by Mary Maxwell
“Since when do you sweeten your java?”
She blew on the steaming concoction before taking a petite sip. “Since I read an article about glucose and the brain.”
I cut into one of Nana Reed’s Ooey Gooey Citrus Scones and popped the nugget into my mouth. After enjoying the richness of the glazed biscuit, I asked Julia to tell me more about the article.
“It was written a few years ago,” she began. “These two psychologists wanted to find out about glucose levels in the brain. Like, does it always have enough glucose to keep chugging along and solving problems and whatever. So, they got some rats in a lab, ran them through—”
“Sorry,” I interrupted. “Did you say cats?”
Julia grimaced. “Should I tell you later after you’ve had a few cups of coffee?”
“No, no. Carry on. But was it cats or—”
“Rats!” she said in the crystalline voice of a peevish angel. “And so the psychologists ran the rats through a bunch of tests—”
“Like what?” I asked, feeling ornery. “Spelling and multiplication tables?”
The sigh from Julia was rumbling and prolonged. “Do you want to hear this?” she demanded. “Or do you want to keep butting in with silly questions?”
I didn’t say anything, although my broad smile was tinged with remorse.
“That’s what I thought,” Julia continued. “So, anyway…after the psychologists made the rats do a bunch of tests, they discovered that learning things and making decisions uses up the glucose in the brain. But if they injected additional glucose into the rats, the little guys could keep learning more new stuff.”
She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. I put down my coffee and gave her a modest round of applause.
“That’s actually in a scientific journal somewhere?”
Julia nodded. “I read it online last night when I couldn’t sleep.”
“What did you Google? ‘If I eat more sugar, will I be as smart as a lab rat?’”
“You are so obnoxious this morning!”
I winced. “I am, aren’t I?”
She bobbed her head enthusiastically.
“Sorry,” I said. “I guess a good night’s sleep makes me that way sometimes.”
Julia waved her hand at the whiteboard. “It’s a good thing that you’re rested,” she said. “Today’s special orders include eight pies, three birthday cakes and enough cookies to fill a semi.”
After the hectic week dividing my time between Sky High Pies and the Alec Halstead murder investigation, a busy day in the kitchen sounded more than a little perfect. The sun was shining brightly. I had a fresh cup of coffee. And our talented chef was at my side. I wasn’t thinking about alibis, evidence, witness statements or detective work.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Julia asked.
I blinked away the memories of life as a PI in Chicago. “I was just thinking about something.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “Or someone?”
I knew she was talking about Zack. So I played along with the scenario, sipping my coffee and answering her questions about our most recent date night.
“He made marinara sauce?” she asked in disbelief.
I nodded.
“And you’re not talking about opening a jar of Prego are you?”
“Never! Zack’s actually a really good cook.”
She stirred a few more crystals of sugar into her coffee. “Maybe you should ask him to help us out then.”
“Today?”
She waved the teaspoon at the whiteboard. “That would be awesome!”
“He’s on his way to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo this morning,” I said. “The paper’s doing a follow-up on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Electric Safari.”
The hopeful grin on her face strengthened. “Lucky him. I guess that means it’s just you and me then, huh?”
I scrambled across the room, dropped one arm around her neck and gave her a sideways hug.
“You and me!” I said. “We’ve done it before, and—”
“We’ll do it again!” Julia cheered. “Like, tomorrow.”
I squinted at the board. “I don’t see anything up there for tomorrow.”
She laughed. “That’s because I’ve got it all on a separate clipboard. There were too many things requested for tomorrow to fit up on the wall with what we’re already doing today.”
I swiveled my eyes from Julia’s face to the whiteboard and back. “At least we can say one thing,” I told her with another hug. “Business is good at Sky High Pies!”
Nana Reed’s Sky High Recipes
Toasted Coconut Truffle Delites
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups toasted coconut
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
2. Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Add eggs individually; make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended before adding second and third egg.
6. Slowly combine dry and wet ingredients, using low speed until completely blended.
7. Pour batter into muffin tins.
8. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean.
9. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes.
10. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool on rack for an additional 20 minutes before frosting with ganache.
For Ganache
1. Place chopped chocolate pieces in a small bowl.
2. Heat cream in saucepan until it begins to boil.
3. Immediately pour hot cream over chocolate pieces.
4. Whisk cream and chocolate together until smooth.
5. Stir ganache as it cools.
6. Frost individual cupcakes with ganache and decorate with toasted coconut.
Chocolate Hazelnut Pie
Ingredients
3 large eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips (milk, semisweet or dark, depending on your preference)
3 cups toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (See Nana Reed’s pie dough recipe below)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
2. Blend all ingredients in large mixing bowl until thorough combined.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.
4. Bake on middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes. Test with knife or toothpick to ensure center is cooked.
5. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving with whipped cream or raspberry sauce.
Nana Reed’s Ready for Rollin’ Dough
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, zested
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water
Directions
1. Combine flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest in large mixing bowl.
2. Add butter and mix with pastry blender or hands.
3. Use blender or hands to add egg yolk and ice water to dough.
4. Consistency of dough is essential for an ideal crust. As you blend ingredients, periodically squeeze small amount of dough between thumb and foref
inger. The moisture level should be sufficient to bind dough without being too wet or sticky. Add small amounts of ice water and continue mixing until you’re satisfied with the consistency.
5. Shape dough into round disk.
6. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate (30 to 60 minutes) until firm.
Big Beautiful Blondies
Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
2. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Combine melted butter and brown sugar.
4. Add egg, vanilla extract and salt.
5. Add flour and stir until thoroughly blended.
6. Mix in espresso powder before adding chocolate chips and walnuts.
7. Spread batter in lined pan.
8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until tester comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.
