Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Sweet Scented Baked Apples

After concluding our discussion with Count Fernande, his servant escorted us to the room where we would be staying for a while.

Farne, who seemed eager to fly back, had been invited to a nobleman’s wedding and wouldn’t be able to return until three days later. Somehow, I felt a twinge of loneliness at that.

I checked the room. It was a nice one. Presumably, it was prepared for guests like us.

Moreover, a couple’s room was assigned, allowing Tina and me to spend time together. I must express my gratitude to Count Fernande.

Tomorrow, we planned to go to the market before making sweets to be presented to the Duke’s household by the day after tomorrow, followed by attending the engagement announcement party with Farne three days later.

The engagement announcement with Farne would gather many nobles associated with Count Fernande. I can’t afford to mess up. I’m getting pumped up from now.

“Tina, let’s go to the market tomorrow. Before we start making sweets, I want to look around and get some inspiration. Although the recipes are decided, seeing new ingredients at the market might spark something. …Plus, there’s a mountain of new ingredients right in front of us. I can’t resist.”

I grinned. If my heart doesn’t dance here, then I’m not a patissier.

“Yes, Sir Kurt, let’s go. The market of Eclava. I’m excited. There seem to be many wonderful things!”

“Yeah. Even if we don’t need something for this time’s sweets, let’s buy anything good we find. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”

How many treasures will we encounter in this port town…

◇

Tina and I came to the market together from early in the morning.

I was surprised by the bustling atmosphere.

After all, nearly fifty thousand people live in this port town.

It’s incomparable to the Arnoldt territory, which has only about five hundred people in total, even if you combine all the villages.

People and goods overflow here. How enviable.

“Oh wow, it looks like they’re selling sea fish at that stall. They’re so big compared to river fish.”

Tina exclaimed in amazement as she spotted fish resembling snappers.

Her fox ears twitched happily, indicating her excitement.

“Oh look, there are fruits I’ve never seen before over there. They’re red, round, and smell so good. I wonder what they taste like.”

This time, her eyes sparkled as she found apples.

Excited by everything she saw, Tina was frolicking around.

I chuckled wryly as I followed her.

“Let’s skip the fish. They’ll probably spoil before we get back to Arnoldt, and I’m hesitant to cook them in Count Fernande’s territory.”

“Oh… I see. That’s disappointing.”

Tina’s fox ears drooped down.

She probably wanted to try the sea fish since they’re something you can’t eat in the Arnoldt mountains.

“Although we can’t buy them now, I also want to try, so let’s have lunch at that shop over there. They seem to have dishes made with this fish.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea! Let’s do it!”

Tina clung to my arm, delighted by the suggestion. I was glad she was happy.

“Let’s buy a few fruits to try. If they’re good, we can buy more on our way back as souvenirs.”

Saying so, I handed some money to the fruit vendor and received two apples.

I then took out my cake knife from my coat and sliced one of the apples in half, handing a piece to Tina.

“Here, Tina, this is for you.”

“Is it okay?”

“That’s why I bought it.”

As I said so, Tina smiled and took a bite of the apple. I could hear the crisp, satisfying sound.

“It’s tart, juicy, and delicious! Kurt-sama, this is really good. Can’t we grow them in our territory?”

Clearly delighted, her tail had been wagging since a while ago.

I also took a bite of the apple. It was much more tart and less sweet than the apples I knew, but that was perfect.

Apples like these were suitable for making sweets.

We should definitely buy some to take back with us.

“I’d love to grow them, but it might be impossible. Apples are quite tricky to handle, and I’ll probably ruin them before they bear fruit. Even if things go well, it takes about three years. The hurdle is quite high.”

Fruit-bearing trees inevitably took time.

Plus, they were vulnerable to diseases and weather, requiring serious investment of manpower and time to grow successfully.

“In that case, it’s impossible in Arnoldt. Everyone would’ve been thrilled if we could harvest a bunch of these.”

Tina sounded disheartened. I ruffled her hair and smiled reassuringly.

“Even if we can’t grow them, I think we can buy them. Once our honey business takes off, we can ask traveling merchants to bring them in. Right now, we’re just focusing on essentials for our livelihood, but eventually, we’ll be able to afford luxuries like these.”

