Tillie nodded and laughed a little bit. “Yes, I would not want crystallization to erupt in my pastries unless I was making rock candy.” She giggled a little bit more thinking about it.
“I’m not sure there is much of a market for rock candy pastries. Think of the dental bills!” Lottie added, laughing harder.
“It can be but it can also be very frustrating.” She laughed a little bit then. “That’s really interesting. Pastry Arts is kind of like chemistry with all the different chemical reactions and worrying about crystallization and all that. I know not the same but…”
“There are some similarities certainly although in chemistry there is the understanding what causes the crystallisation and mixing it with other compounds to find ways to stop it or indeed make it erupt,” Lottie explained with a small laugh as she reached in her purse for some money.
“Oh yes, then you need the energy and sugar to get through that. I remember nights like those when I would cram in everything before a practical test. What are you studying?”
“I imagine cramming is a lot more fun when you are studying pastry making though,” Lottie laughed. “I’m a chemistry major myself, just going into my third year.”
“Both it is then.” She laughed a little bit and moved to grab two boxes to put them in making sure they were safe to travel. “What is it you’re doing tonight if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I have to study. Classes start back at the university next week and there’s some stuff I need to have done in advance and some stuff that I need to revise or I’m going to be totally lost.”
Tillie smiled and looked at the one she was pointing to. “That is a strawberry and cream cheese mousse entremet. So kind of like a strawberry cheesecake redesigned.”
“Now I have to admit, that sounds really good,” Lottie remarked, looking back at the cake with more interest. “You know, I’ll take both. I have a long night ahead so it won’t hurt to have some extra sugar to keep me going.”
“An entremet. Its French. I specialize in French pastries. Its a fancy word for a mousse cake but its more complex with different layers and textures. The mini ones are typically called petit gataeux.” She pointed out the chocolate pastry she had in the cooler display. “Its more of a one serving size dessert. Not so mini just one serving. I also had full entremet cakes that feed anywhere from four to twelve people depending on what size you get.”
Lottie wanted to ask what was wrong with making chocolate muffins but she had to admit the cakes the woman pointed to looked good. “What’s that one next to it? Is it strawberry or raspberry?”
Tillie smiled and nodded. “We do have a lot of sugary things here. How about our chocolate mousse mini entremet? I use a dark chocolate to make the mousse and it has a cake bottom and a crunchy hazelnut center?”
“A mini what?” Lottie asked in confusion. “I mean it sounds interesting but the word mini is worrying me, I’m looking for something to simultaneously get me through a lot of studying and change my life. I’m not sure something mini can do that!”
It was a slow night in the pastry shop. Closing was soon and there were only a handful of people in the shop finishing up their coffee or tea or pastries. She had sent her counter girl home knowing she could handle the rest of the cleanup by herself and closing. As she moved around straightening the display case of pastries she heard the door jingle.
“Hello. Welcome to Sweet Nothings. What can I get for you?”
“Hopefully something with plenty of sugar and chocolate and a strong coffee to go with it,” Lottie replied as her eyes ran over the display with a smile. At least a treat might make this horror of her assignment a little more palatable.
Lottie's wild adventure 