Mom and I looked at each other.
“Sky searched the dumpster in hopes of finding the cape—proof that someone was impersonating his friend. What he didn’t realize is that he crossed paths with a killer. Dean was at Scoops that night. Our footage from Addie’s front cameras show him sneaking in the side entrance. We believe that he intended to set the fire that night but Sky and then you scared him away. Sky camped out in your kitchen to try and catch the killer.”
I pressed my hand to my heart. “Poor Sky. He really cared about Jim. What’s going to happen to him?”
“We’ve connected him with social services, so my hope is that he’ll find a new path forward.” The Professor finished his tart. “This is a treat for the tongue. I should move along as there is a hefty pile of paperwork awaiting me, but I hear that a Sunday Supper is in order tonight. I’ll see you beauties later this evening.” He gave us a bow and took his leave.
Making a romantic dinner had new meaning for me. I threw myself into chopping onions and mincing garlic, leaving the decorating to Bethany and Steph.
When I came upstairs with an armful of wine, before we were due to open the doors to our guests, the dining room brought more happy tears to my eyes. Steph and Bethany had strung twinkle lights in a crisscross pattern across the entire ceiling. There were garlands of spring flowers dangling from above and lining the center of the long table. Each place setting had a votive candle and single pink rose. If Thomas and Kerry wanted to, they could tie the knot at Torte tonight. It looked like a scene from Romeo and Juliet.
“You’ve outdone yourselves,” I said to the team.
“Thanks.” Bethany blushed. “We went super girly, didn’t we Steph?”
Steph nodded. “I guess.”
“Did you hear her news?” Bethany interjected.
“No, what?” I played along while I set the bottles of wine on the table.
“Should I tell her, or do you want to?” Bethany asked Steph.
“Go ahead.” Steph pretended like she didn’t care, but I saw a spark of excitement in her purple-lined eyes.
“She and Sterling are moving in together. He asked her in the most romantic way. He gave her a custom cake and a key to their new apartment. Isn’t that the cutest?”
“It is,” I agreed, catching Steph’s eyes. “Congratulations.”
She shrugged.
A knock sounded on the door. I looked up to see Lance standing outside, holding a bouquet of pink lilies.
“You’re early,” I noted as I let him in.
“I know. It’s quite embarrassing, actually. You know I like to be fashionably late, but I made an exception for you, darling.”
“Me?”
He handed me the flowers. “You. Don’t give me that look. I know that you and that dashing Spaniard have had a tête-à-tête by now and I must hear details.”
I sniffed the fragrant lilies. “There aren’t many details. Carlos didn’t tell me much, but obviously I’m thrilled.”
“Me too, darling. Me too.” He kissed each cheek. “So what did he tell you about Uva?”
“Not much. How did you guys convince Richard?”
Lance shook his finger at me. “Not so fast. That secret will stay with me for a while. I’ll give you all the gory details once you’ve had some time to settle in. It’s a good story, and one you’ll enjoy. You’ve seen that hideous yellow Hummer he’s been tooling around town in?”
“Yeah.” Richard’s choice of vehicle, like his personality, stood out like a sore thumb.
“Here’s one juicy tidbit I’ll give you to tide you over. Let’s just say the Hummer didn’t actually belong to Richard and now it does. Thanks to a stroke of genius on Carlos’s part. Clever, clever, man.”
“Huh? I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to right now. I’m personally enjoying that look of utter bewilderment.”
The thought of Carlos secretly working with Lance to make sure Uva would stay in our hands stirred my emotions.
“Don’t wrinkle that brow. We have to keep that radiant skin youthful. And angles, darling. Never forget your angles.” He tapped two fingers under my chin. “I know you have a party to host, but you have to promise me one thing before everyone arrives.”
“What’s that?” I shifted the bouquet of flowers in my arms.
“Don’t forget yours truly now that your devilishly handsome husband has decided to stay. We make a fierce team, Juliet Montague Capshaw. Pinkie-swear that nothing is going to change between us.” He held out his pinkie.
“Lance, never. I would be lost without you.”
“Banish the thought.” He pointed to my hands. “Go put those flowers in water, and let’s celebrate with a little vino.”
