by Terry Odell
Recipes
Ashley has shared some of the recipes featured in Saving Scott.
Spicy Aztec Chocolate Drops - Makes 35-40 cookies.
Recipe courtesy of Mark Carter
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t finely ground coffee (or instant)
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/8 t cayenne (Note: this will give a warm aftertaste. If you want more of a kick, increase the cayenne, up to 1/4 t)
1/2 c cocoa powder
3/4 c softened unsalted butter
1 1/4 c sugar, divided.
1 egg
1 t vanilla
Instructions:
Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, coffee, black pepper, cayenne & cocoa powder.
Cream the butter with 1 cup of the sugar until light. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
Resift the dry ingredients just until mixed. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Longer is fine.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Put the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll a piece of the dough into a ball about the size of a walnut, and then roll in the sugar to coat. Place on the cookie sheet leaving about 1-inch between each ball.
Bake for eight minutes. They will appear to be underbaked.
**Variation: when forming the balls of dough, make an indentation, place a piece of chocolate inside (several chocolate chips will work, or a good quality chocolate bar cut into pieces) and seal the dough around it before rolling in the sugar. Bake as above.
***
Glazed Almond Torte (with fruit) Serves 8 to 10
Recipe courtesy of Lelo Carter
Ingredients:
1 c blanched almonds, 5 oz
3/4 c sugar
4 eggs
2/3 c macaroon cookie crumbs (Ashley uses Amaretti cookies, but plain macaroon cookies are fine – The crisp ones, not the chewy kind.)
1/4 c butter, softened, 1/2 stick
1 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond extract
Instructions:
In food processor, process almonds and sugar until almonds are pulverized. Add remaining ingredients and process mixture for 30 seconds. Pour batter into a buttered 10 inch springform pan and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until top is golden and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
Allow torte to cool in pan. Make the glaze:
Grand Marnier Glaze:
3/4 c red currant jelly
1 T. Grand Marnier Liqueur
In a pan, heat currant jelly until melted. Stir in Grand Marnier until blended. Spread glaze over the cooled cake.
To fancy it up, you can add seasonal fruit:
Add fruit to the glaze and mix until nicely coated, then put on top of the torte. To serve, cut into wedges. A dollop of whipped cream is a nice addition, but not a must.
Note: If you do not own a food processor, almonds must be ground with a nut grater. Batter must then be beaten for 4 minutes at high speed.
***
Felicity’s Lemony Sugar Cookies – makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c sugar
3/4 c butter, softened
2 eggs
1 t lemon extract
Instructions:
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, mix sugar, butter, eggs, and lemon extract until creamy. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until dough can be handled easily. The dough needs to be kept cold, so work in small batches, keeping the rest in the refrigerator.
Roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut out using your favorite cookie cutters. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. They should not be brown. Cool on racks.
If desired, melt white chocolate chips or melting chocolate, either in a double boiler or the microwave, and dip the edges of the cookies into the mixture
***
Chocolate Pavé with brandied cherries
Recipe courtesy of Mark Carter
Ingredients:
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 c (scant) granulated sugar
1 T. corn syrup
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate
5 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c chopped brandied cherries
Instructions:
Using waxed or parchment paper, line a 5 1/2 x 3 inch bread/loaf pan being certain that at least an 2 inches of the paper comes above the top. This will both cover the top while the Pavé cools as well as help you remove it from the pan for service.
Melt the chocolates together.
Either in the top of a double boiler or mixing bowl for an electric mixer, beat the eggs, yolks, sugar and corn syrup until combined. Place on top of the double boiler or a pot of boiling water and whip continuously until the mixture is warm but not hot to the touch. Using an electric mixer, whip at high speed until the mixture cools. It will increase in volume while it mixes.
Turn the mixer to low speed and carefully pour the melted chocolate into the bowl to incorporate. Be certain that any chocolate that may be on the sides of the bowl or on the beater/whip is scraped off and into the egg mixture. Continue whipping at low speed until cool but not cold.
