As for Nora Ellis…she was indeed that very wealthy lady who’d wanted, as Julian had characterized her, “the best-quality stuff, but only at a steep discount.” Facing grand larceny charges, Richard Chenault is now working on a plea bargain that begins with him sharing information. The first thing he told Detective Britt was that Nora Ellis had wanted to buy a Charlie Baker painting for Donald’s birthday present. Nora had asked Richard if he could “help her out,” as she put it. Since Richard had stolen a number of Charlie’s paintings, he’d sold Nora the one for Journey Cake at a huge discount. Nora, gleeful, hadn’t questioned the price, nor had she questioned the recipe, which had been one of the ways that this whole puzzle concerning Dusty’s murder had unraveled.
Well. As things stand now, Nora Ellis is going to be tried for three murders: those of Althea Mannheim, Charlie Baker, and Dusty Routt. In Colorado, she faces the death penalty.
The funeral for Dusty Routt was a somber, stunning affair, with Father Pete presiding. Several of Dusty’s former classmates at both Elk Park Prep and the Mile-High Paralegal Institute gave testimonials describing their fun-loving, hardworking friend. Sally was able to pull herself out of her funk to attend; Marla had bought her a new black dress to wear, and arranged for a hairdresser to visit the Routt home prior to the service. The church was filled to overflowing, and Sally, who’d felt stigmatized for so long as a “welfare person,” appeared both gratified and overwhelmed. Julian and I provided the post-liturgy refreshments, and as is often the case with these things, the food seemed to set the mourners off on a renewed path to life.
Meg Blatchford came, and spoke movingly about what Dusty had provided for all of us: a view of zest, ambition, kindness. We all thanked her afterward. I also told her that she was my new hero, since she’d saved me from being strangled by Nora Ellis. Meg said, “Aw, it was nothing.” I said, “Yeah, right, Sandy Koufax,” which was a compliment with a historical context she could appreciate. She beamed, and invited our whole family to visit her at her Scottsdale home. She’s already packed up her place in Aspen Meadow and headed to Arizona with Grace Mannheim. After all, the winter season for senior softball is about to get under way.
Julian is doing well. After Dusty’s funeral, he went back to Boulder, where he’s begun working again at the bistro. I talked to him yesterday. He said, “Life is so much less eventful here than it is in Aspen Meadow. I may have to come over to that nice, quiet mountain town, just so I can inject some excitement into my life.”
To which Tom said, “Nice and quiet we’re not. But come anyway.”
Tom is better than ever. He’s back down at the department, working a big forgery case. When I asked him to tell me about it, he refused.
I’m not working at H&J anymore. For my part, I’m a little jealous, too: but only for peace and quiet. We’ll see if I actually get it. But in the meantime, our extended family has grown to include Sally, John, and Colin Routt at big biweekly dinners. Tonight Gus is spending the night with Arch, and the two of them have vowed to teach Colin how to throw a Frisbee. For dessert, we’re having the carrot cake that was meant to be Dusty’s birthday cake, and will toast her memory. Tom, bless his heart, had thought to wrap it up and freeze it. My dear husband is also making us gnocchi in veal sauce.
I can’t wait.
Recipes in Dark Tort
1. Dark Torte
2. Chicky Bread
3. Prosciutto Bites
4. Tom’s Savory Sausage Casserole
5. Asparagus Quiche
6. Chicken Piccata Supreme
7. All-American Deep-Dish Apple Pie
8. Strong-Arm Cookies
9. Chocolate Lovers’ Dipped Fruits
10. Blue Cheesecake
11. Journey Cake with Hard Sauce
Dark Torte
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1½ cups ground zwieback crumbs (1 six-ounce box)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
(high altitude: 1 tablespoon cake flour)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Sherry Syrup (recipe below)
Whipped Cream Topping (recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Butter two cooling racks.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are light and lemon-colored. Remove 2 tablespoons of sugar from the cup of sugar and set aside. Gradually beat the rest of the sugar (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) into the egg yolks. In another large bowl, combine the crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves (and flour if cooking at high altitude), stirring to combine well. Stir this mixture into the egg-yolk mixture (batter will be very stiff). Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a wire whip or whip attachment, beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar, and continue beating until stiff. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Fold 1/3 of the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. Fold in half of the nuts. Fold in another 1/3 of the egg-white mixture; then fold in the last of the nuts. Fold in the final 1/3 of the egg-white mixture until there are no traces of white in the batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 25 minutes, until the layers have browned slightly, toothpicks inserted in the center come out clean, and the layers have begun to shrink from the sides of the pans.
Cool the layers for 5 minutes in their pans. Place a large piece of aluminum foil underneath the buttered racks and fold it up all the way around so as to catch the syrup. Turn the layers out onto the separate buttered cake racks. Allow the layers to cool while you make the Sherry Syrup.
Using a skewer or ice pick, evenly poke holes all over the tops of the layers. (Take care not to poke the holes all the way through the cake. The holes should go down about ¾ of the way through the layers.) Carefully and slowly pour the hot Sherry Syrup evenly over the layers, until it is all gone.
When the layers are cool, make the Whipped Cream Topping. Discard the foil and carefully turn the first layer onto a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of Whipped Cream Topping over this layer. Then top with the second layer. Spread the rest of the topping on the top and sides of the torte.
The torte may be served immediately or it may be chilled. Leftovers must be kept in the refrigerator.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
Sherry Syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups spring water
½ cup dry sherry
Combine the sugar and water in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and allow the mixture to boil until it reaches the soft-ball stage (234° to 240°F). (Use a candy thermometer to ensure the proper stage has been reached.)