Love was definitely in the air as the rest of our guests arrived. I circled the dining table with bottles of our Uva rosé and merlot. Kerry and Thomas were huddled at one end of the table, chatting with their seatmates about wedding ideas. I overheard Kerry mention Lithia Park as a potential site. Steph and Sterling looked young and in love, as they served platters of Proposal Chicken, herbed flatbread, and chopped spring salads. Lance and Arlo were cozy on the opposite end of the table. I wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me in the flickering candlelight, but I thought I spotted their hands intertwined.
Mom and the Professor offered a toast.
“If music be the food of love, play on.” The Professor held out his wineglass, quoting Shakespeare.
“In other words,” Mom added, raising her glass, “let’s eat.”
Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses together.
After dinner, Bethany and Steph brought up a birthday cake for Andy. It was a two-layer coffee cake with mocha buttercream and twenty-one candles.
“To the birthday boy.” Bethany planted a kiss on Andy’s cheek.
Even in the candlelight I could tell Andy was blushing. He blew out the candles. Carlos, who had arrived late, popped open a bottle of champagne and offered another toast.
“Arriba!” He motioned for us to lift our glasses up.
“Abajo!” He motioned for us to touch our glasses down on the table.
“Al centro!” He motioned for us to clink our glasses in the center of the table.
“And now, this is the best.” His eyes danced with delight. “Al dentro!” He took a drink of the champagne. “That means ‘to the inside’—or ‘drink down.’”
Everyone laughed and took a sip of the champagne.
The evening went late. We stayed until the last of the candles had melted and the wine ran empty. I wanted to pinch myself as I nestled into Carlos’s arms, taking in the love that surrounded me. I had found myself in Ashland. I had created and expanded my family and my understanding of who I was meant to be. For so long I had thought that Carlos and I were destined to be star-crossed lovers. But I was wrong. The gift of my time without him had taught me innumerable things about myself. Most importantly, that love is everywhere if we let it in.
Recipes
French Toast Bake with Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients:
For the French toast:
1 cup heavy cream
6 eggs
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 loaf of brioche, sliced
½ tsp salt
For the topping:
1 container mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsps fresh orange and lemon juice plus zest of each
Fresh berries—whatever is in season
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream, eggs, honey, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slice the bread into cubes and arrange them in an 8 × 8 baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and bake for thirty minutes. Meanwhile, add the mascarpone cheese, honey, vanilla, and o
range and lemon juice and zest to an electric mixer and whip on medium high for 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the French toast from oven. Top with the mascarpone cream and fresh berries.
Spring Meltaway Cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon extract such as: fresh orange or lemon juice, almond extract, or vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ cups flour
For the buttercream:
½ cup butter
1 tsp of the same extract you added to the cookies: orange or lemon juice, almond extract, or vanilla extract
2 ½ to 3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp heavy cream
Food coloring, if desired
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the cookies, cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer on medium in a medium bowl. Add the peppermint extract, salt, and heavy cream. Slowly incorporate the cornstarch and flour with the mixer. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until centers are cooked. Allow to cool completely.
To make the buttercream, whip the butter and extract together in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium high. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Whip for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. If desired, add a couple of drops of food coloring and whip for another minute. Spread the buttercream onto the cooled cookies.
Donut Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 ½ cups butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
For the glaze:
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
4 tbsps heavy cream
1 tsp cherry syrup
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and generously coat a bundt pan with baking spray. To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Use mixer on medium until well combined. If using an electric mixer, alternate adding the flour with milk and sour cream. Spread the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Test to see if cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
Remove the bundt pan from oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the bundt pan onto a cake plate and continue to cool. The bundt should be dense, like a cake donut. While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, almond extract, cream, and cherry syrup. Drizzle over the cooled cake and serve immediately.
Curry pasties
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 cup butter (plus 2 tbsps melted)
1 cup hot water
1 ½ tsps salt
4 cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
For the filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 large bunch cilantro
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 jar Korma
1 can light coconut milk
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the dough, add the butter, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Off the heat, stir in the flour until a dough begins to form. Cover and chill while you make the filling. For the filling, dice the onions, cilantro (stalks and leaves), and peppers. Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven and sauté the onions, peppers, and cilantro on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the ginger, coriander, cumin, Korma, coconut milk, and shredded chicken. After bringing to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes.
Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Cut out 10 to 12 5-inch circles. Add two heaping tbsps of filling to one half of the circle, then fold the other half over the top. Pinch the sides. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake on the prepared baking sheet for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Proposal Chicken
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar of sun-dried tomato pesto
5-6 sprigs fresh basil, chopped
½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the olive oil to a cast-iron skillet and warm on medium-low heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken. Brown both sides—approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped basil, and heavy cream. Sprinkle each breast with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbling.
Brain Freeze
Andy’s latest coffee craze involves a refreshing shake sure to please your taste buds. Fair warning, sip slowly to avoid a brain freeze.
Ingredients:
2 shots of espresso
1 generous scoop of coffee ice cream
Whipped cream, for garnish
A drizzle of dark chocolate sauce and espresso bean shavings as garnish
Directions:
Add the shots of espresso and coffee ice cream to a blender and blend until thick and creamy. Pour into a glass and top with the drizzle of dark chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and espresso bean shavings.
Read on for a look ahead to
MOCHA, SHE WROTE
—the next engaging Bakeshop Mystery installment, coming soon from Ellie Alexander and St. Martin’s Paperbacks!
Chapter One
They say that love is the answer. After years of searching for answers about my future and where I was meant to be, I was inclined to believe that statement. My world had expanded dramatically since my husband Carlos had arrived in Ashland. Following a two-year separation, we had finally reconciled, and there wasn’t a day that I woke up without a giddy feeling in my stomach. It was almost too good to be true. The pessimist in me worried that something was going to go terribly wrong. All of my dreams had come to fruition. Carlos was in Ashland and managing our growing boutique winery, Uva. Things at our family bakeshop, Torte, were running seamlessly and we had recently opened a seasonal walk-up ice cream shop, Scoops, where we served luscious hand-churned concretes made with fresh local berries and drizzled with dark chocolate and dulce de leche. As if that wasn’t enough to keep me occupied, Carlos and I were settling into my childhood home, making it our own by installing an outdoor oven and hummingbird feeders in the backyard and hanging collections of photos from our travels together.
What more could I want? I asked myself as I turned onto the plaza. A lazy spring had given way to a busy summer. It was nearing the end of June, which meant that Ashland’s idyllic downtown was bursting with activity. Tourists had arrived to take in shows at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and kids lounged in Lithia Park, soaking up the warm sun and a well-deserved break from their studies. Adventure lovers waited in line at the outdoor store to take advantage of the region’s abundant outdoor opportunities from rafting on the Rogue River to hiking Grizzly Peak. The eager buzz of activity brought
a smile to my face as I walked into Torte.
The bakeshop sat at the corner of the plaza across from the Lithia bubblers, offering my team and our loyal customers a perfect view of all the action. Our bright red-and-teal awning, outdoor tables, and window display complete with strings of rainbow bunting, paper-mache popsicles, and colorful beach balls gave the space a welcoming vibe. A symphony of delectable flavors greeted me as I stepped inside. Andy and Sequoia, our two top-notch baristas, slung shots of espresso behind the coffee counter. We had positioned our state-of-the-art shiny fire-engine red La Pavoni Italian espresso machine next to the exposed brick wall so that our baristas could chat with customers while grinding beans or frothing milk.
The long wooden bar transitioned into the pastry case where a line of people waited for one of our summer berry tarts, mango cream buns, or roasted red pepper and turkey sausage breakfast sandwiches oozing with melted manchego cheese. Rosa, who had taken on the role of a woman of many trades, punched orders into our point-of-sale system and doled out chocolate croissants and slices of cinnamon coffee cake. She floated between the pastry counter and kitchen most days and was willing to lend a hand wherever needed.
As was typical, the booths by the front windows were occupied. The same was true for our patio seating—picnic tables with matching bright red-and-teal sun umbrellas. Finding a spot to linger during the busy season required having an eagle eye. Fortunately we had expanded our seating options with comfy couches and chairs downstairs and additional bistro tables along Ashland Creek on the backside of the building.
I paused to hold the front door open for a woman balancing a plate of pastries and a steaming mug of coffee. She scanned the busy dining room. I recognized the familiar look.
“I believe that table outside is just leaving.” I pointed behind us. “If you want to grab it, I’ll have someone come out and wipe it down for you.”
“Thank you.” She shot me a relieved smile before hurrying outside to snag the table.
I adjusted the stack of mail beneath my arm and continued inside.
“Hey boss,” Andy said with a wave as he deftly poured two shots of espresso over a scoop of ice cream. “Is that the mail?”
Chilled to the Cone Page 23
