Harper Lin - Patisserie 06 - Crème Brûlée Murder

by Harper Lin

  The police took Charles out. Monsieur Laberg sat down at the desk, the look of utter shock still on his face. He buried his face in his hands. One son was dead, and the other one would be in jail. He might have built an empire, but he’d lost two sons in one fell swoop.

  Chapter 18

  “Poor Celine,” Clémence said. “She still can’t seem to get over the fact that she fell for a murderer.”

  “She has pretty bad taste in men in general,” Sebastien stated bluntly.

  Clémence tried not to laugh, as Celine’d had a huge crush on Sebastien only months ago.

  “At least they only had an innocent drink date and not a full-blown relationship,” Clémence added.

  Clémence, Arthur, Sebastien, and Maya were on their first double date at La Coquette, a chic restaurant close to Damour.

  “I’m just glad the whole thing’s over,” Maya said, digging into her escargot with a special fork. “And it’s now obvious that I had nothing to do with Cesar’s death.”

  “I’d still date you if you were a murderer,” Sebastien joked.

  “You wouldn’t.” Maya playfully ribbed him with her elbow.

  “But I think I know why Cesar used to be so taken with you,” Clémence said. “When he was sixteen, he had a girlfriend who died in a car crash. He’d been pining for her since. When I was over at the Laberg house, I snooped around his house a bit and a found a little photograph of her in his desk.”

  “Did she really look like me?” Maya asked.

  “Well, she had the same mocha skin, freckles over her nose, and similar corkscrew hair,” Clémence said. “Your features are a bit different, and I wouldn’t say you were twins or anything.”

  “Oh good. It would be weird to be someone’s doppelgänger.”

  Arthur hadn’t been speaking because he’d been busy with his eggplant appetizer with sesame sauce and cheese. “Have you tried this? It’s really the best.”

  He cut Clémence a piece, and she chewed. “It’s got this great smoky texture.”

  “Definitely original. The chef changes the menu practically every week.” La Coquette was a Michelin-starred restaurant.

  “Any vacation plans?” Clémence asked the other couple.

  “I have to visit my family in Marseille,” Maya said. “But Sebastien and I are probably going to spend a few days in Saint Tropez. What about you guys?”

  “First we’re going to Normandy,” said Arthur. “Our family has a little house there.”

  “Little?” Clémence arched an eyebrow.

  “It’s modest compared to the houses around it. Anyway, we’ll probably spend about a week there, before we get bored. Then we’ll go to Amsterdam for a week.”

  “Amsterdam?” Sebastien gave Clémence a wry look. “What trouble are you going to get up to there?”

  “No trouble,” Clémence said. “Just innocent fun. No drugs, no prostitutes. Only bike riding and looking at windmills.”

  Arthur laughed. “Since the Netherlands is so small, we’re going to check out a lot of cities around the country.”

  “Sounds great,” Maya said. “Be sure to check out Utrecht. It’s so charming, and it’s got a great church.”

  “It’s on our list,” Clémence. “And fingers crossed that no murders will follow us there.”

  “Who knows,” Sebastien said. “Maybe the Dutch police can use your help over there.”

  Clémence laughed. “I hope not. I mean, I really, really hope not. Summer’s not going to last for long. It’s already the second week of August! I want to enjoy it for once, and not have to chase after murderers and almost get killed in the process. I’m glad that bodyguards aren’t necessary anymore.”

  “Well, I’m actually doubling as Clémence’s bodyguard these days,” Arthur said. “There’s a gym at my work, so I’ve been getting ripped for the position.”

  He flexed his bicep, and Clémence groaned, smacking his arm down. “Oh, spare us.”

  Two waiters came by with their entrées.

  “There are no peanuts in these meals, right?” Clémence asked them for the second time, just to make sure.

  “None whatsoever,” the waiter insisted.

  “Thanks.”

  Arthur squeezed her hand. Clémence knew she was being paranoid, but they understood. She suddenly felt a surge of happiness being with people she loved and enjoying their company. She had been so close to death, after all. But it was time to let any remnants of fear go, to fully enjoy the present.

  “Come on,” Clémence said. “Let’s dig in.”

  Madeleine Murder: Book 6 of The Patisserie Mysteries will be available soon. Be the first to hear about early bird discounts and new book releases by signing up for Harper Lin’s Newsletter.

  Recipe #1: Classic Crème Brûlée

  Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert of a custard topped with caramelized sugar. It’s easier to make than you think. You will need a mini blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. If you don’t have a mini blowtorch, I find that the crème brûlée also tastes delicious even without the crust.

  Makes 4.

  Ingredients:

  1 3/4 cups heavy cream

  1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  4 large egg yolks

  1/4 cup + 3 tsp granulated sugar

  Pinch of salt

  Adjust rack to center and preheat oven to 300°F. Bring a teakettle of water to boil. In a baking dish, put in 4 ramekins (5 or 6 oz., about 3 inches in diameter and 1.74 inches deep). The baking dish should be as deep as the ramekins.

  Pour cream into a small saucepan. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

  In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt by lightly whisking them together. Set aside.

  Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the cream. Make sure it’s no higher than 165°F. If it is, let it cool to 165°F before the next step.

