Lucy Knott - The Ingredients for Happiness

‘I am one hundred per cent going to tell Dan you just said all those nice things about him,’ Amanda noted.

‘Oh, don’t do that, you’ll only go and pump up his ego more,’ Nikki responded with a fake whine in her voice.

‘If Dan had an ego,’ Amanda sighed wistfully. She played with the door handle and looked around at her surroundings. There didn’t seem to be anyone hiding behind telephone poles today.

‘We can create a bad boy rock star out of him yet,’ Nikki replied, making Amanda chuckle once more. ‘In all seriousness, you should take some before and after pictures for your blog. I’m sure that will get some interest and create a buzz before opening day.’

‘Oh shoot, my blog. Nikki I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve not posted at all in the past two months. Everything just got so busy and crazy.’

‘You know, it’s quite comical how much you suck at social media yet run a successful food blog. Well, it might not be successful now you’ve abandoned it and run it into the ground, but …’

‘Are you quite done?’ Amanda interrupted, laughing. ‘I thought you had a café to run two minutes ago?’ She turned the handle on the front door, pushing it open and blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the darker indoors. ‘And I get your point, thank you for the idea.’

‘You’re welcome. Keep me posted. Love you,’ Nikki said, before Amanda heard the line go dead.

Putting her phone in her pocket, she made her way over to her dad to ask what was going on. When she tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around and answered her question before she had time to ask it.

‘Sweetheart, I appreciate you trying to do this by yourself, but I’m your dad, it’s my job to help. How long were you going to try and work in darkness this evening, with no electricity?’ he asked. Amanda shrugged, for lack of a sensible response. ‘Your mum and I drove past earlier and saw you pottering around in the dark and cold. Really Amanda, it’s okay to ask for help.’ All Amanda could do was hug him. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

Then, trying to push Nikki’s words out of her head – she would not ogle Frank – she tried to act casual, like she hadn’t just been told off by her dad in front of him.

‘So, Frank, do you think you will be able to fix this mess?’ she asked, waving her arms around at the room. Frank had produced a battery-powered wall of spotlights that were now directed at the wiring spewing out of the ceiling.

‘It’s Liam. Frank is my dad’s name, and I think I can,’ Frank replied, with a dashing smile that caused Amanda’s cheeks to flame. Dammit Nikki, she thought to herself.

Saving her from further embarrassment, her phone beeped in her pocket. Amanda returned a smile to Liam and quickly turned away. She found a cooler spot a safe distance away, dug her phone out of her pocket and sat herself back down on the dusty floor. Embarrassment aside, at least she now had one less thing to worry about. Of course Amanda wanted the place to have lights and look pretty, but more than anything she wanted her kitchen up and running so she could begin preparing food for her customers and get the neighbourhood talking about the delicious smells arising from her little corner of the world.

‘Don’t be running off with electricians – if it’s sparks you’re after, I’m watt you’re looking for.’ It took her a minute to understand Dan’s text, but once it registered, Amanda was hunched over in stitches – she had definitely inhaled too many paint fumes today. Her laughter was becoming delirious. The small knot in her stomach at not hearing from Dan as much over the last few days untangled. She breathed a little easier. Before she could tap out her reply her phone beeped again.

‘Too cheesy?’ read Dan’s second text. She quickly replied, ‘Way too cheesy. Xx’ before then firing a text off to Nikki, ‘I thought you had to go and be an adult and run a café? Xx’.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

(A bit of this and a bit of that as Grandpa would say, until dough forms.)

Flour

Sugar

Unsalted butter

Milk

Egg

Baking powder

Salt

Vegetable shortening

Vanilla

For the filling:

3 tbsp cornstarch

½ cup sugar

1–1 ½ cups whole milk

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp almond extract

What to do:

For the dough:

Combine dry ingredients then add in butter and shortening like you’re making a crumble.

Mix together wet ingredients then add to dry and make a dough.

For the filling:

Like Nanna’s custard, make a roux with cornstarch and sugar. Add milk and eggs and almond extract and keep whisking until thick.

Roll out dough and make shells that fit a cupcake tin.

Spoon in two tbsp custard. Then layer a circle on top.

Refrigerate for 30 mins.

After 30 mins sprinkle with a splash of egg wash and bake for 12–15 mins at 22 degrees.

Once golden, remove and leave to cool.

Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Sabrina began to stir. The golden rays of sunshine had no respect for the current time of 4.30 a.m.; it barged its way in through the curtains without any apologies. Sabrina stretched out her arms and legs so she resembled a starfish, and jumped at a sudden cry of ‘ouch’ as the blanket next to her started to shuffle.

She let out a laugh and a feeble ‘sorry’ as Levi reached under the blanket and grabbed at her daisy print pajama shorts. She tried to smack his hand away, but it was no use – even in his sleepy state she couldn’t match his strength. He pulled her on top of him and snuggled into her sandy blonde hair, breathing her in.

‘How do you smell so good in the morning?’ he asked, playing with her locks as they fell around his fingers. ‘You smell like sunshine and flowers.’

Sabrina laughed. ‘Why thank you,’ she replied, kissing his nose. ‘I see your charm is never switched off, even at four-thirty in the morning.’

‘You’re the one that woke me at four-thirty in the morning to have your way with me! And I’d be a fool to say no to that.’ Levi’s cheeky tone made Sabrina laugh even more. She actually giggled as he smothered her with kisses. She loved the way he made her feel.

‘No,’ she cried through her laughter. ‘The sun was too bright, it woke me.’ She paused as Levi sat up, causing her to move with him so that she ended up sitting on his lap as he leaned his head against the head rest. ‘And I must admit, I’m nervous about today. Are you nervous?’

Levi touched the tip of her nose and traced her jaw with his thumb. ‘I wouldn’t say I’m not nervous,’ he said, with a soft shrug. Levi was the most laidback of the group. He and James were like double trouble, always the life and soul of the party, never taking anything too seriously. It was no surprise. Levi’s older brother had taken the more conventional route in life; good at school, left to get a great job, married by twenty-five, two kids. Levi’s mum had never had to worry about Chase, but Levi had certainly made up for that. Dan wasn’t exactly a troublemaker but put him and Levi in a class together and they never got any work done. Records were constantly spinning in both their brains and if they weren’t whispering to each other about guitar riffs or band names they were doodling on desks or in the back of their schoolbooks. Levi’s mum had to deal with her fair share of meetings in the principal’s office and grounding Levi whenever him and Dan snuck out of the house to see a gig. Dan had mellowed out the older he got, Levi not so much, especially when side by side with James.