by Maymee Bell
“Sally Ann!” Dixie Ford gasped and put her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “That’s rude. I’m sorry, Sophia,” Dixie said. “As you can see, we’ve been working on her becoming a little lady. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“She’s fine.” I laughed remembering how hard it was to be her age. “Do I have time to give her something?” I asked Cat. I didn’t want to be in the middle of doing that when people started to arrive for the ribbon cutting.
“You’re fine.” She turned her attention to Sally Ann. “I do hope you come and take advantage of the services we’re going to have for preteens and teens.”
“I hope so too. Granny and I talked about it.” She looked at Dixie for assurance.
“We did. And I’m excited that the knitting club is able to meet here and do community projects.” Dixie was finding her retirement groove, and that made me happy.
“We can go together,” Effie Glass chimed in out of nowhere. “Now that Reba is going to take my job at the sheriff’s department, I’m retiring.”
“You come with me,” I whispered in Sally Ann’s ear while the women talked about retirement.
She followed me over to the pushcart I’d bought. I thought it would be cute to push it through the library while everyone walked around looking at the new addition and all the changes Cat had been working so hard on in the older part of the library.
Sally Ann was eager, and the smile on her face showed her excitement.
“I want you to know that I completely forgive you for my house and the bakery window. I didn’t come up with any sort of punishment.” I wasn’t going to let her completely off the hook. “Granted, you could’ve handled it a little better, and I’m hoping when something like this comes up in the future, you’ll think twice before you do anything.” I pulled out a plate from a compartment on the side of the cart. One Maple Long John rested on it. “I made the recipe, and I have to say that these hold many dear memories for me too. So,” I said, waving the plate in her face so she’d take it, “if you don’t mind, I’d like to rename them Maple Memories.”
She took a bite and then another, rapidly nodding her head.
“Did I hear you say Maple Memories?” Dixie asked walking up. Sally Ann held what was left of her donut up to Dixie’s lips.
“You’ve created such a great memory for every person I know with this donut. It wasn’t right for me to use your recipe without giving it an appropriate name.” I watched as satisfaction spread across her face.
There was no greater compliment than that.
Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwiches
Ingredients
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
½ c. light brown sugar
¼ c. granulated sugar
½ c. creamy peanut butter
1 whole egg
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
1⅓ c. all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ c. sugar for rolling
Ingredients for the Buttercream
3 T. unsalted butter, softened
¼ c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
3 tsp. heavy cream
strawberry jelly
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in peanut butter and mix for 1–2 minutes.
4. Add in egg and vanilla. Mix until combined and clump-free.
5. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in two parts, with the stand mixer on the lowest speed. Mix for a little less than a minute. Do not overmix.
7. Portion dough into 12–16 cookies (depending on how big you would like them).
8. Add sugar to a small bowl.
9. Roll each cookie in the sugar and place on a silicone baking mat on top of a baking sheet.
10. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, until lightly golden brown and firm on the edges.
11. Remove from the oven and let set for 3–4 minutes.
12. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
13. Once cool. frost half of the cookies with the peanut butter buttercream.
14. Spread jelly on the other half of the cookies.
15. Sandwich a jelly cookie and a peanut butter cookie together.
Buttercream
1. Cream butter and peanut butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, 2–3 minutes.
2. Alternately add powdered sugar and heavy cream. Add more heavy cream if the frosting is too thick to spread.
3. Set aside until ready to frost the cookies.
Nanner Mini Pie
Yields: 24 mini pies
Ingredients
1 roll prebought refrigerated sugar cookies
1 box banana cream pudding, prepared according to package directions and chilled
1 banana
whipped cream for topping
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin. Divide sugar cookie dough into 24 even pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Place dough in prepared muffin tin cups.
2. Bake dough until golden brown.
3. Remove from oven, and use the bottom of a shot glass to make depressions in each cup. Cool about 10 minutes.
4. Carefully remove cookie cups from muffin tin.
5. Put cookie cups on a cooling rack and cool completely.
6. Spoon a teaspoon of chilled pudding into the center of each cookie cup.
7. Slice banana and place on top of pudding. Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Mud Puddles
Ingredients
Cookie Cups
½ cup margarine or butter, room temperature
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1¼ c. flour (I used all whole wheat)
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Filling
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a mini muffin pan.
2. With a mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars.
3. Beat in egg.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until combined.
5. Drop teaspoons of dough into mini muffin pans.
6. Bake for 9–10 minutes until the center is set. Remove from the oven, and use a small, round object to make an indent in the center while still warm.
7. Let cool for 20–30 minutes before removing from pan.
8. In a medium pot, combine chocolate chips and condensed milk over medium-low heat, and stir until melted and smooth. Fill cookie shells and set aside to set for about 20 minutes.
9. Store at room temperature.
Cherry Flip-Flops
Ingredients
1 box puff pastry dough, thawed according to package instructions
1 can cherry pie filling
1 egg white, lightly beaten
For the Vanilla Glaze
1½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap both packages of puff pastry, and cut into 8 squares (4 from each dough).
3. Place a tablespoon of cherry pie filling in the center of each square. Brush the edges of the squares with the egg white and fold over to enclose the pie filling.
4. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puff pastry
is golden brown.
5. Let cool on a wire rack.
To make vanilla glaze
1. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl, and whisk until smooth.
