Stirring the Plot

by Daryl Wood Gerber

  The front door opened and a warlock wearing a Zorro-style mask entered.

  I said, “Say, isn’t that the guy who played Pin the Bat on the Pumpkin at Vines the other night?” I stared harder. “Wait, a sec. Isn’t the cape he’s wearing the same one Tito wore as a magician?”

  Bailey moaned. “Uh-oh. Remember how I said Tito’s voice reminded me of someone? He sounds like the warlock at Vines, which means . . . it’s him!”

  Our intrepid reporter sauntered toward Bailey and reached gallantly for her hand. Before she could tug it away, he kissed it, and suddenly, thanks to a mental smack to the forehead, I realized that he—Tito—was the secret admirer. The tokens hadn’t been for me. They were all for her. Simply because they sat in front of the store, I had assumed . . .

  Well, we all know what happens when someone assumes.

  I giggled. Wasn’t it amazing how a guy could transform himself simply by donning a mask? Bruce Wayne became the Dark Knight. Superman added glasses and became Clark Kent. Tito, thanks to the power of the mask, was chatting freely, and Bailey seemed to be taking to him. Magic.

  In less than an hour, The Cookbook Nook filled with family and friends. Katie, who had delegated the catering of the party to her staff, stood near the food table with her boyfriend, Keller. Both had dressed as zombies. Pepper was wearing a simple black dress with one of the prettiest witch hats I’d ever seen, adorned with lacy netting on the front, its brim sparkling with red beads. Before leaving The Enchanted Garden, she had hugged me and told me how thrilled she was that I’d picked up on her silent signals. We weren’t best buddies quite yet, but earlier this morning she had warmed to me even more when I took her a dozen dark chocolates zinging with cayenne pepper, all made by Katie. Of course, Katie wouldn’t take the credit. She assured me I would be able to make the candies in due time.

  The door opened and Aunt Vera entered with my father and Lola, Bailey’s mother. Aunt Vera was beaming. She wasn’t wearing a costume—well, not a real costume. She had donned a spectacular purple caftan and turban, which clearly signified she felt her powers were restored. Deputy Appleby, true to his word, strode to her and handed her the roses. She blushed like a schoolgirl. What was it with her and younger men lately?

  I hurried to my father and Lola, surprised to see my father wearing a costume. To my recollection, he had never worn one in his life, despite my mother’s moans and groans. How had Lola talked him into it? I would bet she’d threatened that if he didn’t wear something fun, she would show up nude. The two of them were dressed like Nick and Nora Charles. She wore a prim black dress with a white lacy collar and a perfectly coifed 1930s wig. My father—stop the presses!—wore a pinstriped suit. A phony black mustache finished the getup. Granted, the mustache looked sort of silly with his silver hair, but I wasn’t going to mention it.

  He hugged me and whispered, “You and I have to talk about what you did, dragging your aunt into a dangerous situation.”

  “Dad, she insisted.”

  He glowered at me. “We’ll talk.”

  Lola hugged me and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle your father. Now, tell me everything. I just saw Emma and Edward Wright and Bingo and the Reverend walking down the boulevard. They seemed like old friends.”

  “Emma and Edward are putting their lives back on track. They’re meeting with a marriage counselor starting tomorrow.” Emma had rushed into the store first thing this morning to tell me the news. “She and Bingo are working hand in hand to make next year’s Winsome Witches a huge success, in honor of Pearl. Edward has even agreed to attend.”

  “Wow.”

  “And Bingo has told the Reverend everything.” The Reverend contacted the ex-fiancé. Money changed hands. The negatives were to arrive via express mail tomorrow. “Their wedding is a go.”

  “I know,” Lola said. “They’re having the night-before-the-wedding reception at The Pelican Brief.”

  My father, who seemed to have gotten over his initial peeve at me, said, “I heard the Reverend is quite a gourmet.”

  Lola rolled her eyes. “You should see the menu they’ve planned. Everything from fried eel to braised shark.”

  Speaking of gourmets, I scanned the party for Rhett. I wondered if, because I hadn’t wanted to, you know, go further the other night at his place, I had scared him off. Boo, I’m so scary. Dang, but I could be self-sufficient.

  Aunt Vera said, “I received a call from that sweet Mrs. Davies today. She’s been keeping tabs on Trisha, despite Trisha’s loathing of her. She feels she owes a debt to Pearl. Anyway, she wanted to give me an update on Trisha. It seems that UC Santa Cruz, given the extreme circumstances, has granted Trisha dispensation. Her boyfriend is not in trouble, and Trisha has been allowed back to classes, but she’ll have to comply with weekly drug testing.”

  I was glad to hear that. The young woman would have enough to deal with in the coming years. Maybe knowing that she’d had her mother’s love would help her mend, in time.

  “Also,” Aunt Vera continued, “it seems that Trisha has been in contact with a museum in San Francisco. With the approval of the estate trustee, she’s going to donate the Thornton Collection. She wants no remuneration.”

