Stephanie dangled her car keys. “It’s fine. I’m so glad everything went well. Your restaurant is going to be the toast of the town.”
“Thanks, I hope so.” Her words reminded me that I had forgotten something. I placed the last of the glasses in the cupboard above the dishwasher and unlocked the back door for her. “Drive safe and thanks again for everything.”
She shot me a puzzled look. “Aren’t you leaving?”
“In a few minutes. There’s one more thing that I need to do.”
“I can wait if you like,” she offered.
I smiled at her. “That’s okay, I’ll be fine. Enjoy your days off and rest up for Tuesday.”
Stephanie’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I’m looking forward to it. ’Night, Tess.”
“Good night, Stephanie.”
I waited until she was inside her vehicle, parked next to mine, then locked and shut the back door. After another look around the immaculate kitchen, I went to the refrigerator and drew out the bottle of champagne that Gabby had brought me tonight as a gift. I hadn’t told her what I planned to do with it—that was my little secret.
As I filled two flutes with champagne, my memories returned to Dylan. Whenever I’d had a free moment earlier, thoughts of him had occupied my mind. I’d felt his presence everywhere. Justin had come into the kitchen before leaving and asked if I wanted to stop by his house for a celebration drink when I finished, but I told him that I’d see him tomorrow. He’d asked no questions and seemed to understand without my saying so that this was an evening of reflection for me.
I unlocked the back door and opened it, leaning against the doorway with the flute in my hand. The full moon shone down from between the trees, which were just starting to fill out after a long and dreary winter. I clinked my glass against the side of the other one on the counter, stared back at the moon, and raised my glass to it.
“We did it, baby.” I closed my eyes and pictured Dylan so vividly in my mind that it was as if he was standing next to me. His presence pacified me, calmed me. How I’d have done anything for one more kiss, one last touch.
I clung to the sensation for as long as possible, watching his blond hair blowing in the wind. Dylan’s eyes filled with love as his lips touched mine. For a moment, I even heard his voice. His lips were against my ear as he spoke those same words that he uttered every time I was skeptical about something, including our dream restaurant.
“We’re going to live our best lives, Tess,” Dylan had told me. “Remember, anything is possible, as long as you believe.”
I opened my eyes, praying to see him next to me, but I was alone. The cool moist air whipped around me as I listened to the peaceful quiet of the night.
An owl hooted somewhere in the darkness, and I watched a star fall from the sky. “Thank you for loving me,” I whispered. “It’s made anything possible.”
Recipes
Cannoli to Die For
For the shells:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. softened butter
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¾ tsp. cinnamon
2¾ ounces sweet Marsala wine
Mix all the ingredients except for the wine into a bowl with a pastry cutter until crumbly. The butter and egg yolks should be thoroughly mixed. Add in the wine, a little at a time, until you are able to mix it with your hands. Form into a ball and let sit uncovered for 30 minutes. After the dough rests, lightly coat the dough with flour, and roll it through a pasta machine set to the thickest setting. If you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out as thinly as possible (to about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface.
Use a 4-inch, round cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough. Take one circle at a time and pull into a 5-inch oval. Repeat with the excess dough, kneading it back together and cutting it until you have 12 ovals. Place the egg white in a small bowl and set aside.
In a wide pot with a heavy bottom, heat vegetable oil at your choice of temperature, between 350 and 380 degrees, with a heat thermometer. Line a large plate with paper towels. Wrap one oval of dough loosely lengthwise around a cannoli form. Brush one end of the dough with egg white, then pull the dry end over the top and press down to seal. Repeat with three more dough ovals.
Using tongs, carefully lower the dough into the oil and fry until golden brown, turning them as they fry, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shells with the tongs, and transfer them to the paper-towel-lined plate to cool. When the shells are cool enough to touch, remove the molds and repeat with the remaining dough in batches until all shells are fried. Dip ends of cooled shells in melted chocolate if desired, and cool until dry. Fried shells can be stored in an airtight container for a few weeks.
For the filling:
32 oz. Impastato or mascarpone (you can buy already made)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips—optional (The miniature ones work best. Be sure to save some for garnish.)
Mix all ingredients together except for the chocolate. Reserving some for a garnish, melt the chips in the microwave for about 30 seconds and add to mixture. Use a pastry bag with tip to fill the shells. Grate more chocolate over the ends of the shells for a decorative look or dip the ends in melted mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Makes at least 12 pastries.
