by Joanne Fluke
Dump the small bowl with the dry ingredients on top of the apples and toss them to coat the slices. (Again, use your fingers.)
Open the can of blueberry pie filling and add it to the coated apples in the bowl. Mix them together thoroughly.
Put the apple and blueberry mixture in the pan with the piecrust. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Cut the cold butter into 4 pieces and then cut those pieces in half. Place the pieces on top of the apple and blueberry mixture in the piecrust.
Put your pie on a baking sheet with sides that will catch any drips.
Make your French Crumble now.
French Crumble:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cold butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Put the flour into the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade attached. Cut the stick of butter (½ cup, 4 ounces, ¼ pound) into 8 pieces and add them to the bowl. Cover with the ½ cup of firmly packed brown sugar and sprinkle in the cinnamon.
Process with the steel blade in an on-and-off motion until the resulting mixture is in uniform small pieces.
Remove the mixture from the food processor and place it in a bowl.
Pat handfuls of the French Crumble in a mound over your pie. With a sharp knife, poke several slits near the top to let out steam.
Bake your pie at 350 degrees F. for approximately one hour, or until the top crumble is a nice golden brown and the apples are tender when you pierce them with the tip of a sharp knife. If they’re not, bake your pie in 10-minute increments until the apples are cooked.
Yield: 8 regular or 6 large pieces of very tasty pie.
Serve with plenty of strong coffee, or icy cold milk. If you wish, top the pie slices with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Chapter Fifteen
“Anew perfume?” Norman asked her when she answered the door and he stepped inside.
“Yes. It’s called Eau de Moishe.”
“What?”
“Eau de Moishe. He’s responsible for the perfume I’m still wearing after last night. And I’ve got to tell you that I don’t like it, either. I tried to get rid of it, I really did. But three soapings and rinsings last night didn’t do it, and neither did the long, hot shower I took this morning. ”
“Put on your parka, Hannah. I’m going to take you to the Corner Tavern for breakfast. And once you have a couple more cups of coffee, you can tell me all about it.”
Forty minutes later, fortified by coffee and the stimulus of Norman’s company, Hannah felt almost like her normal self. “I thought it was an intruder, Norman,” she told him.
“You thought what was an intruder?” Norman asked her.
“Moishe.”
Norman laughed. “Okay, Hannah. Start from the beginning, so that I can catch up.”
“Right,” Hannah agreed. “It’s like this, Norman. When I woke up, you were gone and I was still on the couch.”
“I know that part. Go . . .” He stopped speaking and waved at the person who’d just come into the Corner Tavern. “Hold off on your explanation, Hannah. Mike just came in and he’s joining us for breakfast.”
“Mike’s here this early?” Hannah asked in surprise. “I thought he had the day off today.”
“He does, but he worked all night after he left your place. He’ll explain when he gets here.”
“Hi, Hannah . . . Norman,” Mike greeted them, and then he stopped to stare at Hannah as he sat down. “Is that a new perfume, Hannah?”
Both Hannah and Norman burst into laughter. It took a full minute before Norman could say, “Hannah told me it’s Eau de Moishe.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll explain in a minute,” Hannah said, taking another sip of her coffee.
“Coffee, Mike?” the waitress asked, hurrying over to their table.
“Definitely,” Mike said, smiling at her. “I need something to wake me up.”
“You’re up really early, Mike,” Hannah commented.
“I’m not up early. I’m still up,” Mike told her. “I worked all night, Hannah.”
“But . . . I thought you didn’t have to go in to work last night.”
“I didn’t. I chose to go in to work. I had things I needed to do after I talked to you and Andrea last night. ”
“You mean . . . about the case?”
“That’s right. I’ll tell you about it, right after you tell me about Eau de Moishe.”
Hannah took a deep breath, and then she smiled. “It was just me being silly,” she admitted. “I thought I heard someone breaking into the condo last night. There was a crash that woke me up, and then I heard another couple of thuds.”
Mike looked shocked. “And you didn’t call me?”
“I . . . no. I probably should have, but I thought I could handle it.”
“How?” It was Norman’s turn to ask a question.
“Well . . . I looked around for a weapon, and I found one.”
“A weapon?” Mike asked, looking alarmed. “I didn’t know you had a gun, Hannah.”
“I don’t.”
“Then what kind of weapon are you talking about?” Norman asked for clarification.
“I found something heavy, something I thought I could use to sneak up on an intruder, and knock him out.”
Both men were silent for a moment, and then Norman asked, “Are you talking about Eau de Moishe?”
“Yes.” Hannah tried not to laugh. “You both have to remember that I was tired, and more than a little sleepy. I wasn’t thinking clearly, so I grabbed the first heavy object I could find.”
“A perfume bottle?” Norman guessed.
“Yes. I won it last year at a Christmas party.”
“And you went to confront an intruder with nothing but a perfume bottle?” Mike asked.
