“She did what?” I gawped.
“I wasn’t socializing,” Fiona stated, and held up a pinky. “I asked for permission from Merryweather.”
“You have a nurturer fairy?” I asked Tish.
“Yes. I saw Zephyr three nights ago for the first time in ages. She was playing a flute. I’m quite partial to flute music.” Tish grabbed my hands. Her cheeks glowed with positive energy. “Thank you. For believing. And for being persistent. Let’s do tea next week. How about Wednesday afternoon?”
“S-sure,” I stammered, still absorbing her transformation.
She squeezed my hands and hurried out of the shop.
As she left, Ulani Kamaka sashayed in. “Miss Kelly, do you have a moment?” She held out a newspaper to me.
I stiffened. “Is this an article about the murder? If so, I don’t want to—”
“It’s not.” She looked at me shrewdly. “Yes, I wrote something, but the piece was turned down. Sharing ordinary news about Carmel is what I do best. I will drive in the proper lane from now on.” She waved the newspaper. “As promised, I’ve written a rave review of your shop. It should help business soar.”
Fiona flew in front of Ulani and waved at her. Ulani didn’t blink. “She still can’t see me,” Fiona said. “Maybe someday. I’m off to a seminar. See you.”
As Fiona took flight, Ulani glanced in her direction. She couldn’t see her yet, I mused, but she was on the verge.
If only my father would be open to the possibility.
Recipes
From Courtney:
These sandwiches are pretty, and delicious, and so easy to make. The trick is to make sure the Brie is at room temperature. If you don’t like Brie cheese, substitute cream cheese.
Brie and Strawberry Tea Sandwiches
(Yield: 6 full sandwiches; 24 quarter sandwiches)
12 slices thin white bread
8 ounces Brie cheese, softened at room temperature, rind
removed
⅓ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon sugar
2-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
12 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
more basil leaves for garnish
Trim the crusts from all the slices of bread.
In a bowl, mix the Brie cheese with the mayonnaise, sugar, and basil.
Spread the Brie mixture thinly on all of the slices of bread. Top half of the slices with strawberries. Set the remaining bread slices on top. Cut into rectangles or triangles. If necessary, cover the sandwiches with a damp paper towel or store in a sealed container until needed. You don’t want them to dry out. Garnish with additional basil.
From Brady:
The biggest trick to baking with caramel, my grandmother says, is to let the baked goods cool completely after baking. Wait, wait, wait. Two hours at minimum. Also make sure you don’t overbake these blondies. Dry blondies are no fun.
Caramel Blondies
(Yield: 9 blondies)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted and cooled a tad
1½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup salted caramel sauce, prepared ahead, kept warm (see
recipe below)
½ cup chopped pecans or cashews
fleur de sel
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla, and flour mixture. Mix until well combined. Spread half of the mixture in the prepared baking pan and smooth.
Spread salted caramel onto the blondie batter using a tablespoon, leaving a bit of space around the edges. Top with the chopped nuts. Drop the remaining batter in spoonfuls over the caramel and spread with a spatula. Using a knife, swirl the blondie batter with the caramel. If desired, sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Bake 28-32 minutes until set in the middle and golden brown; a toothpick should come out clean. Do not overbake. Make sure you cool completely, at least 2 hours, before cutting into squares. If necessary, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to help the caramel set.
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into chunks
½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
In a 3-quart saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook at medium heat. Stir until combined. Do NOT stir again. Heat the mixture until a candy thermometer reads 350 degrees F. Remove thermometer.
Carefully add the butter and whisk until butter is melted. Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour in the cream, whisking all the time until the cream is incorporated. Whisk in the sea salt and set aside to cool.
Allow to cool about 5 minutes, then store in an airtight container until ready to use. Refrigerate.
Caramel Blondies—Gluten-Free Version
(Yield: 9 blondies)
2 cups gluten-free flour
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon whey powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted and cooled a tad
1½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup salted caramel sauce, prepared ahead, kept warm (see
recipe above)
½ cup chopped pecans or cashews
fleur de sel
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, whey powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla, and gluten-free flour mixture. Mix until well combined. Spread half of the mixture in the prepared baking pan and smooth.
Spread salted caramel onto the blondie batter using a tablespoon, leaving a bit of space around the edges. Top with the chopped nuts. Drop the remaining batter in spoonfuls over the caramel and spread with a spatula. Using a knife, swirl the blondie batter with the caramel. If desired, sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Bake 28-32 minutes until set in the middle and golden brown; a toothpick should come out clean. Do not overbake. Make sure you cool completely, at least 2 hours, before cutting into squares. If necessary, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to help the caramel set.
From Meaghan:
I’ve been making brownies all my life. This is one of my favorites. I stole the recipe from Hideaway Café. Brady said it was his grandmother’s secret recipe, but let’s face it—I’m a brownie expert. I could figure it out. It’s possible she added a dash of cinnamon. I did not. By the way, Yvanna tells me that baking brownies gluten-free is one of the easiest things to do. Chocolate really helps with structure. So I made this gluten-free, too, and voilà—she was right. Enjoy.
