The Christmas Cookie Killer (34 page)

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly, breaking off and discarding the stems. Break the mushroom tops into pieces (slicing will change the RECIPES
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texture). Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook another minute. Add the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Add the half-and-half, and simmer until sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in cooked beans.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Transfer bean mixture to a greased baking dish.

In a food processor, process the bread, butter, and seasonings in about 10 quick pulses. Sprinkle mixture over casserole. Sprinkle on the onions last.

Note:
You can put the onions over only half the casserole if you have family members that really don’t like onions. This casserole is good even without the french fried onions.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Serves 8.

288 •
RECIPES

Phyllis’s Favorite Hot Cocoa

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup granulated sugar

¹/³ cup hot water

4 cups milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix cocoa, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture boils. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute after mixture starts boiling.

Stir in the milk. Heat, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla; blend well. Serve at once.

Serves 4.

About the Author

Photo by James Reasoner

Livia J. Washburn
has been a professional writer for more than twenty years. She received the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award and the American Mystery Award for

her first mystery,
Wild Night
, written under her maiden name, L. J. Washburn, and was nominated for a Spur Award by the Western Writers of America for a novel written with her husband, James Reasoner. She lives in a small town in Texas with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. Her Web site is at www.liviawashburn.com, and you can e-mail her [email protected].

• Cover Page
  
• Praise
  
• Other Fresh-Baked Mysteries by Livia J. Washburn
  
• Title Page
  
• Copyright Page
  
• Dedication Page
  
• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Chapter Sixteen
  
• Chapter Seventeen
  
• Chapter Eighteen
  
• Chapter Nineteen
  
• Chapter Twenty
  
• Chapter Twenty-One
  
• Chapter Twenty-Two
  
• Recipes
  
• About the Author