Christmas Cupcake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Hannah smiled. “It sure makes the cupcake more interesting.”

  Rachael looked pleased. “That’s exactly what my roommate’s sister said!”

  “You use the same combination on top for a frosting, don’t you?”

  Rachael nodded. “That’s right, except you sprinkle a little nutmeg on the top after you frost the cupcakes. Lisa thought you could use the recipe in the coffee shop, but there’s a little drawback.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You have to keep the cupcakes refrigerated because of the Cool Whip.”

  “Of course you do,” Hannah said. “That’s not really a drawback, Rachael. We have a walk-in cooler in our kitchen at The Cookie Jar.”

  “I can help you make them the first time,” Rachael offered. “I discovered some shortcuts.”

  “Shortcuts can be very helpful. Which one saves the most time?”

  Rachael thought about that for a moment and then she smiled. “Not having to use a pastry bag.”

  It took Hannah a moment, but then she understood. “To inject the Cool Whip frosting inside the cupcake?”

  “That’s right. I’m really not very good at using a pastry bag, so I tried to think of what else I could use. And I discovered another way that I could do it.”

  “Tell me.”

  “The cupcakes have to be cool before you inject the Cool Whip in the middle. You need something that’ll hold the right amount of Cool Whip and it has to have a hollow point on the end.”

  Hannah nodded, going through the possibilities. “A large syringe or a turkey baster?”

  “Those would work, but there’s something that’s easier. It’s called a Jell-O shot injector.”

  “What’s a Jell-O shot?”

  Rachael looked at her in disbelief. “Didn’t you ever go to college parties?”

  Hannah shook her head, “Not really, I was too busy studying. ”

  “OK fine, let me explain. A Jell-O shot is Jell-O made with booze instead of water. You pour shots into little plastic shot glasses and refrigerate it. Then you set them out on a tray and everyone parties with them. You can use any flavor Jell-O, but most people prefer to use vodka or tequila because they don’t change the color of the Jell-O.”

  “We’re here!” Delores called out, coming in the doorway with Carrie in time to save Hannah from the necessity of making a comment. Jell-O shots didn’t sound very appealing to her, but the Jell-O shot injectors were interesting. She’d never been very proficient with a pastry bag, so she would ask Michelle to look for the Jell-O shot injectors online.

  “We hurried through the last two rooms,” Carrie said, sitting down on the couch by the coffee table.

  “Yes we did,” Delores added. “We’re looking forward to tasting your White Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes, Rachael. ”

  “Well, here they are,” Rachael told them, gesturing toward the tray on the coffee table. “Help yourselves, ladies. I really hope you like them as much as my roommate and I do.”

  For at least fifteen seconds, no one spoke. They were too busy eating and it was clear that they were enjoying every bite.

  “Wonderful!” Carrie was the first to offer her opinion. “They’re so light and fluffy, I could eat at least one more.”

  Delores nodded. “I agree. And the whipped cream in the center is just delicious.”

  “Hannah?” Rachael looked slightly worried as she turned to Hannah. “What did you think?”

  “They’re absolutely delicious, Rachael. And I think we’re going to sell tons of cupcakes, if you teach me how to use a Jell-O shot injector.”

  WHITE CHOCOLATE EGGNOG CUPCAKES

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  Cupcake Ingredients:

  1 box white cake mix (the kind that will make a 9-inch by 13-inch cake or a 2-layer cake) with or without pudding in the mix (I used Duncan Hines)

  1 cup eggnog

  ⅓ cup vegetable oil (use pure vegetable oil, not canola, or olive oil, or corn oil)

  3 large egg whites

  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best, of course)

  1 package (4 ounces by weight) Baker’s White Chocolate, chopped (or ½ cup white chocolate or vanilla chips, chopped)

  Frosting Ingredients:

  1 package (8 ounces by weight) cream cheese, softened (NOT whipped cream cheese—I used Philadelphia in the silver package)

