Plum Pudding Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

  Hannah’s Note: This is a lot easier with an electric mixer, but you can also make these cookie bars by hand.

  Melt your chocolate first so that it has time to cool. Unwrap the 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat them for 1 minute on HIGH. Let them sit in the microwave for another minute and then take them out and stir them to make sure they’re melted. (If they’re not, heat them again in 15 second intervals until they are.) Set the bowl with the chocolate on the counter to cool while you mix up the rest of the recipe.

  Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Beat them together on slow speed until they’re combined.

  Add the softened butter and beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy.

  Add the eggs and beat well.

  Check your chocolate to make sure it’s not so hot it’ll cook the eggs. If it’s cool enough, add it to your bowl. If it’s not, have a cup of coffee and wait until it is. Mix in the chocolate thoroughly.

  Add the vanilla and the half cup of chopped nuts. Mix thoroughly.

  Grease (or spray with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray) a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. Pour in the batter and smooth the top as evenly as you can with a rubber spatula.

  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes.

  Take the pan from the oven and immediately pour the miniature marshmallows in a single layer over the top. This should take about ¾ of a 10.5-ounce bag. Work quickly to spread them out as evenly as you can.

  Cover the pan with foil crimped down tightly over the sides, or with a spare cookie sheet for 20 minutes. You want the miniature marshmallows to melt on the bottom and attach themselves nicely to the hot chocolate fudge bars.

  When 20 minutes have passed, melt 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir the chips smooth and spread the melted chocolate over the marshmallows as evenly as you can. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool.

  When the bars are cool and the chocolate on top has hardened, cut them into brownie-sized pieces and serve. If you want to hasten the hardening of the chocolate, slip the pan into the refrigerator for thirty minutes or so, and then take it out to cut the bars.

  Arrange the bars on a pretty platter and serve for a luscious treat. You can store any leftovers in a tightly-covered container, but Lisa and I bet there won’t be any!

  Yield: Each pan makes approximately 24 bars.

  Lisa says Herb loves these because they remind him of the chocolate-covered marshmallow cookies he used to eat as a child. He confessed he traded them with his friends, giving them the homemade cookies Marge made and put in the lunchbox for the “store boughten” marshmallow cookies. Lisa says that if you know Marge Beeseman, please don’t tell her that her son did this!

  Chapter Twelve

  Hannah heard Lisa’s delighted laugh as she took the last pan of Christmas Lace Cookies out of the oven. Herb must be back from his trip with Mayor Bascomb. She waited a minute until the cookies were set, and then she pulled the parchment paper and cookies from the pan and slipped them onto the baker’s rack. She filled a plate with cooled cookies and went out through the swinging restaurant-type door that separated their kitchen from the coffee shop to see who had arrived.

  “Hello, dear.”

  Delores was the first to greet her. Hannah gave her a smile that included all four of the guests seated at the table at the back of the shop. There was her mother, Herb, Mayor Bascomb, and a familiar-looking woman that Hannah couldn’t quite place.

  “Look who’s here, dear,” Delores continued. “It’s Miss Whiting from class.”

  Of course! Hannah recognized her now, but the out-of-context phenomenon had confused her at first. She’d seen Miss Whiting last night in a completely different setting. Then she’d been wearing a tailored suit of navy blue wool with a cream-colored silk blouse, and she’d been standing in front of the blackboard in her mother’s small business class. In today’s setting, the community college teacher seemed much younger, but perhaps that was because she was dressed in jeans and a fluffy pink sweater with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  “Hi, Miss Whiting,” Hannah greeted her. “Did you come to check on our homework?”

  Miss Whiting laughed and shook her head. “I stopped in at Granny’s Attic to pick up a Christmas gift. I had no idea I’d run into one of my students. And then your mother brought me here to try a slice of your plum pudding.”

  “How do you like it?”

  “It’s excellent. Lisa mentioned that you’ll be selling it at the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot.”

  Hannah turned to look at Lisa, who nodded. “Krista called while you were in the kitchen and she put in an order for five Minnesota Plum Puddings every day.”

  “That’s great. I was hoping they’d like it.” Hannah set the plate down on the table. “Have one of our new Christmas Lace Cookies. We’re testing them today.”

  Never one to refuse a free cookie, Mayor Bascomb reached for one. He took a bite and looked a bit surprised. “These are good and they’re much more substantial than they look.”

  “They’re great,” Herb said, turning to smile at Lisa. He’d obviously missed his bride of less than a year, and the loving expression on his face gave Hannah a little wistful twinge. If she had accepted Norman’s proposal, he’d probably look at her like that. As a matter of fact, she was sure Norman would look at her like that. Norman was true blue, and he’d be the sort of husband who would never risk his marriage by having an affair with another woman.

  On the other hand, if she’d accepted Mike’s offer of marriage he’d probably…Hannah’s daydream evaporated in a flash of painful reality. If she’d married Mike and he went out of town for the night, she couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t stray. It might be a repeat of his nights with Ronni Ward and Shawna Lee Quinn. If she were Mrs. Mike Kingston, she’d always wonder what he was up to when she wasn’t with him. Part of the problem was that Mike was sinfully handsome and women tended to throw themselves at him. Yes, but he doesn’t have to catch them when they do, Hannah reminded herself.

