1In a cheerful little corner of London, right between a flower shop and a red post box, stood the sweetest bakery you ever saw. The sign above the door read 'Kitty & Mimmy's Bakes,' painted in pink and yellow, with a tiny bow on every letter. Hello Kitty had tied a crisp white apron around her waist, and her twin sister Mimmy had done the same — except Mimmy's bow was yellow, and Kitty's was red, so everyone could tell them apart. They polished the windows until they sparkled and set a vase of daffodils on the counter, because spring had arrived in London at last.
2One sunny morning, a flyer fluttered through the bakery's letterbox. Kitty picked it up and read it aloud. 'The London Spring Festival is this Saturday! Bring your finest bake to share with the whole neighbourhood.' Kitty's eyes went wide and bright. 'Mimmy,' she said, 'we should bake the biggest, most wonderful apple pie London has ever seen!' Mimmy clapped her hands. 'Oh yes! And we'll share every last slice!'
3They opened their biggest recipe book and found a recipe called 'The Grand Apple Pie.' The ingredients list was very, very long. 'We'll need twelve baskets of apples,' said Kitty. 'And sugar, butter, cinnamon, and the flakiest pastry in all of England,' added Mimmy. They wrote a shopping list together, sharing the pencil back and forth, and set off into the bright London morning.
4At the market they met their dear friend My Melody, who was choosing strawberries in a red-striped stall. 'Apple pie for the festival?' My Melody said, bouncing on her toes. 'May I help? I'm very good at peeling!' Kitty beamed. 'We'd love that!' So My Melody tucked her basket under her arm and followed them back to the bakery, humming a little tune all the way.
5Back at 'Kitty & Mimmy's Bakes,' the friends pulled on aprons and got to work. My Melody peeled apples in long, curling ribbons while Kitty and Mimmy measured flour into a big ceramic bowl. 'One cup, two cups, three,' Kitty counted carefully. The kitchen smelled of warm wood and fresh air, and the afternoon sun turned everything golden.
6Then the bakery bell jingled again. In stepped Pompompurin, wearing his favourite beret and carrying a jar of golden honey. 'I heard you were baking something grand,' he said with a smile. 'Honey makes apple pie extra special.'
7'What a lovely idea!' said Mimmy. 'Thank you, Pompompurin!' He set the honey on the counter with a proud little nod, then rolled up his sleeves to help mix the pastry dough.
8The dough needed kneading — pushing and folding and pushing again. Pompompurin pushed. Kitty folded. Mimmy pressed with both paws. The dough grew smooth and silky, and everyone laughed when a little puff of flour landed on Mimmy's bow and turned it white. 'Now we match!' said Kitty, and they giggled until their tummies hurt.
9Next came the apples. My Melody had peeled a whole mountain of them, rosy and bright. Kitty sliced while Mimmy tossed the slices with cinnamon, sugar, a squeeze of lemon, and Pompompurin's golden honey. The smell was so gorgeous that the little robin sitting on the windowsill tilted his head and stayed to listen.
10Just then there was a knock at the door. It was Cinnamoroll, the small white puppy with the big blue eyes, carrying a bunch of fresh thyme from his garden. 'For the top of the pie,' he said softly. 'My grandmother always said herbs make a pie feel like home.' Everyone agreed this was perfectly true. Cinnamoroll placed the tiny sprigs in a row, gentle as could be, and the kitchen felt even cosier than before.
11Kitty carefully lined the great pie dish with pastry, pressing it into every corner. Mimmy spooned in all the apple filling — layer upon golden layer — until the dish was piled high like a little hill. Cinnamoroll laid the pastry lid on top. Together, the five friends crimped the edges, pressing their fingers in one at a time all the way around. It took quite a while, and everyone concentrated very hard.
12Kitty cut five little hearts into the pastry lid so the steam could escape, one heart for each friend.
