Sugar Cookie Murder (21 page)

“Is that her?”

There was something close to reverence in Mike’s tone and Hannah smiled. “That’s Bethany. Andrea just named her.”

“I like it. It was one of the names on our list when . . . “

Mike stopped in mid-sentence and Hannah reached out to squeeze his arm. She knew his wife had been killed by a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting when she was pregnant with their first baby. “So, do you think she’s pretty?”

“She’s the most beautiful baby in the nursery,” Mike said with a smile. “Of course she’s also the only baby in the nursery, but that doesn’t count.”

Mike’s arm tightened around her, and Hannah did her best to switch gears. They had unfinished business. Since Shawna Lee had already landed in Georgia, they were no longer engaged in the brownie wars. She needed Mike to return the pan of Hot Brownies before he tasted them.

“You know those brownies I brought out to the sheriff’s station this morning?” Hannah dived right in. “I hope you haven’t tasted them yet, because I think I might have made a mistake and left out an ingredient. If you’ll give them back, I’ll dump them and bake you another batch.”

“No way!” Mike said, staring at her with a frown.

“Why not?”

“Because I tasted them, and they’re terrific. They’ve got jalapeños, right?”

“Uh . . . right,” Hannah said, and she swallowed hard. Mike didn’t look all that angry, but you could never tell about a guy who was used to hiding his emotions in an interrogation room.

“That was a stroke of genius. You’re the only one I know who’d think to put diced jalapeños in brownies. Sure, they’ve got a little burn, but if you eat them with milk on the side, they’re great. I’m going to get some vanilla ice cream tomorrow and try them à la mode.”

Hannah stood there with a gaping mouth, not even noticing that little Bethany Todd wore the same puzzled expression as her aunt. “You . . . uh . . . you liked them?”

“The chiles really bring out the taste of the chocolate. You don’t have to take out an ad or anything, but Shawna Lee’s brownies can’t hold a candle to yours!”

Hannah stared up into Mike’s face. He was serious. He liked her jalapeño brownies. Should she confess that she’d baked them out of meanness, and spite, and jealousy?

Oh, sure. When pigs fly. Hannah smiled demurely, no easy task for her, and gave Mike a little hug.

“Thank you for the compliment,” she said, following her mother’s golden rule. “I’m so glad you liked them.”

BAKED BRIE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

This is Lisa Herman’s recipe, and she says to tell you that it’s the easiest appetizer she ever made in her life.

6-inch round, just ripened baby Brie (5-inch will also work)

one round, unsliced loaf of bread, 10 to 12 inches in diameter

¼ cup green onion, chopped (clean and peel them first — then you can use up to two inches of the stem)

¼ cup shallots, chopped

¼ teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons white wine (or 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon vinegar)

½ teaspoon Mrs. Knudson’s Season Salt

Slice the top from the bread. Keep the top — you’ll need it later. Hollow out the inside of the bread, leaving at least ¾ inch of bread in place on the sides and 1 inch on the bottom.

Slice off the top rind of the baby Brie. (If you dip your knife in water frequently, it won’t stick as much.) Leave the rest of the rind in place.

In a small bowl, mix together the green onion, shallots, white pepper, white wine, and Season Salt.

Spread this mixture on top of the Brie, replace the top slice of bread, and wrap the entire loaf in aluminum foil.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Serve with cubed bread or crackers.

BUSY DATE PÂTÉ

This recipe is from Mike Kingston (actually, it’s from his sister, but she said Mike could use it).

8-ounce package of braunschweiger (liver sausage — I used Farmer John’s)

¼ cup horseradish sauce (4 tablespoon — I used Heinz)*

• If you can’t find horseradish sauce where you live, mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish with 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, and it should work just fine.
  

Cut the braunschweiger into chucks and place it in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it on HIGH for 45 seconds. Stir it around a bit, and if it’s still cold, heat it on HIGH for another 10 to 15 seconds, or until it’s soft enough to be mashed with a fork.

Mash up the braunschweiger and add the horseradish sauce. Mix until it’s blended.

