Read Online The Secret Cooking Club by Laurel Remington - Free Book Online Page B

biscuits into crumbs and tips them into the pan. As I stir them into the butter, I begin to feel a little calmer.
    â€˜Do you think he’ll come back?’ Violet says.
    â€˜Who?’ I say, startled.
    â€˜Mr Kruffs. It’s kind of creepy that he’s been here.’
    I look around Rosemary’s Kitchen. It seems lonely without the cat. ‘Maybe Mr Kruffs has permission to be here, I don’t know . . .’ I trail off. ‘I wish there was something we could do to help Mrs Simpson.’
    Violet brings over some tart tins from the cupboard. We press the crumbly mixture in the bottom, and then put the whole thing in the fridge to set. ‘Like what?’ she says.
    I shake my head. ‘Right now, I don’t have a clue.’

SECRET SAMPLES
    I really don’t know what to do about Mrs Simpson. But I do know that making the banoffee pie is a blast. Violet and I triple the recipe – so we have enough for us plus lots of ‘free samples’ for school. Luckily, Rosemary’s Kitchen has plenty of bowls and tart tins.
    Making the filling is sweet and sticky and messy and fun. We gorge ourselves on bananas and licking out the bowls. Then we chat and laugh and look through the cupboards while the pies set in the fridge. I find several large chocolate bars and take them out.
    â€˜The recipe says to decorate the pies withchocolate curls,’ I say, pointing to the book.
    â€˜We can use these too,’ Violet takes out a tin of baking decorations – sprinkles of all sizes and colours, icing bags and colours, even gold leaf you can eat.
    When the pies have chilled we take them out one by one – two round ones, and two that we made in tins shaped like a heart and a gingerbread man. ‘Look, it’s Georgie Porgie,’ I say when I take the swirly banana cream man out of the fridge. We both laugh.
    I make the chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler like the recipe book says to do. Violet decorates Georgie Porgie with little icing stars, and a tie made of multicoloured sprinkles. She gives him eyes of chocolate buttons, and an icing nose and mouth. I can’t help laughing as I add his hair of chocolate curls – I’ve never seen such a fancy pie before, and Georgie Porgie looks nothing like Nick Farr. Violet laughs too, and gives him a collar and belt of crystallized violets. He ends up looking like a big, goopy snowman.
    On the heart-shaped pudding, Violet writes ‘The Secret Cooking Club’ in big, loopy icing letters and I cover the rest in sprinkles and chocolate curls. Finally, we’re done.
    â€˜They look fab,’ I say, beaming. We find some deep Tupperware cake containers to use to takethe pies to school tomorrow. Then we tuck in and eat the little round one we’ve made for ourselves.
    The pie is gooey and moist, and the taste of toffee and fresh banana seems like the most natural combination of flavours in the whole world.
    â€˜Mm,’ Violet purrs, taking a bite. ‘This is the best.’
    I let cool sweet cream settle on my tongue for a second before swallowing. It’s lovely and sweet, but not too sweet – like Goldilocks’s porridge, it’s just right. I still can’t believe we’ve made it ourselves. But we did!
    â€˜We’ll need plastic bowls and spoons for school.’ I lick the cream off my upper lip. ‘It’s pretty gooey.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ Violet says between bites. ‘We can get them at the newsagents on the way to school. Do you have any money?’
    â€˜I’ve got a bit saved up from my pocket money. I could use that.’
    We clean everything up and put the pies back in Mrs Simpson’s fridge to chill overnight. We agree that I’ll come and get them tomorrow before school.
    It’s dark by the time we leave the house, and stepping outside is like plunging into a cold bath. Nothing seems real to me any more other than Rosemary’s Kitchen.