The Holiday Homework |Christmas Book |

f i f t e e n

My hair was put up into a tight bun and I was wearing an apron over my full sleeve top and skinny jeans.

This is one attire that you will never find Holly Anne Winters wear unless she has no other choice.

Sarah set today, almost a week before Christmas, the day to begin baking and making goods for the Christmas week. The ladies of the house that is Sarah, Juliet, Jessica and I, after breakfast would be in the kitchen kneading dough, mixing batters and more.

Since the ladies were in the kitchen, the Anderson household was calm. One of the main troublemaker was standing beside me rolling the gingerbread dough along with me.

Jessica told me how Sarah baked gingerbread for the neighbourhood and for the church. Once the dough was rolled to the thickness required, Jessica and I took the cookie cutters and started cutting the cookies out.

Sarah and Juliet were making the dough for the mince pies but currently went to pick up some more grocery for the house. The mix of raisins and dry fruits that were to go into the pies were so delicious, lip smacking and finger licking delicious. I re-rolled the gingerbread dough to cut out more cookies.

I placed each of the cut out cookies on the baking tray in a line. I made sure they were at a decent distance. Three large trays that are about forty-eight cookies in total. Jessica and I placed them in the preheated oven and closed it and let it bake.

Next, Jessica and I were to prepare some warm cake for the evening tea. Sarah handed us her recipe book to follow. Jessica started measuring the liquids such as a half cup of milk and vanilla extract and then helped me in measuring all the dry ingredients and the soft ingredients such as butter.

As Jessica sifted the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt, I started beating the butter and the sugar on low speed and then gradually increased the speed to medium. Once that was done and I got the approval from Jessica, I crack the eggs and the rest of the liquids into it and mix them well.

"Now Jessica, I want you to this done carefully," I warn her. "Don't worry, I'm a pro at this." she proudly told me. "I always help mom with this." she continued to say.

"Pretty much explains how I had mash on my apron in the afternoon." I look at her.

"I promise, I will not cause anything to spill on you," she promised. I sigh and told her to lift the bowl of all the dry ingredients. The process is to slowly mix the dry ingredients with the mixer on slow and then to gradually increase the speed. Jessica carefully started adding the flour to the mixer and I watched the mixer mixing the cake batter. She added the next lot and since the batter started getting thicker, I increased its speed and told her to add it extremely carefully.

She did her job well until I heard someone scream "SPIDER!" and Jessica dumped the entire dry ingredients into the mixer and that caused a huge fog of flour and cocoa powder and everything and I was unfortunately in the fog.

I moved my hands through the smoke of flour, cocoa powder and everything, coughed. Just as I wiped my eyes with the small towel I had in hand, I heard someone whisper to my ears something that forced me to cringe.

"Hey, Scrooge."

Okay, I have to admit, that voice was one totally attractive but I could not handle him calling me Scrooge. I turned around to face him but I royally tripped on his shoes and hands landed on his shoulders to prevent myself from falling.

Great.

"The story never mentioned about Scrooge being a bit clumsy." he laughed as he looked at me. "Shut up," I mutter which made him chuckle.