Pecan Pies and Homicides (27 page)
Ella Mae's mother was the last to leave. She lingered by the ash tree, standing as close as she could to the trunk without coming into contact with the silver bark.
“Are you all right?” Ella Mae asked.
Her mother smiled. “Of course. After all, I'm mother to the Clover Queen.”
Ella Mae waved off the title. “I have more Herculean tasks to check off my list before anyone starts calling me âYour Highness.'” She gave a self-effacing shrug of her shoulders. “Actually, I hope that never happens. I don't know many queens who wear aprons and perpetually have flour in their hair.” She held out her arm. “Come on, let's go home.”
Together, the two women returned to the other side of the rock wall. After Ella Mae crossed into the cold February night, she stood still for a moment, taking in the high moon and a sky dotted with brilliant stars.
“Look!” she cried and squatted by the side of the path. There, in a patch of unyielding dirt, was a cluster of snowdrops. “Aren't they lovely?”
Her mother bent down to see. “Is this where Eira died?”
Ella Mae nodded.
“Legend has it that very long ago, an angel kissed a snowflake,” her mother said. “When the snowflake fell to the ground, the first snowdrop bloomed. It was also the birth of hope.”
Ella Mae liked the sound of that. “Can we bring it with us? Plant a whole garden bed of snowdrops as a memorial to Eira and Barric?”
Her mother already had her hands in the soil. “Absolutely.”
She transplanted the flower that night, and by morning, there were dozens upon dozens of snowdrops sharing a garden bed with slumbering rosebushes. The bell-shaped blossoms glistened with a diamond frost in the February sunlight, and to Ella Mae's surprise and delight, a pair of butterflies with pale white wings danced over the delicate petals.
She watched their graceful ballet for a long time, until her fingers and toes were numb from cold. Finally, the butterflies lifted off. They flitted upward and hovered above her palm for a moment, circling around each other like two dancers waltzing on air, before rising higher and higher. Ella Mae thought of angels and snowflakes. Of loss and of hope. It was only after the butterflies flew into the heart of a diaphanous cloud and vanished from sight that she finally turned and went inside.
Recipes
Charmed Piecrust
2
1
/
2
cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling (place in freezer for 15 minutes before use)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into
1
/
2
-inch cubes
6 to 8 tablespoons very cold water
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal and you have pea-sized pieces of butter. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the mixture begins to clump together. Put some dough between your fingers. If it holds together, it's ready. If it falls apart, you need a little more water. You'll see bits of butter in the dough. This is a good thing, as it will give you a nice, flaky crust.
Mound the dough and place it on a clean surface. Gently shape it into 2 disks of equal size. Do not overknead. Sprinkle a little flour around the disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Remove the first crust disk from the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or until soft enough to roll. Roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle (Ella Mae uses a pie mat to help with measurements). Gently transfer it into a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within
1
/
2
inch of the edge of the pie plate.
Roll out the second disk of dough and place it on top of the pie filling. Pinch the top and bottom of dough firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving about 1 inch of overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges by pinching with thumb and forefinger. Remember to score the center of the top crust with a few small cuts so that steam can escape.
Charmed Egg Wash
To achieve a golden brown color for your crust, brush the surface with this egg wash before placing the pie in the oven.
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1 large egg yolk
Noteâif you're short on time and decide to use the pre-made piecrusts found in your grocery store's dairy section, then use the egg wash on the crusts to give them a homemade flavor.
Charmed Red Hot Apple Pie
Charmed Piecrust
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1
/
4
cup cinnamon Red Hots candies
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
â
3
cup honey
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
Charmed Egg Wash
Cinnamon sugar (
1
/
2
cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place half of the rolled-out piecrust dough into pie plate. Trim the pastry edges with a knife or kitchen shears. In small saucepan, cook the lemon juice and cinnamon Red Hots over low heat until the candies melt, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ground cinnamon and honey. Arrange apples in bottom crust and pour the Red Hots mixture over the apples. Dot with pieces of butter.
Cut decorative shapes in the remainder of the piecrust dough with small cookie cutters (Ella Mae prefers hearts). Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with water and then lift the top crust over filling. Trim any extra dough with a knife or kitchen shears and then flute the edges or press them together using the tines of a fork. Brush with Charmed Egg Wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Then cover the edge of the crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil and bake for another 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Charmed Meat Pies with Paprika Aioli
DOUGH
2
1
/
2
cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1
/
2
cup vegetable oil
1
/
2
cup ice water
FILLING
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef chuck
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1
/
4
teaspoon cayenne pepper
1
/
4
teaspoon ground cloves
1
/
4
teaspoon allspice
1
/
2
teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
3 splashes of Tabasco sauce (add more if desired)
PAPRIKA AIOLI
1
/
4
cup fresh lemon juice
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1
/
4
teaspoon cayenne pepper
1
1
/
2
teaspoons paprika (sweet or Spanish)
2 tablespoons sugar
1
1
/
2
tablespoons tomato paste
1
1
/
2
cups mayonnaise
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink is showing. Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, cloves, allspice, and thyme, and cook for 3 minutes. Season with hot sauce and let cool. Transfer the filling to a food processor and pulse until chopped.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured work surface, roll out each disk of dough to a 12-inch round. (If you don't want to make the dough by hand, pre-made piecrusts will work just as well). Using a 4-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 6 rounds from each piece of dough. Brush the edges of the rounds with some of the egg wash and place a rounded tablespoon of filling to one side of each circle. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer the pies to the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
While pies are baking, blend together all the ingredients for the paprika aioli. Serve in individual bowls for dipping.
