Stirring the Plot (A Cookbook Nook Mystery) (26 page)

From Aunt Vera:

The very first year we held the Winsome Witches luncheon, I was the one to come up with this recipe. I’m not a big drinker, but I really love a sweet, fun cocktail. A colorful drink in a martini glass brings out the twenty-something girl in me. Invigorating when one is well into her sixties. Serving the cocktail in a sugar-rimmed martini glass makes the drink look ever so festive.

Witchy Woman Cocktail

(makes 4 to 6 drinks)

Sugar for martini glasses

4 ounces Midori Melon liqueur or Citronella liqueur

4 ounces dark rum

4 ounces light rum

8 ounces red cranberry juice

8 ounces apple juice

4 ounces simple syrup

8 tablespoons lemon juice

Melon balls for garnish

Prepare the martini glasses by wetting the rims and dipping the rims in the sugar. Set aside to let the sugar harden.

Meanwhile, pour the liquids into a pitcher and mix well. Set in a refrigerator to chill.

When ready to serve, pour 6 ounces of liquid into each martini glass. Garnish with a skewered melon ball.

Simple Syrup Recipe

1 cup water

2 cups granulated sugar

Bring the water to a boil in a 6-quart pot. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water. Stir constantly. Once the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Don’t let the syrup boil too long or it will get thick.

From Katie:

I made this special chocolate as a favor for Jenna to give to Pepper. It did the trick. Pepper adored these chocolates. This recipe is an easy way to make your own homemade chocolate. You’ll never buy store-bought again! Here’s a little chocolate-making tip, however. Make sure that no water or liquid gets into the chocolate, as it can cause the texture of the chocolate to get grainy. Ick. Even be careful of wet hands or a drop of water when you pour the chocolate into the molds.

Dark Chocolate Laced with Cayenne Pepper

¼ cup coconut oil

½ cup natural cocoa powder

1 to 2 tablespoons raw honey or pure maple syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of sea salt

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until it is a clear liquid.

When the coconut oil is completely melted, add the cocoa powder, honey (the more honey, the sweeter the chocolate), vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper. Make sure all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth.

Using a candy pourer (found at specialty shops) or a pastry tube, pour the chocolate into candy molds. Let harden for several hours at room temperature. Then remove the candy from the molds. If the candy is not yet hard, stick it in the fridge to harden.

From Jenna:

I found a brittle recipe in a cookbook with the incredibly long title
Ghoulish Goodies: Creature Feature Cupcakes, Monster Eyeballs, Bat Wings, Funny Bones, Witches’ Knuckles, and Much More!,
but I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I experimented and came up with this recipe. The author of the recipe mentioned that tons of recipes for candy brittle include a big baking soda addition, which can make the hot sugar puff up too much and get sort of cloudy looking. The puffiness looks cool, but the candy doesn’t have the crispness that brittle-lovers crave. So, note that this recipe doesn’t have a ton of baking soda. Also note, you need a candy thermometer. Luckily, I had one because my aunt was wise enough to furnish my little kitchen with one. She knew I had a sweet tooth. The recipe is easy. The candy flavor is divine.

Sunflower Seed Brittle

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup water

⅓ cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup shelled sunflower seeds

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with butter. Put on oven mitts.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly while the sugar dissolves. Cook until the mixture comes to a full boil. This will take 3 to 5 minutes.

Slip the candy thermometer along the side of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue to boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 260°F on the candy thermometer. This will take 10 to 12 minutes. (Note: the temperature gets to 200°F fast . . . but then be patient.)

Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the butter and sunflower seeds with a wooden or heatproof spoon. (Don’t use a plastic spoon; it could melt.) Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 295°F on the candy thermometer. This will take about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. Be careful; the vanilla will spatter. Yipes!

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it as thinly as possible, using the back of the wooden spoon or a spatula, and let the brittle stand until completely cool. Break the candy into serving pieces (I gently whack it with a mallet) and store the candy in a plastic ziplock bag. Remember to squeeze out the air before sealing. The candy holds for up to 2 weeks, if you can keep from eating it that long.

From Jenna:

I left the Winsome Witches luncheon with such a craving for this delectable cake. I told Katie about it, and she figured out how to make it. She said the trick was adding a dab of coffee or espresso. I have to admit it wasn’t that hard to make. Chopping chocolate takes a bit of time and muscle, but that’s it!

French Silk Fudge Cake

(à la Jenna, à la Katie)

(serves 4 to 8)

1 (3½-to-4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped

1½ (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons brewed coffee

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

¾ cup granulated sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons flour (may use gluten-free flour plus ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum)

½ of a 3½-to-4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into ½-inch pieces

Whipped cream or frosting, if desired

Note: I used Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate instead of bittersweet chocolate.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease four mini Bundt cake cups.

Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on low power until the butter has melted and the chocolate is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning the mixture.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the cinnamon, coffee, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and salt until combined. Stir in the flour. Mix in the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth. Add the additional bittersweet chocolate pieces. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt cake cups. Fill about ¾ full.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with “streaks” of thick batter. The tops of the cakes will be nearly firm. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm, or wait 20 minutes and serve at room temperature with whipped cream squirted into the center of the Bundt shape.

Note: If you want to frost this cake, consider baking it in cupcake tins. Bake 17 to 20 minutes. Or in a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

From Jenna:

I know I’ve shared a bonbon recipe with you before, but this one is really different and perfect for Halloween because of the pumpkin. Now, mind you, the dipping in hot chocolate was a challenge, but I did it! I’m getting quite good at the fork trick.

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Bonbons

1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips

½ cup pumpkin purée

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Dash of nutmeg

1 cup ground pecans

1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the white chocolate chips, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth and silky.

Remove from the heat and pulverize the pecans by either putting them in a ziplock bag and whacking with a mallet or by blending the pecans in the blender. I personally like the whacking method.

Now add the ground pecans to the white chocolate and pumpkin mixture. Stir well. Set the mixture in the fridge and let cool for a bit, about 20 minutes.

Line a 9-by-15-inch sheet pan with parchment paper and scoop the pumpkin-pecan mixture by small spoonfuls (about 1 inch in size) onto the pan. Place the sweets in the freezer for about 2 hours.

Two hours later:
Slowly melt the semisweet chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler. You do not want this to go directly on the stove because the chocolate will get fudgy and thick.

Remove the pumpkin pecan balls from the freezer. Using two forks as tongs, carefully dip one ball at a time in the melted chocolate, covering the entire thing in chocolate. The technique requires
rolling
the ball between the forks.

Carefully slide the bonbon back onto the parchment paper. Repeat until all the bonbons are coated. If you need to, reheat the melted chocolate as needed.

Place the bonbons in an airtight container and set in the refrigerator to harden.