thevanillabaker

[thevanillabaker]

"I like that library books have secret lives. All those hands that have held them. All those eyes that have read them."

―Same Sun Here by Neela Vaswani

[thevanillabaker]

Madeleine

Hari Sabtu selalu menjadi hari yang sibuk bagi Kiara. Hari itu adalah jadwal bagi dirinya untuk membuka toko roti kecilnya yang berada di Jakarta Selatan. Maka, pagi-pagi sekali sang gadis sudah berada di toko tersebut untuk menyiapkan segala sesuatunya.

Kiara mengambil apronnya, lalu meraih buku resep yang bertandang di atas lemari pendingin. Setelah selesai mengikat rambutnya dan memakai sarung tangan plastik, dirinya membuka halaman ke 60 dengan judul "Resep Madeleine". Ya, walaupun Kiara sudah menggeluti dunia kudapan manis selama kurang lebih tiga tahun, tetapi jika untuk diperjualbelikan ia masih bertumpu pada buku resepnya.

“Gula... telur... garam...”

Sambil bergumam sendiri tentang resep kue hari ini, Kiara memastikan setiap ukurannya agar rasanya tetap stabil setiap hari. Dahinya berkerut dengan bibir yang agak mengerucut sembari terus mengayak tepung almond serta tepung terigu. Setelah semua bahan sudah tercampur semua, Kiara memasukkan adonan tersebut ke plastik segitiga agar lebih mudah mencetaknya. Tidak lupa sebelum itu oven kesayangannya yang telah menemaninya selama dua tahun dirinya berkarir di toko roti itu dipanaskan terlebih dahulu.

Ah, sambil menunggu madeleinenya matang, bagaimana jika kita mengetahui sedikit sejarah tentang kue kecil nan cantik ini?

Madeleine merupakan kudapan manis yang menjadi favorit bagi masyarakat Prancis. Rasanya mirip bolu dengan bagian luar yang renyah dan bagian dalam yang lembut. Makanan ini biasa menjadi teman setia bagi teh hangat.

Ada banyak versi terkait sejarah dibuatnya kue berbentuk cangkang kerang ini. Salah satu versi menyebutkan bahwa madeleine adalah sebuah resep turun temurun sejak abad ke 18 masehi. Pada saat itu, ada seorang koki kue bagi Kerajaan Lorraine, yaitu Madeleine Paulmier. Ia membuat kue tersebut atas resep dari neneknya. Siapa sangka kue yang awalnya lahir di Lorraine ternyata diminati oleh Raja Louis XV ketika berkunjung kesana. Akhirnya, Raja Louis XV pun mengenalkannya pada istrinya, Marie Leszczyńska. Kue madeleine menjadi sukses besar di Versailles! Kue cantik ini pun kemudian terus berkembang dan terus diminati masyarakat Prancis hingga sekarang.

Ah! Selesai!

Dua puluh menit masa pengovenan madeleine pun usai. Kiara langsung memakai sarung tangan anti panasnya untuk mengeluarkan loyang berisi madeline-madeline yang sudah berwarna kecoklatan. Selanjutnya, Kiara yang sudah menyiapkan topping-topping sebagai hiasan kue itu mulai melakukan kegiatan favoritnya dalam membuat kue: menghias kue! Hari ini ada beberapa macam madeleine, seperti chocolate ganache, mascarpone cheese, caramel cinnamon, dazzle vanilla, dan tiramissu. Sang gadis menghabiskan waktu kurang lebih 30 menit untuk menghias kue-kue cantiknya tersebut. Setelah selesai, barulah ia simpan kue madeline hari ini di showcase.

Membuat kue madeleine, selesai!

[thevanillabaker]

Carrot Cake

“Mbk Rara... Aku pesen kue wortel'a 2 loyang nggih,,, 🙏”

Nama panggilan baru lagi, pikir Kiara. Namun ia tidak ambil pusing karena setidaknya nama panggilan ini masih nyambung dengan nama aslinya. Kir, Aya, Rara, Yaya, Kira. Banyak juga nama panggilannya.

Usai membalas pesan dari tantenya itu dengan emoji jempol, gadis bernama lengkap Kiara Adriana Jasmine tersebut segera menyiapkan bahan-bahan yang diperlukan. Untungnya ia memang sedang ada di dapur toko rotinya sekarang, jadi semua bahannya lengkap, termasuk walnut dan kayu manis bubuk.

