Foodie Files Cozy Mysteries Box Set
Page 30
The girls had jokes.
Javier retrieved our coffees and returned to our table. He seemed completely unfazed by Tenley’s name for our coffees.
“I’ve got a question for you,” Javier said.
“Okay?” I had no clue what his question would be, but I’d do my best to answer it. I was so tired of answering questions about Bitsie, about Luke. I was just happy Grandmother was out of the hospital and back with Mom in my old room. It was hard to say if she was ever going to go back to Mossy Oaks.
Javier leaned toward me. “Can we be friends?” he asked.
Wait… we’re not friends? I could’ve sworn we were. After all, I told people he was my detective friend.
“I thought we already were,” I confided.
“We are,” he said. “But I mean like real friends. Like more than investigate homicides and see each other at the coffee shop friends.”
“Sure,” I said slowly, not really knowing where he was going with it. We had both just gotten out of relationships and had tender hearts right now.
“For instance,” he said, “if I want to see a new movie out at the theaters and don’t want to go by myself. Can we be that kind of friends?”
“Depends on the movie,” I said. “But, yes.”
“And running friends. I told you about the half marathon I signed up for, right? I could use some pointers.”
“We can definitely be that kind of friend,” I told him. “Then I won’t have to carry around mace. You chase off the bad guys easy.”
“It’s a knack,” he said, laughing.
“Oh. How about the kind of friend that helps me plan where I should take my mom and sister to eat on their first visit to Lanai? Can we be that kind of friends?”
“Definitely,” I said. “But I’ve written a slew of articles about that. And what do I get out of this? Can you be the friend who teaches me to make a picadillo for my blog?”
“I do make a mean one.”
We sat there for a while trading off the things we might do with each other, sipping our coffees. I don’t think my smile left my cheeks.
“Now, I know I told you I didn’t have to work on Tuesdays. But I did promise a certain friend of ours an exclusive interview about the case. What type of coffee does Kate like?”
“She’s a nonfat mocha kind of gal,” I said. “With an extra shot of espresso.”
Javier ordered a to go coffee for Kate. We chitchatted while he waited for the coffee. It seemed like nothing had changed, but also, everything had changed at once.
“I’ll see ya later, friend,” he called as he grabbed Kate’s coffee.
The sun was shining brightly. Soon, it would be spring. And everything on the horizon seemed better.
The End
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Miss Jeanie’s Peanut Butter Pie
This recipe is perfect for a family gathering, a summer afternoon, or anytime you need to cheer up the Miss Jeanie in your life.
So, how do we make it?
1 recipe pretzel crust
1 recipe pie filling
1 recipe ganache topping
Pretzel Crust
1.5 2 cups crushed pretzel pieces (fine) we use a food processor
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp powdered milk
stick of butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add butter to bowl evenly. Press pretzel mixture firmly on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool.
Pie Filling
1.5 cups heavy cream
8 ounces softened cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Whip the heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Set aside in fridge. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. Add sugar and mix until blended smoothly. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, again mixing well. Next, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese and peanut butter mixture. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, then place filled pie into the freezer.
Ganache Topping
0.5 cup heavy cream (this is healthy, right?)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a small saucepan, slowly—that’s important—bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips evenly, covering them in cream. Put the lid on the pan and let it sit on the stove. After about ten minutes, stir until the chocolate chips are melted and fully blended. Cool to room temperature, then pour the ganache over the pie. Place in freezer for 30 minutes before serving.
If you’re serving the pie more than 30 minutes later, you can store it in the freezer, then thaw it for at least 20 minutes before serving. The longer it sits, the more ooey gooey it’ll be. Just the way Miss Jeanie likes it!