[Primrose Bolger]

Ginger loved the sight and smell of blackberries. They were dark and shiny and caught the light as she turned the sugar into them; they seemed to wink at her playfully. Miz Bunce had told her to use just sugar and flour, but her mam had always used a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor, a little lemon juice to add a tart edge to the sweetness, and a sprinkle of finely ground cinnamon root that made the mixture a little spicy – earthy, almost.

Five large, rectangular pans, each generously greased with butter, had been laid out on the table by one of the other Hobbit lasses sent by their mothers to help for the day. Ginger ladled out equal portions of the berry mixture into each pan, and dotted them all with small pieces of butter. Cook had by then finished the pastry topping, and dividing it out into five equal pieces had rolled each one out to a size large enough to cover the berries entirely in each pan. Ginger then brushed on some melted butter and sprinkled sugar on top of the crust. Cook opened the oven and placed each of the pans carefully in on the racks to bake. Then she and Ginger finished the last of the violets and put them all in an out of the way place to dry.

Cook looked about the kitchen in a satisfied manner. Ginger nodded at her. All was in order, food and drink ready for lunch when it rolled around, the decorations for the cake done and drying. By mutual agreement they sat down at the table, having cleared away the debris from making the cobbler, and pulling up chairs, they both propped their feet on one and sat back to enjoy a fragrant cup of sweet-spice tea.