Midnight Snacks are Murder
Page 29
Georgina picked it up. “My bracelet. I thought it was gone forever.”
“How in the world did it get in there?” I asked Georgina.
Mrs. Galbraith clasped her hands behind her back. “I imagine the person who had been wearing it was lying on the floor listening through the vent when the clasp broke.”
Georgina flushed crimson. “Why would you think something crazy like that?”
“Because you can hear every word spoken from the kitchen through that vent.”
Aunt Ginny and I looked through the dining-room door to the kitchen ceiling.
Georgina dropped the bracelet into her pocket. “Well, I wouldn’t know about that.”
Mrs. Galbraith paced the length of the table. “If you agree to my terms, I will draw up a contract.”
Georgina came alive when it was our turn in the negotiation. She stood to her feet and straightened her white blazer over her blue slacks. “I have a few things I’d like to add.”
Mrs. Galbraith raised a hand to stop Georgina. “Absolutely not. I will only take direction and concerns from the primary, Mrs. McAllister.”
Georgina’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
I jumped to my feet and thrust my hand out. “You’re hired.”
*
I was getting my cookies together for the Teen Center later that day when I got a phone call from Tim. “Hi.”
“Hey, gorgeous. I have a proposition for you.”
“I’m being propositioned. Oooohh.”
Tim laughed. “I can issue any kind of proposition you’re interested in. But right now, I wanted to know if you’d be willing to help me out—since you’re finished with your police investigation,” he said dryly.
“Sure, help you with what?”
“I know you’re really busy these days with all the time you spend baking at the coffee shop.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But, would you have time to be on my team when we compete at Restaurant Week?”
“You want me to cook with you?”
“Yeah, if you’re okay with that. I’d still be the head chef, but you could be a line chef under Gigi.”
“Gigi?”
“Yeah, we’re combining efforts this year and she’s going to be my sous chef.”
“So, she’ll be second-in-command?”
“Right.”
“And I’ll answer to her?”
“Well, you’ll answer to both of us.”
Oh goody. I looked outside to see if hell was freezing over. “Send me the information and I’ll get back to you.”
“It’s not for a few weeks, but I hope you’ll say yes, Mack. I miss you.”
“Way to make it harder for me to say no.”
“That was the idea. And, hey, let’s go to coffee later.”
“Anyplace in particular?”
“Yeah, Starbucks.”
“Chicken.”
I had just hung up with Tim when Smitty hollered from down the hall. “Poppy!”
“What?”
“The range is here.”
“It’s about time.”
Please turn the page
for recipes from Poppy’s kitchen!
PALEO ESPRESSO BROWNIES
4 large eggs
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup honey
*8 ounces melted butter or coconut oil
1¼ cups cocoa, sifted
1 scraped vanilla bean
½ cup tapioca starch
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 shot espresso (Use 1 teaspoon of coffee extract or ¼ cup coffee if you don’t have espresso.)
pinch cayenne
1 package allergy friendly chocolate chips (or 1½ cups of chopped dark chocolate chunks)
*Use coconut oil if you are a Paleo purist. They now make coconut oil that has no taste, so it won’t influence the flavor of the brownies.
Preheat the oven to 300° F. Butter and flour (or use baker’s spray containing oil and flour) an 8-inch square pan (or line the pan with parchment paper).
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add sugar and honey. Beat until well combined.
Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes.
Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. Remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it’s mostly cool.
GLUTEN-FREE BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK MUFFINS
3½ cups one-to-one gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill
1½ cups granulated sugar
4½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk, shaken
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)
½ cup sliced almonds
Sanding sugar
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix together. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs.
Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork just until blended.
Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don’t overmix! Scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.
Sprinkle with sliced almonds and sanding sugar.
Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Recipe makes 2 dozen muffins.
PALEO CHOCOLATE-ORANGE MUFFINS
1 cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons HOT water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ cup almond flour*
⅓ cup tapioca flour*
1 cup cassava flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons orange zest
¾ cup vanilla or plain coconut or almond yogurt (or sour cream for a non-Paleo version)
1 bag allergy-free chocolate chips
*For a non-Paleo version, 1⅔ cups gluten-free one-to-one flour may be substituted for the almond, tapioca, and cassava flours.