Bit by bit, add the softened butter until thoroughly incorporated. Be certain that no chocolate or butter remains at the bottom of the bowl. Finally, add the chopped brandied cherries. Remove from the mixer and, with the aid of a rubber spatula, pour the chocolate mixture into the lined pan. Fold the excess parchment paper over the top to seal and refrigerate until cold.
Remove from the refrigerator. Using a thin knife that has been heated in warm water, run the blade down the two narrow ends of the pan to loosen. Fold the paper back off of the top of the Pavé and invert the pan onto a serving platter. If you have used a tin bread pan, the exposed ends may have discolored. Simply cut a thin slice, again using a heated knife, to remove the discolored part.
To serve, cut a thin slice of the Pavé and lay it on its side on a chilled plate. The dessert can be served with a Sabayon sauce, Crème Anglaise or a fruit coulis, a slightly sweetened puree of any appropriate fruit—raspberry, strawberry or apricot work well.
***
Grandma Lena’s Chocolate Cake
Recipe courtesy of Amy Darahgy via Grandma Lena Odell
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 3/4 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 c hot water
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c buttermilk
2/3 c margarine or butter, softened
2 t vanilla
3 eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9 pan. Add the cocoa to the hot water and mix. In large bowl combine all ingredients. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 – 45 minutes.
Frost with your favorite buttercream frosting. If you don’t have one, you can try this:
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
1 c unsalted butter, softened
3-3 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla extract or 1 t almond extract
4 T milk or heavy cream
Instructions:
In a large bowl, cream butter the butter to soften. With mixer off, sift 3 cups of the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder into the bowl. Beat on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add
additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
***
Grand Marnier Truffles
Recipe courtesy of Mark Carter
Ingredients:
1 pound high quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (a food processor works well)
1 c heavy cream
Zest and juice of one orange
1 ounce Grand Marnier™ or other liqueur
Cocoa powder for dusting/coating truffles
In a heavy saucepan, bring the cream and zests to a boil. Add the chocolate and mix thoroughly but slowly until fully incorporated. Add the orange juice and liqueur. Pour into a shallow pan (lasagna-type) and cover with plastic wrap making certain that plastic comes in contact with the chocolate mass. Allow to sit overnight in a cool location. If the weather is too warm, you may refrigerate it and then bring it back to room temperature the next day.
The chocolate mixture should now be firm yet pliant. Using a pastry bag without a tip, evenly pipe out small amounts, about the size of a Hershey’s Kiss onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. You can pipe a small amount of the mixture onto the corners of the pan before lining with the parchment paper to help keep it from lifting. If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can also spoon them out into small balls. It’s OK if they are irregularly shaped and sized. Refrigerate until very firm.
To assemble the truffles, sift the cocoa powder into a second shallow pan. Place the chilled truffles next to the cocoa pan and have another empty container to the other side of the cocoa pan. Pick up one of the truffles and gently roll it between the palms of your hand until it is roughly spherical. Drop it into the cocoa. Continue doing this until you have almost filled the cocoa pan with truffles. Gently shake the cocoa pan so that the truffles roll around in the cocoa, which will enable them to be completely coated.
With clean hands (or a second person) lift the truffles out of the cocoa and “sift” them between your fingers in order to remove excess cocoa. Place the truffles onto/into the third pan. When you have finished coating all of the truffles, the pan should be covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
***
The prize-winning recipes from Ashley’s brownie bakeoff
Grand Prize
Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies
Recipe courtesy of Janet Rudolph, Dying for Chocolate
Brownies
1/2 c sweet butter, room temperature
4 ounces high quality dark chocolate (60-75% cacao, fair-trade), coarsely chopped
1 c sugar
1 t Madagascar vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 c all purpose flour
Pinch of Salt
1/2 c dark high quality dark chocolate (65-75% cacao, fair-trade), chopped into smallish chunks (or chocolate chips)
Cream Cheese Layer
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c sugar
1 t Madagascar vanilla extract
1 large egg
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1. Line 9 x 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of pan.
2. In top of double boiler, or saucepan over a saucepan of simmering water, melt butter with chocolate.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each with a spoon.