Langkah pertama bagi membuat kue wortel adalah memarut wortel. Kiara menghabiskan sekitar 400 gram wortel. Pada kue wortel ini Kiara memang tidak menggunakan banyak gula. Dari resep aslinya, ia hanya mengambil setengah porsi dari gula yang seharusnya. Ini karena ciri khas dari toko rotinya yang ingin kue wortel ini tidak manis karena gula, tetapi karena wortel yang menjadi pemanis alami.

Salah satu alasan unik dari penggunaan wortel pada kue ini adalah karena pada Perang Dunia II persediaan gula di Inggris terbatas. Pemerintah pun selanjutnya mengenalkan penggunaan wortel untuk penambahan gula bagi kue dan pudding. Hal ini mengantarkan kue wortel pada popularitasnya selama Perang Dunia II. Walaupun begitu, kue wortel memang sudah dikenal ratusan tahun sebelumnya, namun baru populer sejak Perang Dunia II.

Cukup dengan sejarahnya, kue wortel Kiara pun juga sudah matang. Setelah dikeluarkan dari oven dan loyang, kue berwarna oranye ini pun kemudian ditambahkan cream cheese pada bagian atasnya. Tidak lupa Kiara tambahkan hiasan gambar wortel di atasnya.

Membuat kue wortel, selesai!

[thevanillabaker]

Brioche Buns

Kiara rushed out of her apartment, wearing a thick coat that was carelessly hanging by the door. This afternoon, she had to attend a pastry class at Le Cordon Bleu Paris with a theme of making brioche bun. However, what should have been a calm morning turned into chaos. She had just returned from a club with her friends the night before and woke up late. The clock showed 12 PM when she opened her eyes, and after that, she spent nearly two hours searching for her missing winter boots. In a hurry, Kiara left her apartment, hoping she could still make it on time.

She hurried to Metro Line 10 and boarded from the nearest station to her apartment, getting off at Javel – André Citroën. The journey took about thirty minutes, including a brisk walk from the metro station to Le Cordon Bleu. It felt like a race against time. Every second passed, making her more anxious, especially due to the high discipline demanded by Le Cordon Bleu.

When she arrived, Kiara felt cold sweat starting to run down her back, even though the Paris air was piercing with winter wind. She brushed her disheveled hair and, in a panic, rummaged through her bag to grab some perfume—trying to mask the remnants of public transport's scent. However, while she was not paying attention, she suddenly collided with someone.

"P-pardon... Je suis... vraiment désolée," Kiara stammered with an accent still clearly sounding foreign, trying to recall her French lessons while attempting to sound convincing.

The person she bumped into turned, smiled faintly, and nodded. "Pas de problème," he replied calmly, as if understanding Kiara’s struggle.

As Kiara was about to bow slightly, the corner of her eye caught that the person she had just bumped into was Gerald Ford. One of the top graduates ever from Le Cordon Bleu. Her eyes then widened when she saw that the man was standing right in front of her.

"Kak Gerald!" she greeted. Gerald, who looked surprised, smiled widely.

"Hey, Tante Yaya."

Kiara laughed upon hearing Gerald’s address, recalling their meeting at a wedding party in Jakarta. At that time, Kiara was busy taking care of her very active two-year-old niece, Hani. Hani had been asking Kiara a lot of questions, such as, “What is Aunt Yaya made of?” while pointing to someone who turned out to be Gerald Ford.

Kiara laughed remembering Gerald’s call, trying to recall their encounter at the wedding. The atmosphere suddenly felt more relaxed, even though her heart was still racing from almost being late.

“Kak Gerald! Don’t call me that!” she protested with a broad smile. “So, what are you doing here? Is there work?"

Gerald nodded while holding up the book he was carrying. “Chef Pierre Dubois’ recipe book. It’s not available in Indonesia, so I had to buy it here. Also, I’m catching up with the Chef. Haven’t seen him in a while.”

Kiara nodded, still remembering Chef Dubois, a legendary chef at Le Cordon Bleu who was often mentioned by senior students. “Wow, that’s impressive. It must be exciting to meet such a chef again.”

“Yes, he’s an inspiration to many, including me. But I’m still waiting for one important thing here,” Gerald replied with a slight smile, looking at Kiara with a gaze that seemed to hold something.

