Peach Cobbler Murder (11 page)

“Perhaps he’s involved in urgent police business and he hasn’t had a moment to call you,” Winthrop suggested, making an attempt to defend his sex. And then, when both Hannah and Delores turned to him with incredulous looks, he shrugged. “Then again, perhaps not.”

“Are you going to let him off the hook if he shows up before the reception’s over?” Delores wanted to know.

“Not if he’s ambulatory, and he won’t show up if he’s not. I’ll tell him that since he didn’t bother to call to say he’d be late, I concluded that he wasn’t coming, and I accepted a date with someone else.”

Winthrop gave her an approving nod. “Excellent, my dear!” A gentleman should never take a woman for granted. It’s just not done. Detective Kingston owes you an apology and if I were you, I wouldn’t be too quick to accept it. Informing him that you arranged another date when he failed to appear is a marvelous tactic.”

“It’s not a tactic.”

“It’s not?” Winthrop looked surprised.

Hannah smiled and felt good for the first time that evening. “I do have a date after the reception. With Norman Rhodes.”

LISA’S WEDDING COOKIE CAKE

This cake must be refrigerated to set up — make it the night BEFORE you plan to serve it.

8 small package of chocolate pudding mix *
10 cups (2 ½ quarts) whole milk (or Half ‘n Half if you want to splurge) 2 one-pound packages of graham crackers 4-quart bowl

Sweetened whipped cream for frosting and topping.

*
Read the yield on the pudding package — it should be 2 cups her package if you make it according to the package direction. You can use sugar free instant, regular instant, or the kind you have to cook. All will work. (You can also use 5 larger packages of pudding, each package yielding 3 cups of pudding — if you do this, use 2 cups of milk or Half ‘n Half for each package — as you can see, this recipe is very flexible.)

Line the inside of your bowl with long strips of plastic wrap, leaving enough wrap to fold back over the top when your cake is finished.

Cover the bottom of the bowl with graham crackers, all the way out to the sides. You can break them in half or quarters if you want, but it’s also okay just to overlap them. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, it doesn’t matter if some pieces don’t fit together exactly.)

Make the first two packages of pudding using 2 ½ CUPS OF MILK, not the 4 cups called for in the direction on the box.

Pour approximately at third of the pudding over the layer of graham crackers in your bowl. Gently spread it out with a rubber spatula. (It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, just not wildly uneven, that’s all.)

Put another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding in the bowl. (Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect — the pudding will soak into the graham crackers and all will be forgiven.)

Put half of the remaining pudding on top of the second layer of graham crackers. Spread it out so it covers them.

Lay down another layer of graham crackers and top it with the remaining pudding. Spread out the pudding and lay down another layer of graham crackers. (Don’t bother to wash out the bowl or pan you used to make your pudding. You’re just going to make another batch.)

Using another 2 packages of pudding and another 2 ½ cups of milk, make your second batch of pudding.

There are more graham crackers to cover now, since the bowl is wider. Use half of the pudding to cover the graham crackers. Smooth the pudding with your rubber spatula, lay down another layer of graham crackers, cover it with the remaining pudding, and top it with another layer of graham crackers. (I’ll bet you’re already guessing what the rest of the cake will be like!)

Make the third batch of pudding using 2 packages of mix and 2 ½ cups of milk. Put half on top of the graham crackers in your bowl, spread it out, and top it with more graham crackers. Now use the rest of the pudding and top it again with graham crackers.

One more time! Make the final batch of pudding using 2 packages of pudding mix and 2 ½ cups of milk. Spread half the pudding over the graham crackers, smooth it, and cover it with more graham crackers. Put on the rest of the pudding, smooth it, and this time cover it with a DOUBLE LAYER OF GRAHAM CRACKERS.

(Wasn’t that easy? Even if you don’t bake, you can make this cake.)

Fold in the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the contents of your bowl. Find a plate that will fit inside the bowl on top of the cake. Put it in right side up so that it’ll push the cake down when it settles. Set a weight on top of the plate. I use a can of fruit.

Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.

When you’re ready to serve, remove the weight and the plate, peel back the plastic wrap, and center a serving platter, right side down, over the top of the bowl. Invert the bowl, lift it off, and peel off the plastic wrap.