Hannah couldn’t help it. She laughed. Mike sounded absolutely dumbfounded. “I know it’s silly, but that’s exactly what I did. I went out in the hallway, and there was another thud. And then I realized that the noises were coming from the kitchen. So I went in there and found the pantry door was open slightly. So I pushed it open and . . .”
“Moishe was in there!” both men spoke in tandem.
“That’s right. He was up on a shelf knocking cans to the floor. Things like cat food and cans of salmon and tuna. I was so shocked, I dropped the perfume bottle and it spilled all over the kitchen floor.”
“And that’s why you smell like a French . . . whatever,” Mike said, not finishing his thought. “Really, Hannah! If anything like that happens again, call me.”
“Or me,” Norman added. “Just hole up somewhere safe, and call us for help.”
“Thank you,” Hannah said, and she meant it. It was nice to have two protectors on white steeds ready to ride out and save her from danger . . . not that she couldn’t protect herself from any danger that she encountered. But of course she wouldn’t tell them that.
“Why were you working all night, Mike?” she asked instead, hoping to change the subject.
“I was using the office computer. It’s hooked up to several databases that I can’t get privately.”
“You were looking to see if you could find out something about Joe?” Hannah asked him.
“That’s right. Sheriff Grant has rules about who can and can’t use the computer, and what they’re allowed to access. And I haven’t really been able to do much of a search before.”
“Did you tell him that Doc thought Joe’s injury could have been done intentionally by someone attempting to hurt or kill him?”
“I did, but he said that was conjecture, that there was no proof of that. And since Joe didn’t remember how it happened, there was no reason for me to investigate it.”
“That figures,” Norman said with a sigh.
“Anyway . . .” Mike continued, “I decided to do a little research on my own, when the sheriff wasn’t around. And last night Marjorie Hanks came to clean the office. Th
at meant it was open, so when I left your place, I went in to the office, to see if Sheriff Grant was there.”
“And he wasn’t?” Norman guessed.
“No. Marjorie told me he’d just left. I told her I had to finish some reports, so she cleaned around me and I looked up all the entries for missing persons in the past year.”
“Did you find anything?” Hannah leaned forward eagerly.
“No. I tried the hospital to see if Doc was still there, and got him on the phone. He said he couldn’t pin down Joe’s injury time-wise and all we could do was hope that Joe would remember something about what had happened to him.”
“So you didn’t learn anything new,” Norman concluded.
“That’s right. I put in all the variables we knew, and guessed at some of the others, but nothing interesting came up.” He turned to Hannah. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I was really hoping to find out something for you.”
“It’s okay, Mike. I really appreciate the effort. I guess all we can do is hope that Joe remembers more, and something he tells us gives us a clue.”
“What are you having for breakfast, Mike?” Norman asked him. “I’m buying.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll see what’s new. I looked at the menu board when I came in, and it said they had a new Christmas special every week. Last week’s was really great. ”
“What was it?” Hannah was curious.
“It was called the Jack Frost.”
“Eggs and Jack cheese?” Hannah guessed.
“That’s right! It was sausage, pepper Jack, and red and green bell peppers inside so it was Christmas-y.”
“That’s clever,” Norman said, turning to their waitress, who had just come up to refill their coffee cups. “Do you have a Christmas special today?”
“We do, and I think it’s my favorite. It’s called Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancakes.”
“That sounds interesting,” Hannah said. “Do the pancakes look like wreaths?”
“They do, and they’re really pretty. They’re cinnamon and sugar pancakes. The chef makes three big pancakes, slathers them with butter, and puts them on a plate. Then he uses a round cookie cutter to cut out the middle of the pancakes.”
“So what’s left looks like wreaths?” Hannah asked.
“Exactly right. He decorates the top wreath with powdered sugar and dots it with red and green candied cherries. It’s really pretty.”
“What does your chef do with the part of the pancake he cut out?” Hannah asked her.
“That’s the fun part. He unstacks the middles and puts them on a second plate. And then he sprinkles the tops with more cinnamon and sugar, makes a circle of powdered sugar frosting in the centers, and puts a strawberry on top of the circle with the point up. And for a final touch, he squirts whipped cream all the way around the bottom of the strawberry and a little on the tip, so it looks like the tassel of a cap. They look like little Santa hats, and the kids think they’re great!”
“That sounds like a lot of work,” Norman commented.
“Not really. The waitresses decorate the middles and all the chef has to do is decorate the wreath. And the nice thing about it is you can order one wreath—that’s one pancake only—two wreaths, or three wreaths.”
Hannah figured, “And each wreath comes with a Santa hat?”
“That’s right,” the waitress said.
Mike nodded. “That’s smart and you convinced me. I’m ordering Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancakes.”
“And you want three pancakes, right?” the waitress asked him.
“Yeah. I’m hungry this morning.”
