Page 32 of Markets & Mooncakes

"Ah, because of the salt?"

He nods. "I've been trying to think of what to do with it, because I didn't want to waste it, and that's what I came up with. It might not be enough, but I think with the custard, it should be enough to combat the saltiness."

"Do you want me to get some milk from the ice house, then?" I say, lifting the dish of egg yolks so I can take it out there.

He nods. "Everything else should be in here."

I head out of the room, ignoring the chill as I step into the ice house. I know it's supposed to be this cold, and that it helps a lot with preserving food and with setting many of the desserts that Nate makes, but it's still a shock to step out here. I set the dish of egg yolks on Nate's shelf next to what looks like croissant dough. I grab some milk and head back to the kitchen where Nate is already buttering slices of the tea loaf and layering them into a dish.

I get a bowl for myself and mix milk, eggs, and sugar together to create the custard that goes over the top.

"You know what the best thing about bread and butter pudding is?" I ask.

"That it uses up stale bread?" Nate guesses.

"No. It's that we get to eat it straight away."

He laughs. "I should have guessed."

"It's the perfect dessert for me," I joke.

"Though cold bread and butter pudding the next day is excellent."

I wrinkle my nose. "Cold?"

"Have you never tried it?" he asks as he puts on the last slice and wipes his knife over the top.

"No."

"I'll send some up with breakfast for you. Just don't let anyone else eat it."

"It's normally only me and Veronica anyway. I'm sure she'll find it amusing." I push my bowl towards him. "Ah, with tea loaf, we don't even have to add any more dried fruit."

"That's why I thought it might be a good idea. The truth will be known when we eat it." He pours over the custard and prods the tea loaf slices down so that they can soak up more of it. I'm already looking forward to it being done, especially because it's been a while since dinner and I can feel myself getting hungry.

We turn our conversation to going over the mooncake recipe, and dip a little bit into what Nate learned in his etiquette lesson while the bread and butter soaks and then bakes. The sweet smell of caramelising sugar and toasting bread fills the air, making me even hungrier than I originally was.

"You look like you're going to pounce on it the moment it comes out of the oven," Nate jokes when he looks at me.

"I'm tempted. If you wanted to train me like we're trying to do with Ember, then this might work."

He chuckles. "I don't think bread and butter pudding is what I'd use to train you."

"Oh, and what would you use?" I ask curiously.

"Probably new recipes. It's not the end result that you're really after, it's knowing how things start and how things end." He checks the hourglass and heads over to the oven to pull out the pudding.

"I do like learning how things are made. But I'm not sure that would train me."

"Then maybe you're a lost cause on the training front," he teases.

"Don't tell Mama that. I don't think she'd be pleased to discover it."

"I won't," he promises as he sets the bread and butter pudding down on the table. It's bubbling around the edges, and the top has become a dark brown with all the crispiness it needs.

Nate gets us bowls and spoons out two portions of the pudding before pushing one of the bowls towards me along with a spoon.

I dig into it, my mouth watering at the smells coming from it. I blow across the top of it, looking up to catch him watching me. I smile, and he returns it.