Shot in the Dark

by Cleo Coyle

  ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

  2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten with fork

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese cinnamon (see end note**)

  ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

  ½ teaspoon salt (standard table salt)

  1½ teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon into cup and level off

  Cinnamon sugar topping (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)

  Step 1—Prep oven and pan: First, preheat oven to 350°F. Also, prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan by lightly greasing the bottom and sides with oil. Using parchment paper, create a sling. Cover the bottom of the pan with the paper and allow excess paper to drape over the two long sides (the grease in the pan will act as glue). This sling will help you easily remove the baked bread from the pan.

  Step 2—Make batter: Peel the apples. Using a boxed grater, shred the fruit by hand into a bowl (discard core and seeds) and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar. Add the brown sugar, applesauce, beaten eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and blend well. With the mixer on low, mix in the flour until completely incorporated. Finally, measure out 1½ cups of your shredded apple, lightly packing the shredded fruit into the measuring cup and including any liquid. Fold it into the batter.

  Step 3—Bake: Scrape the batter into your prepared 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and use the back of a spoon to even it out. With clean fingers, evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake for about 60 minutes. Loaf is done when a toothpick (or long strand of uncooked spaghetti) inserted into the bread’s center comes out with no wet batter clinging to it. Let the loaf cool off for 10 minutes before removing from the pan this way: Run a knife carefully between the bread’s edges and the pan. Then use the “handles” of your parchment paper sling to lift the bread out. Do not slice until the loaf has completely cooled. Hot quick bread crumbles easily. Once it cools, use a serrated knife to gently slice and share with joy! To see a photo of the finished bread, visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com, where you can also download a free, illustrated guide to this recipe section.

  *Apple note: Clare recommends using the Golden Delicious variety of apple for this recipe (not to be confused with Red Delicious). The Golden Delicious has a rich and mellow sweetness and good texture for baking, especially in this bread.

  **Cinnamon note: Clare highly recommends using ground Vietnamese (aka Saigon) cinnamon for this recipe. It has a uniquely powerful flavor and aroma and will disperse more fully through your bread (and your other baked goods) than milder cinnamons. If you use a cinnamon with lesser oomph, consider increasing the amount in the recipe from 1 teaspoon to 1½ or even 2, depending on your taste.

  Birthday Cake Biscotti

  When she was only twelve years old, Joy Allegro invented a basic “cake mix” biscotti recipe by adding butter, eggs, and flour to a box of cake mix. “What do you think?” she asked her mom. Clare loved the idea and used it for one of her In the Kitchen with Clare columns. In this adaptation, Clare used Funfetti cake mix (with rainbow sprinkles in the mix) to create Italian biscotti with the flavor and appearance of a child’s rainbow-sprinkled birthday cake. To see a photo of these whimsical “Birthday Cake” cookies or get the “from scratch” version of this recipe, visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com, where you can also download a free, illustrated guide to this recipe section.

  Makes about 20 cookies (each 4 to 5 inches long)

  For Biscotti

  ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles*

  1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled

  3 large eggs (1 should be separated, reserve the white)

  1 package Funfetti cake mix (see note*)

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  2 teaspoons lemon zest

  1 cup all-purpose flour (plus a little more for kneading)

  For Rainbow Glaze

  2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

  10 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

  Rainbow-colored sprinkles for garnish (about ⅓ cup)

  *Note: Funfetti cake mix already includes some sprinkles. This recipe intentionally adds more. If you can’t find Funfetti cake mix, simply use a white cake mix and increase the additional rainbow sprinkles to ½ cup. For a “from scratch” version of this recipe (without cake mix), visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com.

  Step 1—Form the dough: First preheat oven to 350°F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat your 2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk. (Be sure to reserve the egg white for use later.) Add the cake mix, rainbow sprinkles, vanilla, lemon zest, flour, and finally the melted and cooled butter. Using an electric mixer, beat for a full minute. A soft dough will form. With flour-dusted hands gather the dough pieces together into a ball. On a floured work surface, knead the dough a little, adding extra flour if necessary, until it feels dry and smooth. Roll the dough into a long log about 2 inches wide (exact length of log doesn’t matter). Transfer the log to your prepared baking sheet. Lightly press down on the formed log to flatten out another inch. The log should now be 3 inches wide (again, length doesn’t matter). Generously brush the log’s top and sides with the egg white. The egg white coating will help the biscotti brown and deter crumbling when you slice it later.

  Step 2—Bake the log: Bake for about 35 minutes. The log is finished when it is firm to the touch and cracking on the surface, and the middle is completely baked—to test this, insert a toothpick deep into the log’s center. When it comes out free of any traces of wet batter, the log is done. Remove from oven, allow to cool on the pan for 15 minutes, and then use the parchment paper to slide the log carefully onto a rack. Let cool completely for a full 3 hours or you may have trouble with the log crumbling as you cut it. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into slices on a diagonal (use a gentle sawing motion). Slices should be between ½- and ¾-inch thick, no thinner or they may crumble. Lay these slices flat on a baking sheet.

