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 Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 10:38 am
 Midnight Snack stretched. It was 8 p.m., his idea of the middle of the afternoon, as he walked down a residential path near his stable in phonyville. As he walked, he could smell a delicious aroma in the air -- COOKIES! All sorts of sugary smells mixing together -- chocolate chip cookies? No, sugar? No, caramel crunch? So many different types, all swirling together. Flapping his wings, he followed the scent, wondering what bakery was making tasty treats this late in the day. Instead, he found himself at an open window of a stable he had never seen before. But, peering through the glass, Midnight Snack saw somephony he did recognize: Chocolate Malt! What on earth was he doing, making cookies so late?
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Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 6:39 pm
Oh dear! Oh dear! There were simply too many combinations of cookies to try out! What would the judges like? Chocolate? Double chocolate? Double chocolate in chocolate? What about crispiness? Did they like chewy? Crispy? Something in between? And what about toppings? Icing? Sprinkles? Chips?
Chocolate Malt burried his face into his “1000 and More Chocolate Recipes”. While his friends were supportive of his first EVER[/] Chocolate Cooking Cookout Contest (CCCC), their enthusiasm for his perfect cookie wavered around the 100th sample or so with Dainty politely telling him that she had had some pressing matters to attend to and North saying that he’d take a brisk run to work off the sugar.
“How am I ever going to win this?” groaned the small foal, his voice muffled from being buried in the heavy book while various ingredients whizzed and mixed and baked overhead as the alicorn worked his magic. “ I can’t taste my own cooking. That would be bias!”
Unknown to the small foal, there was another foal watching him from the window.
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 12:03 pm
What was that foal's name? Mudpie? Muffin? Chocolate-something. Chocolate Moo? Chocolate Milk? Midnight Snack's brow creased in thought. Darn it! He knew he'd met him a few times before, the kid was nuts about chocolate. Chocolate Milkshake? Chocolate Maltballs. -- Oh wait! That was it! Chocolate Malt!
"Hey!" Midnight called into the open window, floating where he was, lifting a hand in hello. "Hey, Chocolate Malt!"
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 8:32 pm
“H-Huh?” Malt said looking up startled from his book. “Oh! It’s you, Midnight Snack,” said the foal without too much enthusiasm in his voice. “What brings you here?”
The batter overhead was now spooning itself out onto several greased baking trays. Malt casts the cookie batter a tired glance before turning to his friend once more. “I don’t think I’d be able to play today Midnight. There’s too many cookies to bake and no one to try them,”
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 8:39 pm
Chocolate Malt seemed a little glum. For a moment, Midnight Snack wondered if the foal was grounded -- but then again, what came out of his mouth sure didn't sound like any understandable explanation, either! Too many cookies to bake and nobody to try them?! Who ever had that problem?
... actually...
... actually, Midnight Snack got a sudden image of himself, working until 4 in the morning on a recipe for something crazy, and having nobody but himself to try it out on. How was a foal to know if the balance of spices and textures was right? Tasty enough? Exciting enough? After trying one bit of molecular grastronomical goodness a thousand times, it all started to blend together.
Midnight leaned forward, crossing his hooves on the window sill. "Did I hear you right? You need help baking and tasting cookies? Well, look no further, Chocolate Malt, buddy! I am here to serve."
And he meant it, really. Even if Chocolate Malt was trying to make Cayenne Spice Cookies, he was in. If Malt wanted him, that is.
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 8:58 pm
Malt stared at Midnight as though the foal couldn’t believe his ears. Someone was offering to help him with his cookies? “Of course I’d love your help!” whinnied Malt looking significantly happier. Cantering over to the window, the small foal twisted the latch to open the grilles. “Please come in!” said Malt with an excited flutter of his wings. “The kitchen is a bit messy but North says it’s fine as long as we clean up after ourselves,”
“Have you heard of the Chocolate Cooking Cookout Contest (CCCC)? It will be held in two days and I am hoping to perfect my chocolate cookies by then!” explained Malt excitedly. “Winner will get a two hundred dollar gift certificate from the Phony Mart down the street too. “
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 9:04 pm
When Malt opened the windows fully, Midnight flapped his wings and sailed comfortably inside, grinning widely. It was nice to see the forlorn expression on Malt's face disappear -- and it sounded as if he really had some motivation to have made so many cookies! Midnight Snack had tasted Chocolate Malt's baking once in the past, and he remembered thinking the alicorn had some serious chocolate-making prowess. Surely the CCCC's championship would be in reach!
"Sounds like a blast." said Midnight, fluttering over Malt's cookbook and taking a peek at the cookie batter. The smell in the kitchen was downright heavenly. "I wouldn't sweat it too much, Malt! Your stuff is always great. What can I help with?"
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:01 am
“Thank you!” said Malt looking genuinely happy at the praise. “But you can never be too careful with the competition. I heard that many of them have “Secret Recipes” and those are scary because they are a secret!” said Malt with an earnestness that was almost endearing. “So we have got to beat them with a normal cookie recipe!”
And with that, Malt began laying down several batches of finished cookies. “I would like to know which you prefer,” said Malt. “They are baked at different temperatures, using different composition and even crispness level and there’s more to come too!”
Thus setting the pace, the two foals worked hard throughout the night.
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:43 am
Midnight Snack sampled cookies thoughtfully as Malt spoke, unable to suppress a little chuckle when the other colt mentioned his fear of Secret Recipes. From his work in molecular gastronomy, Midnight knew that the type of fat included in a cookie recipe influenced its crispiness, as well as the amount of molasses included in the sugar. Throughout the night, he used his scientific approach to help Chocolate Malt tinker with his recipe, tasted dozens of cookies, until finally, as the sun came up, they felt they had the perfect chocolate cookie.
At least, Malt sure hoped they did.
* * *
"And for our blue ribbon... the number one chocolate recipe in the cookie category is... DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK BY CHOCOLATE MALT! CCCCongratulations!"
And that sealed the deal!
As Chocolate Malt stood up on the CCCC's stage, getting a blue ribbon tied around his neck, Midnight Snack beamed proudly from the audience, whistling and stomping his hooves in support. He couldn't believe it! Chocolate Malt actually won! Well -- he could believe it, really, and he did think the colt deserved it, but still! It was so thrilling to watch him get the pretty blue envelope gift certificate and the little cookie trophy and the blue ribbon around his neck. Perfect!
"Congratulations!" he told his friend after Chocolate Malt came off the stage. "You really deserved it!"
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:08 pm
“I couldn’t have done it without your help!” whinnied Malt happily as he trotted beside his friend. The blue ribbon around the colt’s neck bobbed merrily in rhythm with his trotting. Then pausing, Chocolate Malt tore open the envelope containing the two hundred dollars in terms of two one hundred dollars gift certificates. Taking one out, Malt handed it over to Midnight Snack. “Here you go! You deserve it!” said Malt happily. “No one could have sampled so many cookies such as you and not fall sick. You were very kind to help me!”
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Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 8:45 am
Midnight's eyes widened as Malt spoke, completely floored by the other colt's generosity. What a gesture! And all for tasting cookies and tinkering with a recipe? Midnight Snack could hardly believe himself.
"Oh -- oh, wow!" he gasped out, grinning from ear to ear. "Malt, you didn't have to -- thank you so much!" Midnight took the certificate happily, absolutely beaming.
Tucking it safely away, he nudged his friend. "Come on. The chocolate festival is still going on. Let's go taste some more!"
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