18 Quotes by Rajani LaRocca

These smell incredible." Cole sniffed a cookie. "What kind are they?""Cinnamon-honey with a twist," I said. "Vik and I added honeysuckle we found in the woods.""Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, with sweet musk-roses and with eglantine," said Henry, taking a couple.

I made some mistakes: my lemon bars were a little too mouth-puckering, and my lava cakes didn't ooze. But then I made black pepper almond brittle ("astounding," according to Vik), chocolate mint wafers ("invigorating"), and apple sage cakes ("inspiring"). Vik helped me think of ways to make them all better. We discussed herbs, spices, and flavorings, and I taught Vik about the million miraculous ways to use eggs, including a cool way to make sugar-dusted herbs and flowers with meringue powder.

Kiera reached into the paper bag and held out one of Vik's cupcakes. Even in the dim and musty hangout, it practically glowed with beauty, and the roses smelled intoxicating. Roses, for love of all types, and longing.

He opened the little box, popped the chocolate into his mouth, and made a face. "Oh! That's bitter. Must be extra-extra-dark. But there's a very sweet center that tastes of almonds and honey, and..." He smacked his lips. "Something floral."I was glad I hadn't eaten it myself. I hated bitter chocolate except as a garnish.

They smelled fresh, green, chocolaty, and citrusy. After the cookies had cooled, I tasted one. Now, this was how I liked to bake. The sea salt set off the sweetness of the chocolate, and the tangerine zest woke up all the flavors. The thyme was subtle but definitely noticeable.

My nutmeg-caraway shortbread had too many conflicting spices, he would say. And of course, it had nothing to do with leaves. The lemon-raspberry cake decorated with lemon leaves was too tart, and the toffee cupcakes with leaf-shaped maple candy were cloying.

As I cut the brownies and put them on my favorite purple platter, I couldn't help smiling at the scent of chocolate and cinnamon. These were supposed to be for Dad, who loved chocolate (who didn't?) but would particularly appreciate the warm spices I'd put into them. I'd even added a dash of cayenne for extra zing.

I blew a strand of hair out of my face and wandered to a table where spices and herbs were laid out in jewellike bowls. Rosemary, thyme, spearmint, cinnamon, cardamom. Their fragrance beckoned me. My fingers twitched.A pinch of delicate reddish-orange threads lay in a clear bowl. They smelled of sunshine.Saffron. For success.I knew exactly what to make.

A lime tart with pomegranate glaze."I put the tart on the counter. The crust was the perfect shade of golden brown, and as I cut into it, the bright red glaze contrasted beautifully with the pale green lime custard filling.