  Step 3—Biscotti means twice cooked: Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake the biscotti slices for 15 minutes on one side. Carefully turn the cookies over (use two forks so you won’t burn your fingers!) and bake for another 15 minutes. Cookie sides should appear dry and lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and allow the biscotti to cool on the hot pan for 1 hour. Finish the cookies with Rainbow Glaze (recipe directions follow).

  Rainbow Glaze: Makes 1 cup. Into a bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Wisk in the heavy cream until the glaze reaches a smooth but thick consistency. If the glaze is too thin, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar to thicken. If the glaze is too thick, add a bit more heavy cream to thin it out. When you’re happy with the consistency, scrape the glaze into a pie or cake pan. Gently drag the top edge of each cookie (lengthwise) through the thick glaze (you want every bite to include the icing). Immediately scatter rainbow sprinkles over the wet glaze. Allow to set before serving.

  The Village Blend’s Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes

  These elegant, melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes are a chocoholic’s dream. Light in texture, yet rich and bold in dark chocolate flavor, they pair beautifully with coffee and espresso. They’re also a bestseller at the Village Blend—so popular they usually sell out before closing. Lucky for Esther, an armed woman, a potential hostage situation, and an early closure prevented all of these airy chocolate treats from flying out the door. To see a photo of these light and lovely cupcakes, visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com, where you can also download a free, illustrated guide to this recipe section.

  Makes 12 cupcakes

  8 oun
ces bittersweet or semisweet bar chocolate (60–64% cacao)*

  8 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces

  1¼ cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons cornstarch

  4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten with fork

  Step 1—Make the batter: Break or chop the bar chocolate into pieces and place them into a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Add the butter and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (creating a double boiler). Stir with a rubber spatula until the two ingredients have melted together. Set the bowl aside for one full hour. Be patient—the chocolate must cool and thicken a bit. After the hour is up, sift in the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and cornstarch. Add the lightly beaten eggs. Whisk well by hand for a good 30 seconds until the batter is smoothly blended.

  Step 2—Prep oven and pan and bake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. If your liners are uncoated, spray the papers lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Measure ¼ cup of batter into each of the paper-lined cups. Divide any extra batter evenly among the 12 cups. Bake for no more than 30 minutes. The cupcake tops should be set (you can touch them lightly to test this). But do not overbake. They should still be moist inside when they come out of the oven. Just like a soufflé, these light cupcakes will puff up during baking and fall slightly as they cool. Serve with coffee, espresso, or a cold glass of milk and eat with joy!

  *Cooking tip: Use a good-quality chocolate for this cupcake recipe and be sure to use bars, not chips. Chocolate chips often contain stabilizers, which help them keep their shape but compromise their flavor and make them more difficult to melt than bar chocolate.

  The Village Blend’s Espresso Shortbread

  This buttery shortbread is laced with the beautiful flavor of freshly roasted coffee. The Village Blend bakes and serves it in traditional, rustic wedges, the perfect shape for dunking into hot mugs of joe. To see a photo of these cookies, visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com, where you can also download a free, illustrated guide to this recipe section.

  Makes 12 wedges of shortbread (for 24 wedges, double this recipe and divide the dough between two 8-inch round cake pans)

  1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spoon into cup and level off

  1 tablespoon cornstarch

  ⅛ teaspoon salt (standard table salt)

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

  ½ cup granulated sugar

  1 large egg yolk (save the white for brushing top)

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon espresso powder*

  2 (extra) teaspoons granulated sugar (for topping)

  Step 1—Prep pan and dry ingredients: First preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of one 8-inch round cake pan and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt, and set aside.

  Step 2—Make dough: Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk (reserving the white for later), vanilla, and espresso powder. Beat until all liquid is absorbed. Add dry ingredients all at once, and beat until a dough forms (about 1 minute). With clean hands, gently gather the dough pieces together and transfer to the buttered cake pan.

  Step 3—Prep for oven: Lightly flatten and press the dough to fill the cake pan. Place plastic wrap on top of the dough and use the tips of your fingers to sweep back and forth lightly, smoothing the top (or use the flat bottom of a glass). Do not press hard or compact the dough, simply try to make it as level, smooth, and even as you can. Discard the plastic. With a knife, cut the dough all the way through completely into 12 wedges. With a fork, make pricks on each wedge, pressing all the way through to the pan bottom. Start at the edge of each wedge and work toward the center, spacing the pricks out in a neat pattern. (This will prevent the dough from puffing up in the oven.) Brush the top lightly with a bit of your reserved egg white. (Do not use the entire egg white, only enough for a light coating to protect the pastry during cooking.) Finally, use your fingers to evenly sprinkle the top with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar.