Tessa’s Ragu Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 ounces butter
2 ounces pancetta or guanciale
½ cup carrots, diced
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups ground beef (80/20)
2 cups ground pork
1 ounce all-purpose flour
2 ounces tomato paste
1 cup tomato puree
2 cups white or red wine
1 cup water or chicken/beef broth
1 bay leaf—optional (Do not break the leaf up, because it can be dangerous to eat. Keep it whole and remove before serving.)
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
In a braising shallow pan, over medium heat, add olive oil and butter together. Once butter is melted, add pancetta. Sauté pancetta until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and onions, and stir vegetables 8 to 10 minutes. Add thin slices of garlic and stir for about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Push vegetables to the perimeter of the pan and add meats to the center of the pan. Increase heat to medium high until meat browns, around 8 to 12 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, and combine meat and vegetables. Add flour and cook until completely blended, for about 1 minute.
Make a spot in center of pan and add tomato paste. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes then mix with meat and veggies. Add tomato puree and stir together. Add wine and stir together. Add broth or water and stir together. Bring to a boil and add bay leaf. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours on low, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Add room-temperature milk and bring to a boil. Remove bay leaf, and serve over pasta.
Cinnamon Chip Biscotti
Biscotti:
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2½ cups all-purpose flour (use the lightly-spoon-and-level method)
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup cinnamon chips
Optional Drizzle:
½ cup cinnamon chips*
1
tsp. vegetable shortening
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. For Biscotti: In the bowl of a standing mixer beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until thoroughly blended. Add vanilla and blend. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to butter mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the cinnamon chips. Leaving the dough in the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into logs about 8 to 10 inches long. Long and skinny logs are better than short and wide logs since the dough spreads while baking. If needed, spritz your hands with non-stick cooking spray while handling the dough.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 2 logs per sheet, approximately 8 inches apart.
Slightly flatten the logs then bake 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you prick a cinnamon chip, it won’t give you an accurate read. Aim for the dough. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices. A serrated bread knife works best. Place slices cut side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Return to oven and bake 6 minutes at 325 degrees. Turn each slice over and bake an additional 7 to 9 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then remove them from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack. Biscotti will harden as they cool.
Optional Drizzle: Be sure to use cinnamon chips for this. Cinnamon Sweet Bits won’t work. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt cinnamon chips with vegetable shortening for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. If necessary, heat in additional 10-second increments, stirring well each time. Be careful not to overheat. Pour the cinnamon chip mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small circle tip (or use a small ziplock bag with the corner cut off). Drizzle over the biscotti. Allow the drizzle to set before storing cannoli in an airtight container. Without drizzle, biscotti will last for 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container away from heat. If drizzle is added, consume within 3 days.
*Note: Hershey’s makes cinnamon chips but they are typically only found during holidays in grocery stores. King Arthur Flour carries Cinnamon Sweet Bits, and they can be mail-ordered year-round.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to my publisher, Sourcebooks, for allowing me the opportunity to tell the stories of my heart, and for readers who give me the chance to entertain them. Special thanks to editors Margaret Johnston and Anna Michels, who are both amazing to work with.
To my literary agent, Nikki Terpilowski, for her encouragement, patience, and all the time she devotes to guiding my career. I wouldn’t be here without you.
Heartfelt thanks to retired Troy Police Captain Terrance Buchanan, who never tires of my questions and whose conversations constantly spark new ideas for me!
To my awesome beta readers and dear friends Constance Atwater and Kathy Kennedy, who always give it to me straight and never let me down.
Thank you to the talented Kim Davis for the use of her amazing cinnamon chip biscotti recipe and to Sue Malatesta for her delicious cannoli recipe. Profound thanks to Gio Culinary Studio for allowing me to use their Bolognese creation and Donna Ferris Venturiello for sharing her knowledge of the restaurant world with me!
To my husband, Frank, for putting up with me as I spend many hours in my pretend, little world and often take him along for the ride. Your support means everything.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns lives in Upstate New York with an all-male household that consists of her very patient husband, sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in both English and Performing Arts and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. In her spare time, she loves to bake, read, and attend live theater performances. Her book For Sale by Killer was the 2019 recipient of the Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense. Readers are invited to visit her website at catherinebruns.net.
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It Cannoli Be Murder Page 24