Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Leave to cool completely.
To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add two cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in 2/3of the maraschino cherry juice and all of the almond extract. Beat in the additional powdered sugar slowly.
If necessary, add the additional juice one teaspoon at a time until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. Top cupcakes with frosting, and add whole cherries for decoration. Makes approximately 24 cupcakes.
CHERUBIC CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS
For the base:
5 oz. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
4 oz. dark chocolate, broken into pieces, for topping
For the filling:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Lyles golden syrup
14 oz. can condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. To prepare the base, cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Work in the flour with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Press into a greased 12 x 9-inch baking tin, and bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until shortbread base is golden in color. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool.
To prepare the filling, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat, and boil the mixture for five minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for one minute, then pour onto the cooled shortbread base. Leave to set.
Melt the chocolate in a small, heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water. Spread over the set filling. Mark into portions, fingers, or squares, and leave until quite cold and set before removing from the tin. Cut into pieces. Makes 18-20.
JUBILICIOUS JAM TURNOVERS
For the pastry:
8 oz. flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 oz. (1 1/4 stick) butter
1 oz. lard
1/2 cup cold water
For the filling:
Approximately 1 cup strawberry or apricot jelly
To finish:
Milk
Sugar
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and lard in walnut-sized pieces, and rub into the flour. Add water a teaspoon at a time until you can press the dough gently together with floured hands. Roll out on a well-floured board into a long thin oblong shape with a floured rolling-pin, keeping the edges as straight as possible with a palette knife.
Fold this oblong strip into three with the open edge facing you. Turn the dough a quarter turn clock-wise, and roll out to an oblong shape again. Repeat this folding and rolling process three times more, turning the dough a quarter turn each time it is folded. Fold into three, wrap in cling wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the chilled dough very thinly into a square shape. Cut into 4-inch squares. Put two teaspoons jelly just off center on each square of dough, leaving a margin. Dampen the edges with water. Fold the dough over the jelly to form a triangular shape, and press the edges together to seal. Brush with a little milk, and dredge with sugar.
Place on baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden-brown. Keep an eye on them as they cook quickly. Makes approximately 12 turnovers.
TERESA’S SURPRISE CAKE
For the cake:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3cups extra-fine sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
For the mousse:
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3cup heavy whipping cream
4 large eggs
6 tablespoons extra-fine sugar
2 tablespoons water
For the frosting:
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
For the ganache:
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon palm shortening
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For decoration:
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C, and position rack in the center of the oven. Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper and brushing lightly with oil. Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water. Allow to cool slightly. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, then add sugar, almond extract, and cocoa powder with an electric mixer until well blended. The appearance will be grainy and lumpy. Gradually add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated into the mixture. Add melted chocolate to creamed mixture, and blend it in so that the batter is smooth.
Heat the milk with the water until hot to touch (not boiling). Set aside. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the butter, sugar, chocolate mixture. Slowly fold in, then mix until completely blended. With your electric mixer on slow, pour in the hot milk and water. Increase the speed to medium to completely mix everything together. If it is too stiff, add water a tablespoon at a time to get a soft but not loose cake batter consistency.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing it from the baking pan. Once cooled, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until completely chilled (about 1 1/2 hours).
While the cake is cooling, prepare the chocolate mousse. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water. When the mixture is completely smooth and glossy, scrape into a large bowl and set aside.
In a clean bowl, mix the heavy cream until it comes together and whip lines are slightly visible. Place in the fridge to keep chilled.
Heat eggs, sugar, and water in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water. Whip until frothy and warm to the touch. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl, and mix on high until the mixture is very thick, smooth, and nearly white in color, about 8-12 minutes.
Scoop about 1/3 of the egg mixture into the melted chocolate and butter, and using a folding motion, lightly blend. There will be streaks of light and dark in the mixture. Add the rest of the egg mixture to the chocolate, carefully folding until a fairly uniform tone. Lightly fold in whipped cream. Place the mousse in the fridge until it is solid and the cake is ready to assemble.
To assemble the cake, very lightly spray a 9-inch spring form pan with oil and line it with parchment paper. Remove the cake from the fridge and using a very long, sharp knife, slowly slice through its middle to create two layers of equal size. (A serrated, sharp, bread knife works well).
Carefully place one layer into the bottom of the spring form pan making sure it is snug. Remove the mousse from the fridge, and spread half of it over the cake layer, making sure to even it out to the edges. Add the second layer of cake, and place it over the mousse. Gently press.