Transfer the warm pâté to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours before serving.

A half-hour before you’re ready to serve, take the pâté out of the refrigerator and let it warm to spreading consistency.

Serve with a basket of assorted fancy crackers.

CAVIAR PIE

Carrie Rhodes got this recipe when she went to Los Angeles on vacation and stopped off at an estate sale. A lady named June Pierce kept her from spending too much money on a silver vase that wasn’t really silver and gave her this recipe to boot.

8-ounce or larger jar lumpfish caviar (you can also use red caviar)

1 ½ teaspoons good olive oil

4 hardboiled eggs, finely diced

1/3 cup sweet onion, finely diced (or green onion)

½ to one cup sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon salt

Put caviar in a small bowl. Pour in olive oil, stir, and refrigerate while you make the rest of the recipe.

Boil the eggs. Cool them, peel them, and dice them. (If you have a food processor, use the steel blade — if you don’t have one, use a sharp knife to chop them finely.)

Put the diced eggs in the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate or shallow glass dish. Press them down with a metal spatula.

Dice the onions and sprinkle them over the diced eggs. Press them down.

Mix the sour cream with the mayonnaise and the salt. Put dollops of the mixture on top and carefully spread them together. Use as much as it takes to make a nice layer.

Drop the caviar on top of the sour cream by spoonfuls, spreading it out carefully. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 4-6 hours.

Serve with toast points or crackers for an elegant appetizer.

DEVILED EGGS

Claire Rogers got this recipe from her best friend Jayni Bailey who used to teach second grade in Lake Eden before she moved away to California. When Claire started dating Reverend Knudson, she felt uncomfortable bringing “deviled” anything to the parsonage, but Reverend Knudson said it didn’t matter what she called anything that tasted so heavenly.

When Claire asked for tips on boiling perfect eggs, Jayni said she put rubber bands around the egg cartons and tipped them on their sides in the refrigerator the night before she planned to boil them because that kept the yolks in the center of the eggs. After they were boiled, Jayni cooled them, put them in a covered bowl and refrigerated them for 24 hours before she peeled them.

To make six eggs:

Hard boil the eggs, using your favorite method. Peel the eggs. Cut the eggs in half from top to bottom. Remove the yolks and put them in a small bowl.

Mash the yolks with a fork until they’re crumbled. Then add:

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ teaspoon minced onion

½ teaspoon parsley flakes

¼ teaspoon celery salt

¼ teaspoon dry mustard (MUST be the dry kind)

Mix thoroughly and then fill the yolk cavity, mounding the mixture a bit in the center. Place on a small platter. If you want to garnish the eggs, sprinkle them with a bit of paprika or parsley. You can also garnish them with a slice of ripe or stuffed olive.

FIESTA DIP PLATTER

Sally Laughlin serves this out at the Lake Eden Inn when her customers watch football games in the bar.

16-ounce can spicy refried beans (I used Rosarita Spicy)

3 large ripe mashed avocados

1/3 cup salsa ranchero (I used La Victoria Salsa Ranchero labeled “hot”)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup sour cream

1 can (4 ¼ ounces) chopped black olives, drained

1 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated

1 cup lettuce, finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped

You can layer this in a 9 x 13 inch glass cake pan, or on a round platter.

Spread the beans on the bottom of the dish you’ve chosen.

Peel and mash the avocados. Blend in the hot salsa ranchero and layer it over the beans.

Sprinkle the chopped onion over the avocado mixture.

Mix the black olives with the sour cream and spread it over the chopped onions.

Sprinkle on the grated cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle the chopped lettuce on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle the tomatoes on the very top.

Press everything down with a metal spatula, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours so the flavors will marry.

Serve with a basket of tortilla chips and let everyone scoop up the dip.

HERRING APPETIZER

THIS DISH MUST BE MADE 3 DAYS IN ADAVANCE

Priscilla Knudson, Reverend Knudson’s grandmother, brings this herring appetizer to every potluck dinner. The one time she decided to bring something else, twenty-six people, including her grandson, made her promise never to do it again.

