[sansa laughs a little, incredulously. she absolutely thinks he grew up in a castle. many people did, in the seven kingdoms, especially those with the time and resources to become maesters or scholars.]

Your cooks never made dessert?

[any of it?? how sad. she knows sugar was largely imported and expensive, but there was always honey. perhaps he didn't grow up near bees or beets.]

Lemoncakes are my favorite, but we couldn't always get lemons all the way up the mountains at home. That was the first thing I learned to make here, besides mushrooms with noodles and things. But cake is very easy, you only have to stir all the ingredients together and put it in the oven. Bread is much harder; I don't know how you're supposed to get it to rise.

[more vigorous kneading than she's attempted would probably help.]

Chocolate and vanilla cakes are easiest, I think. You only have to add cocoa powder to make it a chocolate cake, and many of the recipes already have vanilla in them anyway. We didn't have either, in the Seven Kingdoms, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some other place in my world where they grew the beans, and its people were keeping them all to themselves, because they're so delicious.