Baking In December

Snowball Cookies

100g pecans
70g plain flour
50g softened butter
25g caster sugar
1 orange, tested
2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

Louis was looking forward to seeing Harry again and waited impatiently for the day to go by so he could drive to the bakery for his next baking lesson.

He left his flat way too early and circled the block a couple of times with the radio blasting to make the time go. When the radio clock finally showed that it was six minutes left until seven he parked the car in front of the bakery and got out. He locked the car behind him and walked up to the door and knocked.

Harry opened with a dimpled smile.
"Hi!"

"Hello." Louis greeted.

Harry locked the door behind him and they headed to the back. Louis removed his jacket and put on an apron.
"How was your day?" He asked.

"Busy. I had a lot of customers today." Harry replied.

"That's great!" Louis smiled.

"Absolutely. How about you? What do you do for work?" Harry asked as he put on his apron.

"I sell cars, but I have December off. I haven't done much, to be honest." Louis shrugged.

"Sounds nice." Harry said.

"Quiet boring, actually." Louis chuckled.

"Really? You're not much of a slacker?" Harry questioned.

"Oh, massive slacker. I mean, hard working and all that, but I do enjoy just chilling in me sweats sometimes, you know what I mean?" Louis said.

"Most definitely." Harry smiled before he continued. "Snowball cookies, they look holiday festive and taste great. You're not allergic to citrus, are you?"

"Nope." Louis said.

"Nuts?" Harry asked.

Inappropriate sexist jokes came to mind. Louis ignored his stupid brain.
"No. I'm not allergic to anything to the best of me knowledge."

"You're lucky then. I have hay fever. Messes with my asthma." Harry revealed.

"That sucks!" Louis replied.

"Yeah." Harry giggled before he began the instructions for the cookie dough.
"We're gonna start with blitzing the pecans into a rough powder."

"Rough, huh? Alright." Louis said in amusement and filled the mixer with pecans.

He turned it on and waited for the pecans to be ready. Harry nodded his head so he turned it off and poured the powder into a bawl.
"Add the flour." Harry instructed.

Louis used a scale to measure the right amount and added it to the bowl and mixed it with the pecans.
"I don't know what your sister was about. You bake like a pro." Harry smiled.

"Under strict supervision but I'm not an imbecile, Harry. I know how to pour stuff." Louis smirked.

Harry giggled adorably.
"I never thought you were. Now you're gonna beat the butter, caster sugar, and orange zest into a separate bowl. Let's start by working those oranges."

"I'm gonna beat the butter? Why? That poor butter hasn't done anything to me." Louis answered in amusement.

Harry cackled loudly, throwing his head back. Louis felt a sense of pride for being able to entertain him.
"We're just gonna mix it." Harry managed to get out as soon as he calmed down.

"Why didn't you just say so? Alright, what am I doing with the oranges?" Louis smiled.

"Use the grater." Harry answered.

Louis just looked at it in confusion. Harry giggled and showed him what to do.

A half hour later the cookies were in the oven and Louis had successfully managed to make another sort of cookie.
"You might wanna watch your back. After you have taught me everything you know I'm gonna open a bakery next to yours."

"Really?" Harry wondered.

"No. I'm just fucking with you." Louis giggled.

He got a box of cookies with him and he said goodbye to Harry.