Optional Glaze
Make a glaze using ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and add enough juice from the zested oranges to make a thin paste. Drizzle over the muffins when they’re cool.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with liners; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and oil. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Combine the cocoa and the hot water in a small bowl and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Add to the sugar and oil, beat for 1 minute. Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt to the large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Using a spatula, fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Using a large scoop, fill each liner. Sprinkle the remaining ⅓-cup chocolate chips on top and gently press into the batter. Place in the oven to bake for 7 minutes at 400° F, then reduce the heat to 350° F and continue baking for 10–12 more minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (except for melted chocolate chips). You may have to poke them a couple of times to get a good spot.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with the
orange glaze if desired.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.
PALEO BANANA-WALNUT MUFFINS
3 or 4 large ripe bananas (1⅔ cups mashed)
3 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup almond butter
⅓ cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease with coconut oil.
In a large bowl or mixer, whip the bananas until mashed. Add eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and the almond butter until fully combined.
In a separate bowl, sift the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in the walnuts.
Divide the batter between the prepared muffin tins.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 16–19 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Flip out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling or you’ll have soggy bottoms.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.
GLUTEN-FREE HONEY MAPLE PECAN SHORTBREAD
This shortbread recipe is fabulous by itself or as a pie crust. With the addition of the pecan topping these become pecan pie bars.
¾ cup cassava flour
¾ cup one-to-one gluten-free flour blend
¾ cup almond flour (this really gives the shortbread a crumbly texture)
1 cup sugar
1 cup good softened butter (Butter is the big flavor here. Substituting coconut oil or anything else will not make shortbread. The better the butter, the better the shortbread.)
3 vanilla beans, scraped (or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract)
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Maple Pecan Topping
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat an oven to 350° F.
Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with parchment, making sure the parchment comes up the sides of the dish.
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixer. Mix until fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, and nutmeg if desired.
Add in the flours and beat until a dough has formed. Press into a parchment-lined 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and prick with a fork.
Bake the shortbread in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. While the shortbread is baking, beat the eggs in a saucepan along with ½ cup sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, and 1 cup pecans. Let mixture come to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour the hot pecan mixture over the hot crust, and return to the oven. Continue baking until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Lift the shortbread out by the parchment paper and cut into pieces. I like to cut the bars into rectangles then cut those rectangles into triangles.
GLUTEN-FREE BUTTERSCOTCH–OATMEAL BARS
Bars
1¼ cups one-to-one gluten-free flour
2 cups gluten-free quick-cooking oatmeal
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butterscotch chips
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) browned butter
(I’ll explain below)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Crumble Topping
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup gluten-free flour
¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
pinch salt
Glaze
¼ cup butterscotch chips
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cream
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350° F and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with parchment, making sure the parchment comes up the sides of the dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
Place the ¾ cup butterscotch chips in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and let the butter cook until golden brown in color, about 10 minutes, taking care not to burn.
Pour the hot butter over half the butterscotch chips and whisk together until melted and smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, just until incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, spreading the batter evenly to the edges. Bake the bars until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 16–18 minutes.
While the bars bake, place the ¼ cup butterscotch chips, brown sugar, water, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes on 50 percent power. Whisk to combine well.
Drizzle the glaze over the warm bars. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into squares. Serve.
Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek of Libby Klein’s next Poppy McAllister mystery,
RESTAURANT WEEKS ARE MURDER,
coming soon wherever print and eBooks are sold!
“I don’t care how good Dr. Oz says it is, I’m not eating vegan cheese.” Aunt Ginny took the last stuffed pheasant off the Frasier Fir, wrapped it in tissue paper, and placed it in an old Woolworth’s hatbox to store until next Christmas.
I put the lid on the box of antique nutcrackers and placed it by the doorway for my handyman, Itty Bitty Smitty, to store in the attic the next time he was here to fiddle with his perpetual chore list. “But Aunt Ginny, you haven’t even tried it yet. It’s made from cashews.”