As I said that, Tina beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes!”

“Also, Tina, being overly excited about raw ingredients like this might bruise a pastry chef’s pride, you know.”

“Kurt-sama, what do you mean by that?”

“Why do you think I bought two apples? To make sweets. Look forward to it when we get back, I’ll use these to make some lovely treats.”

“I’m looking forward to it! Kurt-sama’s sweets!”

Tina wore a happy expression as she imagined the sweets I would make.

Seeing her like that made me feel happy too.

◇

As we wandered through the market, I was amazed by the variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seasonings, and liquors available.

I almost wanted to live here. As a pastry chef, environments like this were truly appealing.

I decided that I would like to visit the market at least once a month from now on.

Amidst all this, what caught my eye was whiskey. I hadn’t expected to find distilled spirits like this.

I had asked Count Fernande to provide rum, but a dry distilled spirit would be even more suitable for the rose cookies I was planning for this occasion.

Just finding this made the trip to the market worthwhile.

“Could I have a taste, sir? I’m looking for something as spicy and aromatic as possible.”

“Got money, lad?”

The stubborn shopkeeper looked me over and asked.

To him, I probably looked like a mere boy at fifteen.

“Of course.”

I opened my wallet to reveal the gold and silver coins inside, provided by Count Fernande as a budget for purchasing ingredients.

“Here you go. The finest liquor you have.”

The shopkeeper poured a glass of amber-colored liquor for me.

I downed it in one gulp.

Strong. But good liquor. This should be able to complement the scent of roses.

“I’ll take it, sir.”

“Thank you kindly.”

It was a good liquor, and it came with a price tag to match.

But its taste was worth every coin.

Tina looked at the whiskey with longing in her eyes.

She enjoyed alcohol. Ever since she tried it once, she had taken quite a liking to it.

But I pretended not to notice.

I couldn’t let her drink alcohol. That was a valuable lesson I learned last time. When she got drunk, she became unexpectedly affectionate and forward. Last time, things almost went too far.

After that, at the market, I bought various fresh ingredients like fresh milk and eggs, among others, and returned to Fernande’s mansion.

I negotiated to have fresh milk and eggs delivered early tomorrow morning for an additional fee. It was all part of making better cookies.

When I got back, I made baked apples.

Just core the apples, fill them with brown sugar, butter, and whiskey, and bake them in the oven. It’s a simple dessert, but well-made baked apples are one of the best sweets.

The heat softens the acidity of the apples, intensifying the sweetness. The inside remains moist with retained moisture, while the outside is crispy, providing a sensual contrast.

And the richness of the butter, the strength of the brown sugar. Above all, the bitterness of the whiskey intertwines with them, creating a fragrant and multi-layered taste that can’t be experienced when raw.

Indeed, Tina loved it and begged me to make it again.

When I tried it myself, I had to admit, it was well-made.

Being able to taste and smell the whiskey after it had been cooked was crucial.

That was the purpose of making these baked apples.

◇

The next morning, Tina and I were in the kitchen of Fernande’s mansion.

We were about to make the sweets to be presented to the Duke’s household.

This responsibility was significant.

The position of a Duke was second only to the King and the royal family (Grand Duke). Presenting something subpar could result in severe consequences, even execution.

While Dukes might lack in wealth and military power compared to Counts, they wielded strong political influence.

A Duke for honor, a Count for practicality, that’s the way it worked.

I had nothing but gratitude for Fernande, the Count, who entrusted me with this task.

I rolled up my sleeves.

“Tina, could you fetch the jars we prepared yesterday?”

“Yes, Kurt-sama!”

Tina retrieved two jars.

One contained honey with rose petals, while the other held whiskey infused with rose petals.

This method allowed the aroma and flavor of the rose to transfer into the contents.

I opened the lid and sniffed. Yes, it had a lovely fragrance. The scent of roses was prominent.

“Kurt-sama, freshly squeezed milk and eggs that were born this morning have also arrived!”

“Understood. With these, we have all the ingredients we need. Let’s get started.”

It was time to make my special rose cookies.

Both in appearance and taste, they would be exquisite.