And then she disappeared.
THE END
Peach Sunrise Coffee Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1⁄3 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup milk
1⁄2 cup melted butter
1⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed
1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups peaches, thinly sliced
1⁄3 cup sour cream
1⁄2 cup raspberry preserves
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar with a fork. Cut in butter. In a separate bowl, beat together egg and milk; add to the flour mixture, stirring until just mixed. Set aside.
Combine melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; spread over the bottom of a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Arrange peach slices in four rows. Spoon half of the batter over the peaches, smooth. Combine sour cream and raspberry preserves, and pour over batter. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over preserves mixture and smooth.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack; then invert over serving plate.
To-Die-For Chocolate Cherry Brownies
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 pound good quality dark chocolate, chopped
1⁄2 cup butter
1⁄2 cup flour
1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄2 cup dried sweet cherries
1⁄2 cup dark chocolate, chopped
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Melt the 1⁄2 pound of chocolate and butter in double boiler; add to egg mixture and whisk in. In a separate bowl, mix flour and cocoa powder with a fork; fold into the mixture. Fold in cherries and the dark chocolate pieces. Spread into a greased or parchment-lined 8-inch square pan and bake at 350° degrees for 20–25 minutes.
These brownies are so chocolatey that they’re delicious even without frosting, but if you’re a true chocoholic, go ahead and frost with Cherry Chocolate Frosting, and serve with Bluebell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, if you can get it!
Cherry Chocolate Frosting
4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1⁄2 cup cream
1–2 tsp cherry liqueur (optional)
Bring cream to a full boil over medium-high heat. Add chocolate; remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes. Stir gently until chocolate is completely melted; add liqueur, and spread over cooled brownies.
Smooth Vanilla Flan
Nonstick spray
4 eggs
1⁄8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
11⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
10 Tbsp light corn syrup
6 Tbsp brown sugar
Half-fill a 9x13-inch pan with water; place on a rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350°. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick spray. Break eggs into medium-sized bowl, add salt, and beat lightly with a whisk until yolks are broken. Slowly pour in milk and vanilla; keep beating. Spray a tablespoon with cooking spray; use it to measure out corn syrup. Drizzle corn syrup in as you whisk, mixing until all 10 tablespoons are blended in. Press 1 tablespoon brown sugar into bottom of each ramekin, then pour custard over the ramekins, dividing it equally. Gently place ramekins into pan of hot water; bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a knife inserted all the way into the flan (halfway between edge and center) comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and take out ramekins, cooling them on a wire rack. (I use a potholder to grab the edges of the ramekins; they’re hot!) Cool to room temperature; run a knife around the edges, then invert onto a small plate, making sure all the syrup comes with them! Serve cold or at room temperature. (Nice with a few fresh raspberries around the edge of the plate.)
This is a great accompaniment to breakfast, but is also a fantastic finish to a good Tex-Mex meal.
Emmeline’s Cardamom Banana Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
3⁄4 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
1⁄4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1⁄3 cup sour cream
1 tsp cardamom
2⁄3 cup walnuts
In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add banana, sour cream, and cardamom; beat until blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a fork. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, mixing just until moist. Stir in walnuts and spoon batter into 9x5 loaf pan coated (bottom only) with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for one hour or until center springs back to touch. Cool ten minutes on wire rack, then remove from pan.
Gray Whale Inn Breakfast Strata
1⁄2 pound sausage
8 slices bread, cut into cubes (crusts removed)
3⁄4 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4 eggs
11⁄2 cups milk
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne powder
1⁄2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp butter, melted
Brown sausage in skillet, breaking it up with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Grease a 1-quart soufflé dish; arrange 1⁄3 of bread cubes in bottom of dish and sprinkle with 1⁄3 of cheese. Top cheese with all of sausage; top sausage with half of remaining bread. Sprinkle half of remaining cheese over bread, then top strata with remaining bread and press layers together slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over strata and sprinkle the top with remaining cheese. Drizzle with melted butter and chill, covered, one hour or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Put dish in a baking pan, adding enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of dish. Bake at 350° for 1 to 11⁄2 hours, or until golden brown and set.
Barbara Hahn’s
Berried Medley Lemon Streusel Muffins
Streusel Topping
1⁄4 cup melted butter
1⁄2 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
11⁄2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
Muffins
21⁄2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
11⁄3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1⁄2 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice
11⁄2 cups (about 6 ounces) frozen berry medley (strawberries,
blackberries, blueberries, and red raspberries) slightly thawed
1 Tbsp flour
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Stir all streusel ingredients together in a small bowl to form, soft crumbly dough. Set aside.
Whisk dry muffin ingredients and lemon peel together in medium size bowl. In a separate medium bowl, combine all liquid ingredients. Add in dry ingredients and stir until almost fully incorporated.
Cut slightly thawed large berries in pieces. Leave small berries whole. Toss berries with 1 tablespoon flour to coat, then gently fold into dough, handling only enough to incorporate berries.
Line large muffin tin with paper muffin liners. Fill each muffin tin 1⁄4 inch from top. You will only use 9 out of 12 muffin holders. Fill empty muffin holders with water to 1⁄2 inch full.
Crumble streusel topping over each. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and muffin springs back when pressed
lightly with fingertips. Cool for 5 minutes in muffin tin and then serve on platter.
Makes 9 large muffins.
About the Author
Although she currently lives in Texas with her husband and two children, Karen MacInerney was born and bred in the Northeast, and she escapes there as often as possible. When she isn’t in Maine eating lobster, she spends her time in Austin with her cookbooks, her family, her computer, and the local walking trail (not necessarily in that order). In addition to writing the Gray Whale Inn mysteries, Karen teaches several writing workshops and is also the author of a new paranormal romance series, which is scheduled for release in Fall 2007. You can e-mail her at [email protected] or visit her online at www.karenmacinerney.com.
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