The waitress turned to Hannah. “How about you, Hannah?”
“I’ll have the same, but I only want one pancake.”
“And you?” she asked Norman.
“I’ll try those, but I only want two.”
“Got it!” the waitress said, flipping her order pad closed and stashing it in her apron pocket. “Let me top off your coffee, and I’ll be back in less than five minutes with your pancakes.”
“Wait a second,” Mike stopped her. “Do those pancakes come with bacon, or sausage, or any kind of meat? ”
“No, but you can order a side. We’ve got bacon, sausage, or ham.”
“Perfect. Give me a side of . . .” Mike hesitated for a moment and then he sighed. “I can’t make up my mind between sausage or bacon.”
“You can order both if you want to,” the waitress told him.
“Yeah. That’d be good. I’ll have both. And you might as well throw in an order of ham, too. I’m practically starving. ”
Hannah judiciously avoided Norman’s eyes. She knew that if she glanced at him, she’d start to laugh. Mike was an eating machine, no doubt about it.
SANTA’S CHRISTMAS WREATH PANCAKES AND SANTA’S HAT PANCAKES
(This recipe can be doubled if you wish.)
Ingredients for Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancakes:
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1 large egg
1 and ¼ cups half and half (light cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ stick (2 ounces, 4 Tablespoons) salted butter, melted
Ingredients for Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze:
¼ stick (2 Tablespoons) salted butter
1 to 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 to 2 Tablespoons milk or light cream
Ingredients to Decorate Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancakes and Santa’s Hat Pancakes:
16 red and/or green candied cherries (If you can’t find candied cherries, you can substitute maraschino cherries.)
4 large strawberries (You can substitute frozen strawberries if you thaw them the morning you plan to make the pancakes.)
To Make Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancake batter:
Place the Tablespoon of brown sugar in a large bowl on the counter.
Add the Tablespoon of baking powder and mix well.
Sprinkle in the cinnamon and salt. Mix them in thoroughly.
Measure out the all-purpose flour. Make sure you pack it down in the measuring cup when you measure it.
Mix the flour in thoroughly.
Crack the egg in another bowl. Use a whisk to mix the yolk and the white together. Mix until the egg is frothy.
Add the cup and a quarter of half and half. Mix it in thoroughly with the egg.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
Melt the half stick of salted butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Set the bowl on the counter and let it cool to room temperature.
Add the melted, salted butter to the bowl with the egg and light cream. Mix it in thoroughly.
Make a well in the center of the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Drizzle the liquid ingredients into the well in the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring constantly. Mix until everything is blended together. This forms your Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancake batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Your Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancake batter will be ready to make for breakfast in the morning.
Hannah’s Note: Pancake batter improves if it sits in the refrigerator overnight. Bubbles may form on the surface, but that’s fine. You’ll mix it up again in the morning before you make it.
In the morning, take the bowl of pancake batter out of the refrigerator, and let it sit on your kitchen counter while you make the Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze.
To Make the Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze:
Place the quarter stick of salted butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl.
Heat the butter on HIGH in the microwave for 30 seconds.
In another bowl, mix up the powdered sugar and cinnamon.
Pour the melted
butter into the bowl with the powdered sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Add the milk or light cream, in small increments, until the glaze reaches drizzling consistency.
To Fry Pancakes:
Lightly spray a nonstick frying pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, put an ounce of butter in the center of a nonstick frying pan. (I used a 12-inch Teflon frying pan).
Turn the burner on MEDIUM heat. If you used butter, use a spatula to move the butter around in the frying pan so the whole bottom is coated.
When you think your frying pan is hot enough, test it by sprinkling a few droplets of water in the pan from the tips of your impeccably clean fingers. If the droplets of water “dance” around in the pan, your frying pan is ready.
Give your pancake batter a final stir. Then ladle approximately ⅓ to ½ cup of batter into the center of the heated frying pan.
Quickly, using a heat-resistant spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, spread the batter around in the pan, so that it makes an 8-inch to 10-inch circle.
Let the large pancake cook approximately 2 minutes, or until you notice little bubbles begin to form on the top of the pancake and the edges look slightly dry. This means it’s time to turn the pancake over and fry the other side.
Slide the blade of a heat resistant spatula under your pancake to loosen it from the pan. Then use it to flip the pancake over so that the uncooked side is on the bottom.
Fry another 1 to 2 minutes more, or until the center is cooked, and the bottom is slightly browned.
Remove your pancake from the pan and put it on a serving plate. (Unless you’re Mike, or someone at your breakfast table insists that they’re starving, the normal serving is 1 to 2 pancakes.)
To make your pancakes into Santa’s Christmas Wreath Pancakes, use a round cookie cutter to cut out the center of the plated pancakes.
Remove the centers of the pancakes, and put them on smaller plates. They will eventually become Santa’s Hat Pancakes.