“I’m looking forward to it, too. I think Macie would be proud to see something positive come from all the hurt that’s happened.”
“I’m sure she would.”
Jamie waved to Hadleigh, and Q’Bita noticed her face light up as she waved back.
“Why don’t you go eat? I’ll be out soon with dessert.”
A familiar voice behind her said, “I hope dessert includes pie.”
“Hello, Sheriff Hansen,” Hadleigh said.
“Miss Banks. I think you’d better get over there and grab some food before Rolfie eats all the shrimp.”
A sense of contentment washed over Q’Bita as she watched her family welcome Hadleigh. She sighed then looped her arm through Andy’s.
“They’re going to be busy for a while so why don’t you follow me inside? I have something in mind I think you’ll enjoy more than pie.”
Epilogue
He sat at his desk and looked out over the city of Lyon. He was lost in thought when a rapping at the door brought him back to the present.
“Entre.”
“Hey, boss, you got a second?”
“Oui, Henri, and I must say your American accent is developing well.”
Henri blushed and stepped inside.
“There’s been a situation with the Americans you asked me to keep an eye on.”
He spun the chair around so fast he almost pitched himself out of it.
“Oui? What’s happened?”
Henri laid a folder on the desk in front of him. He flipped it open and found a news article from the Castle Creek Gazette. He began reading.
“It appears they got themselves entangled in a murder investigation. I was surprised some place so small would have such excitement.”
He read through the article and paused to reread the section alluding to a romantic relationship between Q’Bita Block and Sheriff Andy Hansen. He felt anger bubbling up inside and slapped the file shut.
“Good work, Henri. Please continue to keep an eye on these people, and in the meantime do me a favor and compile a dossier on the Castle Creek Sheriff. I want to know everything there is to know about this man.”
The End
Sinister Cinnamon Buns
While these cinnamon buns do not include the sinister poison that killed Macie Dixon, they are delicious enough they should be called Sinful Cinnamon Buns.
The recipe may look long, but these buns are super simple to make. The sweet dough recipe is what you’d expect for a basic single-rise recipe. It’s the filling and the frosting that make these so sinfully delicious.
I’m a big fan of cinnamon, but I’m a full-on fanatic for speculaas spice. This Dutch spice blend usually contains cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom and white pepper. With the addition of a little orange zest, the whole kitchen will smell like Christmas while the buns are baking.
Sinister Cinnamon Buns
Sweet Dough Ingredients
2 ¾ Cups All Purpose Flour, divided
3 Tablespoons White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Package Instant Yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
½ Cup Water
¼ Cup Whole Milk
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Large Egg
Filling Ingredients
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter – softened/room temperature
2 Teaspoons Speculaas Spice (I use King Arthur brand but any brand will do)
1 Teaspoon Honey
½ Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Zest of 1 Medium Orange
Frosting Ingredients
8 Ounces of Cream Cheese – softened/room temperature
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter– softened/room temperature
1 Cup of Powdered Sugar
¼ Cup Orange Juice (preferably from the orange you zested for the Filling)
1 Teaspoon of Honey
¼ Teaspoon of Vanilla (feel free to use a ½ tsp if you like, but I’m not a big vanilla fan)
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Sweet Dough Steps:
Before you get started, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
In a large bowl combine 2 ¼ cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast and stir to combine.
In a medium sauce pan, over low heat, combine water, milk, and butter until it reaches 110 degrees. It’s best to use an instant read thermometer for this step but if you don’t have one, this temperature is roughly the point where the liquid becomes hot to the touch.
Add the liquid to the dry ingredients along with the egg and ¼ cup of the reserved flour. Mix until all the dry ingredients are well incorporated. The dough should be springy but not sticky. If it’s sticking to the sides of the bowl, or your fingers, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough no longer sticks.
Form the dough into a loose ball and transfer it to a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Set the dough aside to rest 10-15 minutes while you make the filling.