Chocolate Caramel Brownies
(Yield: 15-20 brownies)
2 cups sugar
¾ cup baking cocoa (choose the best available)
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans, if desired
For the caramel sauce:
⅔ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into chunks
⅓ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set a
side.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs, and milk.
In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and add the chopped pecans, if desired.
Spoon two-thirds (⅔) of the batter into the 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce.
In a 3-quart saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook at medium heat. Stir until combined. Do NOT stir again. Bring to a boil and let boil until a candy thermometer reads 350 degrees F. It takes a few minutes. Remove the thermometer. Carefully add the butter and whisk until butter is melted. Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the cream is incorporated. You want the caramel to thicken up. If necessary, return to low heat and stir until thick. Set aside to cool.
Remove the partially baked brownies from the oven. Pour the melted caramel sauce over the brownies and spread evenly.
Add the remaining one-third (⅓) of the batter by spoonfuls over the caramel layer. Using a knife, swirl the caramel with the batter.
(Note: If you didn’t use enough of the batter in the bottom portion, don’t worry. You just have more brownie on the top. However, it won’t swirl as well. If you want to make it perfectly, this means you’ll have to eat this entire batch and make another. Poor you.)
Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out semi-clean. You don’t want to overbake brownies. Ever.
Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
Chocolate Caramel Brownies—Gluten-Free Version
(Yield: 15-20 brownies)
2 cups sugar
¾ cup baking cocoa (choose the best available)
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1½ cups gluten-free flour (I used a sweet rice/tapioca
mixture)
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans, if desired
For the caramel sauce:
⅔ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into chunks
⅓ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs, and milk.
In another bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder.
Gradually add the GF flour mixture to the egg mixture until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and add the chopped pecans, if desired.
Spoon two-thirds (⅔) of the batter into the 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce.
In a 3-quart saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook at medium heat. Stir until combined. Do NOT stir again. Bring to a boil and let boil until a candy thermometer reads 350 degrees F. It takes a few minutes. Remove the thermometer. Carefully add the butter and whisk until butter is melted. Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the cream is incorporated. You want the caramel to thicken up. If necessary, return to low heat and stir until thick. Set aside to cool.
Remove the partially baked brownies from the oven. Pour the melted caramel sauce over the brownies and spread evenly.
Add the remaining one-third (⅓) of the batter by spoonfuls over the caramel layer. Using a knife, swirl the caramel with the batter.
(Note: If you didn’t use enough of the batter in the bottom portion, don’t worry. You just have more brownie on the top. However, it won’t swirl as well. If you want to make it perfectly, this means you’ll have to eat this entire batch and make another. Poor you.)
Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out semi-clean. You don’t want to overbake brownies. Ever.
Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
From Yvanna:
Coriander, the plant, is widely used in my culture’s cooking. It is also known as Chinese parsley, the stems and leaves of which are known as cilantro. Most people think the leaves have a tart, lemony taste, but some people think cilantro takes like bath soap. The dried fruits of the parsley are known as coriander seeds. They also have a citrusy, warm, nutty, spicy flavor.
Coriander Cookies with Vanilla Icing
(Yield: 24-30 cookies)
For the cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the icing:
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons water
white sparkling sugar
In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs and mix well.
In another bowl, combine the flour, coriander, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to make the dough firm.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by covering with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Break off small pieces of the dough and roll each piece into a walnut-sized ball. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and set on a rack to cool.
Meanwhile, make the frosting.
In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar with water until smooth. When the cookies are cool, frost the cookies with icing and sprinkle with the sparkling sugar.
Note: If you don’t frost them, these make great freezer cookies. Store in an airtight container and enjoy whenever you want a cookie.
From Courtney:
I adore this custard. It’s so easy to make, and it’s perfect by itself or paired with fresh strawberries or added to a trifle. The thing I need to remember when I make custard is to take things slowly when the recipe says slowly and remove the custard from heat when the recipe says to remove from heat. Custard can take command if I’m not careful.
Custard
(Yield: serves 4-8)
4 egg yolks at room temperature
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the egg yolks to a bowl and whisk in the cornstarch and sugar.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the vanilla extract, and heat on medium until it is warm but not hot! You should be able to douse your finger.
Remove the milk from heat and pour it slowly into the egg mixture, stirring the whole time. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and, using a whisk, whisk constantly until it comes to a boil.
Once it’s boiling, remove from heat and keep whisking until the custard thickens.
Serve immediately or transfer to a container to let the custard cool. I prefer the cool version. If cooling, remember to press a layer of plastic wrap on it so a skin won’t form on top.
From Yvanna:
I had these little gems when I took a trip to New York and told Courtney about them. They are delicious and beautiful. Courtney wanted to serve them for her Saturday teas. Lavender and lavender extract are not found in typical stores. We had to special order these items. Whatever lavender flowers (petals) you have left over, feel free to use in sachets and such. I’m sharing a regular version as well as a gluten-free version. My sister needs to eat glut
en-free, so she tested that one and loved it.
Lemon Cupcakes with Lavender Frosting
(Yield: 12-18 regular or 24-36 miniature cupcakes)
For the cupcakes:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
6 tablespoons sour cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar, more if needed
2-3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
A Sprinkling of Murder (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 1) Page 27