The Secret Ingredient

by Laura Schaefer

  Dear readers,

  This is Genna Matthews blogging to you directly from Chicago. The hotel where the competition is being held is very nice, although we just ran into one of Annie’s competitors in the bathroom and it wasn’t all hugs and kisses, if you catch my drift. But that’s okay, we’ve got Annie ready and looking GORGEOUS if I do say so myself, so I know this thing is IN THE BAG. I better start practicing my British accent so we fit right in in London. Anyway, Annie is about to take the stage. More soon!

  XOXOX, Genna

  September 4 12:30 p.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I can give you a cup of tea in no time—and you won’t meet any bores.

  —EDITH WHARTON, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH

  Amaster of ceremonies took the stage and welcomed everyone to the first annual Duchess Tea Company Scone Bake-Off. He wore a tuxedo even though it was only two p.m. His hair was black and slicked back. First, he introduced all of the contestants. I noticed that all of us had major cheering sections … all of us except for Lily. I decided to put her out of my mind. And not just Lily. I stopped looking at the crowd in front of the stage and at the emcee. I shut my eyes for a brief moment and thought about the scone I was about to make.

  I’d settled on a terrific recipe with small bits of toffee and green apple. I also planned to make a delicate glaze for the top. And I had more than just Tom’s bakery wisdom up my sleeve. When Louisa heard the incredible news a couple of days ago that we were going to Chicago, she said she had something special for me.

  “I know you’ve been making your scones with as few delectable ingredients as possible, dear,” she explained. “But if you do decide to add a pinch of tea for good luck, I have just the one.”

  I opened the beautiful box she presented and saw that it contained a small portion of oolong tea leaves.

  “It’s Tieguanyin, dearest,” Louisa said with a smile. I gasped.

  “I couldn’t possibly … I … wow.” Tieguanyin is a Chinese tea named for a Buddhist god. It’s the most valuable tea in the world, because it is grown on just one mountain and harvested on only one day per year. I didn’t even know that Louisa had it.

  “I insist you enjoy it, love. You can put it in your recipe or drink it along with your finished scone.”

  I whispered, “Thank you,” and a wonderful feeling of certainty had settled over me. I was ready.

  But now, in the middle of things, I felt less certain. With a grand gesture the master of ceremonies told us to begin baking, and we all got to work. It was really hard for me not to lose precious minutes by glancing at my competitors, but I forced myself to concentrate on my own scones. I mixed my dry ingredients first and then slowly added the wet ones. I cut my pristine green apple into very small pieces and added them to the mix. Next, the toffee pieces went in. I was careful not to add too many, because I wanted them to complement, not overwhelm, the scone. Finally, I added a pinch of Tieguanyin that I’d ground ahead of time using Louisa’s mortar and pestle. I didn’t know if the judges would be able to taste it, but just knowing that it was there made me happy. I smiled as I mixed everything up.

  When the dough was ready, I patted it into an inch-thick slab and began cutting it into small triangles. I placed them all on a baking sheet, and into the oven it went. I turned my attention to the brown butter tea glaze. First, I brewed two tablespoons of the Tieguanyin tea. I put it in a metal bowl over ice. When it cooled, I melted and slightly browned Lurpak butter and added it to the bowl. Next came a cup and a half of confectioners’ sugar, one half teaspoon of vanilla, and two tablespoons of whole milk. I stirred it all together. It smelled heavenly.

  Actually, the entire ballroom was beginning to smell heavenly. Now that my glaze was finished and the scones were in the oven and close to being done, I could relax a little bit. I looked at my family and at the Teashop Girls. They all waved and flashed thumbs-ups. I waved back, even though I knew it made me look like a dork. The baker next to me, one of the older girls, was making a savory scone. I could smell garlic and cheese. On the other side I saw leftover berries. I knew that the judges were in for some real treats. I couldn’t see what Lily was making, but I was sure it was good.