Filling Steps:
In a medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Putting It All Together:
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9 x 15 rectangle. Cover the dough with the filling, being careful to leave about a ½ inch border on all sides. Starting with one long side, tightly roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch the seam closed. Cut the dough into 12-14 equal pieces and place in a lightly sprayed baking dish being careful not to overcrowd the dish so the dough has room to rise. Loosely cover the top of the baking dish with foil. You may want to use 2 dishes with 6-7 buns in each.
Turn off the oven and place the baking dish inside it. Let the buns rise 45 – 60 minutes until almost double in size.
Make frosting while the buns are proofing.
Frosting Steps:
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, orange juice, vanilla, salt, and honey. Stir or beat on medium speed with a mixer until thoroughly combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and then slowly add the powdered sugar and beat on medium until light and fluffy.
Final Steps:
When the buns have doubled in size, remove from oven and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them and if they start to brown on top too quickly, cover with foil to prevent burning. When rolls are done, let sit 10 minutes, then frost.
Simple Art of Simple Syrup
I’m fortunate to have the space for a sizable garden, which allows me to grow more herbs than a family of two could use in a life time, let alone a single growing season. I can’t stand to see any of my herbs go to waste so I had to come up with ways to use as many as possible. One of my favorite ways to use my surplus is simple syrup.
Simple syrup, as the name implies, is simple to make, and will elevate any dish, or cocktail, from ordinary to unforgettable.
The base recipe consists of a 1-to-1 ratio of sugar to water. From there you can experiment with different sugars and sweeteners, such as brown sugar or honey, and flavor with herbs, tea, etc. Experimenting is where the art comes in. The base recipe supplies the canvas. You create the masterpiece to suit your tastes.
Last summer I had an abundance of French tarragon and found that just a few sprigs made a wonderful simple syrup. I used it in iced tea, sparkling water, and drizzled over grilled peaches.
Like Q’Bita, I’m a huge fan of rosemary. I grow it in the garden most of the year, and indoors when winter is at its worst.
Add this syrup to lemonade, iced tea, and cocktails or use it to baste pineapple, onions, or cherry tomatoes while grilling.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon of honey (optional, but lovely)
2-3 Three-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary, washed but left whole (I used 3)
Rosemary is a potent herb, so it’s better to start with less, and add more until you reach the balan
ce of sweet and herby you enjoy.
Combine sugar and water in a medium, non-stick sauce pan. Bring to a low boil (just a smidge past a simmer) over medium heat. Stir or whisk continuously to avoid scorching the sugar. When bubbles begin to break the surface, add the rosemary sprigs, give a few quick stirs, and remove from the heat. The syrup will thicken slightly as it cools.
Let the syrup cool to room temperature and then pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar with lid or an airtight container.
Yields approximately 1.5 cups and can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks.
About J Lee Mitchell
J Lee Mitchell is the author of The Red Herring Inn Mystery series. She does her writing, cooking, and gardening in the heart of South Central Pennsylvania’s Amish Country. When she’s not doing these things she dreams of training ninjas.
She enjoys traveling, quilting, hoarding cookbooks, and spending time with the World’s most patient and loving significant other.
Want more? Visit J Lee Mitchell at jleemitchell.com, sign up for the Red Herring Inn newsletter, or connect with her via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedHerringInn/
All Newsletter subscribers will receive BONUS CONTENT as a special thank you for signing up.
Acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the guidance, encouragement, and talent of some very wonderful people. I am forever grateful and in debt to you all.
Thank you, RE Vance, for being the best coach and mentor any writer could hope to have. Thank you, Micki K Jordan, for keeping me accountable, for being the voice of reason, and for all your encouragement and willingness to share your knowledge.
Thank you, Ella Medler, for your excellent feedback and editing.
Thank you, Spencer Pierson, for designing a fabulous cover.
Thank you, Kat Brokaw and Erin Shoemaker, for being there from the beginning and being the best BFFs a girl could ask for. Last but not least, thank you to all my friends and family who have been so supportive for all these years.
Sinister Cinnamon Buns Page 17