Volume 3 - CH 96

For the time being, Alme left the production of the baking machines to the Citrali Hardware Workshop.

While it was being made, Alme turned her thoughts to the all important monaka wafer.

The ingredients for the monaka crust are rice flour or wheat flour, but she had a hard time deciding which to use.

Rice flour is rarely available in this world, so if she had to choose based on the availability of ingredients, wheat flour is the way to go.

That’s why she immediately tried making a prototype with wheat flour.

She didn’t do any extensive preparation, just tried it out in her upstairs kitchen while cooking dinner for the evening.

Place the flour in a bowl and add a little sugar, salt and water. When roughly mixed, tear off a small amount of dough, crush it flat and press it into the pan.

Bake it while squeezing it with the bottom of the soup ladle, and it’s done for now.

She tried eating a freshly baked one and tilted her head in thought.

“It’s more like bread than monaka. Or wheat rice crackers.”

It is delicious in this way, and if it is molded well, it may be possible to make a monaka-like ice cream. However, the result is not what she expected.

“…I think I’ll try rice flour as well.”

It’s a trial. Since this is a great opportunity, she’ll try making rice flour.

Alme took a large sealed jar of rice and placed it in a bowl.

In this city, generally, the dishes are served with dry rice. However, Alme sometimes misses the white rice of her previous life so much.

She always has some sticky rice on hand for those times when she feels like it. It is rather rare and therefore a bit expensive.

It seems a bit regrettable to turn it into powder, but she’ll try to hold back such feelings.

She filled a bowl of rice with water and put it in the corner of the kitchen. While she was waiting for the rice to soak, she decided to eat dinner.

So she finished her meal and a few hours passed.

She removed the rice from the water and drain thoroughly. Spread on a pan and heat to fry and dry.

This is the end of the preliminary preparations. After that, tomorrow, she’ll grind it with a blender and the rice flour will be completed.

While she was working on something or other, it was already midnight. She thought about going to bed, but decided to wait until after she had completed one more task.

She tore off the rest of the wheat dough she made earlier and pressed it onto the frying pan. Sprinkled nuts on it and baked the sizzling dough while pressing it down.

“Wheat crackers for tomorrow’s snack.”

Baking late at night is a strange combination of guilt and elation.

Alme smiled secretly as she baked the crackers.

Then the next morning.

In the kitchen of the ice cream shop that opened, she put the rice she prepared last night in a blender.

Leaving Jayla to take care of the shop today, Alme and Ena work on a prototype of rice-flour monaka wafers.

The rice in the mixer is successfully turned into a silky powder. The resulting rice flour is mixed with corn flour and kneaded together with water.

They decided to substitute small pudding cups for the baking molds. Ena pulled a few from the shelf and prepared them.

“You’re going to use two cups as a set, right? Both should be oiled, right?”

“Yes, please. I’ll put the dough in one cup and put the other cup on top and press it down. Hopefully it will turn out well.”

The two of them prepared the dough for the cups. To make the monaka into a bowl shape, they decided to bake it between cups.

The cups with the dough inserted are secured with wooden clothespins, and they are ready to go.

Line them up and put them in the fire magic stone oven. As for the adjustment, Alme fumbled while looking at the situation from time to time. If she had a dedicated baking machine, she could work a little easier, but this time it can’t be helped.

While waiting for the baking process, Alme served the crackers she made last night.

“If you don’t mind, please have it as a snack. Trial rice crackers made with monaka dough.”

“Oh, isn’t this a splendid snack? Yeah, the nuts are fragrant and delicious! I’ll share it with Jayla.”

Ena walked out to the front of the shop with a container of rice crackers. Breaking the end of the rice cracker with a snap, Alme approached the empty magic stone packing box.

It was also a gift for Spriggan, a contracted cargo guardian spirit. Particles of light danced and sparkled, and the crackers disappeared in a flash.

While eating her snack, she repeatedly took the cup out of the oven to check on it and finally got it just right.

She put the cup out on the table and gently pulled the monaka wafer shell out of the mold. With a thrill, she checked the finished product.

“What do you think ……? Oh, it’s pretty good, huh?”

“It’s perfect for a prototype, isn’t it? It’s a cup-shaped vessel.”

The monaka shell was baked firmly in the shape of a cup. Since it is an improvised substitute baking pan, the thickness of the batter is uneven here and there.

At least it took shape, so Alme was relieved.

After lightly cooling off the monaka shell, she took it to the front of the shop. She showed it to Jayla, who was tending the shop at the counter.

“Monaka shell, done!”

“Ooh, that looks good! Are you going to put ice cream on this? Let’s taste it!”

Jayla grabbed the ice spoon as if she had been waiting.

“Maybe I should try honey lemon~!”

“I’ll start with plain milk ice cream”

“Then, I think I’ll have mixed berry!”

Deciding what they wanted, the ice cream was scooped out from the containers in the counter.

Seeing the three of them enjoying themselves, the customers in the shop looked at them with interest.

In this world, the ordinary person’s small shop is a laid-back place. Except when customer service is required, they are at ease while on duty.

So, it is not something to worry too much about the customers’ eyes. Rather, it is more likely to be a good advertisement for the new product.

Serve ice cream in a shallow cup-shaped monaka shell and cover with another shell.

The crust ended up whiter than the monaka of Alme’s previous life, but in shape it is a fine monaka ice cream.

After taking a quick look at the finished ice cream, the three of them chomped down on it together.

The monaka made a pleasant crunching sound.

“It’s crispy! The crust is savory and delicious!”

“I love the texture. This crust goes great with ice cream!”

“Even when filled with ice cream, it’s not as soggy as I thought it would be. I think it will stand up to eating at the festival.”

When the baking machine is finished, it will be of higher quality. Alme is already looking forward to the Four Seasons Festival.

While chatting about this and that, they ate the monaka ice cream with a crunchy, light sound.

A female writer with bright red lipstick was also among the customers watching. She is already a regular customer of the ice cream shop.

The writer smiled and muttered under her breath.

“It looks like we’ll be seeing another interesting ice cream again. The ‘Street Corner New Sweets Special’ project is going to pass the meeting without incident, and I need to make a request for an interview soon.”

The gossip reporter’s title will finally change to a gourmet reporter – just a little while longer.