  Step 4—Bake and cut: Bake the shortbread in your preheated 325°F oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300°F and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes (for a total of 45 to 50 minutes baking time). Remove pan from oven and gently re-cut shortbread wedges while hot. After cutting wedges, carefully run the knife around the inside edge of the pan to separate the pastry from the pan’s sides. Do not remove wedges from the hot pan. Allow the shortbread to remain in the pan for 30 minutes, preferably on a cooling rack to allow air to circulate around the pan. Then remove the cooled shortbread wedges and eat (and dunk) with joy!

  *Cooking tip: Espresso powder (or instant espresso) is not ground coffee. It is brewed (liquid) espresso that has been freeze dried and then ground into powder, which can be reconstituted in hot water or dissolved into the liquid ingredients of a recipe. A good-quality brand to look for is Medaglia D’oro, but whatever brand you use, make sure it’s espresso. Do not substitute instant coffee. It gives a harsher and more sour flavor than instant espresso, which brings a richer, earthier note.

  Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones with Vanilla-Lemon Glaze

  These scones are tender and light with wonderful flavor. The tiny bits of lemon zest in the vanilla glaze and the cream cheese in the scones perfectly balance the sweetness of the glazing sugar and nearly bursting blueberries. After Clare spent a blissful night with Mike Quinn, the pair enjoyed this traditional British breakfast treat, which turned out to be prophetic. Between satisfying bites of scone, Quinn announced an impending trip to London for the NYPD. Clare was sorry to see him go, but her own plate was more than full—figuratively speaking. After the pair started eating these breakfast scones, their actual plates were emptied in record time. May you, too, eat with blueberry scone joy!

  Makes 8 scones

  1 cup fresh or (unthawed) frozen blueberries (tossed with the next ingredient . . .)

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  3 tablespoons cold heavy cream, plus a little more for baking

  1 large egg, lightly beaten with fork

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spoon into cup and level off

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  ½ teaspoon salt (standard table salt)

  ½ cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

  4 ounces very cold cream cheese (block, not whipped), cut into cubes

  ⅓ cup granulated sugar

  Vanilla-Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)

  Step 1—Prep the blueberries: If using fresh berries, wash and dry well. If using frozen, do not thaw. Toss the berries in 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour. The flour will help soak up excess liquid during baking and give you a prettier result. Set berries aside in refrigerator.

  Step 2—Make the dough: In a small bowl, whisk together these three wet ingredients: 3 tablespoons cold heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside in refrigerator. (Keeping things cold is key in this process.) In a large bowl, whisk together your 2¼ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Using clean hands, work the very cold cubes of butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture. Rub and squeeze until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs—there should be no “lumps” of butter or cream cheese left. All crumbs should be no larger than a pea. Now stir in the sugar with hands, combining well, and gently fold in the blueberries (try not to crush them). Finally, pour in the chilled wet ingredients. Gently mix with hands until a dough forms.

  Step 3—Form and chill: Generously flour a flat surface and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands well. Being careful not to crush the berries, very gently work with the dough, forming it into a ball. Pat the ball into an even circle of 7 or 8 inches in diameter and ¾ inch in thickness.
Use a sharp knife to slice the circle into eight wedges—do not fuss with the wedges or try to perfect the edges, handle very little. Chill the wedges in the refrigerator for at least 30 full minutes while preheating oven to 425°F. (The cold dough going into the hot oven will help give you nice, flaky scones.)

  Step 4—Brush and bake: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place it into the oven to heat it. After the dough has chilled, brush the tops lightly with cold heavy cream and place the wedges on the hot pan, allowing space between the wedges for rising. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°F, rotate the pan, reduce the temperature to 375°F, and continue baking for a final 5 minutes. Cool and ice with Vanilla-Lemon Glaze (recipe follows). To see a photo of the finished scones, visit Cleo Coyle’s online coffeehouse at coffeehousemystery.com, where you can also download a free, illustrated guide to this recipe section.

  Vanilla-Lemon Glaze

  Makes ½ cup glaze

  ½ cup heavy whipping cream

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Pinch of salt

  1½ cups (or so) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

  ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice (for stronger lemon flavor, increase to 1 teaspoon)

  1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (see cooking tip*)

  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice and lemon zest (adding ingredients in this order will prevent curdling of the cream). Now whisk in ¼ cup more of powdered sugar. Test the glaze on a plate. If it seems too thin (and won’t set), keep whisking in powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it seems too thick (and won’t pour), splash in more cream. Finally, glaze the scones. For a drizzle effect, dip the tines of a fork into the glaze and move it back and forth over the scone top. To ice the tops completely, generously dollop on the glaze and quickly even it out with the back of a spoon, allowing a bit to drip decadently over the sides. Serve and eat with plenty of joy!