Sweet Confections

SWEET CONFECTIONS 

By Kimberly S. Clark

‎12/‎09/‎20

"I cannot believe he is setting up a gingerbread making station at the "Christmas Festival"!"  I barked at my assistant Sharon.‎

"Katrina, calm down.  Maybe you should go to the café and explain to him that you've already secured a booth at this years festival."

My assistant Sharon, who has been with me for five years, is right.  I should go in to the Country café and tell him there is only room for one baker at our towns annual Christmas festival.

Dewey Matthew's is not from here.  He is a city boy who moved to our little town and opened a bakery on Main Street. My competition.  We both make bread, cookies, cakes, pastries and pies, but our town's new bakery has a café that serves coffee and tea, while I have a home bakery.

Country Café and Bakery has been open for six months and the competition between our two bakeries is stiff.  This Christmas season's revenue is not one I wish to share.

Every year our town hosts an Annual Christmas Festival and Toy Drive. Local businesses are invited to participate and interact with our community.  The annual tree lighting in the town square and the fire department clears out the fire trucks from the Fire Station and business set up booths like a convention.

This year my booth will be set up for kids to make their own gingerbread houses.  It will be the debut of my new gingerbread recipe.  At the festival, my photograph portfolio of all my sweet confections will be open open and on display.  This is my time to shine and advertise my business.

The Eastham Chamber of Commerce sent the itinerary and list of business that will be in attendance.  Country Café and Bakery will set up a "build your own gingerbread house"!  The best part is Country Café and Bakery's booth spot is 55 and Daisy's Sweets' is setting up at booth spot 56!!

 "Sharon, please finish packaging these cookies for the Johnson order and check the expiration dates in the pantry.  I am going to the Country Café and telling this man to stick to his place of serving people at his bakery, and I'll take care of the people at the festival."

The bells ring as I opened the door to the Country Café and Bakery.  The smell hit me and I almost melted like butter on a hot summer day.  The display case is full of some of the most beautiful confectionary items that I've ever seen.  The cakes and pies are perfectly decorated.  I am trying to find the flaws in this café.  There are none.

"Good morning! Welcome to Country Café and Bakery!"  A voice from behind the espresso machine hollers.

I peer into the case of cakes and pies and I see a Princess Cake.  One of the only deserts I struggle to perfect.  One of the only deserts I do not have pictured in my portfolio.  One of the deserts I desperately want to know how to make.

"Good morning Ma'am.  I see you're eyeing that princess cake.  Can I cut you a piece to enjoy here with a cup of coffee?"  His voice was inviting and almost scripted.

"No.  Thank you.  I'm here to introduce myself and kindly ask you to rethink your attending the Annual Christmas festival."  I was assertive and made it known of my reasons for being in his café.

"Well, then introduce yourself."  He chimed in.

"Excuse me?"  I stuttered.

I was so taken by his good looks and confidence (and that beautiful, uncut princess cake in the display case)

"You said you were here to introduce yourself, and I still don't know who you are."  He's provoking me to like him even less than when I first walked into his Café.

"My name is Katrina Daisy.  I understand you are new to Eastham and you want to advertise your bakery, but the Christmas festival isn't big enough for two bakers.  Especially two bakeries with a gingerbread making station."  I snapped.

"Katrina, it is my pleasure to finally meet you.  I have heard wonderful things about your baking skills.  A home baker who creates beautiful work.  I am impressed."  He took a sip of his coffee and continued to talk, "My name is Dewey.  As you see from the space you're standing in that my baking skills do have a place in Eastham.  And might I add, the people in Eastham have shown great support to my bakery."  His voice was so arrogant that the amazing smells that hit me at the door now smell foul.

"Look, I am not suggesting that your bakery isn't a hit and I can't comment on your "skills" because I haven't tasted any of your items.  The Annual Christmas Festival is the biggest event of the year and the most important day for me to advertise my home bakery." I confessed.

"Let me cut you a piece of that princess cake that you had your eye on.  We can sit down and continue this conversation."  Dewey opened the desert case and pulled out the perfectly domed, Swedish layered princess cake.  He cut two pieces and plated them.

"Coffee?" He asked.

I wanted to stomp my foot and storm out of Dewey's bakery, but his charm and the layers of sponge cake, cream and deliciously green marzipan brought me to join him at a table by the window in the Country Café and Bakery.

"This cake is delicious.  I have tried to make this cake a few times, but I can't get the dome to stay set when I add the marzipan on top."  My voice was a mixture of a whisper and a moan as I finished every crumb of his delectable cake.  Paired with a delightful cup of coffee, I almost forgot why I came here. It was almost like Dewey and I are on a date!

"Dewey, I came here today to ask you not to showcase Country Café at the Christmas Festival.  The festival is my bakeries biggest event.  The advertising and connections I make at the festival boost my business orders.  If you attend, and set it up for people to make their own gingerbread houses, I'm afraid one of us will take business from the other."  I hesitated with my request because I like Dewey.  We should both have successful businesses. From the taste of this cake and the look of his café, his business is doing just fine. As I struggled to find my words, Dewey chimed in,

"Katrina, there has to be a solution.  I understand what you're saying, but I have already made arrangements for my bakery to attend the Christmas Festival."

"Dewey, Please."  I started to explain, "My bakery is not only my livelihood, but I have an assistant.  If I can't pay her, she doesn't..."

"Katrina. Stop"  Dewey interrupted  "We should collaborate.  Let's combine our booth spaces into one big gingerbread making area.  Together we can advertise our bakeries and do some research and development on what the people of Eastham crave."

"I actually think that is a brilliant idea.  I specialize in wedding cakes and you specialize in, well, everything sweet."  I put my hands up and swivel my head as to indicate how amazing his café is. I was so excited about Dewey's idea that in that moment Dewey and I became friends.

"I will call the Chamber of Commerce and ask them to combine our two booth spaces into one."

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a notepad and started taking notes and making a list of to do's and what we will be needing.  Over the next two weeks Dewey and I spent a lot of time sipping coffee and planning an extravagant gingerbread creation station.  A local artist made a sign to display at our booth: Daisy's Sweets' Country Café & Bakery Gingerbread Creation Station.

That day, at the 21st Annual Eastham's Christmas Festival, Dewey and I became a team.  I made the gingerbread biscuits and Dewey made the royal icing.  Because we worked together we were able to supply all of the ingredients as a no cost even to our community.

"Lets do one more collaboration before this partnership ends."  Dewey said to me.

"What are you talking about?"  I ask.

"We should build a gingerbread house together.  Then tomorrow when this years Christmas festival is over, you come to the café and I will show you my tips to a perfect princess cake."  His charm and smile melted my heart like butter on a hot summer day.

Dewey and I kept the sign from the festival and today it is displayed in the window of our café and bakery.  I made our wedding cake and Sharon and I moved from my home bakery to Dewey's café on Main Street.

The connection in our confections, and the Annual Eastham Christmas Festival continue to be the next chapter in our love story.  Each year, Daisy's Sweet Country Café and Bakery will be at the Annual Christmas Festival making gingerbread houses.

The End.