Spread the remaining mousse over the second cake layer, spreading to smooth it out on top. Place the cake in the freezer for at least 4 hours. If you are making this one day in advance, once the top of the cake is firm to touch, cover it in plastic wrap.
/> While cake is chilling, prepare almond buttercream frosting. In a bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until holds its shape in peaks. Chill. In a separate clean bowl, cream softened butter, sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Combine the chilled cream into the almond buttercream mixture. Chill until ready to use (at least 1 1/2 hours).
Once the cake and mousse layers are chilled, the cake is ready to be frosted. Prepare the cake plate you will serve the cake on by lining it with pieces of parchment paper to be removed after frosting. Remove the spring form pan from the freezer.
Run a thin knife smoothly around the edge of the pan to help release it. Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper from its bottom. Place the cake on the prepared cake plate. Spread the top and sides thinly with the chilled almond buttercream frosting. Place in the refrigerator while the chocolate ganache and decoration are prepared.
To make the ganache topping, heat the heavy cream, corn syrup, and palm shortening in a pan until just below boiling. Stir to blend, then pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for two minutes, then mix well until everything is smooth and glossy. Add the almond extract, and stir well.
To use immediately, remove the cake from the refrigerator, pour the ganache over the surface of the cake, and with an offset spatula, quickly smooth across the surface of the cake, allowing some to dribble down the sides. Place the cake back in the fridge.
If making the ganache ahead of time, place in the fridge in a covered container. When ready to use, heat in the microwave to bring to a pourable consistency and proceed as described above.
To prepare the toasted almond decoration, place almond slivers in a heavy, ungreased skillet. Stir continuously over medium heat until golden brown. Cool for 30-40 minutes.
Remove the cake, and put the toasted almond slivers along the edge of the finished cake, pressing in gently. This decoration gives the cake a delightful finish and elegant, nutty flavor.
Notes:
It is suggested that, for best results, this cake is made a day prior to serving, otherwise, allow at least six hours to make and assemble cake. Make sure the cake has ample time, at least 30 minutes, in the fridge to thaw before serving. Use a warm knife to slice through. Serves 16-20.
All ingredients are available from your local store or online retailer.
You can find links to the ingredients used in these recipes at http://cozymysteries.com/death-at-the-cafe-recipes/
REVEREND ANNABELLE DIXON WILL RETURN…
Would you like to find out what happens next for Annabelle? Find out in the subsequent book in this fun, cozy mystery series, Murder at the Mansion. You can find an excerpt on the following pages.
CHAPTER 1
THE ONLY THING Annabelle didn’t like about driving her royal blue Mini Cooper was that she couldn’t see how pretty it looked against the lush English countryside. In her mind, the various green hues of the fields, trees, and hedgerows provided the perfect backdrop for her petite blue bullet of a car. She would always picture herself zooming along like an actor in a lavishly produced, British television drama with an audience of millions. Happy ending guaranteed.
Annabelle loved driving. She loved driving almost as much as she loved cakes, and that was saying something. Annabelle’s enthusiasm for sugary treats was as well-known in the village of Upton St. Mary as was her easy-going yet steadfast character. Going for a spin in her Mini with its go-faster stripes followed by a cup of tea and a slice of cake was her idea of a perfect summer’s afternoon.
She whipped the terrier-like motor through the gentle inclines of the Cornish countryside and found it impossible not to smile. Upton St. Mary was very much the kind of village in which people often smiled for no apparent reason. She was coming up to her third year as vicar of the small but dedicated community, yet the elegantly built stone walls, the unfurling landscape of green hills, and stout trees still took her breath away.
Though she had grown up in the hustle and bustle of working-class London, daughter of a street-savvy cabbie and a friendly but reserved cleaning lady, she had always dreamed of finding some grand version of idyllic peace. A place filled with beauty, calm, and goodness. After her troublesome teens, her soul found it in the glow of the Lord, and her body found it in this quaint little village tucked into a beautiful corner of the county of Cornwall, at the very end of England. Even the frequent rains and chilly winters couldn’t spoil this very British Garden of Eden for her.
