The Ingredients for Happiness. Lucy Knott
tsp almond extract
What to do:
For the dough:
Combine dry ingredients then add in butter and shortening like you’re making a crumble.
Mix together wet ingredients then add to dry and make a dough.
For the filling:
Like Nanna’s custard, make a roux with cornstarch and sugar. Add milk and eggs and almond extract and keep whisking until thick.
Roll out dough and make shells that fit a cupcake tin.
Spoon in two tbsp custard. Then layer a circle on top.
Refrigerate for 30 mins.
After 30 mins sprinkle with a splash of egg wash and bake for 12–15 mins at 22 degrees.
Once golden, remove and leave to cool.
Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Sabrina began to stir. The golden rays of sunshine had no respect for the current time of 4.30 a.m.; it barged its way in through the curtains without any apologies. Sabrina stretched out her arms and legs so she resembled a starfish, and jumped at a sudden cry of ‘ouch’ as the blanket next to her started to shuffle.
She let out a laugh and a feeble ‘sorry’ as Levi reached under the blanket and grabbed at her daisy print pajama shorts. She tried to smack his hand away, but it was no use – even in his sleepy state she couldn’t match his strength. He pulled her on top of him and snuggled into her sandy blonde hair, breathing her in.
‘How do you smell so good in the morning?’ he asked, playing with her locks as they fell around his fingers. ‘You smell like sunshine and flowers.’
Sabrina laughed. ‘Why thank you,’ she replied, kissing his nose. ‘I see your charm is never switched off, even at four-thirty in the morning.’
‘You’re the one that woke me at four-thirty in the morning to have your way with me! And I’d be a fool to say no to that.’ Levi’s cheeky tone made Sabrina laugh even more. She actually giggled as he smothered her with kisses. She loved the way he made her feel.
‘No,’ she cried through her laughter. ‘The sun was too bright, it woke me.’ She paused as Levi sat up, causing her to move with him so that she ended up sitting on his lap as he leaned his head against the head rest. ‘And I must admit, I’m nervous about today. Are you nervous?’
Levi touched the tip of her nose and traced her jaw with his thumb. ‘I wouldn’t say I’m not nervous,’ he said, with a soft shrug. Levi was the most laidback of the group. He and James were like double trouble, always the life and soul of the party, never taking anything too seriously. It was no surprise. Levi’s older brother had taken the more conventional route in life; good at school, left to get a great job, married by twenty-five, two kids. Levi’s mum had never had to worry about Chase, but Levi had certainly made up for that. Dan wasn’t exactly a troublemaker but put him and Levi in a class together and they never got any work done. Records were constantly spinning in both their brains and if they weren’t whispering to each other about guitar riffs or band names they were doodling on desks or in the back of their schoolbooks. Levi’s mum had to deal with her fair share of meetings in the principal’s office and grounding Levi whenever him and Dan snuck out of the house to see a gig. Dan had mellowed out the older he got, Levi not so much, especially when side by side with James.
When Sabrina had first met Levi’s mum, Joanne, while the boys were on tour in San Francisco for their first album, the first thing Joanne had said to her was, ‘Thank you for giving him focus sweetheart. It makes a mother’s heart happy to see her baby living his dream.’ Then she’d added with a chuckle, ‘That and I thought he’d be sleeping on my couch until he was forty.’ Sabrina had instantly warmed to Joanne and though back then her relationship with Levi was strictly professional, she’d felt a kindred spirit in Joanne. They had Skyped often over the years. Joanne liked to check in on the boys, but would always spend an extra ten minutes catching up on Sabrina’s news, asking if there was anyone special in her life yet, dropping hints about Levi being single and ‘that boy would be too daft to notice if love was right under his nose’ then telling Sabrina to keep a close watch on him. Of course, Sabrina had never told Joanne about the time she had kissed her son or how much she wanted to be with him, but she always sensed Joanne knew. Sabrina guessed it was a mum superpower.
It had been a pure delight to inform Joanne via Skype over the holidays, that they had finally taken the risk and become an item. Joanne had rolled her eyes noting, ‘It took you both long enough. What did I tell you? Right under his nose.’ Though Joanne often teased Levi for his goofy manner, Sabrina could see where he got it from. Levi’s dad hadn’t been around much when he was growing up, so while Joanne had had to step it up and look after her two boys on her own – keeping them in line and out of trouble as best she could – where Levi was concerned, there was definitely an element of fun to her. She always added a touch of lightness to any situation, having never wanted her sons to grow up in a miserable environment just because their dad wasn’t around. Sabrina had never experienced Levi feeling sorry for himself; it was rare that he mentioned his dad, but he doted on his mum. Sabrina sensed that his humorous nature was a way of keeping that sparkle in his mum’s eyes. Whenever the two of them were together you could bet there would be laughter.
As she gazed at Levi now, his face lit up by a sliver of sunrise coming through a crack in the curtain, his chestnut brown eyes flittered over her face, his jaw relaxed and a slight curve to his red lips teased a playful smile. ‘How about you take my nerves and look after them for a bit?’ Sabrina said sweetly, pulling the duvet up over her shoulders to ward off the chill.
‘Baby, nerves are for wimps. Today is going to be epic. We have the best manager there is and Dylan’s one hell of a bass player – he makes the rest of us look good. And if they want us to find a new lead, we can just replace Dan with another mysterious San Francisco hippie, and no one would know the difference,’ Levi stated, trying to keep his lips straight but his eyes were glinting with cheek. Sabrina burst out laughing and shoved him in his bicep.
‘Do you ever behave?’ she asked through her laughter. In reply he yanked the duvet up and over both of their heads and tickled her until she was screaming, tears of laughter soaking her face.
In that moment, Sabrina felt eternally grateful that they had found their way back to each other and that their book of love had been reopened ready for a rewrite. Yes, she thought, borrowing some of Levi’s confidence, today would be epic.
*
The office was spacious, clean-cut and very LA, but with a refreshing pop of colour that pleased Sabrina. Anyone that cared for bright yellows and pastel pinks was sure to be someone that Sabrina would get along with. Sabrina sat on the chair directly opposite the solid mahogany desk while Dan, Levi, Dylan and James sat behind her on the couch. Levi and James sat back against the cushions and Dan and Dylan sat on the edge, elbows on their knees, hands clasped. Dan, Sabrina could see, was ready to talk business. He would have her back if she needed him to step in. Sabrina cared greatly for Dan, and not just because he was her big sister’s boyfriend, but because they shared a similar mind for business and, ninety-nine per cent of the time, were on the same page and had been since the day San Francisco Beat had walked in to Lydia’s office over three years ago. Dan challenged her to be her best and she loved him for that.
A rustle at the door signalled the start of the meeting as a tall lady with shoulder-length black hair, red-rimmed glasses and Chanel ballet slippers bounced in. The lady was elegant and screamed retro chic and those shoes – seriously, Sabrina was having trouble tearing her eyes away.
‘Hello all, how are we doing today? My names Keira and I’m thrilled to meet with you,’ Keira said as she walked over to the couch to shake hands with each of the boys, all of whom stood up to greet her. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet with you too,’ Dan said, speaking on behalf of the band, his husky voice confident.
Sabrina stood to greet