Remove the pan from the heat. Using a wooden spoon, carefully and slowly swirl in the sherry. When the mixture is well combined, pour over the torte layers.
Whipped Cream Topping
1 tablespoon springwater
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream, well chilled
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Pour the water and vanilla into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the surface of the liquid, and allow the gelatin to soften for 2 minutes. Turn the heat on under the pan to medium low. Swirling the mixture frequently, cook the mixture until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Keep the heat on very low to maintain the liquid gelatin mixture.
Pour the cream into a large mixer bowl. Using a wire whip or a whip attachment, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Beat in the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
With the beater running, pour the liquid gelatin mixture into the cream until completely combined. Turn off the beater, scrape the blades, and i
mmediately spread the whipped cream topping between the layers and on top of the torte.
Chicky Bread
12/3 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (contents of one 15-ounce can)
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses, divided
¼ cup lukewarm springwater
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon bread-dough enhancer (recommended brand: Lora Brody’s, available at Williams-Sonoma)
2 cups bread flour, or all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup springwater
¼ cup nonfat dry milk
¼ cup safflower oil
1 large egg, beaten
Drain the chickpeas, rinse them, and pat them dry. Pour them into a blender along with ½ cup of the molasses. Blend until the mixture is smooth (no chickpeas visible). Measure out 1 cup of this mixture; discard remainder.
Mix 1 tablespoon molasses into the ¼ cup lukewarm springwater and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let this sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until the yeast is completely moistened. Stir the yeast into the water and place in a warm spot for 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to proof.
Mix the bread-dough enhancer into the bread (or all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour. Place these ingredients into a bread machine, followed by the salt, oats, 2/3 cup springwater, nonfat dry milk, safflower oil, and egg. Pour the yeast in on top. Program for white bread (approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes) and press start.
After the first few minutes of mixing, lift the lid of the machine and check that the dough is neither too sticky and wet nor so dry that it cannot incorporate all the ingredients. If the mixture looks too wet, add up to 2 more tablespoons of bread flour. If the mixture looks dry, add up to 2 tablespoons of springwater. Use a large spatula, if necessary, to gently coax all the ingredients together as the blade continues to mix the ingredients. (Do not touch the blade.) What you are aiming for here is a smooth, supple dough that holds together and that the blade of the machine can knead easily. Once a smooth, supple dough is obtained, close the lid of the bread machine and let the bread-making process continue.
Once the bread is done, remove it from the machine and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing.
MAKES ONE LARGE LOAF
Prosciutto Bites
4 medium-size butter croissants (see note)
¾ cup best-quality plum preserves, strained, with plums reserved
6 slices prosciutto
½ cup goat cheese (or cream cheese)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Carefully slice the croissants lengthwise. Place the 8 croissant halves on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Spread each croissant half with 4 teaspoons of the strained preserves, spreading just to the edge.
Slice the reserved plums into fourths. Evenly divide them between the croissant halves, placing the plum slices at regular intervals on top of the preserves.
Trim the fat from the prosciutto slices. Place the prosciutto slices over the preserves and plums. Trim any overhang and place on top of the preserves. (Each croissant half will need about ¾ slice of prosciutto.)
Chop and crumble the goat cheese (or cream cheese) into ½ teaspoon portions. Evenly dot the prosciutto with the cheese.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully place each croissant half onto a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each croissant half into four “bites.” (Alternatively, you may serve each croissant half as an appetizer, or two croissant halves for breakfast or a light lunch.)
MAKES 32 SMALL SERVINGS (“BITES”)
Note: Croissants now come in three sizes: large, medium, and small, or “cocktail.” This recipe is tailored for the medium-size croissants. However, if you can only get large or cocktail-size croissants, merely adjust the proportions as necessary, making sure that the preserves are thinly spread to the edge of each croissant half, that the preserve layer is completely covered with a single thin layer of prosciutto, and that each prosciutto layer is well dotted with cheese.
Tom’s Savory Sausage Casserole
1 pound new potatoes
8 ounces mushrooms, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¼ cups minced onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild, casings removed
3 large eggs
1½ cups half-and-half
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by 13-inch pan.
Bring a large quantity of water to boil and cook the new potatoes until they are just done, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the potatoes and set them aside to cool before slicing.
Using a clean cloth dishtowel that may be stained, squeeze the mushrooms by small handfuls to remove all excess liquid. When all the mushrooms have been rendered almost dry, set them aside.
Using a wide sauté pan, melt the butter over low heat. Still keeping the heat low, cook the mushrooms and onions until the onions are translucent. Remove the mushrooms and onions from the pan and put them into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the chopped parsley and set aside. Using the same pan, raise the heat to medium low and cook the sausage until it is brown. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Slice the cooled potatoes into ½-inch slices. Place them in the bottom of the prepared pan. Distribute the mushroom mixture over the potatoes. Evenly distribute the sausage over the mushroom layer. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the half-and-half over low speed until the mixture is smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour this mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the egg mixture has set in the middle. Serve immediately.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Asparagus Quiche
8 ounces asparagus, washed, trimmed of all hard, tough stalks, and cut into 1½-inch lengths
4 large eggs
¼ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, if desired)
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
¼ cup grated imported Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate.
Using a small sauté pan that has a cover, heat about half a cup of water just to boiling. Pour in the sliced asparagus, cover, and turn off the heat. Allow the asparagus to steam, with the heat turned off, while you prepare the other ingredients.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until they are very well blended. Blend in the cream, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika until well combined. Using a heavy wooden spoon, stir in the cheeses, stirring until well combined.
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