Frost your cake with sweetened whipped cream. (Hannah whips her own cream, but you can use the kind in the can if it’s easier for you.)

Slice the cake as you would a pie, in wedge-shaped pieces. Everyone will ooh and ahh when you do. Pass a dish of sweetened whipped cream for those who want more, and enjoy!

HERB’S WEDDING COOKIE CAKE

This cake must be refrigerated to set up — make it the night BEFORE you plan to serve it.

8 small packages of vanilla pudding mix
10 cups (2 ½ quarts) whole milk (or Half ‘n Half if you want to splurge) 2 pounds of chocolate cookies wafers*
4-quart bowl

Sweetened whipped cream for frosting and topping.

*
The yield should be 2 cups per package if you make it according to the package directions. You can use sugar free instant, regular instant, or the kind you have to cook. All will work. (You can also use 5 larger packages of pudding, each package yielding 3 cups of pudding — if you do this, use 2 cups of milk or Half ‘n Half for each package — as you can see, this recipe is very flexible.)

(If you can’t find chocolate cookie wafers in the cookie aisle of your grocery store, try the section where they keep ice cream toppings and ice cream cookies — that’s where Florence Evans at the Red Owl in Lake Eden keeps them.)

Line the inside of your bowl with long strips of plastic wrap, leaving enough wrap to fold back over the top when your cake is finished.

Cover the bottom of the bowl with chocolate cookie wafers, all the way out to the sides. You can break them in half or quarters if you want, but it’s also okay just to overlap them. (Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, it doesn’t matter if some pieces don’t fit together exactly.)

Make the first two packages of pudding using 2 ½ CUPS OF MILK, not the 4 cups called for in the directions on the box.

Pour approximately a third of the pudding over the layer of chocolate cookies wafers in your bowl. Gently spread it out with a rubber spatula. (It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, just not wildly uneven, that’s all.)

Put another layer of chocolate cookie wafers on top of the pudding in the bowl. (Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect — the pudding will soak into the cookie wafers and all will be forgiven.)

Put half of the remaining pudding on top of the second layer of chocolate cookie wafers. Spread it out so it covers them.

Lay down another layer of chocolate cookies wafers and top it with the remaining pudding. Spread out the pudding and lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers. (Don’t bother to wash out the bowl or pan you used to make your pudding. You’re just going to make another batch.)

Using another 2 packages of pudding and another 2 ½ cups of milk, make your second batch of pudding.

There are more chocolate cookie wafers to cover now, since the bowl is wider. Use half of the pudding to cover the cookies. Smooth the pudding with your rubber spatula, lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers, cover it with the remaining pudding, and top it with another layer of cookies. (I’ll bet you’re already guessing what the rest of the cake will be like!)

Make the third batch of pudding using 2 packages of mix and 2 ½ cups of milk. Put half on top of the chocolate cookie wafers in your bowl, spread it out, and top it with more cookies. Now use the rest of the pudding and top it again with chocolate cookie wafers.

One more time! Make the final batch of pudding using 2 packages of pudding mix and 2 ½ cups of milk. Spread half the pudding over the chocolate cookie wafers, smooth it, and cover it with more cookies. Put on the rest of the pudding, smooth it, and this time cover it with a DOUBLE LAYER OF CHOCOLATE COOKIE WAFERS.

(Wasn’t that easy? Even if you don’t bake, you can make this cake.)

Fold in the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the contents of your bowl. Find a plate that will fit inside the bowl on top of the cake. Put it in right side up so that it’ll push the cake down slightly. Set a weight on top of the plate. I use a can of fruit.

Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.

When you’re ready to serve, remove the weight and the plate, peel back the plastic wrap, and center a serving platter, right side down, over the top of the bowl. Invert the bowl, lift it off, and peel off the plastic wrap.

Frost you cake with sweetened whipped cream. (Hannah whips her own cream, but you can use the kind in the can if it’s easier for you.)

Slice the cake as you would a pie, in wedge-shaped pieces. Everyone will ooh and ahh when you do. Pass a dish of sweetened whipped cream for those who want more, and enjoy!