Kiara laughed softly. “Waiting for what, Kak? Is there a brioche order from the legendary chef as well?"

Gerald chuckled softly, then said in a barely audible voice, “I’m still waiting for you, Yaya.”

Kiara’s smile faded for a moment, her heart beating a little faster, and before she could respond, she realized the time was approaching her class, reminding her that she needed to get inside quickly. Especially with the text message on her phone.

"Le chef est presque prêt à entrer en salle !"

[thevanillabaker]

Toppings

Due to Twitter’s new policy, I declare that this account has no affiliated with the real Yu Jimin/Karina. This account is created for roleplaying purpose only. All medias are belong to rightful owners.

1. I do selective followings.

2. Sometimes I will do cleaning spree. If you happen to get cleaned by me, do ask me again for being mutuals on DM.

3. This is strictly a NOT SAFE FOR WORKS/PG-21/MATURE THEMED account. So, MINOR DO NOT INTERACT.

4. I accept to do a partnered plot, imagine, or dirty talk as long as we’ve discussed the details on DM.

5. I converse in both English and Bahasa Indonesia.

[thevanillabaker]

The Patisserie

Name: Kiara Adriana Jasmine

Nickname: Kiara, Kir, Yaya

Birthdate: April 11, 2000

Birthplace: Jakarta, Indonesia

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Occupation: Bakery owner

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Submissive

Appearance:

Kiara has fair skin that glows under the sunlight. She has long, dark hair that falls in loose waves down her back. She’s of average height and has a slim build. She likes to dress casually but stylishly.

Life:

Kiara was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. She comes from a middle-class family and was raised with strong values of hard work, honesty, and kindness. She attended a private school and was an excellent student, always eager to learn and excel in her studies.

She’s passionate about food and cooking, particularly in bread and patisserie. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Paris with a specialty in bread and patisserie, she decided to pursue her passion for cooking by opening her own bakery. Kiara is always eager to learn new recipes and methods. She is determined, hardworking, and committed to her craft.

In her free time, she likes to read books on history and politics, watch documentaries, and explore new places around Jakarta. She also enjoys spending time with her cat, Bubu.

[thevanillabaker]

Love at First Bites

On a sunlit Monday morning in Jakarta, Kiara Adriana Jasmine, her long black hair swept up into a high ponytail, unlocked the door to her charming bakery. She flicked on the lights and, donning her apron, made her way to the kitchen. There, she found a colorful array of cookie dough, each hue promising a different flavor—classic chocolate chips, s'mores, Oreo, a delightful mix of salty and sweet, double chocolate, matcha, and lotus.

As she shaped the dough into perfect rounds and placed them on a tray, the jingle of the doorbell announced the arrival of her colleague, who was responsible for baking a range of breads that day, from fluffy buns to hearty wheat loaves.

Kiara’s cookies were soon nestled in the oven, and she turned her attention to the day's next offerings: croissants. In the midst of her baking, another team member arrived with ingredients for brownies which is the bakery favorite. These brownies, soon to be covered in rich chocolate, white chocolate, and matcha, would be adorned with toppings like almonds, chocolate chips, and a dusting of matcha powder.

With the clock striking at 8 AM, right an hour left before the bakery opened, Kiara entered the self-photo studio within the bakery. She meticulously checked the equipment, ensuring every detail was perfect for the day’s customers. Though she had tidied the desk the night before, she gave it one last clean. The air was now filled with the tantalizing scents of sweet bread and cookies, drawing the attention of anyone who passed by.

A familiar male voice called out, and Kiara greeted him with a warm smile as he handed over a large box. "These are the vanilla, chocolate, and matcha ice creams, Miss. Could you please sign here?" he asked, extending a delivery slip. Kiara signed and accepted the box, knowing these ice creams would soon be transformed into delightful cake ice cream—a perfect treat for Jakarta's warm weather.

With the carrot cake, Oreo cake, and tiramisu completed, Kiara was ready to open her bakery. The aroma of freshly baked goods inviting customers in. They captured snapshots of their delicious finds and shared their experiences, spreading the joy of Kiara's creations.

Kiara's bakery had become more than just a place to eat; it was a vibrant destination in Jakarta where people celebrated the pleasures of good food and the art of self-expression. Each day, Kiara's passion for baking deepened, knowing her bread not only nourished but also brought happiness to all who entered her beloved bakery.