Lin Lan went to the storeroom and scooped out a basin of red-skinned peanuts. She poured them onto a baking sheet, baked them in the oven until they were cooked, then took them out to cool. Afterward, she and Qiaohui used a rolling pin to crush them, then poured the pieces into a rice sieve to remove the skins.
She placed a porcelain basin of marshmallows into the oven, using its residual heat to melt them completely.
Lin Lan took the basin of marshmallows out and set it on the cutting board. Qiaohui quickly added the pre-portioned milk powder and crushed peanuts into the melted marshmallows and stirred rapidly. A milky fragrance filled the air.
Qiaohui laughed. "Lin Lan, I still remember how my mouth would water at this sweet, milky smell when we first started making nougat. Not anymore."
Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "You get used to it. You build up an immunity."
"Mhm!"
