Christmas Cupcake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “I’ll get more coffee,” Rachael offered, heading for the kitchen coffeepot.

  “And I’ll get a couple of my Christmas Date Cupcakes for you to taste just as soon as I stir my Cocktail Mix and take it out of the oven,” Hannah promised.

  In a matter of minutes, the three of them were sitting at the work station, drinking coffee and biting into Hannah’s cupcakes.

  “These are good!” Rachel said, her words somewhat muffled by the bite of cupcake she was chewing.

  “Yes, they are,” Lisa agreed. “They remind me of your grandma’s date cake.”

  “That’s because they are my grandmother’s date cake,” Hannah told her. “I just rewrote the recipe as a cupcake.”

  “I really like the sugar and chocolate chips on the top,” Rachael commented. “The sugar crunches and the chocolate is smooth. The difference in textures adds interest to the top.”

  “And you don’t have to frost them,” Hannah told them. “You put on the topping before you put the cupcake batter in the oven.”

  “They’re really good, Hannah.” Rachael was clearly impressed. “Can I have a copy of the recipe so I can make them for my college roommate?”

  Hannah turned to Lisa. “It’s in our recipe binder. Will you run a copy and give it to Rachael when you come in tomorrow?”

  “Sure, and I’ll run one for me, too. I want to make these for Herb and his mom the next time they come over to have dinner with us.”

  Once Lisa and Rachael had finished their coffee, they left for the night. Hannah removed her Cocktail Munchie Mix from the oven, stirred it, and added the mixed nuts that were the last ingredient in the recipe. The nuts did not have to be heated since the ingredients called for roasted mixed nuts. The recipe was very clear about that. But Hannah did remove the hazelnuts and the Brazil nuts before she added the rest of the nuts. The recipe she had advised that, and there was an additional note written in her grandmother’s perfect Palmer penmanship. It said, Do this for Uncle Harry – false teeth.

  Hannah had just finished mixing up yet another batch of cookies for the next day’s baking when there was a knock at the back kitchen door. It was a very polite but insistent knock and Hannah knew that it belonged to her sister, Andrea.

  “Hi, Andrea,” she greeted as her sister came in the door. “You’re going to dinner at Mother’s house tonight, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, and Bill got the night off work so both of us are going.”

  “How about Tracey?” Hannah asked, hoping to see her young niece.

  Andrea shook her head. “She’s staying home with Grandma McCann, our nanny. She’s got a little cold and I don’t want to take her out at night when it’s this cold.” She spotted the roaster on the kitchen counter and asked, “What’s in there?”

  “Cocktail Munchie Mix. Mother’s bound to serve drinks, and I thought we’d munch on that before dinner. ”

  “Good idea. Are you bringing something to have with the ice cream Mother always serves for dessert?”

  “Yes.” Hannah gestured toward the rolling baker’s rack that sat next to the oven. “I made Christmas Date Cupcakes and I thought I’d take some of those along.”

  “Good idea! Be sure to put a birthday candle in the one for Carrie.”

  Hannah was surprised. “It’s Carrie’s birthday?”

  “No, but I saw Norman at Hal and Rose’s Café at noon, and he told me that Carrie’s birthday is December twenty-third.”

  “I wonder if Mother knows that.”

  “I don’t think so. Norman said that his mother never really celebrated her birthday because everyone’s so busy with Christmas parties, and most of her friends went away to visit their relatives. She said she’d never had a birthday party, and her own relatives brought her just one present that they said was for her birthday and Christmas combined.”

  “That’s sad,” Hannah said. “She really never had a birthday party?”

  “No. That’s why I just went out to the mall and got Carrie a birthday present from us.”

  “Thanks! What do I owe you, Andrea?”

  “Only ten dollars. I got her a cashmere sweater.”

  “Cashmere? That must have been expensive!”

  Andrea shook her head. “No, it was on sale because it had a little snag down by the hem. The saleslady told me that it would be easy to fix if you knew how to knit.”

  “But you don’t know how to knit, do you?”

  “Not me, but Grandma McCann does and she fixed it in about twenty seconds. I gift wrapped it and it’s all ready to go.”