Charmed Mini Maple Pecan Pies
Charmed Piecrust
1 cup pure Grade A maple syrup
3
/
4
cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1
/
4
cup sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After your dough is rolled out, use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Put each circle in a pre-greased muffin pan. In medium bowl, blend all the ingredients except the pecans. Sprinkle the nuts over crust. Pour the filling over until it nearly reaches the top of each tin. Bake until the filling is set, about 45 minutes. Cool completely and serve with maple whipped cream.
Maple Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1
/
4
cup pure Grade A maple syrup
1
/
4
teaspoon ground cinnamon
Place a metal bowl and electric mixer beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove them from the freezer and add the whipping cream to the bowl. Beat until the cream starts to thicken. Now add the maple syrup and ground cinnamon, and whip until stiff peaks form.
Charmed Bacon Lattice Breakfast Pie
10 strips black pepper bacon
1 unbaked deep-dish piecrust
4 large eggs, beaten
1
1
/
2
cups half-and-half
1
1
/
2
cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese (can substitute shredded Cheddar or Swiss)
1 cup breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a tray with parchment paper and create bacon lattice by lining up 5 strips of bacon from top to bottom and then weaving in 5 more strips from side to side (follow same method as making a lattice piecrust). Bake until crisp, approximately 25 minutes. Drain the grease from tray and set aside. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, blend the eggs and half-and-half. Add the cheese and sausage crumbles. Pour into the unbaked piecrust. Bake until the eggs are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 1 hour. Remove the breakfast pie from the oven, carefully transfer the bacon lattice from tray to the top of pie, return the pie to oven, and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve warm.
Charmed Apple Pear Cherry Crisp
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
3
â
4
cup frozen cherries (you can substitute fresh cranberries or raisins)
1
â
4
cup white sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1
â
3
cup quick-cooking oats
1
â
3
cup all-purpose flour
1
â
2
cup packed light brown sugar
1
â
4
cup butter, cut into pieces
1
â
2
cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butter an 8-inch square pan. In a large bowl, mix together the apples, pears, cherries, white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish. In the same bowl or in a food processor, combine the oats, flour, and brown sugar. Mix in the butter until crumbly. (If using food processor, use the pulse button to crumble.) Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Charmed Heart-Shaped White Chocolate Raspberry Cream Two-Bite Pies
Charmed Piecrust
Charmed Egg Wash
Finishing sugar
FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1
/
2
cup white chocolate chips
Add all the filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the Charmed Piecrust dough and cut it with a heart cookie cutter. Transfer the piecrust hearts to the cookie sheet. Add a dollop of filling (amount will depend on size of cookie cutter). Wet the edges of the bottom heart and press another heart gently on top. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Brush the hearts with Charmed Egg Wash and add a sprinkle of finishing sugar. For fun, use different-colored sugars like pink, white, and red. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for spending time with Ella Mae LeFaye and the charmed characters of Havenwood, Georgia. In the next installment of the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries, the magical baker will face another treacherous villain, solve complex puzzles, and, of course, whip up more enchantingly delicious pies.
In the meantime, I'd like to introduce you to my newest series: the Book Resort Mysteries. These books take place at an exclusive resort called Storyton Hall. What's Storyton Hall, you ask? Picture a stately English manor houseâa sprawling behemoth of a buildingâand then move it, stone by stone, to the Virginia countryside. Next, fill each room with books. Hundreds of books. Thousands of books. And then decorate each room so that it reminds you of a famous author. You'll end up with places like the Jane Austen Drawing Room, the Ian Fleming Lounge, and Shakespeare's Theater. Next, fill the many bedrooms with comfy chairs, soft bedding, fresh flowers, and boxes of complimentary chocolates. When all is ready, throw open the massive front doors, offer the guests a glass of champagne, and join them as they enter this reader's Utopia.
But be warned. You're stepping into this haven for book loversâthis place of meandering garden paths, decadent afternoon teas, and secret passagewaysâat your own risk. For you see, a murderer has checked in along with you.
My friends, I invite you to take a brief sojourn into the delightful and occasionally deadly world of the Book Resort Mysteries by offering the first chapter of
Murder in the Mystery Suite
. A word of caution, however. Once you visit Storyton Hall, you might be so captivated by the resort's beauty and charismatic staff that you may never want to leave.
Yours,
Ellery Adams