  I thought about what she had said about not spying on me. Was it true? Had I simply imagined it? I felt embarrassed. I didn’t want to apologize to Zach for accusing him of selling me out, but it looked like I was probably going to have to. I hated feeling ridiculous. But it was his fault too! It’s not like it was normal for him to go and kiss me out of the blue. You couldn’t blame a girl for freaking out a little. I sighed. Why did boys have to be so difficult?

  Two minutes later, the judges called time. My scones were a perfect golden brown. I’d checked the time limit ahead, so I’d cut them the right size to cook in time. It was part of all my practicing. One other baker, the boy in the chef’s hat, immediately started protesting. He’d made his lemon scones too big and they weren’t quite done yet. I felt bad for him. It would be very tough for him to win if his insides were gooey. But the judges were firm. We had to plate our scones.

  I presented mine on a cute blue polka-dotted plate. I carefully poured the glaze in a zigzag pattern. We could get additional points for presentation, so I knew it was important to use a steady hand. My glaze turned out perfect, and I wanted to squeal. Things were going so well!

  All five of us presented our scones to the three judges and held our breath.

  Dear readers,

  It smells amazing in this ballroom. The scones are coming out of the ovens and Annie’s looks incredible. It’s made with perfect fall ingredients and has this to-die-for glaze. The judges are trying everything now, OMG, it is so exciting.

  Okay, now they’re taking FOREVER to talk amongst themselves. How hard can it be, people? It’s so obvious Annie is the winner, right?

  Right?

  Right?

  Blog readers, if you’re out there, please send every positive vibe you’ve got!!! The entire audience is on the edge of our seats. And we’re all pretty hungry.

  XOXOX, Genna

  September 4 2:41 p.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Have you got everything you need in the shape of—of tea?

  —F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, THE GREAT GATSBY

  The three judges tried all five scones and took copious notes. Seriously, what were they writing down? We were allowed to sit with our friends and family again, so I waited with Genna, Zoe, Louisa, Beth, and my parents. I could not stop tapping my foot. Finally, Beth reached over and held my leg down. She also said it would be great if I could stop sweating in her dress. I said, “No promises.”

  Everyone congratulated me on finishing my recipe perfectly and I beamed. I wanted to win very badly, but even if I didn’t, I felt great about how the day had gone so far. I had done what I came here to do, and SweetCakes hadn’t even made me cry.

  The judges all huddled together for what felt like an eternity. Finally, the little cluster broke up and they filed onto the stage. First, one of them said a few words thanking us all for participating and how impressed they were with our baking skills and how much Duchess Tea loved collaborating with bakers and young people blah, blah, blah. All five of us were practically bouncing out of our chairs. We wanted to know who WON!

  Then, they spent another nine years thanking all of the sponsors and giving a long-winded history of high tea and the invention of the scone. Normally, of course, I would have enjoyed such a thing, but under the circumstances I could have done without it. Since Beth wouldn’t let me tap my foot, I started tapping my fingers on the chair. She crossed her eyes at me. I crossed mine back. We giggled. Then, Zoe and Genna started giggling too. We were all pretty tense.

  The head judge then cleared his throat into the microphone, and we all sat up straight. Someone pressed a button on a keyboard and the ballroom filled with the sound of a synthesized drumroll.

  “In third place … Master Baker with her cheesy garlic scone!” People clapped. I saw h
er rise to collect her ribbon and year’s supply of scone ingredients. She looked sad but smiled bravely. My heart sped up a notch.

  “In second place … SteepingLeafScone with her apple toffee scone!” I gasped. What? No! This couldn’t be right. I couldn’t be second! Second place didn’t get to go to London with her two best friends. Second place … I realized that everyone’s eyes were on me. I couldn’t cry. I heard Louisa say, “Congratulations, my dearest dear.” She gave me a squeeze. My dad clapped and whooped. “Yay, Annie!” I had to go to the stage. Genna and Zoe gave me hugs that were both congratulatory and comforting. “Great job, Annie,” Zoe said. They knew I was disappointed, but they were proud of me for placing. I stood and collected my ribbon. I also won a beautiful pink Kitchen Aid mixer. My dad came up to help me carry it off the stage. I smiled, genuinely, and sat back down. I couldn’t believe it was over. Louisa gave me a big hug, and my mom leaned over to say, “I’m so very proud of you, honey.”