  “Perfect!” Hannah grabbed her saddlebag-sized purse and took out a ten-dollar bill. “Are you sure that this is enough?”

  “It’s fine.”

  Hannah just shook her head in amazement. “You’re the best shopper I know, Andrea. I should make you my personal shopper when it comes to things like birthdays and Christmas presents.”

  “Good idea!” Andrea gave a little laugh. “Then I’ll be sure to like what I get from you on my birthday and for Christmas.”

  “You mean you don’t like what I buy for you?” Hannah asked.

  “Oh!” Andrea looked a bit embarrassed. “No, that’s not what I meant at all. I was just joking. You’ve seen me carrying that tapestry purse you gave me last year, haven’t you?”

  “I think so. Then you like it?”

  “It’s very . . . colorful,” Andrea said. “You haven’t seen me carry it very often because . . . I’m saving it for special occasions.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Hannah said, smiling back. Andrea was making up an excuse for the tapestry purse, but at least she cared enough to do that.

  “Are you bringing anything else to Mother’s house?” Andrea asked, and Hannah knew she was trying to change the subject.

  “Nope, that’s it,” Hannah said, grateful that they were off the subjects of purses and Christmas presents.

  “I’d better go,” Andrea said, heading for the door again. “I have to pick up Bill at the sheriff’s station.”

  “He didn’t drive his own car?”

  “He did. And that’s the problem. It broke down again, and he can’t find the time to fix it until the weekend. Until then, I’m taking him to work every morning and picking him up every night.”

  Once Andrea had left, Hannah went back to work, mixing up two more batches of cookie dough, covering them with plastic wrap, and carrying them to a shelf in her walk-in cooler. She packed up the cupcakes she was taking to her mother’s house along with a birthday candle for Carrie, picked up the package of Cocktail Munchie Mix, got into her warm parka and boots, and went out the door. She had to make a lightning fast trip to her condo to feed Moishe, and change her clothes to something more appropriate than jeans and a sweatshirt for Carrie’s birthday party.

  COCKTAIL MUNCHIE MIX

  To preheat oven, see Hannah’s 1st Note.

  1 box Rice Chex cereal (12 ounces net weight)

  1 pound (4 sticks, 16 ounces) salted butter

  5 drops hot sauce (I used Slap Ya Mama hot sauce)

  1 teaspoon garlic salt

  1 box Wheat Chex (15 ounces net weight)

  1 box Corn Chex (12 ounces net weight)

  ½ box original Cheerios (18 ounces net weight)

  1 bag (8 ounces net weight) Goldfish crackers

  1 can (15 to 20 ounces net weight) salted, mixed nuts without peanuts (I used Planters)

  1 bag or box (6 to 10 ounces net weight) thin pretzel sticks (I used Snyder’s)

  Hannah’s 1st Note: You will need a large roaster to make this cocktail mix. BEFORE you preheat your oven, try your roaster in the oven to see which position the rack should be in. Try to center the roaster in the oven, if possible. This will provide even heat for your Cocktail Munchie Mix.

  Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. (Not a misprint. That’s two hundred and fifty degrees.)

  Spray the inside of your roaster with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.

  Place the Rice Chex ce
real in the bottom of the roaster.

  Melt the butter for 2 minutes on HIGH. Let it sit in the microwave for a minute and stir it with a heat-resistant spatula to make sure that it’s melted.

  Stir in 5 drops of hot sauce.

  Stir in the teaspoon of garlic salt.

  Drizzle approximately one-quarter (about ½ cup) of the butter mixture on top of the Rice Chex.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: This is one of the reasons I like to use a Pyrex measuring cup with a spout to melt the butter.

  Place the Wheat Chex cereal on top of the Rice Chex cereal.

  Drizzle another half-cup of the butter mixture on top of the Wheat Chex cereal.

  Place the Corn Chex cereal on top of the Wheat Chex cereal.

  Drizzle another half-cup of the butter mixture on top of the Corn Chex cereal.

  Place HALF the box of Cheerios cereal on top of the Corn Chex cereal.

  Drizzle the remainder of the butter mixture over the top of the Cheerios cereal.

