I sent an email back begging for an extension until Christmas. By then I would have won the bake-off, and everything would be perfect!
*
A few hours later,I had stuffed myself back into my gingerbread girl dress and was standing in the studio at my station. Today I would be vigilant. After Amber’s attempt to ruin my cookies in the last episode, I wasn't letting anything slide.
“Welcome to the next episode ofThe Great Christmas Bake-Off,”Anastasia said. “Christmas is about family, and there's something about experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child to make the holiday extra special. And that makes children's Christmas our theme of the day. Contestants, your challenge is to create a dessert that is enjoyable for children to both eat and bake! And to help you, we have brought in a few children. We're borrowing the Svensson brothers! Come on out, boys!”
This wasn't a few children, I thought, as two dozen blond-haired, grey-eyed boys, in a range of sizes and ages, streamed into the studio. The younger ones looked around in awe at all the Christmas decorations.
“We have assigned several children to each station,” Anastasia explained.
Someone must have already told them where to go, because the boys all sorted themselves out so there were around three kids at each station. Fiona was teamed with three very happy teenage boys who were clearly over the moon to be working with the pretty baker.
I seemed to have been assigned the youngest Svensson brothers. One of them barely came up to my knee. I bent down to talk to them at their level. Zane zoomed in with the camera. The youngest boy immediately looked freaked out.
“What’s your name?” I said, trying to use my best this-is-going-to-be-amazeballs-and-totally-not-scary voice.
The small child looked between me and the camera, wide-eyed. “I'm Davy,” he said finally.
I let out a breath. Meltdown averted.
“I'm Henry,” his slightly older brother announced. “I'm five and a quarter.”
“Are you really!”
“I'm Andy, and I'm six,” said the third boy.
“Are you ready to help me bake?”
They nodded.
“Great! Because I really need your help!”
On the outside, I was the fun, Christmas-loving baker. However, I was silently wondering if I was actually going to be able to finish this dessert. The other stations with the older kids already had their ingredients selected, while I had just finished introductions.
The three teens at Fiona's station expertly chopped nuts and stirred sauces in a double boiler. She had basically been given three sous chefs. Someone had clearly taught them something about cooking.
I doubted that knowledge had trickled down to my three. Davy clung to my skirt as we went over to the pantry to pick up my ingredients. Andy and Henry did at least help me carry things back to my station, and they didn't even drop anything. Henry stood on tiptoe to push his items onto the counter. Andy was barely tall enough to peep over the top of the table, his eyes clearing the counter.
“Can you pick them up?” Zane asked in a low voice. “They're out of the frame.”
“Am I supposed to hold them and bake?” I whispered back.
Zane shrugged. One of the assistants brought out two milk crates, and Henry and Andy clambered onto them.
“Perfect,” Zane said, flashing me a thumbs-up. “Just set Davy on the table.”
“Oh my God,” I muttered, picking him up. He watched wide-eyed as I set about making the yellow sponge cake batter for the cake layer while Henry and Andy whipped cream cheese.
I started several saucepans of fruit to cook on the stove. I had to make two cakes, one for the production crew to photograph and one to present to the judges.
“I feel like they should have parceled the kids out better,” I said to Fiona as she and the three teenagers moved like a choreographed ballet in the tight space. “Maybe we could trade?”
She giggled. “I don't know, Isaac,” she said to one of the teenagers. “You want to switch?”
“I'm good,” he replied, deftly removing the seeds from a vanilla bean with a chef's knife.
I wish one of these kids could handle a knife.
