Chapter 161 Making Pineapple Buns
At three o'clock the next afternoon, sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating the gleaming stainless steel countertop. Su Yingxue, wearing a light blue floral apron, stood in the center of the kitchen, holding a freshly baked pineapple bun in her hand. The aroma, like playful little elves, eagerly wafted out.
At the kitchen door, several parents had already changed into the sterile gowns and gloves that Uncle Pan had specially prepared. They looked like researchers about to enter a sterile laboratory, both excited and nervous. Uncle Pan stood to the side, hands behind his back, his brow slightly furrowed, his heart pounding—could Su Yingxue really make the pastries that would impress the parents?
"Hello, parents," Su Yingxue nodded with a smile, "Today we're going to make the children's favorite afternoon snack—pineapple buns." She pointed to the neatly arranged bread doughs on the cutting board, "These were prepared in advance. Today we'll mainly learn how to make the puff pastry and how to bake them."
Yuanyuan's mother was the first to come closer, her eyes wide with surprise: "You can make this yourself? I thought it was all bought ready-made from a store!"
Su Yingxue blinked and smiled mysteriously: "I'll demonstrate it first, and then you can learn from me. It's very simple, and I guarantee you can show off your skills to your own children when you get home."
She put on gloves, her movements fluid and efficient—first taking a small lump of butter, rolling it into a thin sheet, sprinkling it with granulated sugar and shredded coconut, then carefully wrapping it inside the flattened bread dough, gently pinching it closed, and finally using a knife to score a few neat lines on the surface. The whole process was seamless, as if she weren't making a dessert, but creating a work of art.
"Okay, now put them in the oven." She placed the pineapple buns into the preheated oven, set the temperature and time, and then turned to the parents, "In ten minutes, we'll see the finished product!"
The oven timer ticked away, and the kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of butter and coconut, growing stronger and stronger, like a gentle hand lightly tickling everyone's nose. The parents stood by, their eyes fixed on the oven, even their breathing almost stopped.
"bite--"
The oven beeped. Su Yingxue put on oven mitts, opened the oven door, and a burst of hot air carrying a rich aroma rushed out. She carefully took out the baking tray and placed it on the cooling rack.
"Come on, take a look." She picked up a pineapple bun and gently broke it open—the golden, flaky crust crumbled down, revealing the fluffy, soft bread inside. The sweet aroma of coconut and the milky fragrance of butter blended perfectly, making your mouth water just looking at it.
Uncle Pan, who was originally standing in the corner, couldn't help but move closer and take a deep breath of the aroma. He thought to himself, "Su Yingxue's skills are amazing! This tastes even better than the cakes sold in the cake shops on the street!"
"Here, have a taste." Su Yingxue handed the broken pineapple buns to the parents.
The parents took it with some skepticism, then took a bite—
"My goodness! This is so delicious!" Xiaoyu's mother exclaimed, her eyes wide and her mouth stuffed full. "The crust is so fragrant and crispy, and the bread is so soft and sweet. This is absolutely amazing!"
"Absolutely amazing!" Meimei's mother nodded repeatedly, her cheeks puffed out like a greedy little hamster. "It's even better than the desserts I buy outside!"
"It's so delicious!" Yuanyuan's mother couldn't resist taking another one, and mumbled between bites, "If Yuanyuan takes this back, she'll be overjoyed!"
The three pineapple buns were gone in the blink of an eye, and the parents licked their lips with lingering satisfaction, their eyes full of longing.
Su Yingxue smiled and looked at everyone: "Next, let's get started! I've prepared more than a hundred bread doughs in advance, let's all give it a try."
"Okay!" the parents agreed in unison, especially Xiaoyu's mother, Yuanyuan's mother, and Meimei's mother, who eagerly rolled up their sleeves, "We'll help!"
Su Yingxue patiently guided the parents on how to roll out the puff pastry, how to wrap the bread dough, and how to score patterns on the surface. The parents learned as they went, and although their techniques were still a bit clumsy, their enthusiasm was high. The kitchen was soon filled with laughter and cheerful chatter, along with occasional exclamations like, "Oops, my puff pastry broke!" and "How do I score these patterns to make them look nice?"
Uncle Pan stood aside, watching the parents' busy figures, and then seeing Su Yingxue guiding everyone with ease, his doubts were completely dispelled—this Su Yingxue really has some skills!
An hour later, over a hundred pineapple buns were neatly stacked on a baking tray, golden and emitting an enticing aroma. The oven started ticking away again, and the kitchen was filled with a sweet, busy atmosphere.
Finally, the last pineapple bun was baked. Su Yingxue put on oven mitts, took the baking tray out, and placed it on the cooling rack. The parents gathered around, looking at their work with faces full of pride.
"Phew—" Xiaoyu's mother plopped down on the ground with a long sigh of relief. "I'm exhausted! Being a cook at a kindergarten is really tough!"
“Yes, yes!” Yuanyuan’s mother slumped down to the side, rubbing her sore wrists. “My arms are sore from just kneading the pastry. Sister Su, you must be exhausted doing so much all by yourself!”
Meimei's mother nodded repeatedly, rubbing her lower back as she said, "This is even more tiring than going to work! Sister Su, you're amazing!"
Su Yingxue smiled and shook her head, saying as she packed up her tools, "Making delicious food is all about putting your heart into it. Seeing the children enjoy their food makes all the hard work worthwhile."
Uncle Pan stood aside, listening to the parents' sentiments, and watching Su Yingxue's busy figure, silently thinking: With Su Yingxue here, this kindergarten will definitely get better and better.
At 4:30 p.m., the kindergarten dismissal bell rang on time. The children, like a flock of cheerful little birds, chirped and ran towards their parents. Today, a special aroma filled the classroom—the sweet scent of pineapple buns—mingling with the children's joyful laughter, warming the entire space.
"Oh my, why is my Xiaoyu being so well-behaved today, carrying her own food?" Xiaoyu's mother smiled as she walked over, pulling another pineapple bun from her backpack. "Here, have another one, Mommy brought some too!"
"Mom, did you make this?" Xiaoyu asked indistinctly, her mouth stuffed full.
"Yes, Mom learned it from Sister Xiao Su today!" Xiao Yu's mother proudly waved the bag in her hand. "Mom will make it for you again when we get home!"
Yuanyuan's mother also squatted down and looked at her daughter: "Yuanyuan, was the pineapple bun delicious today?"
"Delicious!" Yuanyuan nodded vigorously, a bit of pastry still clinging to the corner of her mouth. "Even better than the ones at kindergarten!"
"Really?" Yuanyuan's mother asked in surprise. "Then Mom will make it for you when we get home!"
Meimei's mother also came over: "Meimei, is it delicious? Mommy has learned how to make it too, I'll make it for you when we get home!"
Meimei nodded vigorously, saying indistinctly, "Delicious! Mom is the best!"
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