  ¼ cup salted butter (¼ stick, 2 ounces), softened

  ½ teaspoon rum extract (if you can’t find it, substitute vanilla or brandy extract)

  3 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar (no need to sift unless it has big lumps)

  1 cup original Cool Whip, thawed (measure this—even a small tub contains more than a cup)

  ½ cup additional powdered sugar to use, if needed, to thicken frosting

  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best, of course) to sprinkle on top of each frosted cupcake

  Before you begin to make these cupcakes, prepare your cupcake pans by lining them with cupcake papers. (You will need 2 cupcake pans, the kind that will hold 12 regular-size cupcakes). If you use the kind of cupcake papers with foil on the outside, you don’t have to use more than one. If you don’t, use double cupcake papers so it’s easier to peel off the paper before you eat them.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Both Lisa and I still call them “cupcake tins” when we bake cupcakes at The Cookie Jar, even though they are no longer made of tin. Lisa’s mother used to refer to them that way and so did my Great-Grandmother Elsa.

  To Make the Cupcakes:

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: It’s possible to make these cupcakes by hand, but it’s a lot easier with an electric mixer!

  Open the package of cake mix and dump (yes, that’s a baking term at The Cookie Jar) it into the bowl of an electric mixer.

  Add the cup of eggnog and mix it in on LOW speed.

  Add the oil and continue to mix on LOW speed.

  Crack the eggs, separate the whites from the yolks, and add the whites to your bowl. (You can put the yolks in an airtight bowl, refrigerate them, and add them to scrambled eggs in the morning.)

  Mix in the egg whites on LOW speed.

  Add the half-teaspoon of ground nutmeg and mix that in at LOW speed.

  Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and remove it from the mixer.

  Give your cupcake batter a final stir by hand with a wooden spoon or your favorite mixing spoon.

  Use the mixing spoon to stir in the chopped white chocolate pieces.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: Lisa and I chop the white chocolate in the bowl of a food processor. We chop it in an on-and-off motion with the steel blade until the pieces are the size of coarse gravel.

  If you haven’t done so already, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  Transfer the batter to the paper-lined cupcake cups, filling them ¾ full.

  Hannah’s 4th Note: The easiest way I’ve found to transfer the cupcake batter to the baking cups is to pour it into a measuring cup with a spout. Then all you have to do is pour and that prevents batter spill in the spaces between the cupcake cups. You can also use a 2-Tablespoon scooper to do this, but you’ll have to be careful that it doesn’t drip.

  Bake your cupcakes at 350 degrees F. for 18 to 20 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a cake tester, thin wooden skewer, or long toothpick in the center of a test cupcake. Pull out the tester and if any sticky dough clings to it, your cupcakes are not yet done. Bake them for another 2 or 3 minutes and then test again, using a different cupcake.

  When your cupcakes test as done, remove the cupcake pans from the oven and set them on cold stovetop burners or wire racks.

  Begin to make the frosting now. The instructions for the frosting are below:

  To Make the Frosting:

  Rinse out the bowl of your electric mixer and dry it with paper towels. Do the same with the beater(s).

  When everything is back in place, put the softened cream chees
e in the bottom of the bowl.

  Add the softened, salted butter and the rum extract.

  Turn the mixer on LOW and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended together.

  Beat in powdered sugar at LOW speed, one cup at a time.

  Turn off the mixer, move the bowl to the kitchen counter, and stir in the cup of thawed Cool Whip.

  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

  If you choose to use a pastry bag with a large, round tip, spoon the cold frosting into the pastry bag.

  Hannah’s 1st Frosting Note: If you’d rather not use a pastry bag, you can use a bulb turkey baster or a cupcake injector (similar to a large syringe without a needle). The cupcake injector is sometimes called a Jell-O shot injector and is available online.

  Insert the point of the pastry bag (or cupcake injector) into the center of each cooled cupcake and inject approximately 1 Tablespoon of frosting inside the cupcake.

