She Becomes The Hero In Another World 83 She Makes Cinnamon Rolls

After checking the curds to see if they'd cooled enough, Robin added the salt. Then she realized that she had forgotten something important.

"Oh drat! I forgot about the food processor!" Robin smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Oh?" Ponzu asked. "What is the food processor supposed to do?"

"It's a tool that's supposed to shred and mix the curds until they become as smooth as cream again." Robin explained. "It uses two quickly rotating blades at the bottom of a cylindrical bowl with a lid. But, we don't have one here..."

Ponzu and Gerard looked at each other in surprise, then smiled.

"Do you know why Prince Christian made me his personal chef?" Ponzu asked.

"...Because you like making food?" Robin guessed.

"Well, that was one of the reasons." Ponzu nodded. "But the other one is that I am a descendant of one of the heroes. And we have a peculiar set of traditional magic spells pa.s.sed down through my family. One of them happens to be the unique 'pew-ray', 'bu-rend' and 'pah-rusu' spells. But, since you're a hero as well, you could probably use them if you could use magic."

But Robin had heard 'puree', 'blend', and 'pulse', which were the most important settings on either blenders or food processors.

"I think the 'puree' spell would work for this one. Since I am forbidden, for the time being, from magic, Ponzu, would you do the honors?" Robin asked, with a sigh.

"Gladly!" Ponzu placed a clear gla.s.s plate over the curds. "This is to prevent any flying food." He explained. Then he cast 'Puree' on the curds.

"How long do I need to keep this up?"Ponzu asked.

"Well, we need to stop and check after a few minutes, but it shouldn't take longer than five." Robin replied. "It's the first time I'm using magic to puree cream cheese."

"Well, it's my first time making cream cheese, period. So you are the only one who can tell if I'm doing this right." Ponzu said as a matter of fact.

"So, do you know any other magic spells?" Robin asked.

"Nope! My apt.i.tude for the elements is garbage. Yet, somehow, the spells I can use here don't use much mana. No one else can seem to get the hang of it." Ponzu explained.

"Hmm...Stop for a bit. I'm going to test the consistency now." Robin told Ponzu, who dispelled the 'puree' spell he had been using, and took off the gla.s.s plate.

Robin used a spoon and stirred it, testing for any residual grainy lumps. Seeing none, She smiled happily. "It's done! Here, grab a spoon and have a taste!"

The three each grabbed a heaping spoonful, and tasted it.

"It's definitely cheese, but it's so creamy one might mistake it for clotted cream. So this is what you meant!" Ponzu exclaimed, surprised.

"It's best used as a spread on toast and crackers, or paired with spicy foods to tone down the bite." Robin said. "It's my favorite next to fresh mozarella cheese."

"I can see why!" Gerard said. "Can I have another spoonful?"

"Get out! You'll have plenty come breakfast time. Don't ruin your appet.i.te!" Ponzu uses the stirring spoon to whack Gerard's encroaching hand holding his spoon away.

"Don't worry! I'm always hungry!" Gerard rea.s.sured, as he licked the residual cream cheese off the back of his hand.

"Go wash your hands, Gerard. The cinnamon rolls are almost done. It's time to make the frosting! But if you dawdle, you're going to miss it." Robin said, as the scent of cinnamon began to waft through the room.

"I'll be back quicker than you can cast blink!"Gerard dashed to the sink, and scrubbed his hands under the faucet with the soap bar.

Robin grabbed another smaller bowl, and had the kitchen lad help her, this time.

"So, for the frosting, we're actually going to use some of the cream cheese in it, but not too much. Just a few spoonfuls. But, we're also going to add just as much b.u.t.ter. Lightly whisk the two, together. Then add the four cups of powdered sugar. Slowly! Fold in one cup at a time, kid! And then add a tablespoon of water in between each cup. As an added flavor, I like to use vanilla bean extract, but I'm not sure if you have it, here. It's perfectly fine, without, though." Robin said.

"I think the rolls are done." Gerard said, smelling the air. Ponzu turned about and opened the oven. The rolls were a nice tan with brown swirls.

"Okay, yup! These are done! Set them aside to cool for a few minutes. How long until breakfast?" Robin asked.

"It should be ten minutes." The kitchen lad said.

"Then, in about five minutes, I want you to drizzle this frosting in a zig-zag pattern over the rolls. can you do it?" Robin asked.

"Leave it to me!" The lad said, secretly looking forward to licking the remains of the frosting from the bowl afterwards.

"Good. I'm going to head to the dining room, then. The rolls should be put on a plate or in a pan. They'll be dripping with melting frosting, which isn't good for the cloth in the roll basket." Robin told Ponzu.

"Got it! You head on over. And please, teacher! Take that rascal, Gerard, with you! If not, he's bound to swipe a roll or two for himself!" Ponzu begged.

"I wouldn't dare swipe one now!" Gerard objected cheekily. "They don't have frosting on them, yet!"

Ponzu shook his head. "You are a hopeless case, you are."

Gerard sheepishly scratched his nose. He couldn't argue. Robin's recipes were all just too good to resist. Gerard secretly felt that, if he hadn't seen Robin's fighting prowess, he would have thought Robin was more the hero of food, than a hero that was as amazing as in the legends.

Robin raised a bemused eyebrow, and looked at Gerard with a somewhat knowing grin.

"All right, Gerry. Let's get outta here before my recipe makes even me lose control of my hands." Robin joked, heading for the door.

Gerard chuckled, and followed after her. "Well, you're recipes are just that tasty! You can always come up with something new, can't you?"

Robin scratched the back of her head, as she thought for a bit. "Well, I can definitely come up with things, but, whether we have the ingredients or not is the problem..." She admitted as they walked down the wood-panelled hallway.

"Then, me and Ponzu will go wherever you go, and learn all about the ingredients we need to make all the foods you think of!" Gerard stated, seriously.

Robin glanced at him, and smiled. "You wanna know the secret to how I remember all these recipes?" Robin asked in a conspiratory whisper.

"How?" Gerard asked in a return whisper.

"I only remember my favorites, and recipes that are simple or fun to make." Robin stated. "If I've made it many times, I'll also remember it."

Gerard nodded. That made sense.

"There you are, Robin!" A voice called out from behind them. Robin turned to see Christian and Keith heading their way from a side hallway.

Robin nodded a good morning to them. "Christian. Keith." She grinned. "I had a hand in today's breakfast preparations."

That was all the two needed to know to look forward to a new recipe. The expressions on their faces brightened.

"Oh? What's this, I hear? You didn't strain yourself, did you?" Jasmine asked.

Robin shrugged, p.r.o.nouncing her innocence. "I only instructed. Most of the actual work was done by Ponzu and the kitchen boy. Don't worry, I'm behaving..."

'For now...' Robin said in her mind.

"Is that so?" Jasmine gave Robin a pointed look, then turned towards the dining hall. "Then, that's good. Shall we go to breakfast, then?"

No one objected, so the whole group arrived in the hall, and were seated just a few minutes before the mayor walked in, with his family.

"Oh? It appears I am late!" The mayor said, glancing at the mahic timepiece, which was pointed to five minutes before.

"Not at all. We also only just arrived a minute ago." Robin replied.

"No, as the host, for me to be later than my guests is a breach of manners. I beg your apology, your highness." The mayor, and his family bowed.

Christian waved his hand. "You heard Robin. You may rise. I am not in the habit of punis.h.i.+ng people before breakfast, unless it is a more grievous offense."