  The fake drumroll sounded again.

  “In first place … the winner of the all-expenses-paid trip to London … SweetCakes with her delicious cherry scone!”

  Dear readers,

  AUGHGHGHGHGHGH! Annie came in second. NOOOOOOOOO!

  This can’t be happening.

  The girl who was mean in the bathroom, SweetCakes, won first place. I DEMAND A RECOUNT.

  XOXOX, Genna

  September 4 3:04 p.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sadly, I swallowed my tea and stared at the crowd of second-rate elegance …

  —HERMANN HESSE, STEPPENWOLF

  The crowd clapped, but there was a deep silence from all of the competitors. I caught Master Baker’s eye, and she frowned. I knew what she was thinking. It was the same thing all of us were thinking: no fair. SweetCakes had been a terrible competitor: intimidating and mean. It was awful to see a person like that come out ahead, even if she was only ten. Now she’d feel that acting that way was perfectly justified. I shook my head, disbelieving. I watched as Lily walked up to the stage, looking smug. She accepted a huge trophy from Duchess Tea with a teacup on top (I wanted that thing) and took a deep bow. Her parents whistled and snapped a million pictures. When she finally stopped bowing, I saw some reporters go up to her. I just kept staring.

  Well, kiddo. That’s all she wrote. Should we get packed up?” My dad squeezed my shoulders consolingly. He wore a T-shirt that said “TEAM STEEPING LEAF.” My mom had one too; my dad had had them made up special yesterday.

  “I guess so.” I didn’t feel like gathering my things and going back to Madison. I knew that Genna and Zoe had planned a special party for me at the Leaf. I also knew that it was supposed to be a victory party. It was going to be hard to be cheery with my second-place ribbon. Especially when so many folks in Madison had supported me and my blog.

  I stood up and took off my yellow apron. It had been a good day, even without a triumphant victory.

  Something caught my eye as I went to the stage to get my bowls. Miss Cuppycake and Scone-y Nation were talking animatedly to the judges. They had a laptop computer and were pointing at it. I walked closer to hear what they were saying.

  “You have to take a few minutes and check these!” Scone-y Nation (a.k.a. Tim) was saying. “Some of these blog followers are not real people. Look!”

  One of the judges was mostly ignoring him, but another was paying attention. Miss Cuppycake (Shana) chimed in next. “All you have to do is look at the e-mail addresses matched to the blog followers. A lot of them are way too similar. We think SweetCakes cheated.”

  I gasped. Was it possible? The judges spent a few minutes looking at the computer. They signaled to the emcee. After a hushed conversation the emcee climbed the stage and asked for everyone’s attention.

  “Er, excuse me. It seems there have been some … irregularities on the blogs, ladies and gentlemen. The judges have asked that everyone remain in the ballroom for thirty minutes while they double-check the legitimacy of the competitors’ blog followers.”

  There was intense murmuring throughout the entire room. My eyes were saucers when I returned from the stage with my bowls and ingredients. Genna and Zoe were jumping up and down.

  “Annie! I bet her followers were totally all fake! What if it means you won?” Genna squealed.

  “I can’t believe they didn’t check this before,” Zoe said, all business. “What kind of show are these people running?”

  We all settled back into our chairs to wait. I sure was glad that each and every one of my blog followers was a real person. It never even occurred to me to register new e-mail addresses and follow myself. What an under-handed trick! I scanned the room for SweetCakes, and there she was in the front row, looking defiant. Her parents were both on cell phones. Probably calling their lawyers, I thought. This was crazy.

  The judges emerged from whatever secret room they’d hidden in and took the stage again.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for this unexpected delay,” the emcee said. “After consulting with our webmaster and several other experts, we are sorry to announce that our winner has been disqualified for cheating.

  “I’d like to announce a new first-place winner. Annie Green, of SteepingLeafScone, you are going to London!”