  Hannah’s 2nd Frosting Note: Don’t worry about the little hole that the pastry bag or the cupcake injector will leave in the top of each cupcake. It will be covered with frosting.

  Hannah’s 3rd Frosting Note: If the frosting is too thin, this is where you will mix in the additional half-cup of powdered sugar to thicken it.

  Spread the tops of your White Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes with the remaining frosting. (If you’re using the pastry bag, just pipe it on and then spread it out with a frosting knife.)

  Store the frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them, then sprinkle on the extra nutmeg just before you plate them.

  Yield: 18 to 22 regular-size cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the cupcake papers. Both adults and children will enjoy these light, tasty, and flavorful treats. Serve with cups of hot chocolate or strong coffee.

  Hannah’s 4th Frosting Note: Most grocery stores consider eggnog to be a seasonal item, and it is available only over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I’ve included my recipe for English Eggnog, just in case you want to make these cupcakes at other times of the year. The recipe follows:

  This recipe was exclusively created for Hannah Swensen by

  ENGLISH EGGNOG

  Ingredients:

  3 large eggs

  ½ cup whipping cream (heavy cream)

  ¼ cup white (granulated) sugar

  1 cup whole milk

  ½ cup half-and-half (light cream)

  2 teaspoons rum extract (you can substitute brandy extract)

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

  ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

  Instructions:

  Crack the eggs and separate the whites and the yolks into two bowls.

  Beat the egg whites with a whisk or an electric mixer until they form soft peaks.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Soft peaks are peaks that droop over a bit when you dip the flat side of a rubber spatula into the mixture and pull it up.

  Pour the whipping cream into a bowl and beat it until it forms soft peaks. You can do this with a whisk or with an electric mixer.

  Fold the whipping cream into the beaten egg whites and set the bowl aside on the counter.

  Beat the egg yolks until they are light colored and fluffy.

  Mix the sugar, whole milk, half-and-half, and rum extract into the bowl with the egg yolks.

  Fold the contents of the bowl with the egg white and whipping cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture.

  Carefully, so that you do not flatten this creamy mixture, stir in the ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground cardamom.

  At this point, the mixture can be refrigerated in a tightly covered container for up to 12 hours.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: To use in White Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes, stir the mixture, measure out one cup, and use it in the cupcake recipe. Use the rest of the eggnog mixture for a refreshing drink.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: If you like, you can add rum or brandy to the eggnog mixture to serve as a delicious adult beverage.

  Yield: Approximately 3 cups of delicious, refreshing eggnog.

  Chapter Four

  “You’re coming out to the Lake Eden Inn with us, aren’t you, Hannah?” Carrie asked as they drove into Lake Eden and turned down Main Street.

  “Well . . .” Hannah said, wondering how she could politely refuse. She was tired and all she really wanted to do was go home, get into her warmest pajamas, and go to sleep with Moishe purring beside her.

  “Doc Knight specifically invited you, Hannah,” Delores reminded her.

  “I know, but . . .”

  “Carrie and I will take my car and you can drive your cookie truck. Then, if you get really tired, you can excuse yourself right after dinner and drive home.”

  Hannah sighed. She knew when she had been beaten. Doc Knight wanted her to go, Carrie wanted her to go, and Delores wanted her to go. “All right,” she said, doing her best to be cheerful. “Let’s drive past Al’s office first to see if he’s still here. We should stop in and put him on the lookout for an antique storage place for you. ”

  It didn’t take long to get to town. Lake Eden Realty was directly across from The Cookie Jar, and when Hannah noticed that the lights were off and her bakery and coffee shop were closed for the evening, she gave a little sigh of disappointment. She’d been hoping to check in with Lisa to make sure that everything had run smoothly. Obviously it had, or Lisa would still be inside, mixing up cookie dough for the next morning.

