Skeleton Letters

by Laura Childs

  1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

  1½ cups chicken broth

  ⅔ cup white rice

  ¼ tsp. garlic salt

  ¼ tsp. black pepper

  ¼ tsp. hot pepper sauce

  2 cups cooked, diced chicken

  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, rice, garlic salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Stir in the chicken and heat thoroughly. Serves 4.

  Brown Sugar Quick Bread

  2¼ cups flour, sifted

  2 tsp. baking powder

  ½ tsp. baking soda

  ¼ tsp. salt

  ½ tsp. cinnamon

  ¼ tsp. nutmeg

  1 cup brown sugar, packed

  1 egg, beaten

  1 cup buttermilk

  2 Tbsp. butter, melted

  1 cup pecans, chopped

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend in the brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add to the flour mixture and combine well. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  Baby’s Chocolate Streusel Bars

  1¾ cups flour

  1½ cups powdered sugar

  ½ cup cocoa powder

  1 cup butter

  1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

  1 can (14 fl. oz.) sweetened condensed milk

  1 egg

  2 tsp. vanilla extract

  ½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside 2 cups of the crumb mixture and press the remaining mixture on the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the condensed milk until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Pour the mixture over the baked crust and smooth out. Combine the nuts with the reserved crumb mixture and spread on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.

  Bayou Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

  Zest of 1 lime

  Juice of 1 lime (2 Tbsp.)

  2 Tbsp. olive oil

  12 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

  6 strips bacon, cut in half lengthwise to make 12 strips

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the lime zest, lime juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add the shrimp to the lime mixture and let marinate for 10 minutes, making sure all of the shrimp are coated.

  Wrap a half-slice of bacon around each shrimp and secure with a toothpick. Place the finished shrimp on a slotted baking pan and brush any remaining lime mixture on top. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the bacon is crispy.

  Big Easy Brown Sugar Beans

  4 slices bacon, cut into pieces

  1 can (21 oz.) pork and beans

  ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed

  ¼ cup chili sauce

  ½ cup onion, chopped

  ½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brown the bacon in a skillet, then drain and crumble into a bowl. Add the pork and beans, brown sugar, chili sauce, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, then pour into a baking dish. Bake for 1½ hours.

  Easy Cheesy Brownies

  1 pkg. fudge brownie mix

  8 oz. cream cheese

  ⅓ cup granulated sugar

  1 tsp. vanilla extract

  1 egg

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions, then spread the brownie batter in a greased 9-by-12-inch pan and set aside. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, then add the sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla and egg and stir until blended. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter. Cut through the batter with a knife to achieve a marbled effect. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

  Drunken Pecan Chicken

  1 chicken, cut into pieces

  ¼ tsp. dried thyme

  ½ tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled

  ¼ tsp. garlic powder

  ½ cup red wine

  1 Tbsp. butter

  1 cup chopped pecans

  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the chicken in a 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder. Pour the wine over the chicken. Dot the chicken with pieces of butter. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.

  Delta Corn Pancakes

  2 cups corn kernels (canned, frozen, or fresh)

  ⅓ cup red bell pepper, diced

  ⅓ cup onion, finely chopped

  ⅓ cup melted butter

  1½ cups flour

  3 eggs

  1½ cups heavy cream

  Sour cream (for topping)

  Combine the corn kernels, bell pepper, and onion. Stir in the melted butter. Add the flour and mix until the vegetables are well coated. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add the heavy cream. Fold the egg-and-cream mixture into the vegetable mixture. Cook as dollar-sized pancakes until golden brown. Top with a dollop of sour cream. (Note: Bacon or sausage is the perfect accompaniment!)

  Carmela’s Popeye Pizza

  1 grilled pizza crust

  1 cup prepared spinach dip

  1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  1 cup mozzarella cheese

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the grilled pizza crust on a pizza pan. Spread on the spinach dip, then top with the cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted and golden.

  Southern Candy Bar Pie

  1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

  1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

  4 (2.1 oz.) Butterfinger candy bars

  9-inch graham cracker pie shell

  Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then fold in the whipped topping. Crush the Butterfinger bars and fold them into the cream cheese mixture, reserving about 2 Tbsp. for topping. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell, then sprinkle with the remaining candy topping. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. (Note: Kit Kat bars can also be used. Yum!)

  Don’t Miss the Next Scrapbook Mystery

  Postcards from the Dead

  After a Mardi Gras murder, Carmela receives a series of mysterious postcards—from the victim!

  Watch for the New

  Tea Shop Mystery

  Also from Laura Childs

  Agony of the Leaves

  The grand opening party at Charleston’s Neptune Aquarium reveals a corpse bobbing in the water. Which suddenly plunges tea shop owner Theodosia into hot water.

  Find out more about the author

  and her mysteries at

  www.laurachilds.com

  or become a Friend on Facebook

  Berkley Prime Crime titles by Laura Childs

  Tea Shop Mysteries

  DEATH BY DARJEELING

  GUNPOWDER GREEN

  SHADES OF EARL GREY

  THE ENGLISH BREAKFAST MURDER

  THE JASMINE MOON MURDER

  CHAMOMILE MOURNING

  BLOOD ORANGE BREWING

  DRAGONWELL DEAD

  THE SILVER NEEDLE MURDER

  OOLONG DEAD

  THE TEABERRY STRANGLER

  SCONES & BONES

  Scrapbooking Mysteries

  KEEPSAKE CRIMES

  PHOTO FINISHED

  BOUND FOR MURDER

  MOTIF FOR MURDER

  FRILL KILL

  DEATH SWATCH

  TRAGIC MAGIC

  FIBER & BRIM
STONE

  SKELETON LETTERS

  Cackleberry Club Mysteries

  EGGS IN PURGATORY

  EGGS BENEDICT ARNOLD

  BEDEVILED EGGS

  Anthology

  DEATH BY DESIGN