  “Wow. How benevolent.”

  “Mrs. Davies clucked with pride, as if she herself had given Trisha the idea.”

  The door opened again and Cinnamon and Bucky arrived—on roller skates. She wore a carhop outfit that really showed off her muscular legs. Bucky had dressed as a fifties-style grease monkey, complete with a pack of cigarettes rolled into the sleeve of his oily T-shirt. Right behind them came a scarecrow. Full mask. Corn husks and hay jutting from every part of his costume. He punched Bucky on the arm, then walked with a bowlegged gait toward me.

  “Hey, Dorothy,” he said, then yukked.

  “Rhett,” I said, recognizing his eyes. “I’m so glad you showed up. I thought perhaps, after the other night, you might not—” I waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. Did you dress like that to match me?”

  “Yup.”

  “How did you guess I was dressing as Dorothy?”

  He tapped his temple. “I’ve actually got a brain.”

  “Cute. No, really?”

  “Your aunt called me.”

  I eyed her. “I didn’t tell her.”

  “Maybe she divined it.”

  I glanced at her again. Was she really psychic? All this time, I’d thought she was making up the fact that she had powers. To test out the theory, I willed her to turn in my direction. I would never know if she did or not because Rhett grabbed me in a dance hold and spun me around.

  He stopped suddenly and said, “By the way, I wanted to talk to you about sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

  “Uh-oh, what did I do now?” Had he and my father been chatting? Was I going to get a lecture?

  “Cinnamon says she’s going to reopen the investigation into the arson at The Grotto.”

  “Really? Yay!”

  “Thank you.”

  He planted a kiss on my mouth that sent me reeling, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t put him off any longer.

  Recipes

  From Aunt Vera:

  The very first year we held the Winsome Witches luncheon, I was the one to come up with this recipe. I’m not a big drinker, but I really love a sweet, fun cocktail. A colorful drink in a martini glass brings out the twenty-something girl in me. Invigorating when one is well into her sixties. Serving the cocktail in a sugar-rimmed martini glass makes the drink look ever so festive.

  Witchy Woman Cocktail

  (makes 4 to 6 drinks)

  Sugar for martini glasses

  4 ounces Midori Melon liqueur or Citronella liqueur

  4 ounces dark rum

  4 ounces light rum

  8 ounces red cranberry juice

  8 ou
nces apple juice

  4 ounces simple syrup

  8 tablespoons lemon juice

  Melon balls for garnish

  Prepare the martini glasses by wetting the rims and dipping the rims in the sugar. Set aside to let the sugar harden.

  Meanwhile, pour the liquids into a pitcher and mix well. Set in a refrigerator to chill.

  When ready to serve, pour 6 ounces of liquid into each martini glass. Garnish with a skewered melon ball.

  Simple Syrup Recipe

  1 cup water

  2 cups granulated sugar

  Bring the water to a boil in a 6-quart pot. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water. Stir constantly. Once the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Don’t let the syrup boil too long or it will get thick.

  From Katie:

  I made this special chocolate as a favor for Jenna to give to Pepper. It did the trick. Pepper adored these chocolates. This recipe is an easy way to make your own homemade chocolate. You’ll never buy store-bought again! Here’s a little chocolate-making tip, however. Make sure that no water or liquid gets into the chocolate, as it can cause the texture of the chocolate to get grainy. Ick. Even be careful of wet hands or a drop of water when you pour the chocolate into the molds.

  Dark Chocolate Laced with Cayenne Pepper

  ¼ cup coconut oil

  ½ cup natural cocoa powder

  1 to 2 tablespoons raw honey or pure maple syrup

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  Pinch of sea salt

  Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until it is a clear liquid.

  When the coconut oil is completely melted, add the cocoa powder, honey (the more honey, the sweeter the chocolate), vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper. Make sure all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth.

  Using a candy pourer (found at specialty shops) or a pastry tube, pour the chocolate into candy molds. Let harden for several hours at room temperature. Then remove the candy from the molds. If the candy is not yet hard, stick it in the fridge to harden.

  From Jenna:

  I found a brittle recipe in a cookbook with the incredibly long title Ghoulish Goodies: Creature Feature Cupcakes, Monster Eyeballs, Bat Wings, Funny Bones, Witches’ Knuckles, and Much More!, but I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I experimented and came up with this recipe. The author of the recipe mentioned that tons of recipes for candy brittle include a big baking soda addition, which can make the hot sugar puff up too much and get sort of cloudy looking. The puffiness looks cool, but the candy doesn’t have the crispness that brittle-lovers crave. So, note that this recipe doesn’t have a ton of baking soda. Also note, you need a candy thermometer. Luckily, I had one because my aunt was wise enough to furnish my little kitchen with one. She knew I had a sweet tooth. The recipe is easy. The candy flavor is divine.