  Hannah hadn’t been planning to go into the real estate office with her mother and Carrie, but now she had no excuse. She told herself that it might be for the best, that Al, who had a reputation as a fast talker, might convince them to rent something totally unsuitable for their needs.

  “Oh, good. You’re going with us,” Delores said when Hannah got out of her cookie truck. “Carrie and I were hoping you would since you’ve seen how many antiques I have in that old shed your father built for me.”

  Hannah smiled. It was nice to be needed and flattering to know that her mother valued her opinion. She pulled open the door and held it open so that Delores and Carrie could precede her inside.

  “Hello, Al,” Delores greeted him. “I’m glad you’re working late. We have something we need to discuss with you.”

  “Let me guess,” Al said, motioning to the two chairs in front of his desk and pushing a third chair into place for Hannah. “You want to buy three adjacent mansions. . . is that right?”

  Delores laughed and so did Carrie. Hannah managed a smile. Al always joked around with potential clients. “Tell Al what you need,” Hannah said to Delores.

  “It’s like this, Al . . .” Delores began. “I have all the antiques I’ve been buying for the past twenty years stored in an old shed that Lars built for me when we bought our house.”

  “And I have way too many antiques in my house,” Carrie added.

  Both women turned to look at Hannah and Hannah knew they wanted her to describe what they needed. “What they really need to rent is a vacant storefront, a large one with a back room to use for refurnishing the antiques and another area to place the antiques that are already in good condition. Of course, it has to be heated and air conditioned, and have excellent lighting, especially in the area where they’ll be working. It should definitely have a bathroom, and it would be wonderful if the plumbing would support a large utility sink in the workroom.”

  “Anything else?” Al asked, and Hannah noticed that he looked amused. This made her slightly nervous, but she went on with her explanation.

  “Yes. It would be a nice bonus if it had a small kitchenette where they could make coffee and have lunch. And the door to the workroom should be large enough to bring in big pieces of furniture and handcarts.”

  “That’s it?” Al asked, and Hannah noticed that he looked even more amused.

  “Yes, that’s it,” Hannah replied. “We just wanted to stop in and give you a heads-up so you could k
eep your eye out for a property like that.”

  “Got it,” Al said, nodding as he pulled out a drawer on his desk. “I think I have the perfect place for you.”

  “Wonderful!” Delores clapped her hands.

  “This is so exciting!” Carrie looked as if she wanted to jump out of her chair and hug Al.

  “This property isn’t too far away, is it?” Hannah asked him.

  “Oh, no. It’s very conveniently located.”

  “Perfect.” Delores began to smile. “You’re a real magician, Al. When can we see this property?”

  Al glanced up at the clock on his wall. “Unfortunately, I can’t take you there tonight. My daughter and her husband have invited us over for dinner, and my wife will be in a snit if I don’t get home in fifteen minutes or so.”

  “So Mother and Carrie can see it tomorrow?” Hannah asked him.

  “No, they can see it now.” Al handed a key ring to Delores. “All three of you can go to look at it. The heat is on and so is the electricity. Take a look around and come back in the morning to tell me if you think it’s suitable for you.”

  “Perfect!” Delores said, taking the key ring.

  “Maybe, but we’re supposed to meet Doc Knight for dinner,” Hannah reminded her, and then she turned to Al. “How far away is this place?”

  “Not far at all. It’s right across the street, next to Bertie’s Cut ’n Curl.”

  Hannah’s jaw dropped. She snapped it back closed so that she wouldn’t resemble a fish on a hook, and blinked several times. “You mean . . . two doors down from me?!”

  “Exactly right,” Al said, chuckling at the look of shock on Hannah’s face. “It’s just two doors down from The Cookie Jar. That’ll be nice and close to you, Hannah. Go take a look.”

  “Let’s go!” Carrie said, jumping to her feet. “It sounds wonderful!”

  “It certainly does!” Delores echoed her excitement. “Come on, dear. Let’s go.”