  “What the matter, dear?” Delores asked, catching her eldest daughter’s unhappy expression.

  “Not a thing. I was just thinking about all the things I have to do before Christmas.”

  “I hope one of those things is making more of these cookies,” Herb commented.

  Miss Whiting nodded. “These are excellent cookies. They’re chewy and crunchy at the same time.”

  “Exactly right.” Mayor Bascomb reached out for another. “I think Stephanie would love these and I suppose I should take her something when I go visit her tonight.”

  It was a blatant bid for a box of free cookies and Hannah almost laughed. But she didn’t. The mayor wasn’t happy with anyone who laughed at him and it was politic to stay on his good side. “I’ll put some in a box for her.”

  “Are you going to sell these at the Christmas tree lot?” Delores asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Hannah said, but the fact her mother had mentioned the Christmas tree lot reminded her of Larry’s sign and she turned to Miss Whiting. “I’ve got an example of a bad business practice for you.”

  “Oh, good. Let’s hear it. I’m always on the lookout for new examples.”

  “There’s a sign at the entrance to the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot that reads, We sell below cost and make it up on volume.”

  “What?!” Miss Whiting looked shocked to the core.

  “I know it’s impossible to do that, but the sign is hanging right there. We asked Larry if it was some kind of a joke and he said it was.”

  “Larry?”

  “That’s his name. Larry Jaeger. His company is L. J. Enterprises. He said he heard somebody advertising mattresses on television when he was in high school, and that was the company slogan. He thought it was so funny, he made up a sign and he’s hung it in the front of every business he’s ever owned.�
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  “I see.”

  “I guess it is kind of funny, but I still think it’s a bad business practice. What if people take it seriously?”

  “That’s a valid point.” Miss Whiting stood up. “I’m sorry, but I have to leave. I have an appointment with one of my students and I don’t want to be late.”

  “What was that about homework?” the mayor asked, after Miss Whiting had left.

  “It’s for my class in small business practices,” Delores told him. “Carrie couldn’t make it and Hannah went to class with me. Miss Whiting gave us the paperwork from a company that had bad business practices and we’re supposed to identify the bad practice.”

  “What’s the name of the company?” Herb looked curious.

  “We don’t know,” Hannah answered him. “It’s blocked out on the paperwork.”

  “Probably for legal reasons,” Mayor Bascomb gave his opinion. “Let’s see that paperwork. Maybe I can help you with your homework.”

  “You?!” Delores looked shocked. “You were always terrible at arithmetic.”

  “I was?”

  “Yes, you were. I spent a whole summer trying to teach you your sevens.”

  “Sevens?” Herb looked puzzled.

  “His times tables. Multiplication. You know. He had the fives down just fine, and he knew his eights and nines. But the sevens stumped him every time. Isn’t that right, Ricky Ticky?”

  Hannah hid a grin. Her mother had been Mayor Bascomb’s summer babysitter when he was in grade school. To this day, she was the only one who used his first name, which was Richard, and the nickname she’d given him, Ricky Ticky.

  “It’s true,” Mayor Bascomb conceded the point, “but that’s something only my old babysitter would know.”

  Delores bristled at the phrase, “old babysitter,” and Hannah chalked one up for the mayor.

  “I did fine when I got to high school,” Mayor Bascomb continued. “That’s when I found out that you don’t need to know your sevens anymore. All you need is a calculator and there are calculators all over the place. My cell phone even has one. Now let me take a look at the homework and we’ll see if I’ve lost my touch for business.”

  Hannah dashed to the kitchen to get her homework from Miss Whiting’s class and handed it over to the mayor. “Here it is,” she said.

  Mayor Bascomb paged through the sheaf of papers, giving everything a once over. Then he went back and examined several sheets more closely. “Here it is,” he said, looking smug as he tapped his finger against one of the columns of figures. “Not bad for somebody who doesn’t know their sevens, right Delores?”

  “Not bad at all…if you’re correct.” Delores qualified it. “What did you notice?”

  Mayor Bascomb pushed the paper over to Delores. “Take a look for yourself. I want to see if you can find it.”

  “It’s a record of receipts for supplies,” Delores said, glancing down at the paper. “They’re added correctly. I already checked the math. What’s wrong with it?”

  “Take a look at how it’s paid.”

  Hannah slid over next to her mother and they leaned forward to examine the paperwork together. “It’s paid by cash,” Delores said, looking up at the mayor. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “A legitimate businessman wants more than a cash receipt. He pays by check so that he can use both the receipt and the cancelled check to verify business expenses.”

  There was a gasp behind her and Hannah turned to see Lisa standing there with the coffee carafe. She’d been about to refill the mayor’s cup when he’d made the comment about verifying expenses.”

  “What’s wrong?” Hannah asked her.

  “I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But Larry always pays us in cash and he never has the receipt filled out all the way. He just asks me to sign it and he says he’ll fill in the amount later.”