2. Pour in a frosting bag or zip close bag, then snip off the tip or corner to pipe on the cooled turnovers.
3. Enjoy!
Peachy Surprise Bites
Ingredients
Peach Filling
2 peaches with skin removed, finely chopped
1 T. sugar
⅓ c. water
Pie Crust
2½ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
16 T. cold butter
6 tablespoons cold water
Directions
1. In a small sauce pan combine peaches, sugar, and water and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the water begins to reduce and becomes more like a syrup.
2. Remove from heat, set aside, and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. To make the piecrust, combine flour and salt.
4. Cut butter into thin slices and add to flour. Combine flour and butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until flour is crumbly.
5. Add in cold water and mix until all the flour has been incorporated.
6. Roll into 2-inch balls.
7. Flatten balls with hands.
8. Place a few chunks of cold peaches into the center of the round. (You can substitute any fruit.)
9. Bring all of the sides together, and pinch shut.
10. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
11. Cut a small X on the top of the peach bite.
12. Once you have formed all of your peach bites, freeze bites for 1 hour.
13. To bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
14. Before baking, baste each bite with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
15. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting
Ingredients
1 c. (2 sticks or 230 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3–4 cups (360–480 g) powdered (confectioners) sugar
2 T (30 ml) heavy cream
¼ tsp. peppermint extract (or more, see recipe instructions)
2 drops green food dye
pinch of salt, as needed
⅔ cup (120 g) mini chocolate chips
Directions
1. Beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric mixer. Beat for about 30–60 seconds until smooth and creamy.
2. Add 3 c. of powdered sugar, cream, peppermint extract, and food coloring.
3. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
4. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick.
5. Add salt if the frosting is too sweet.
6. You may also add more food coloring or more peppermint extract.
7. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Maple Memories
(Formerly the Ford's Bakery famous Maple Long Johns)
Ingredients
1½ c. milk
⅓ c. shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco)
4 T. granulated sugar
2 tsp. salt
¼ c. lukewarm water
2 envelopes yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
5 c. flour (might need a bit more)
2 tsp. cinnamon
Maple Icing
⅓ c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. milk
1½ c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. mapleine (found by the flavor extracts and seasonings) or maple extract
⅛ tsp. salt
Directions for the dough
1. In a medium saucepan, scald milk.
2. Add shortening, 3 T. granulated sugar, and salt. Stir to combine, and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
3. In a large mixer bowl, add the lukewarm water and the yeast. (Remember, the water should be just lukewarm; too hot and it will kill the yeast)
4. Add the remaining 1 T. sugar to the yeast and water, and whisk to combine.
5. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to bubble and become foamy.
6. After the yeast is foamy and the milk mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs to the yeast, and stir to combine; then add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture.
7. Whisk the cinnamon into the flour and gradually add to the yeast mixture. You may need to add more. You want the dough slightly sticky, but not too sticky.
8. Knead for 3–5 minutes.
9. Spray another large bowl with nonstick spray. Place dough in the bowl and let rise for an hour or until double in size.
10. Punch down and roll out into a large rectangle about 1 inch thick.
11. Cut into rectangles to make 12 bars, then place on a greased baking sheet.
12 Let rise for about 30 minutes.
13. While bars are rising, preheat the oven to 425°F.
14. Bake the bars for 7–8 minutes or until light golden brown.
15. Cool slightly before icing.
16. Make the icing while the bars are rising.
Directions for the Icing
1. In a small saucepan, mix butter, brown sugar, and milk.
2. Bring to boil on medium heat, and simmer 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.
4. Add the mapleine, salt, and powdered sugar, and blend well with a hand mixer.
5. Add a little more powdered sugar if needed.
6. Spread on cooled maple bars and enjoy!
Also available, as written by Tonya Kappes
Southern Cake Baker Mysteries (written by Maymee Bell)
Cake and Punishment
Kenni Lowry Mysteries
Ax to Grind
Southern Fried
Fixin’ to Die
Killer Coffee Mysteries
Freshly Ground Murder
Mocha and Murder
Scene of the Grind
Ghostly Southern Mysteries
A Ghostly Secret
A Ghostly Mortality
A Ghostly Reunion
A Ghostly Murder
A Ghostly Demise
A Ghostly Grave
A Ghostly Undertaking
Magical Cures Mysteries
A Charming Voodoo
A Charming Hex
A Charming Ghost
A Charming Fatality
A Charming Secret
A Charming Magic
A Charming Spell
A Charming Wish
A Charming Potion
A Charming Cure
A Charming Crime
Author Biography
Maymee Bell lives in Kentucky with her family and her two schnauzers. She likes strong coffee, slow-country days, and fresh-baked cookies—but she likes telling stories best of all. This is her second Southern Baker mystery.
This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real or actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reaction to the recipes contained in this book.
Copyright © 2018 by The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Crooked Lane Books and its logo are trademarks of The Quick Brown
Fox & Company LLC.
Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication data available upon request.
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-68331-878-1
ISBN (ePub): 978-1-68331-879-8
ISBN (ePDF): 978-1-68331-880-4
Cover illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover design by Melanie Sun
Book design by Jennifer Canzone
Printed in the United States.
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Crooked Lane Books
34 West 27th St., 10th Floor
New York, NY 10001
First Edition: December 2018
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