2 (12 ounces each) jars marinated herring fillets

¾ cup crinkle-cut frozen carrots

2 small red onions

2 teaspoons whole allspice

2 teaspoons whole yellow mustard seeds

6-9 small sprigs of fresh dill

Pickling Liquid:

¾ cup white vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup white (granulated) sugar

Bring the vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Take the saucepan off the heat and set the liquid aside to cool to room temperature.

Open the jars of herring and drain them in a strainer. Pick out the herring fillets, rinse them in cold water, and throw everything else away.

Cook the carrots according to the package instruction, but make sure they’re still firm and not soft.

Peel the red onions and cut them into thin slices.

Arrange a quarter of the onions in a thin layer in the bottom of a one-quart glass jar. Top them with a third of the herring. Top the herring with a third of the carrots. Place 2 or 3 dill sprigs on the top and scatter on a third of the allspice and a third of the mustard seeds. Repeat this sequence until all the ingredients have been used, ending with a top layer of onions.

Pour the cooled pickling liquid into the jar. It should just cover the contents. If there’s not enough pickling liquid, top off the jar with a little more white vinegar right out of the bottle.

If the jar has a cover, put it on. If it doesn’t, put a double layer of plastic wrap on the top and secure it with a sturdy rubber band.

Refrigerate the herring for 3 days before serving.

Yield: Makes about 4 cups and is perfect to take to a potluck dinner. An average serving is 1/3 cup, so it will serve at least 12 people (maybe half that if they’re Scandinavian.)

Mrs. Knudson says to tell you that she found a pretty straight-sided glass jar at a yard sale for a dime, and it’s perfect for her herring. She also says to tell you that when she brings herring to a potluck, she makes a triple batch.

MISDEMEANOR MUSHROOMS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

This recipe is from Bill Jessup, Charlie Jessup’s cousin, who’s a detective in L.A. Charlie says Bill calls these “Misdemeanor Mushroom,” because they’re so good they ought to be illegal.

2 pounds pork sausage

2 tablespoons ground sage

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

8-ounce package cream cheese

1 tablespoon parsley

1 ounce Marsala wine (optional_

1 pound medium to large mushrooms

Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle)

In a large, nonstick skillet, combine sausage, sage, and garlic. Sauté until sausage is browned and garlic is translucent. Drain fat from skillet and add softened, cubed cream cheese, and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes, stir in the wine (if you want to use it), remove from heat, and cover.

Wash mushrooms. Remove stems and set caps aside. Chop the stems very fine and stir into the sausage/cheese mixture. Brush caps with melted butter and arrange cap-down on a nonstick baking sheet. (Bill says if you shave just a bit from the bottom of the caps to make them flat, they’ll sit on the pan a lot better.) Fill each cap with a heaping mound of warm sausage mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 325 degree F. oven for 15 minutes.

Yield: Serves 15 to 20 people as an appetizer (unless Charlie is there and makes a whole meal out of them.)

SEAFOOD BREAD DIP

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

This is a recipe from Carrie Rhodes. She loves to amen appetizers.

32 ounces cream cheese

½ pound chopped crab meat and/or chopped shrimp

4 green onions (with stems), cleaned, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup dried chopped onions

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Round load of bread, unsliced, 10 to 12 inches in diameter (I used squaw bread)

1 egg, beaten

Unwrap cream cheese, put it in a large microwave-safe bowl, and heat it for 40 seconds on HIGH in the microwave. Turn the bowl and keep heating it in 20-second increments until it’s soft and you can stir it.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir it all up.

Cut the top off the loaf of bread and set it aside to use later. Hollow out the bread with a spoon, but be careful to leave at least ½ inch of bread on the bottom and the sides. Brush the inside of the loaf with the beaten egg and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the egg has dried. Then fill the loaf with the seafood mixture and put the top back on.

Wrap the loaf tightly in two layers of foil, keeping the top up. Set the loaf on a cookie sheet and bake for 2 hours at 300 degrees F. (This can hold in the oven for an hour if your guests are late.)