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[indent]Elias chucked another bowl of chocolate into the sink in frustration. He had been trying a new bonbon recipe for about… He glanced up at the clock. Its red numbers glared back at him. 3:00 AM. Damn. Had he really been at this for eight hours already? Starting up the coffee machine again- thank god he owned a coffee shop- Elias grabbed another bowl to start his recipe again. [color=20B2AA][i]One more try[/i][/color], he thought to himself as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing. 

The bonbon recipe wasn’t even that difficult; it was a spin off of another recipe he typically made during this time of year. However, yesterday he had the great idea to incorporate blood into his current recipe for his more parasitic patrons. This idea turned out to be more complicated than Elias thought. Either the ganache mixture was not setting properly due to the blood or the texture was just too grainy for his liking. 

He should really stop trying out these new recipes, but Elias enjoyed the challenge even if the journey was frustrating. There was something about finally figuring out the right ratio of ingredients that was so rewarding. It was also a treat to see customers enjoying the new recipes he created. Last year, he decided to try a raw meat pie. Why did he decide to mix cooked pastry with raw meat? Who really knows. It ended up being a big hit though and it was still on his menu to this very day. 

Chugging down a cup of coffee, Elias turned the stove on to warm the heavy cream. As he waited for it to start simmering, he chopped up the chocolate and placed it in a glass bowl. Once the cream was sufficiently warmed, Elias poured it into the bowl with the chocolate and started whisking. After the chocolate had melted, he incorporated some blood into the mix. Elias tasted the mixture, nodding at the outcome. It wasn’t grainy at all this time, so hopefully it set properly in the fridge. 

Since he didn’t have anything else to do, Elias started working on making the pastries for the morning. December was always the busiest month for him considering how many holiday parties and festivities that wanted his catering. Eventually, the baker got into a rhythm. As more pastries were baked, the smells of butter and vanilla wafted filled the kitchen. He boxed up the majority of them for his existing orders and the rest went into the shop window for when the coffee shop was open. 

After he finished with his orders, Elias checked on his ganache. He poked at it, already liking the texture he was seeing. Putting on some gloves, he rolled out small balls and placed them in the molds. Then he covered the ganache balls in another layer of chocolate before placing them back in the fridge. By this time, Elias needed to start delivering his orders or he be back in time to help with the morning rush. Grabbing all the boxes, he secured them onto his sled. He made his rounds quickly with his last stop being the inn. 

[color=20B2AA]“Morning~”[/color] he greeted everyone when he stepped into the inn, juggling all the boxes in his arms. Elias walked over to the counter where breakfast would normally be served and sat the boxes down. He was about to chat up the receptionist when he noticed she was busy with some newcomers. That was strange, they didn’t typically get many visitors up here especially not ones that look so out of place. He wondered where they came from; it was like the snowstorm had just swept them in. [/indent]