  Sprinkle the bag of Goldfish crackers over the top.

  DO NOT add the mixed nuts or the stick pretzels yet! They will be added later.

  Wash your hands. You’re going to use them as a kitchen tool. Dry your hands and mix the contents of the roaster together with your impeccably clean fingers.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: If you’ve worked rapidly, the cereal, butter, and Goldfish layers might be a bit too hot to mix with your fingers. If so, take a coffee break for 5 minutes or so and then try again.

  Once your cereal, butter, and Goldfish layers have been mixed together, bake them, uncovered, at 250 degrees F.

  Set your oven timer for 15 (fifteen) minutes.

  You will bake your Cocktail Munchie Mix for a total of 1 and ½ (one and one-half) hours, not counting mixing times.

  Hannah’s 4th Note: Unfortunately, you can’t just walk off and leave your Cocktail Munchie Mix for one and a half hours. You do have to stir it every 15 minutes or so, but it’s worth staying home for. I have a separate timer at home that I use when I make this. I set the regular timer on the oven for an hour and a half, and my separate timer for 15 minutes after each time I stir it.

  When one hour has passed (that consists of four 15-minute segments), open the can of mixed nuts and sprinkle them over the top of your Cocktail Mix.

  Hannah’s 5th Note: When my grandmother made this recipe she always picked out the hazelnuts and Brazil nuts and set them aside. She made a note on the recipe that reads, “Do this for Uncle Harry – false teeth.”

  The contents of the roaster will be hot, so use your large mixing spoon to mix in the nuts.

  Open the bag of stick pretzels and mix those in. Mix carefully so that they don’t break up into little pieces.

  Put the roaster back into the oven and bake at 250 degrees F. for an additional ½ (half) hour.

  Take the roaster out of the oven, give the mixture a final stir, and let it cool.

  To store: Keep in a tightly sealed bag in the kitchen cupboard for no more than a week or two. DO NOT keep in the refrigerator or it will get soggy.

  Hannah’s 5th Note: If you make the mistake of refrigerating these marvelous munchies, all is not lost. Simply place the mixture in a roaster and heat it in the oven, preheated to 250 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Check the cereal to see if it has crisped up again. If it hasn’t, stir it and heat it again in 15-minute intervals until the cereal is crisp.

  Yield: At least 20 cups of Cocktail Munchie Mix that everyone who tastes it will love to munch.

  To Serve: Place the Cocktail Munchie Mix in a large bowl with a scoop in it. Surround the large bowl with disposable plastic bowls or cups. Invite your guests to help themselves to the yummy snack you made.

  Chapter Nine

  “I’m here, Mother,” Hannah said when her mother answered the door. “I brought some things for you.”

  “Wonderful!” Delores said, smiling. “No one’s here yet, dear, so you’re right on time to help me set the table and get everything ready.” She spotted the packages that Hannah was carrying and looked surprised. “What did you bring, dear?”

  “Christmas Date Cupcakes for dessert, and a candle to stick in Carrie’s. Andrea dropped by The Cookie Jar and told me about her birthday.”

  “That’s nice, dear, although it’s actually not her birthday.”

  “I know. Andrea talked to Norman and he said it was the day before Christmas Eve. But she also said that Carrie never had a birthday party. I was planning on bringing Christmas Date Cupcakes for dessert anyway, and I thought I’d put a candle in hers, and we could say it’s her birthday party.”

  “That’s very sweet of you, dear! I have a birthday present for her, and I could give it to her early.”

  “Andrea and I have one for her, too.”

  Delores stopped speaking and began to frown. “There’s only one problem, dear. I don’t think we’d better call it her birthday party. Carrie isn’t all that happy about turning sixty-four this year. As a matter of fact, she asked me not to mention it to any of our friends.”

  Hannah gave a little shrug. “Turning sixty-four is better than the alternative, isn’t it?”

  “Of course it is, but it’s one of those milestone birthdays for Carrie, and she made me promise not to tell anyone how old she is.”

  Hannah knew she had to tread carefully. Some people were very sensitive about their age and one of those people happened to be her own mother. “I didn’t know sixty-four was a milestone birthday. I always thought the real milestone was sixty-five.”