Aunt Ginny stuck her tongue out. “That might just be the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard. I’d rather eat the plastic it’s wrapped in.”
Figaro made himself his usual nuisance and batted a sparkly red and gold ornament from a low branch across the floor and chased it out into the foyer.
“Come on. You said you’d do this diet with me. You know how much better I’ve been feeling since I went Paleo four months ago.”
“Yeah, I know. Everybody knows. Because you won’t stop talking about it. I’ve never heard anyone go on so much about gluten, inflammation, and free-range vegetables in my whole life. Back in my day you ate what you wanted and got old gracefully. You never complained that you were bloated, or your brain was foggy.”
I rolled my eyes to myself. If Aunt Ginny didn’t spend the better part of each day grousing about her aches and pains her jaw would atrophy, and she’d need physical therapy. I picked up the three boxes of Belgian chocolates that she had received for Christmas from her “Secret Santa.” I suspected Aunt Ginny’s “Secret Santa” was a little redhead in her eighties with a penchant for caramels. “Where would you like these, Saint Nick?”
Aunt Ginny snatched the boxes from my hand. “I’ll put them in my room with that bottle of Amaretto that mysteriously showed up under the tree.”
I threw my hands up. “It’s a Christmas miracle!” I followed the trail of glitter down the hall to the kitchen where I found a gold sparkly Figaro peeking at me with one eye, the other side of his body hiding behind the trash can. I checked the time. Thirty minutes till the event of a lifetime, working side by side with Tim, my ex-fiancé, as his pastry chef in a real professional kitchen. Just thinking about it made my scalp tingle. “Come on, Liberace, let’s brush you out before I’m dealing with something gold and sparkly in the litter box.”
I plopped down on the floor in the sunroom and ran a brush through Figaro’s black smoke fur. He hum
med like a Harley, his copper eyes slitty like two winter crescent moons reflecting on the Atlantic.
Aunt Ginny waved a pair of bright orange leather hands at me from the doorway. “What should I do with Georgina’s present? These must have cost your mother-in-law a fortune, but who in their right mind needs Italian calfskin car gloves just for driving five minutes to the beauty parlor once a week? And why in the world did she get this gaudy shade of orange?”
My eyes flicked up to the pumpkin-colored swirls atop of Aunt Ginny’s head. “I think she got them to … match.” I smiled.
Aunt Ginny narrowed her eyes. “Well then you take them, they match your hair too smarty pants.”
“Hey, don’t blame me for Georgina’s gaudy taste. At least you didn’t get a custom monogrammed barbecue brand to sear your initials onto your steaks. I can’t even re-gift that.”
Aunt Ginny sat in her rocker and wound a ball of twinkle lights into a hive for me to figure out next Christmas. “I’m glad things are going better between the two of you. Especially since it looks like she’ll be visiting regularly now that she and You-Know-Who are an item.”
We gave each other a look and shook our heads. The memory of Georgina locked in a passionate embrace with a certain little bald handyman was a disturbing image.
Figaro swatted my hand and tried to bite me, signaling the grooming event was over. I took the ball of lights Aunt Ginny had painstakingly knotted up and put them in another storage bin.
I hiked up my skinny jeans, which were drooping over my hips. I giggled to myself. I hadn’t worn anything that could be classified as too big since I played dress-up in Aunt Ginny’s petticoats when I was six.
I boxed up the penguin mafia and the Nativity Scene, which somehow always managed to merge into one display, and checked the time on my phone again. Ten more minutes.
Aunt Ginny toddled around the corner heaving a giant light up gingerbread house for the stack. “Is it time?”
“Almost.” I grinned and took the Sweetie Shoppe from her.
“You’ve been bouncing around here like a grasshopper on a hot pavement.”
“I can’t help it, I feel like my fairy godmother finally showed up and said you’re going to an all-you-can-eat pie buffet, and everything has negative calories. I’ve waited my whole life for this day. I thought I had greater odds of fitting into a size seven again.”