  Sunflower Seed Brittle

  1 cup granulated sugar

  ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

  1 cup water

  ⅓ cup light corn syrup

  2 tablespoons butter

  1 cup shelled sunflower seeds

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with butter. Put on oven mitts.

  In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly while the sugar dissolves. Cook until the mixture comes to a full boil. This will take 3 to 5 minutes.

  Slip the candy thermometer along the side of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue to boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 260°F on the candy thermometer. This will take 10 to 12 minutes. (Note: the temperature gets to 200°F fast . . . but then be patient.)

  Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the butter and sunflower seeds with a wooden or heatproof spoon. (Don’t use a plastic spoon; it could melt.) Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 295°F on the candy thermometer. This will take about 5 minutes.

  Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. Be careful; the vanilla will spatter. Yipes!

  Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it as thinly as possible, using the back of the wooden spoon or a spatula, and let the brittle stand until completely cool. Break the candy into serving pieces (I gently whack it with a mallet) and store the candy in a plastic ziplock bag. Remember to squeeze out the air before sealing. The candy holds for up to 2 weeks, if you can keep from eating it that long.

  From Jenna:

  I left the Winsome Witches luncheon with such a craving for this delectable cake. I told Katie about it, and she figured out how to make it. She said the trick was adding a dab of coffee or espresso. I have to admit it wasn’t that hard to make. Chopping chocolate takes a bit of time and muscle, but that’s it!

  French Silk Fudge Cake

  (à la Jenna, à la Katie)

  (serves 4 to 8)

  1 (3½-to-4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped

  1½ (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

  5 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1½ teaspoons brewed coffee

  2 large eggs

  1 large egg yolk

  ¾ cup granulated sugar

  ⅛ teaspoon salt

  3 tablespoons flour (may use gluten-free flour plus ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum)

  ½ of a 3½-to-4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into ½-inch pieces

  Whipped cream or frosting, if desired

  Note: I used Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate instead of bittersweet chocolate.

  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease four mini Bundt cake cups.

  Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on low power until the butter has melted and the chocolate is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning the mixture.

  In a mixing bowl, whisk the cinnamon, coffee, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and salt until combined. Stir in the flour. Mix in the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth. Add the additional bittersweet chocolate pieces. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt cake cups. Fill about ¾ full.

  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with “streaks” of thick batter. The tops of the cakes will be nearly firm. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm, or wait 20 minutes and serve at room temperature with whipped cream squirted into the center of the Bundt shape.

  Note: If you want to frost this cake, consider baking it in cupcake tins. Bake 17 to 20 minutes. Or in a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

  From Jenna:

  I know I’ve shared a bonbon recipe with you before, but this one is really different and perfect for Halloween because of the pumpkin. Now, mind you, the dipping in hot chocolate was a challenge, but I did it! I’m getting quite good at the fork trick.

  Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Bonbons

  1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips

  ½ cup pumpkin purée

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

  ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

  Dash of nutmeg

  1 cup ground pecans

  1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

  In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the white chocolate chips, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth and silky.

  Remove from the heat and pulverize the pecans by ei
ther putting them in a ziplock bag and whacking with a mallet or by blending the pecans in the blender. I personally like the whacking method.

  Now add the ground pecans to the white chocolate and pumpkin mixture. Stir well. Set the mixture in the fridge and let cool for a bit, about 20 minutes.

  Line a 9-by-15-inch sheet pan with parchment paper and scoop the pumpkin-pecan mixture by small spoonfuls (about 1 inch in size) onto the pan. Place the sweets in the freezer for about 2 hours.

  Two hours later: Slowly melt the semisweet chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler. You do not want this to go directly on the stove because the chocolate will get fudgy and thick.

  Remove the pumpkin pecan balls from the freezer. Using two forks as tongs, carefully dip one ball at a time in the melted chocolate, covering the entire thing in chocolate. The technique requires rolling the ball between the forks.

  Carefully slide the bonbon back onto the parchment paper. Repeat until all the bonbons are coated. If you need to, reheat the melted chocolate as needed.

  Place the bonbons in an airtight container and set in the refrigerator to harden.

  From Katie:

  These are the easiest but possibly the messiest things in the world to make. They’re a tad time-intensive because you have to cut up the marshmallows and caramel squares. You’ll probably want a hot, wet knife when you’re cutting. Also, be aware that when you are rolling these into balls, the gooey mixture is sticky and hot—not so hot as to burn, but be careful.

  Katie’s Caramel Popcorn Balls

  ¾ cup light corn syrup

  ¼ cup butter

  2 teaspoons cold water

  2¾ cups confectioners’ sugar

  1 cup marshmallows, cut into tiny pieces

  12 caramel squares, cut into tiny pieces

  8 cups plain popped popcorn

  Safflower oil for molding

  In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, butter, cold water, confectioners’ sugar, and diced marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.