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I think for a few seconds. “Probably doughnuts. I love doughnuts.”
    She smiles. “See? You like simple too.”
    As we eat our cookies, I think about that. Would Isabel be disappointed if I decided to serve something simple, like cookies or doughnuts, at the party? What was it that she said? She should have an amazing dessert for becoming a teenager.
    Suddenly, making both Isabel and Sophie happy seems about as impossible as beating the New Pirates at the Spring Fling audition.

Chapter 12
white-chocolate raspberry cheesecake
A TRUE BAKER’S DELIGHT
    I t’s Sunday night and I’m watching Chef Smiley make cheesecake. And so far I’ve learned one thing. Sweet Uncle Pete, that’s complicated! Yeah, nothing simple about cheesecake, that’s for sure.
    When I’m done watching, I go find Mom in her office. Her door is open, so I walk in and sit on one of the chairs she has in front of her desk.
    â€œHi, Lily,” she says, not even looking up from her computer. “How’s it going?”
    â€œNot so good.”
    Now she looks up. “How come?”
    â€œTomorrow Isabel wants me to tell her what I’ve decided to do as far as food goes for Sophie’s birthday party, and I have absolutely no idea.”
    Now she stops what she’s doing and looks at me. “Honey, if it were up to you, and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought, what would you serve at the party?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’ve been trying to think of something fun and different. Something . . . special. But not too hard. That’s the problem. Everything I might like to make just seems too complicated.”
    Mom types something into her computer. “You know what I think we could make fairly easily? And would be really fun and unique? I saw some at the coffee shop earlier today.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œCake pops. Have you heard of those? They’re little pieces of frosted cake on a stick. Here, I found a how-to video. Come watch.”
    I hop up and go stand behind her. The lady in the video walks us through how to make them. You bake a cake using a mix in a rectangle pan, let it cool, and then you break up the cake into pieces in a big mixing bowl. You add some canned frosting to the bowl (that helps the cake stick together), mix again, and roll the mixture into small balls. They go in the freezer for a few hours before they’re dipped in icing made by melting chocolate coating pieces, either white or regular chocolate. You put lollipop sticks into the balls, dip them in the icing, and finally, roll them in decorations.
    â€œMom, those are so cute!” I say. “And because you crumble the cake up after it’s baked, it doesn’t matter if it comes out of the oven crooked or lumpy or a hundred other things.”
    Mom smiles. “Exactly. And we could use a cake mix from the store. I think together you and I could make these cake pops.”
    â€œYou really think so?” I ask her.
    She stands up and pulls me into a hug. “Yes. I do. I’m pretty sure it’ll be a piece of cake.”
    I smile at her joke, even though I’ve heard itbefore from Chef Smiley, as I pull away. “Should we practice first?”
    â€œLily, I have a really busy week. And I know you have other things you should be doing too. Let’s wait and deal with them on Saturday. We’ll make them work. I promise. Is there anything else you’d like to serve?”
    â€œMaybe some chocolate-chip cookies? They’re Sophie’s favorite.”
    She nods. “How about if we get some cookie dough at the store? That way all you have to do is bake up the cookies Friday night or Saturday morning.”
    â€œMom, I think Isabel wants everything to be homemade.”
    â€œYou don’t think that’s going to be too much work? Making cookies and cake pops?”
    â€œI want to show Sophie and Isabel I’m a Baking Bookworm