5. Stir in flour and salt and beat until batter is smooth and glossy (about a minute).
6. Remove 1/2 cup of brownie batter and set aside.
7. Fold Chocolate Chunks into remainder of brownie batter.
8. Pour batter evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
9. Using mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until smooth.
10. Spread cream cheese mixture over brownie layer.
11. Spoon small clumps of reserved brownie batter on top of the cream cheese filling.
12. With knife, swirl two batters without mixing them (don’t overswirl).
13. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until brownies start to pull away from sides of pan and edges just begin to brown.
14. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
15. Refrigerate brownies until firm enough to cut into squares (two hours).
16. Remove brownies from pan by lifting ends of aluminum foil and transfer to cutting board. Cut into squares.
***
Second Place
Triple Chocolate Pecan Brownies - Makes 2 dozen
Recipe courtesy of Brittiany and Michael Koren
Ingredients:
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 oz. each)
2 squares of semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 oz. each)
1/2 c margarine
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t of salt
1/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/3 c sour cream or vanilla yogurt
1/2 c chopped pecans
3/4 c semisweet mini-chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt chocolate squares and margarine together. Stir until smooth.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder in bowl and set aside.
Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl, then add in chocolate mixture and stir. Once smooth, add in flour mixture, then stir in sour cream first, then pecans and mini-chocolate chips. Mix until well-blended.
Pour into a well-greased 13 x 9 inch pan (glass/ceramic preferred). Bake 25-30 minutes or so, depending on your individual oven and type of pan. Let cool 7 minutes, then cut into brownie squares. For special occasions, serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and your choice of hot fudge or caramel topping.
***
Third Prize
Caramel Brownies
Recipe courtesy Mollie Smith
Ingredients:
1 pkg German chocolate cake mix
3/4 c melted butter
1 (5oz) can evaporated milk
6 oz chocolate chips
50 caramels, unwrapped (1 bag)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Blend cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Put half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 6 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately pour chocolate chips over batter. Melt the caramels in remaining evaporated milk. Pour caramel over chocolate chips.
The remaining batter will be very stiff. Using your hands, “patty cake” the batter into little “mud pies” and place in parts over caramel.
Bake 15-20 minutes more. Wait at least 2 hours before cutting.
***
Acknowledgments
I have to give credit to some awesome people who have been indispensible in getting this book written. The saying might be, “Write what you know?” but in reality, it’s, “Write what you can get others to help you with if you don’t know it.”
I thank my critique partners, Karla Brandenburg and Steve Pemberton for your keen eyes and insights. I thank Dan and Jessica Odell for letting me run ideas past you. You’re the best.
To Lee Lofland, CJ Lyons, Josh Moulin, Tom Stroup, Wally Lind and the gang at Yahoo’s crimescenewriters—you’re always there for me. To Amy Daraghy—thanks for your Oregon assistance and making Maggie so knowledgeable about tea.
Another special group to thank, for their willingness to share recipes with Ashley so she could share them with you: Lelo Carter, Janet Rudolph, Brittiany and Michael Koren, Mollie Smith, and the Odells who have kept Grandma Lena’s chocolate cake alive. And extra special thanks to Mark Carter who not only provided recipes, but answered countless questions about running a bakery.
And of course, thanks to my editor, Brittiany Koren and to my cover artist, Dave Fymbo. Your patience is extraordinary, and the product is better for it
.
As always, don’t blame any of the above for anything I got wrong. Errors are mine, whether they’re inadvertent, or because I take liberties for the sake of the story. It IS fiction, after all.
About the author
Terry Odell began writing by mistake, when her son mentioned a television show and she thought she’d be a good mom and watch it so they’d have common ground for discussions.
Little did she know she would enter the world of writing, first via fan fiction, then through Internet groups, and finally with groups with real, live partners. Her first publications were short stories, but she found more freedom in longer works and began what she thought was a mystery. Her daughters told her it was a romance so she began learning more about the genre and craft. She belongs to both the Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Now a multi-published, award winning author, Terry resides with her husband in the mountains of Colorado. You can find her online at:
Her website - http://terryodell.com
Her blog - http://terryodell.com/terrysplace
Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/terry.odell
Twitter - http://twitter.com/authorterryo
