Chapter 1: Gran’s Baking Day
Maya loved visiting her Gran. Gran lived in a little house with a huge garden and, most importantly, a very warm kitchen. Every Friday, Gran baked a huge batch of her famous lamingtons. They were soft sponge cake, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in coconut.
Chapter 2: The Missing Ingredient
Maya was helping today. Gran had a special little notebook where she kept the recipe. “It’s a secret recipe, passed down through our family,” Gran explained. Maya read the ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, cocoa… but wait! Gran always said her lamingtons were extra soft. The secret ingredient wasn’t written down.
Chapter 3: An Investigation
“Gran, what makes them so light and fluffy?” Maya asked. Gran just winked. Maya decided to investigate. She watched Gran very closely. Gran was very careful with the flour. She also seemed to measure the milk differently. Maya watched as Gran added a tiny splash of something clear from a small, dark bottle.
Chapter 4: The Discovery
When Gran went to get a tea towel, Maya carefully looked at the bottle. It was labelled “Vanilla Essence”. Maya had always thought vanilla was just for ice cream! But Gran used just a little drop, and it made the whole kitchen smell wonderful. That was the secret to the flavour!
Chapter 5: Baking Partners
When Gran returned, Maya smiled. “I think your secret ingredient is a little bit of vanilla, Gran!” Gran laughed, a deep, happy sound. “You are a wonderful observer, Maya! You’re right. Now you know the secret, you can be my official baking partner!” Maya was thrilled. Now she was the keeper of a delicious family secret.
Exercise: Comprehension
Answer the following questions using a full sentence:
- What did Gran always bake on Friday?
- What did Maya use to help her find the secret ingredient?
- What was the secret ingredient?