  Mayor Bascomb’s eyes narrowed and Hannah could tell he disapproved of the way Larry did business. “Is that bad?” she asked him.

  “It’s not good.” Mayor Bascomb turned to Lisa. “A less than honest businessman could fill in an amount that didn’t match what he paid you. And you wouldn’t be able to prove otherwise since the transaction was completely in cash. You should never sign a receipt that’s not complete,” he warned, “especially if you’re being paid in cash.”

  “Then I won’t do it again!” Lisa promised, looking properly chastised. “I had no idea I shouldn’t do that.”

  Mayor Bascomb smiled. “It’s probably perfectly okay. It’s just that most people don’t do business that way and it’s unusual when they do. There’s always the possibility that they’re not keeping accurate records…for one reason or another.”

  “Thanks for telling me,” Lisa said, and then she turned to Hannah. “Did Larry have you sign a blank receipt this afternoon when he paid you for the cookies?”

  “He didn’t pay me for the cookies. I just assumed he sent us a check or something like that. I guess I should have asked…but I didn’t. And I didn’t ask anybody to sign for the delivery I made, either.”

  “Better call Larry and tell him you’re coming back out to pick up a check,” Mayor Bascomb advised. “If you don’t, you won’t have a record of how many cookies you delivered. That’s not the way to do business.”

  “I’ll call Larry right now,” Lisa offered, heading for the phone behind the counter. A moment later, she covered the receiver with her hand and motioned to Hannah. “He’s tied up right now, but he wants us to pick up a check after the lot closes. That’s at nine tonight.”

  “I’ll do it,” Hannah told her. It was only fair. She was the one who’d forgotten to get a receipt for the cookies and ask for payment.

  Lisa said something to Larry and then she covered the receiver again. “He says he’ll leave the gate open and you should come straight to Elf Headquarters.”

  “That’s fine. Tell him I’ll be there. I’m going out to dinner with Norman, and I’ll call him when we’re through to let him know we’re on the way.”

  CHRISTMAS LACE COOKIES

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  1 and ½ cups rolled oats (uncooked dry oatmeal—use the old-fashioned kind that takes 5 minutes to cook, not the quick 1-minute variety)

  ½ cup melted butter (1 stick, ¼ pound)

  3/4 cup white (granulated) sugar

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon flour

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 beaten egg (just whip it up in a glass with a fork)

  ½ cup chocolate chips

  Measure out the oatmeal in a medium-sized bowl. Melt the butter and pour it over the oatmeal. Stir until it’s thoroughly mixed.

  In a small bowl, combine the sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt. Mix well.

  Add the sugar mixture to the oatmeal mixture and blend thoroughly.

  Mix in the vanilla and the beaten egg. Stir well.

  Add the chocolate chips and stir the mixture until it is well combined.

  Line cookie sheets with foil, shiny side up. Spray the foil lightly with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.

  Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoon onto the foil, leaving space for spreading. Don’t crowd these cookies together, no more than 6 or 8 per sheet.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: I used a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop to form these cookies. It was just the right size.

  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool them on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Pull the foil off the sheet and over to a waiting wire rack. Let the cookies cool completely.

  When the Christmas Lace Cookies are cool, peel them carefully from the foil and store them in a cool, dry place.

  If you want to dress up these cookies for special company, wait until they’re cool and then drizzle them with melted chocolate chips mixed with coffee. Start with ½ cup of chips mixed with 6 Tablespoons coffee and microwave for 30 seconds on
HIGH. Stir it until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to drizzle, add additional coffee and microwave in 20-second intervals on HIGH until it is.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: These cookies look delicate, but they travel well if you pack them correctly. Start with a layer of Styrofoam peanuts (or bubble wrap) at the bottom of your box. Cover that with a layer of wax paper. Put down a single layer of Christmas Lace Cookies. Cover that with another layer of wax paper and cover with another single layer of peanuts (or bubble wrap.) Keep on layering peanuts (or bubble wrap), wax paper, Christmas Lace Cookies, wax paper, and peanuts (or bubble wrap) until your box is full. Top off with a layer of peanuts (or several layers of bubble wrap), seal and send to your lucky recipient.

  Yield: One batch of Christmas Lace Cookies makes about 2 and ½ dozen cookies. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled if you wish.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I can’t believe how good this was!” Hannah said, forking up the last bite of Sally’s Triple Threat Chocolate Cheesecake Pie.

  “Mm-hmm,” Norman answered, finishing his slice of pie at the same time. “More coffee?”

  “Yes, thanks. I need coffee to cut all that yummy chocolate.” Hannah waited for Norman to fill her cup from the small silver pot that their waitress had brought. She took a sip and then she gestured toward the elevated booths that lined the far wall. “It’s a good thing Mother isn’t here.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “She’d be making her fourth trip to the ladies room and she’d be going the long way around so she could pass that booth with the curtains drawn. And if just walking by didn’t satisfy her curiosity, she’d drop her purse, kneel down to pick up everything that fell out, and try to peek under the curtain.”