Sweet Suspects (The Donut Mysteries) (23 page)

“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” she said.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“I’m donating five thousand dollars to the April Springs High School scholarship fund in the name of the Dunbars,” she said.

“But what you stole wasn’t nearly that valuable,” I said.
 
I knew that kind of money would be a real stretch for her to give up, despite her nice annual salary.

“It’s what it’s going to take to make me feel better,” Grace said.
 
“Do you think the Dunbars would have approved?”

“I think it’s a smashing idea,” I said.
 
“I’d match it if I could, but unfortunately, that would wipe out my entire nest egg.”

“That’s okay.
 
It’s the thought that counts,” Grace said with tears in her eyes.

“I might not be able to manage as much as you can, but I can at least add fifty bucks to the pot,” I said, though even that would be a stretch at the moment.

“You don’t have to do that,” Grace said.
 
“After all, it was
my
crime.”

“I understand that, but it’s my way to show my support.
 
What do you say?”

“Thank you, Suzanne.
 
I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Let’s hope that you never have to find out,” I said as I hugged her before we got into my Jeep.
 

As we drove to the chief’s office, I thought about what secrets could do, and how they could fester over the years until they took hold of us.
 
No good had come from Zane Dunbar’s attempts to cash in on people’s past mistakes, and he’d even died for trying.

In the end, Candy had lost her spa and her financial backer, Tom and Billy were both going to jail, and Zane was dead.

It made me happy that I was a simple donutmaker, and that all of my past sins were known to the world.
 
I hadn’t been an angel, but at least I’d managed to put my past behind me and move forward.

And the life I had now was better than any I ever could have imagined in high school.

I wouldn’t have gone back and lived it all over again for all of the money in the world.

RECIPES

The Best Chocolate Cake Donut Recipe I’ve Ever Made!

I’ve been making donuts for many years, but I can say without a doubt that for me, this is the best chocolate cake donut recipe I’ve ever come up with.
 
These donuts are dense, rich, and downright decadent!
 
They are as tasty as they are pretty, and that’s saying something.
 
An added bonus is the way your kitchen smells as these are baking, almost enough to satisfy your sweet tooth by itself!
 
We’ve topped these donuts with chocolate glazes and icings in the past, but our favorite way to eat them now is to dust powdered confectioners’ sugar on top of them.
 
Like snowy peaks on dark mountains, they are quite lovely to look at all on their own.
 
Add the richness of the donut itself and they are ambrosia.
 
We’ve added semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter on occasion in the past as well, and you can’t go wrong trying it yourself, but in the end, this simple yet elegant recipe needs no other additions or improvements.

INGREDIENTS

Dry

1 cup flour, unbleached all purpose

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet

3/4 cup half and half (whole milk, 2 percent, or even 1 percent can be substituted)

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup brown sugar (dark for more flavor, light for less)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean seeds, scraped

Topping

powdered confectioners’ sugar, as needed for dusting the finished donuts

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until blended.
 
In another bowl, mix the half and half, egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and vanilla beans together.
 
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until they are incorporated together.
 

Bake in a 375 degree F oven or in your donut maker for 5-8 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and dust immediately with powdered confectioners’ sugar.

Yields 10–12 donuts.

Baked Lemon Magic Donuts

Sometimes nothing will satisfy my sweet tooth like lemon flavoring, and when I’m in one of those moods, I turn to these donuts to feed my craving.
 
These donuts look lovely when they are finished, and they present a delicately light touch when a heavier donut just won’t do.
 
They are particularly good with the lemon glaze recipe added on the next page.
 
Don’t be afraid to try these, but make sure you’re a fan of lemon flavor first.
 
They aren’t for the unsure or the undecided.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup readymade pancake mix (we use Bisquick, but any mix will do)

1/2 cup half and half (whole milk, 2 percent, or even 1 percent can be substituted)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (lemon extract could be substituted)

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients together, reserving the pancake mix for last.
 
Once the wet ingredients are incorporated, add the mix and blend until combined, being careful not to over-mix, as this could cause denser donuts.
 

Bake in a 375 degree F oven or in your donut maker for 5-8 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and dust immediately with powdered confectioners’ sugar or the glaze from the next page.

Yields 10-12 donuts.

Lemon Glaze For Any Donut

(but particularly good for the Baked Lemon Magic Donut recipe above)

As promised, here’s the super simple lemon glaze for donuts.
 
It couldn’t be easier.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup powdered confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon milk (2 % or 1 %)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
 
Drizzle this mixture on top of any donut and enjoy!

Vanilla Goodness Donuts

I have a confession to make.
 
Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors in the world, especially when real vanilla beans are added into the mix.
 
There’s something about the richness of the tang of vanilla that makes my taste buds zing.
 
Now don’t get me wrong; I’m a huge fan of chocolate as well.
 
There are just times when vanilla is what I’m looking for, a lighter taste to complement the heavier flavors I encounter most days in my baking.
 
I should admit from the start that these donuts aren’t the prettiest ones you’ll ever make.
 
They are dense, thick-bodied, and have a homemade look to them, but the vanilla flavoring is worth forgiving them their rather dowdy appearances, at least in my opinion.

INGREDIENTS

Dry

1 cup flour, unbleached all purpose

1 teaspoon, baking powder

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh is best, but store-bought is good, too)

1 dash salt

Wet

1/2 cup half and half (whole milk, 2 percent, or even 1 percent can be substituted)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt until incorporated.
 
In another bowl, mix the half and half, sugar, butter, honey, egg, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds together.
 
Mix and blend the dry ingredients into the wet until they are combined, being careful not to over-mix, as this could cause denser donuts.
 

Bake in a 375 degree F oven or in your donut maker for 6-8 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and dust immediately with powdered confectioners’ sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder.

Yields 10-12 donuts.

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