  Dear readers,

  MAJOR, MAJOR developments, people. SweetCakes has been dethroned. She cheated. I know, I’m stunned too. (Not really.)

  More to come!

  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

  THEY JUST ANNOUNCED ANNIE WON! ANNIE WON! WE’RE GOING TO LONDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  XOXOX, Genna

  September 4 3:55 p.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Tea, for me, is one of the great subjects. It is a romantic trade, it does not pollute excessively, it has all sorts of health benefits, it calms and wakes you up at the same time.

  —ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

  AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Genna, Zoe, and I screamed our heads off. We finally had to take a breath and then we started shrieking again. Finally, Beth rolled her eyes and pushed me to the stage. I ran up there. The judges high-fived me. The crowd applauded. From the front row, Lily and her parents glared at me. But I didn’t care.

  WE WON!

  The rest of the day went by in a total blur. I collected my prize and teacup trophy and got interviewed by the reporters (I hoped I managed to sound coherent). I ran back to my family and hugged everyone about four times. Louisa was particularly excited for me. As soon as all of our shouting quieted, I remembered to thank her again for the special tea.

  “I think it was the Tieguanyin, Louisa. That’s why we won.”

  “I think it was more than that, dearest. You put all of your heart into your scones.” Louisa gave me a squeeze. “In the end, that was the secret ingredient.”

  “I did. But I couldn’t have done it without you and the Teashop Girls.”

  “Most things worth doing require a little help. I’m so proud of you, my sweet.”

  After that, all there was left to do was drive home to Madison. I was so glad now that Genna and Zoe had planned a party. I wanted to celebrate all night long. The entire ride home, Genna texted people to let them know what had happened. She promised me that the Leaf would be full when we returned to it.

  “There’s one thing I don’t get, though,” Zoe said thoughtfully. “How did SteepingLeafScone.com get all of those extra blog followers the night before the deadline?”

  “Yeah,” Genna said. “How did that happen? Beth, did you do something?”

  Beth turned around in her seat. “I got everyone I know to follow it way before the deadline.”

  “Louisa?”

  “It’s a mystery, dears. Most of my friends think the Internet is a government conspiracy and won’t touch the thing.” She winked to let us know she was kidding. But I knew that Louisa wouldn’t have waited until the last minute if she’d had some special plan up her sleeve. And she wouldn’t have kept it a secret fro
m me.

  We all sat in silence for a minute, mentally going over the possibilities. Finally, Genna squirmed and I saw that she had a sly grin on her face. She immediately began working her phone, her thumbs flying over the tiny keyboard.

  “What’s with you?” Zoe said.

  “Nothing,” was all Genna would reply.

  Zoe and I kept trying to grab her phone to see who she had texted, but she managed to keep it away from us. I resigned myself to finding out what she was up to when she was good and ready for me to find out.

  When our van pulled up to the Leaf, I saw that it was no ordinary evening at the teashop. My eyes teared a little when I saw that someone had already hung up a banner that said CONGRATULATIONS, ANNIE!

  “Louisa, who ran the store while we were gone all day?” I asked.

  “Davis and Theresa. Looks like they did a splendid job,” she replied. Sure enough, there was my school principal pouring tea. I could see all of our neighbors, friends, and regular customers in the shop and spilling out of it. Someone was playing reggae music, which was perfect. It was a hot September night.

  I hopped out of the van, and immediately people came up to offer their well-wishes. I reached for our cooler and began handing out the winning scones. Luke and Billy jumped on me when they saw the food. I gave them each two. And another one to Mr. Arun. My dad and mom carried all of my bowls and equipment back into the shop. There would be a lot of dishes to do. But not tonight.

  Tonight was all about celebration. I tied my yellow apron back on over my pink dress and made sure my parents and Gen and Zo had delicious iced chais to drink. Next, I put out our party lanterns and lit some candles. Everyone kept coming up to congratulate me. I collected hugs from what felt like the entire Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood and half of the university. It was wonderful. And this wasn’t even the best part. The best part was the prize itself: London! I couldn’t even think about it without feeling like floating off the ground. It was going to be tea paradise.