The villagers themselves, though many had spent their entire lives here, were just as appreciative of Upton St. Mary as their entranced Reverend. Many of their pastimes and traditions involved enjoying the good-naturedness of their neighbors and their delightfully well maintained cottages. Residents also loved nothing more than an open-air crafts fair or competition in which the patient, studious members of the community could display their talents in gardening, knitting, pottery, and – frequently to Annabelle’s delight – baking. Much attention and discourse was directed at every local issue in the name of retaining the village’s rustic charm. Whether it was a problematic pothole or a controversial building extension, the traditional and proud villagers had very strong opinions and voiced them at every opportunity.
The strictly-held traditions of the village, coupled with the speed at which gossip traveled through the close-knit community, meant that Annabelle’s introduction as vicar had been greeted with reticence by some and concern by others. “A female vicar? In Upton St. Mary? What on earth will we do!?” said one particularly worrisome voice. “It’s a slippery slope. Today a female vicar, tomorrow the tea shop will convert to a coffee bar!” said another.
But Annabelle was not the type to be fazed. Though her tall frame and somewhat large figure gave her an ungainly and jovial air, her dedication to church matters was unparalleled. She dealt out sermons with devotion and strokes of well-appointed humor and galvanized more than a few reluctant churchgoers to participate with her abundant, positive energy. She was never too busy to lend a hand here or an ear there. Her willingness to strap on her wellies and get stuck in with the farmers just as easily as she could comfortably chat with the ladies of the tea shop, navigating discussions with decorum and grace, was irresistible. She quickly became the presence villagers wanted at their bedside when ill and the first port of call when a village-wide dispute needed to be resolved fairly and with tact.
Her predecessor had been male, a distinctly hairy male, and relations had been all quite straightforward. However, Annabelle’s appointment had put the villagers in a quandary. How should they refer to the female Reverend? Was her gender to be a cause for impropriety and social faux-pas? “Father” had long-been the customary term, and now that was out of the question. Much discussion ensued on the subject until Annabelle herself put an end to it with her typically tactful decisiveness. The villagers were to call her “Vicar” or just plain “Annabelle.” With their concerns addressed, everyone went about their merry way.
Yes, Annabelle had become a widely accepted and to some, a much-loved boon to the village. The fact that her dog collar was wrapped around a distinctly feminine and surprisingly elegant neck had now been forgotten (or at least ignored) by those who were perhaps a little slower to embrace the new ways of the world. She had settled into the gentle, quiet pace of life a village church position afforded with good humor and grace – making it easy for the villagers to accept her.
Annabelle eased her Mini onto the tightly woven, cobblestone streets that indicated the village’s center and gave a jolly wave to Mr. Hawthorne as he passed by on his daily, morning bike ride. He was a mischievous gentleman of fifty, who told tall tales of his youth in the local pub. While he claimed to ride his bike every morning “for the constitutional benefits,” it was an open secret in the village that he rode to a secluded spot in which he could enjoy the pleasure of his tobacco pipe away from the prying eyes of his disapproving and critical wife.
Annabelle reached a small house on the outskirts of the
village, as cute and prim as its inhabitant, stopped the car, and got out. The sun was just beginning to sprinkle a dappled yellow light on the village, and Annabelle took a deep breath of crisp, fresh air. She detected a faint whiff of something sweet and warm, briskly locked the car door, marched to the front of the house, and knocked cheerily.
After a few moments, the door opened by the tiniest of slivers, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes and pinned-back grey hair.
“Good morning, Vicar,” said Philippa, opening the door and quickly hurrying back into the house.
“Good morning, Philippa,” said Annabelle, wiping her feet on the doormat and following her through the cottage. “Why do you insist on opening the door in that manner? I feel like a door-to-door salesman. I’m sure you’re not expecting anybody else.”
“Better safe than sorry,” said Philippa, leading the way past her paper-filled desk and into the kitchen.
“Oh, these look scrumptious!” squealed Annabelle, catching sight of the range of cakes Philippa had laid out on the kitchen table.
Philippa smiled, took the teapot, and began pouring tea for the Vicar.
“I’m trying something new this season. I thought I might experiment with nuts a little. Walnuts, almonds, that sort of thing. I thought it might give me a better chance of standing out at the fair this year.”
“Mmm,” mumbled Annabelle, already chomping on a particularly rich and utterly delicious cupcake, her ravenous appetite winning the battle over ladylike reserve. “Your baking always stands out, Philippa.”
Death at the Café (A Reverend Annabelle Dixon Cozy Mystery Book 1) Page 10