  “Oh, it is. If you’re still working, it means that you can retire with full benefits. But Carrie’s not working, and she’s one year short of qualifying for Medicare. Actually, dear . . . I suspect she’s thinking of that Beatles song. You know the one, don’t you?”

  “I know it,” Hannah said quickly, hoping that her mother wouldn’t attempt to break into song and she’d be forced to join in. Hannah had learned early on that she couldn’t carry a tune. She’d discovered this in third grade when their class was going to sing a song for a school program and their teacher had pulled Hannah aside and asked her to please, just mouth the words.

  “So you won’t call it a birthday party?” Delores asked.

  “No, I won’t. Now that I understand how Carrie feels, I’ll think of something else to call it.”

  “But it’ll have to be something that calls for presents,” Delores reminded her.

  “Right. A non-birthday party, but don’t call it that. Is that right?”

  “That’s exactly it, dear. Thank you, Hannah.” Delores looked very relieved. And then she noticed the large bag that Hannah was carrying. “I hope you didn’t bring the whole dinner. It’s my turn, you know. I brought Florence’s wonderful roast chicken for us.”

  “I was hoping you’d serve chicken,” Hannah said quickly. “I just brought the cupcakes and . . . I guess you could call it an appetizer, because it’s served with drinks. Do you remember Grandma Ingrid’s Cocktail Munchie Mix?”

  “Of course I do!” Delores looked absolutely delighted. “It was so tasty! I just loved it. I must have asked her for the recipe a half-dozen times, but she wouldn’t give it to . . .” She stopped speaking and began to frown. “She gave it to you?!”

  “Not exactly. I found it in her old recipe file. It was in her kitchen, and I saved it when we got the house ready to sell.”

  “Oh!” Delores began to smile again. “Well . . . good for you, dear! I still have several boxes of your grandmother’s things in the garage. We’ll have to go through them sometime, and see if there are any other recipes that you can use.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Hannah replied, and she had to admit that it did. Grandma Ingrid had been a wonderful cook and baker, just like her mother, Great-Grandma Elsa.

  “Is there anything in there that we should refrigerate?” Delores asked, looking down at the large box again.

  “Just a green salad that I thought I’d throw together at the last minute. You have a l
arge salad bowl, don’t you, Mother?”

  “I have the one you bought me on the stand. Would you like to use that?”

  “Yes, when I make the salad. For right now, I think I’ll just put the ingredients in the refrigerator. The bowl’s really too large to fit in there easily.”

  “That’s true,” Delores agreed. “I have two bottles of champagne, a six-pack of Cold Spring Export for Mike, and white wine for Andrea and Carrie. You’d have to move quite a few things to fit that big salad bowl in there.”

  Hannah heard the doorbell ring and she escaped to the kitchen to put away her salad ingredients. Delores had a habit of going grocery shopping when she was hungry, and she often bought things that struck her fancy at the time. Then she never got around to eating them and they sat in the refrigerator until, occasionally, they no longer resembled what she’d purchased. Hannah had been meaning to come over to check out her mother’s refrigerator for weeks now to identify any out-of-date items and throw them away. Vowing to put that on the top of her mental to-do list, she stashed her salad ingredients inside and closed the refrigerator door.

  “Hello, Hannah.” Norman came into the kitchen. “Your mother said you were in here. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “That depends. Is your mother here yet?”

  “Yes. She’s in the living room talking to your mother.”

  “Good. Then you can open a bottle of champagne, while I get an ice bucket and glasses so we can take it in to them. And you can tell me what you want to drink.”

  “Ginger ale, if your mother has it. If not, I’ll take any soft drink she has.”

  “I saw some Vernors Ginger Ale in the refrigerator,” Hannah told him. “I think it was behind two cartons of cottage cheese and an elderly tomato.”

  While Hannah opened several cupboards, looking for her mother’s silver ice bucket, Norman took one bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator and put it on the kitchen counter. “You’re right about the tomato, Hannah,” he remarked. “It looks like some kind of science experiment gone wrong.”

  Hannah laughed. “Dump it in the trash, Norman. Is the champagne cold?”