mix everything up together. Then go directly to step 5. If not, a handheld mixer will work just fine. You might want to ask an adult to help you set up your equipment.
4.Put the softened butter and sugar into a large bowl, and using a handheld mixer, beat them together until light and fluffy. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Go slowly at first; otherwise, the dry ingredients will fly out of the bowl! As the mixture comes together, speed up beating until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.
5.This is the fun part! Make sure your hands are clean and dry. Have ready two cookie pans (flat baking sheets). Using about 1 heaping teaspoon of the dough for each, roll the mixture into small balls, and put the balls onto the baking sheets. Don’t put them too close together, because you will flatten them out in a minute. Your hands will get all gooey, but they will taste delicious!
6.Wash your hands! Now take a fork and stick it briefly into a glass of water. Then flatten the cookie with the underside of the fork, pressing the tines gently into each ball to spread it out. You will need to wet the fork every four or five cookies to stop it from sticking to the dough.
7.When all the cookies have been flattened, bake for about 18 to 22 minutes. It is hard to tell when these cookies are done because they are such a dark color to begin with. What you are aiming for is a crisp, melting cookie with deep chocolate flavor. Some ovens run hotter than others, so you might want to bake a small batch first and see how long they need. Let them cool completely and then try one. They will crisp up as they cool. If the first batch is not quite crisp enough, bake the next tray a little longer. If the cookies have a slightly burnt taste, you have left them in too long, so take a few minutes off the next round. It is worth getting these cookies perfect because they are so delicious!
8.Store the chocolate melt-aways at room temperature in an airtight container.
Caramel Crunch Cookies
Makes about 50 caramel crunch cookies
Poppy invented these cookies her first morning at Marie Claire’s bakery. They quickly became a favorite with the customers and always sell out early. Like the chocolate melt-aways, these are delicious sandwiched together with vanilla ice cream.
~ INGREDIENTS ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup dark brown sugar (This gives the lovely caramel flavor, so use the darkest, stickiest brown sugar you can find. Light brown sugar won’t be intense enough.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
GLAZE:
1 egg white, beaten, blended with 1 tablespoon water
Raw sugar (sometimes called Turbinado sugar, which has bigger crystals for more crunch)
~ METHOD ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2.You can stir this dough by hand or in a food processor or standing mixer. If you are using a food processor or standing mixer, simply put in all the ingredients (except the glaze) and mix until blended. Then go directly to step 5.
3.Otherwise, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
4.Cut the butter into pieces, and add it to the bowl. Mash with the back of a fork to blend it in, or rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips. At first the mixture will look like dry crumbs, but as you work the butter into smaller and smaller pieces, the dough will begin to get sticky. Now pour in the vanilla. You can use a fork to mix it in or your fingers. This is when you squish the whole lot together until it forms a large ball.
5.Get out two cookie pans (flat baking sheets). If you only have one, that’s fine. You can bake the cookies in batches. Break off pieces of dough and roll them into small balls, about 1 heaping teaspoonful each. Place the cookie balls on the baking sheets. Then, using the heel of your hand or the tips of your fingers, press down gently on each ball to flatten it out slightly. You don’t want them too flat because they will spread in the oven. Try to make sure they are all an even thickness, about 1/4 inch.
6.Brush the top of each cookie lightly with the glaze, and sprinkle with the raw sugar. If you like, you can stick a sliver of pecan on top for decoration.
7.Bake cookies for about 35 minutes, until deep golden. You might want to ask an adult to help you get the cookies into and out of the oven. It’s a good idea to turn the pans around halfway through cooking so the cookies bake evenly. The low oven temperature is what gives these cookies their delicious caramel crunch. A lovely buttery caramel scent will waft from your oven, telling you the cookies are done.
8.Cool on wire racks, and store in an airtight container to keep them crunchy.
Raspberry Jam Shortbreads
Makes about 70 little shortbread cookies
These cookies look like precious jewels, with their shimmering raspberry jam centers. Poppy likes to arrange them on antique wooden trays and display them in the window of her bakery.
~ INGREDIENTS ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
Raspberry jam
~ METHOD ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.You can make these in a food processor or a standing mixer if you like. Just ask an adult to help you set up your equipment. Then simply dump in all the ingredients EXCEPT the raspberry jam! Mix well to form a soft dough, and go directly to step 4.
3.Otherwise, put the butter in a large mixing bowl. Make sure it’s nice and soft. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together. Now mix in the vanilla extract. Add the salt, flour, and cornstarch, and blend it all together.
4.Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge, and chill it for about 15 minutes.
5.Scoop out teaspoonful-size nuggets of cookie dough and roll them into balls. Place the balls on cookie pans (flat baking sheets), leaving a little room between the cookies.
6.Now dip your thumb in flour and make a nice wide thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Pat your thumb around. What you are aiming for is a wide, shallow indent with a thin border of dough around the outside. This is so you will have plenty of room for the jam.
7.Take a little scoop of jam (use the 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon) and fill the middle of the cookie with delicious raspberry jam.
8.Put the tray of filled cookies back in the fridge to chill, for about 10 minutes.
9.Bake the cookies for 18 to 21 minutes, or until the outside crust is a light golden color. You might want to ask an adult to help you get the cookies into and out of the oven.
10.Cool the cookies on a wire tray. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. These cookies also freeze well.
Coconut Cupcakes
Makes 14 to 16 cupcakes
These are absolutely delicious! They are moist, coconutty sponge cakes covered in creamy frosting, with a crunch of toasted coconut flakes sprinkled on top. They are Mr. Pendle’s favorite.
~ INGREDIENTS ~
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
11/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar