Death Bakes a Pecan Pie

by Livia J. Washburn

  Eve smiled.

  “What is it now?” Carolyn asked suspiciously.

  “I’ve talked to Mr. Sammons, and you’re right, Phyllis, they do have enough non-Melissa footage in the can that it’s worth trying to salvage. He’s going to pitch the studio executives on the idea of turning the whole thing into a cable TV series instead of a movie. He really liked the suggestion I made about how to improve it, too.”

  “And what suggestion would that be?” Carolyn wanted to know.

  “I told him they should put some zombies in it!”

  Author’s Note

  Holland Lake Park in Weatherford actually exists, but as in the earlier novel The Pumpkin Muffin Murder, I’ve taken considerable liberties with its geography. This version of the park is more like it exists in my memories of the days my husband and I took our daughters there to play when they were little. The Harvest Festival is completely fictional, as are all the characters and events in this novel.

  Recipes

  Phyllis’s Old Fashion Pecan Pie

  INGREDIENTS

  3 tablespoons brown sugar

  1 cup granulated sugar

  1⁄2 cup dark corn syrup

  1⁄2 cup light corn syrup

  1⁄4 cup butter

  4 eggs

  1 teaspoons vanilla

  1 1⁄2 cups pecans, (half coarsely broken and half pecan halves)

  1 unbaked deep dish pie shell

  DIRECTIONS

  Preheat oven to 350°F (177 degrees C).

  In saucepan boil brown and granulated sugar and the corn syrup together for 2 to 3 minutes. Add butter to the hot mixture and set the pot aside letting the butter melt and the mixture cool slightly.

  In large bowl beat eggs lightly and very slowly pour the syrup/butter mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.

  Stir in vanilla, and pecans and pour into crust. Turn over any pecan halves that are upside down. Cover crust with a strip of aluminum wrap to keep from browning too much.

  Bake for about 45 to 60 minutes or until set.

  Texas Brisket

  INGREDIENTS

  1 tablespoon meat tenderizer

  2 tablespoons chili powder

  1 tablespoons salt

  2 teaspoons ground black pepper

  1 tablespoon garlic powder

  1 tablespoon onion powder

  1 tablespoon sugar

  2 teaspoons dry mustard

  1 bay leaf, crushed

  4-6 pounds beef brisket, trimmed

  1 1/2 cups beef stock

  1 tablespoon liquid smoke

  2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  DIRECTIONS

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).

  In a small bowl combine tenderizer, chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powders, sugar, dry mustard, and bay leaf to make a dry rub. Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub. Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

  Add beef stock, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce, and enough water to yield about 1/2 inch of liquid in the roasting pan. Lower oven to 300 degrees F (149 degrees C), cover pan tightly and continue cooking for 3-4 hours, or until fork-tender.

  Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain.

  Homemade Flour Tortillas

  INGREDIENTS

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 tablespoon lard

  3/4 cup water

  DIRECTIONS

  In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Let the 12 balls rest under a damp cloth for 10-20 minutes.

  Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a small dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

  Makes 12 tortillas

  Ranch style beans

  INGREDIENTS

  16 ounces of dried pinto beans

  pinch baking soda

  1 teaspoon olive oil

  6 cloves of garlic, minced

  1 onion, diced

  1 15 ounce can of tomatoes (or 2 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled)

  1 4.5 ounce can mild, chopped green chiles

  2 tablespoons chili powder

  1 teaspoon brown sugar

  1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

  1 teaspoon paprika

  1 teaspoon cumin

  1/2 teaspoon oregano

  1 cup of water

  6 cups of beef broth

  Salt and black pepper to taste

  DIRECTIONS

  Rinse the dried beans thoroughly. Add a pinch of baking soda to help with digestion issues. Soak them covered in water—either overnight or the quick soak method in which you place the beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat and let sit for one to two hours.

  Drain the soaked beans and rinse.

  In the pot you’ll be cooking your beans, heat up a teaspoon of olive oil and cook the onions for ten minutes on medium. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Throw the cooked onions and garlic in a blender and add the tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, oregano and a cup of water. Puree until smooth.

  Add the pinto beans and beef broth to the pot and stir in the chile puree. On high, bring the pot to a boil and then cover; turn the heat down to low and simmer for two and a half hours, stirring occasionally. Check beans for tenderness. Cooking time can be as short as two and a half hours and as long as four hours. When you're satisfied that the beans are done, salt and pepper to taste.

  Texas Caviar

  INGREDIENTS

  3 green onions, chopped

  1 orange bell pepper, chopped

  2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

  1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

  1 cup frozen corn thawed

  1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

  1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained

  1 (0.7 ounce) packet Italian dressing mix

  1 tablespoon avocado oil

  DIRECTIONS

  In a large bowl, mix together green onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, black-eyed peas, Italian dressing mix, and avocado oil. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours.

  Spinach Pomegranate Salad

  INGREDIENTS

  juice of one lemon

  2 tablespoons honey

  1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves, rinsed and drained

  1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

  1/2 cup roasted pecans

  1/2 cup crumbled feta

  1 pomegranate, peeled and seeds separated

  DIRECTIONS

  In small bowl mix the lemon juice and honey until blended. Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top with red onion, pecans, and feta. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top including any juice, and drizzle with lemon honey mixture.

  Very Veggie Potato Omelet

  INGREDIENTS

  1/4 cup each: sliced mushrooms, sweet onion, bell pepper, fresh spinach, and diced tomato

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  1 large russet potato peeled and shredded (grate on the big holes of a cheese grater)

  4 large eggs

  1/4 cup water

  Shredded cheese for topping

  DIRECTIONS

  In a medium skillet, sauté the mushrooms, sweet onion, and bell pepper until desired texture. Turn off the heat and add the tomato and spinach. Cover with a lid until ready to use.

  Preheat large
skillet on medium. Add potatoes in an even layer in the pan, and cook until golden crisp on the bottom.

  Mix the eggs and water in a bowl while potatoes are cooking.

  Flip the potatoes over in the skillet. Add the egg mixture on top of the potatoes. Cover with a lid for a couple minutes to get the eggs to solidify some. Check the eggs. If still too wet in the middle, use your spatula to work the egg down into the potatoes a little. While the middle is still a little wet, add the precooked veggies (the spinach and tomato will have steam wilted, but not become gooey).

  Fold in half and top with cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  Spicy Caramel Apple Pie

  CRUST

  INGREDIENTS

  3 cups pastry flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/2 cup shortening

  1/2 cup cold butter

  1/2 cup ice cold water

  1 tablespoon white vinegar

  DIRECTIONS

  Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix the water and vinegar together in a cup. Add the mixture to the crumbs. Mix together just until the dough is combined and handles well.

  This recipes makes enough for a double crusted pie.

  FILLING

  INGREDIENTS

  6 tablespoons salted butter

  1/2 cup white sugar

  1/2 cup brown sugar

  1/4 cup water

  1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

  2 tablespoons grated ginger

  3 tablespoons flour

  1 pastry for double-crust pie

  DIRECTIONS

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

  Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, water, and cinnamon, in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.

  Roll out half the pastry to fit a deep dish 9-inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate.

  Toss apple slices and ginger in flour, then place on the bottom crust in an even layer.

  Roll out top crust an inch larger than the pan. Cut into 8 (1-inch) wide strips with a sharp paring knife or you can use a pizza wheel. Weave the pastry strips, one at a time, into a lattice pattern. Fold the ends of the lattice strips under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp to seal.

  Pour butter-sugar mixture over top of pie, coating the lattice, and allowing any remaining sauce to drizzle through the crust.

  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), and bake until the crust is golden brown, the caramel on the top crust is set, and the apple filling is bubbling, 35 to 40 more minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

  Gluten-Free Oat Nut Pancakes

  INGREDIENTS

  1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  1 1/4 cups mashed banana (about 2 very large bananas)

  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low fat sour cream

  1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons nonfat milk (or substitute milk of choice)

  3 large eggs

  2 tablespoons maple syrup

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  DIRECTIONS

  Place the oats in the bottom of a blender. Process a few times to grind, then add the mashed banana, sour cream, milk, eggs, maple syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Blend on high speed, stopping to stir a few times as needed, until the batter is very smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped nuts. Let sit 10 minutes.

  Heat a griddle or a large, well-oiled skillet over medium high heat. Spoon batter onto skillet and cook until bubbles begin to form. Flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on bottom. Repeat with the remaining batter Serve immediately with toppings of your choice.

  About the Author

  Livia J. Washburn has been a professional writer for more than thirty years. She received the Private Eye Writers of America Award and the American Mystery Award for her first mystery, Wild Night, written under the name L. J. Washburn, and she was nominated for a Spur Award by the Western Writers of America for a novel written with her husband, James Reasoner. Her short story “Panhandle Freight” and “Widelooping a Christmas Cowboy” were nominated for a Peacemaker Award by the Western Fictioneers, and her story “Charlie’s Pie” won. She lives with her husband in a small Texas town, where she is constantly experimenting with new recipes. Her two grown daughters are both teachers in her hometown, and she is very proud of them.

  Recipes

  Phyllis’s Old Fashion Pecan Pie

  Texas Brisket

  Homemade Flour Tortillas

  Ranch style beans

  Texas Caviar

  Spinach Pomegranate Salad

  Very Veggie Potato Omelet

  Spicy Caramel Apple Pie

  Gluten-Free Oat Nut Pancakes