Hannah’s teeth were chattering by the time she got to the end of the driveway. Dick had started her cookie truck to warm it up, but even though he’d turned her heater to the highest setting and put the fan on full power, the only thing that had accomplished was to make the buttons on the radio a little less icy.

The gravel road that led out to the highway was smoother than it had been when Hannah had driven in. The new layer of snow that had fallen during the reception had filled in the ruts. Hannah was still careful. She had precious cargo. Sally’s waitresses had filled the back of her truck with leftover pies, cakes, puddings, and pastry, and she was driving into town to The Cookie Jar to put them in the walk-in cooler. Lisa and Herb had given her a list and in the morning, Hannah would deliver them to Reverend Sandburg’s soup kitchen at the Bible Church, the Lake Eden Convalescent Home, the Lakeview Senior Apartments, and the new Meals on Wheels program Pam Baxter and her seniors at Jordan High were running out of her home economics classroom.

The narrow road Hannah traveled had been recently plowed and she felt as if she were driving through a tunnel. Banks of snow were piled high on either side of her, there was darkness above her with no moon in sight, and the night stretched out into infinity beyond the reach of her headlights. As she navigated the winding turns, Hannah kept a sharp eye out for stalled cars, or drivers who could have lost control and slipped off into the ditch. The road was isolated and there were no houses nearby. If she came across someone in trouble, she would offer to help in any way that she could. It was an unwritten law in the winter in Minnesota.

As Hannah reached the end of the winding gravel road and turned onto the wider paved road to town, she was grateful she hadn’t encountered Shawna Lee in the ditch. Of course she would have stopped. That was a given. But she wouldn’t have been happy about it. Thankfully, the problem hadn’t arisen and she appreciated the turn of fate that had spared her the necessity of playing Good Samaritan to her competitor.

By the time Hannah turned into the alley behind The Cookie Jar, the toes on her left foot felt frozen. She vowed to buy the auxiliary heater that Cyril Murphy promised would solve the problem, and have the whole front end of her truck reinsulated if that’s what it took to plug the leak and keep the temperature even.

Hannah pulled into her regular parking place and got out of her truck, stamping her left foot to drive feeling back into her five frozen metatarsals. She didn’t bother to plug in her truck since she’d be leaving before it had time to ice up, and she clumped her way to the back door, unlocked it, and stepped into the warmth inside.

As always, a delectable assortment of scents greeted her. Hannah identified vanilla, chocolate, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg. There was even a hint of strawberry and cherry from the Valentine cookies she’d baked with Lisa. Hannah breathed deeply and a smile spread over her face. It was a lovely gourmet bouquet. If she could ever figure out how to bottle it, she’d be an instant billionaire.

The first thing Hannah did, even before she hung up her coat, was to put on the coffee. Norman would be here soon and he’d promised to help her unload. While she was waiting for him to arrive, she took a mug of life-sustaining caffeine into the coffee shop, sat down at her favorite table in the back, and sipped the fragrant brew.

Nothing was moving outside the large plate-glass window and Main Street was deserted, just as she’d expected it to be. No businesses in town were open past nine at night. Even the Quick Stop, out on the highway, closed at midnight.

Hannah sat back and sighed with contentment, admiring the wet flakes of snow that fell softly to the pavement. Everything was frosted with white fluff, from the roofs on the neighboring buildings to the tall pine across the street that Hannah had always wanted to decorate for Christmas. The old-fashioned streetlight on the corner cast a yellow glow and the light made the snow glitter like flakes of gold as it fell. Hannah thought again of how picturesque a winter scene could be. Artists painted it and writer wrote about it, but they did it from the comfort of a heated room. Although it was pretty, winter could be deadly for those who weren’t prepared to weather it.

As Hannah’s gaze shifted to the other end of the street, she began to frown. The streetlight was out on that corner, but a bright splash of light was reflecting on the snow and it was coming from somewhere.

It was a puzzle and Hannah sat there for a moment, attempting to figure it out. The light looked slightly blue and that meant it was probably fluorescent. Although she used incandescent light in The Cookie Jar because she liked it better, most of the businesses in town had banks of fluorescent lights to better display their wares. Either some business was open on the far side of the street, or someone had left the bright shop lights on. The only two businesses she couldn’t see from her vantage point were Lake Eden Realty and the Magnolia Blossom Bakery.