Recipe from Elizabeth Coblentz with Kevin Williams, The Amish Cook
Cinnamon Fans
Fans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
⅓ cup sugar
¾ cup shortening
1 cup milk
Filling
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
½ cup sugar
2 T. cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside for now.
For fans: Whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Add the milk and stir. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for a half minute. Roll the dough into the shape of a rectangle about one-quarter inch thick (the rectangle should be about 8 × 24 inches).
For filling: Spread the melted butter evenly on the dough. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and then sprinkle that mixture over the buttered dough.
Cut the dough into four long strips, each about 2 inches wide and 24 inches long. Stack the 4 strips on top of one another, and then cut the stack into 12 equal pieces, each about 2 inches wide.
Turn the pieces on their sides in greased muffin tin cups so each treat fans out.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe from Georgia Varozza, 99 Favorite Amish Breads, Rolls, & Muffins
Potato and Vegetable Scones
2½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. salt
4 ounces cream cheese
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 cup cream
¼ cup each green, red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers, finely diced (using multiple colors isn’t necessary, but it makes the scones prettier)
¼ cup onion, finely diced
½ large potato, peeled, cooked, and finely diced
⅛ cup fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced or diced
⅛ tsp. dried sage
⅛ tsp. dried rosemary
1 T. butter
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the cheeses and egg. Add the cream and mix well.
On medium-low heat, sauté the vegetables and herbs in butter until soft, about 4 minutes. Add them to the cream mixture and stir well. Add the dry ingredients and stir by hand until a soft dough forms.
Place the dough on a buttered cookie sheet (or you can use a silicone baking mat instead) and pat into a one-inch-thick circle. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into 8 equal wedges (as if you were cutting pie).
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Remove scones from the baking sheet and set on a wire rack to cool.
Recipe from Georgia Varozza, 99 Favorite Amish Breads, Rolls, & Muffins
Company Chicken Casserole
4 cups carrots, diced
4 qt. potatoes, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
8 cups frozen peas
4 to 5 qt. boneless chicken pieces, cooked
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup Colby cheese, grated
Place the carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, and peas in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then decrease heat to medium. Cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain the vegetables and place them in a large roaster with a lid. Add the chicken and mix well. Add the salt and paper. Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover the roaster with a lid. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
Recipe from Elizabeth Coblentz with Kevin Williams, The Amish Cook
Amish Snickerdoodles
½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
1½ cups sugar
2¾ cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375°. Thoroughly mix the butter, shortening, eggs, and sugar. Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and add to the first mixture. Combine well. With your hands, form small dough balls (about walnut size) and roll them in a mixture of the sugar and cinnamon. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cookies will flatten into circles as they cook. You can top with red hots or leave unadorned.
Double Good Blueberry Pie
¾ cup sugar
3 T. cornstarch
⅛ tsp. salt
¼ cup water
4 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 T. butter
1 T. lemon juice
1 baked pie shell
Whipped cream
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add the water and 2 cups of the berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened and clear. (It will be quite thick.)
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Let cool. Place the remaining 2 cups of berries in a baked 9-inch pie shell and top with the cooked berry mixture. Chill. Serve with whipped cream.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Ski Hi Stampede is Colorado’s oldest pro rodeo and includes both professional and amateur events. The first Ski Hi rodeo was held on August 11-13, 1919, and was called the Ski Hi Stampede. More than 10,000 people attended. You can visit the Ski Hi rodeo facility in downtown Monte Vista.
The first Amish families settled in Colorado in the early 1900s. As of 2010, the state was home to four Amish communities, with a combined population of under 100 families. In the San Luis Valley, farming has proven to be a challenge for the Amish, as the area receives an average of seven inches of rain annually. The growing season is approximately 90 days. Many families in the area have opened small businesses to provide an additional source of income.
Accidental/acquired savant syndrome is a condition where dormant savant skills emerge after a brain injury or disease. Although it’s quite rare, researchers in 2010 identified 32 individuals who displayed unusual skills in one or more of five major areas: art, musical abilities, calendar calculation, arithmetic, and spatial skills. Males with savant syndrome outnumber females by roughly six to one.
Drones are now an affordable piece of equipment, with prices ranging from $39.99 to thousands of dollars. Many drones now have GPS, 4K camera, and autopilot.
I did much research and had the pleasure of visiting the town of Monte Vista. I took the liberty of rearranging sections of the town in order to facilitate the actions of and cause trouble for my characters. Any discrepancies in the description of the area were done intentionally for dramatic license.
About the Author
VANNETTA CHAPMAN writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She is the author of several novels, including the Plain & Simple Miracles series and Pebble Creek Amish. Vannetta is a Carol Award winner and has also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill Country. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.
Somewhere in the Embers Lies the Truth
A fire blazes out of control in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, leaving an elderly Amish bachelor dead. Bishop Henry Lapp rushes to the scene, and he learns the fire was no accident. Someone intended to kill Vernon Frey. But who would want to kill him? Well, practically everyone—Amish and Englisch alike.
When the police point the finger at a suspect Henry knows is innocent, the bishop must decide whether or not to use his mysterious, God-given gift—one he’s tried desperately to ignore all these years—to try and set the record straight. His close friend and neighbor, Emma Fisher, encourages Henry to follow God’s leading.
Could the clue
to solving the case be locked somewhere deep in Henry’s memory? Will he find the courage to move forward in faith and put the right person behind bars? Is his friendship with Emma becoming something more?
What the Bishop Saw is a story of extraordinary talent, the bonds of love and friendship, and the unfailing grace of God.
A Terrible Secret Hides in the Bulrushes
Amish bishop Henry Lapp eagerly awaits the annual arrival of 20,000 sandhill cranes to the San Luis Valley of Colorado. But his visit to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge reveals more than just a miracle of God’s creation. Hidden among the bulrushes and cattails is the deceased body of a young woman.
As the local authorities attempt to unravel the mystery, Henry feels God’s calling to use his extraordinary talent to aid in the investigation. His ability to draw from memory in photographic detail could help solve this puzzling case.
Henry’s closest friend, Emma Fisher, has always urged him to embrace his gift. As their relationship deepens, Henry realizes his involvement could put him and those he loves in the direct path of a killer, one who is willing to do anything to cover up a brutal crime, including framing the bishop.
When the Bishop Needs an Alibi is a compelling story of faith, friendship, and finding courage only God can provide.
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About the Publisher
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To learn more about Harvest House books and to read sample chapters, visit our website:
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
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Who the Bishop Knows Page 32