  Lightly whisk 1/2 cup of the cream into the yolk mixture. Stir for about 30 seconds, to temper the yolks. Then gently whisk in the remaining cream, stirring for about 15 minutes. Do this lightly to make sure the mixture is not frothy. Stir in vanilla.

  Place a fine sieve over a heatproof bowl. Pour the mixture through the sieve to strain out any solids.

  Divide the mixture evenly among the 4 ramekins in the baking pan. There will be a bit over an inch of custard in each ramekin, and it shouldn’t come all the way to the rim.

  Put the baking pan in the center of the oven. Put a piece of aluminum foil over the pan. Bake custards until center is slightly jiggly, like Jell-O, which can take from 40 to 55 minutes. Test it by reaching into the oven with tongs and shaking one of the ramekins gently. If it responds with a wavelike motion instead of a jiggle, it’s not done yet. After 5 more minutes, check again. They should not be brown.

  Be careful when removing the baking pan from the oven. Take the ramekins out of the water safely using a slotted spatula or tongs wrapped with rubber bands (if they don’t have rubber handles). Transfer the ramekins onto a rack.

  Let the ramekins cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer (uncovered) to the refrigerator to cool completely. Once they are refrigerator-cold, wrap each ramekin with plastic wrap.

  Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before caramelizing. After you take the ramekins from the fridge, set them on a work surface. Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp of sugar over each one. The more sugar you add, the thicker the crust will be. You may need to tilt and tap the ramekin to even out the sugar layer. Wipe any sugar off the rim.

  For best results, use a mini blowtorch. Hold the torch flame 2 to 3 inches away from the top and slowly glide it back and forth over the surface until the sugar melts. It should turn a deep golden brown. Allow sugar to cool and harden for a few minutes. Serve it immediately, before the sugar softens and gets sticky.

  The great thing about this is that you can make the custard in advance, and later get it read
y for serving by making the crust.

  Recipe #2: Orange Crème Brûlée

  A simple adaptation to the original Classic Crème Brûlée recipe. After the cream comes to a simmer, remove from heat and add the ingredients below:

  •1 tbsp Grand Marnier or triple sec

  •2 tsp finely grated orange zest

  •only 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (omit 1 tsp vanilla from original recipe)

  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

  Recipe #3: Café au Lait Crème Brûlée

  Omit vanilla extract from the Classic Crème Brûlée recipe.

  After cream comes to a simmer, remove from heat and whisk in 1.5 teaspoons of instant espresso powder, until dissolved. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

  Recipe #4: Ginger Crème Brûlée

  Omit the vanilla extract from the Classic Crème Brûlée recipe. Instead, add 1/2 tablespoon of firmly packed finely grated fresh ginger to the cold cream before bringing it to a simmer.

  Recipe #5: Earl Grey Tea Crème Brûlée

  Omit the vanilla extract from the Classic Crème Brûlée recipe. After the cream comes to a simmer, remove from heat and immediately add 5 Earl Grey tea bags. Prod bags with a spoon to submerge them. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

  Recipe #6: Lemon Crème Brûlée

  Omit the vanilla extract from the Classic Crème Brûlée recipe. Pour 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest into the cream before bringing it to a simmer. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

  Recipe # 7: Lavender Classic Crème Brûlée

  The perfume of the lavender with a hint of vanilla gives this dessert the feel of Provence. Make sure to only buy lavender suitable for culinary use.

  Adapt the crème brûlée recipe by adding 1 tablespoon of dried culinary lavender to the cream before bringing it to a simmer. Remove it from the heat. Allow to cool for 45 minutes. Pour the lavender-infused cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and set aside.

  All Books by Harper Lin

  The Patisserie Mysteries

  Macaron Murder: Book 1

  Éclair Murder: Book 2

  Baguette Murder: Book 3

  Crêpe Murder: Book 4

  Save 33% and buy the Box Set Books 2-4

  Croissant Murder: Book 5

  Crème Brûlée Murder: Book 6

  Madeleine Murder: Book 7 (coming soon)

  The Emma Wild 4-book Holiday Series

  4-Book Holiday Series

  Killer Christmas: Book 1

  New Year’s Slay: Book 2

  Death of a Snowman: Book 3

  Valentine’s Victim: Book 4

  Save 35% and buy The Complete 4-Book Holiday Mystery Box Set

  About the Author

  Harper Lin lives in Kingston, Ontario with her husband, daughter, and Pomeranian puppy. The Patisserie Mysteries draws from Harper’s own experiences of living in Paris in her twenties. When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves hiking, yoga, and spending time with her family. She’s currently working on more cozy mysteries.

  A Note from Harper:

  Thank you so much for reading my book. If you were entertained by Crème Brûlée Murder, please recommend the series to friends and family who would enjoy them too. I would also really appreciate it if you could write a book review on Amazon or Goodreads to help spread the word.

  Connect with me on Goodreads or email me at harperlinauthor@outlook.com. I would love to hear about what you like about the books, what you’d like to see in future books, and if you’ve tried any of the recipes. Do also drop me a note if you happen to catch any mistakes in the books. While each book is edited and proofread by professionals, errors can still slip through sometimes, and I want readers to have the smoothest read possible.

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