"And if you're interested in experimenting with growing hops, or maybe selling some of your dewberries for a spring brew..."
"Or maybe some honey once you get the bees up and running," Teena suggested.
"I'd love that," I said. "Thank you for thinking of me."
"In fact," he said, "as a thank you for figuring things out, I'd like to offer you a stake in the company." He gave me a sad smile. "Since without you, there'd be no company."
"You don't have to do that!" I said.
"I know," he said, "but I want to."
Did I feel comfortable having a stake in Sweetwater? I wasn't sure yet; I hadn't done what I'd done for money, but to help out and put things right. "Can I think about it?"
"Of course," he said. "The offer stands. Let me know anytime."
"Thank you," I said. "And I'm so sorry about your brother... but I'm glad you're moving on. Oh, by the way... I think I know who fouled that barrel of beer."
"Really?" Simon perked up. "Who?"
"Nick Schmidt bought sulfur down at Heinrich Feed not too long ago, and he was in the brewery that day. I can't say for sure, but I'd say that's your best bet."
"But why?" he asked.
I looked at Teena. "I think he was jealous of your brother."
"Oh," Simon said, looking at Teena. "I see. I hear he may be in other trouble, too, so I suppose that's not surprising."
"What did you hear?"
"Apparently he took pay-offs from the construction company out of Houston to sabotage Ed Mandel's projects so that they would get the Buttercup Bank job."
"What?"
"Too bad he broke his leg in the process. Or maybe not," Simon said. "I think he thought it would be a double benefit; his dad would be convinced that the construction business was too dangerous for his son, and he'd get a kickback besides."
"That's horrible!" I said.
"Well, the bank just gave the job to Ed, so there's some good news," Simon said. "And I know he'll be hiring new help soon, so if you know anyone who's good in construction..."
"I'll keep an ear out," I said. "I'm glad he got the job, but I hope that doesn't mean my project will be delayed..."
Ed walked up to the stall. "I'll get it done," he said. He held out his hand to Simon. "Congratulations. I just heard the news about your new business venture."
"Thanks," Simon said, shaking the offered hand. "And congratulations on your new contract."
"Thank you," Ed said, then turned to me. "I heard about what you and Quinn did, and your place just turned into my top priority. I told the folks at the bank that I couldn't do a thing until I knew your little house was in tip-top shape."
"Really?" I asked. "Thanks so much!"
"It's the least I could do," he said. "After all, I brought a vandal onto your property."
"Poor boy," I said. "Will he go to jail?"
"I don't know, but he needs some help," Ed said. "And I won't be hiring him again."
"I'll bet not," I said. I was glad he was just a saboteur and not a murderer, though.
"I think you should go walk around for a while," Teena said, then turned to Simon. "Mind if I take over for Lucy for the night?"
"I would be delighted," he said. "It's the least we can do." He turned to Teena. "And if I can get things going with Brewlific, I'd like to help pay for your college, as long as you'll come intern for us in the summer and take a job with us your first year out."
"What?" Teena turned pink. "Really?"
"Really. Go learn all about the world of marketing, and then help me make Sweetwater a household name."
"I'd love that!" she said. "Thank you!" She went to hug him then held back, blushing harder. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes; did Teena already have another crush on an older man?
"Are you sure you want to take over the booth?" I asked, hoping to end the awkward moment.
"Absolutely," she said. "Just show me what to do!"
As Simon headed back to Sweetwater's booth, where I saw Beth Collins waiting for him (she gave me a quick wave), I got Teena up to speed. By the time Tobias came back with food, I was ready to go.
"What do I do with all of this?" he asked, looking at the bag of goodies he'd brought back.
"Give it to Teena," I said. "Except for the beer. That's mine," I said. "First stop is the Blue Onion stall; I need more lebkuchen. And maybe a Bienenstich."
"You got it," he said, and kissed me on the forehead. And arm in arm, we walked through the Buttercup Oktoberfest, enjoying the cool fall breeze from the north, greeting our friends and neighbors, and eating bratwurst, pretzels, and lebkuchen until we could barely move, while the band played and the lights sparkled overhead.
It was a magical evening, and, I hoped, just one of many, many more to come.
More Books by Karen MacInerney
To download a free book and receive members-only outtakes, short stories, recipes, and updates, join Karen’s Reader’s Circle at www.karenmacinerney.com! You can also join her on Facebook.
And don’t forget to follow her on BookBub to get newsflashes on new releases!
The Dewberry Farm Mysteries
Killer Jam
Fatal Frost
Deadly Brew
Mistletoe Murder
Dyeing Season
Wicked Harvest
The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries
Murder on the Rocks
Dead and Berried
Murder Most Maine
Berried to the Hilt
Brush With Death
Death Runs Adrift
Whale of a Crime
Claws for Alarm
Scone Cold Dead
Cookbook: The Gray Whale Inn Kitchen
Blueberry Blues (A Gray Whale Inn Short Story)
Pumpkin Pied (A Gray Whale Inn Short Story)
Iced Inn (A Gray Whale Inn Short Story)
The Margie Peterson Mysteries
Mother’s Day Out
Mother Knows Best
Mother’s Little Helper
Tales of an Urban Werewolf
Howling at the Moon
On the Prowl
Leader of the Pack
Six Merry Little Murders: A Cozy Christmas Bundle
(October 2019)
And coming Fall/Winter 2019… a new paranormal cozy series! More details coming soon…
Recipes
Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
I first had this cake in Munich, and I’ve loved it ever since. So does Lucy, oddly enough. :)
Ingredients:
Cake
1 3/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet)
pinch of salt
1 egg (at room temperature)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup milk (at room temperature)
Topping
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp honey
6 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sliced almonds
Filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 3.4-oz. packet vanilla pudding mix
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, butter, egg, and milk in a large bowl, kneading the dough a few times until it becomes smooth.
Remove the dough from the bowl and spray the bowl with cooking spray, then return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.
While the cake dough is rising, make the topping by melting the butter, honey, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the cream and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in sliced almonds.
Spray or grease an 8×8 baking dish and then place a sheet of parchment paper in the dish so that the edges hang over the sides. Roll out the dough and press it into the dish, then prick the dough several times with a fork. Pour the almond topping onto dough, spreading it out evenly. Bake the cake fo
r 35 minutes; the topping will be golden brown when the cake is done.
Let the cake cool for a few minutes and use the parchment paper to remove it from the baking dish. When you can touch the topping with your fingers, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake in two layers.
Place the top layer on a sheet of parchment paper and use the same knife to cut the top layer into nine equal-sized pieces. (It’s much easier to cut the top layer when it’s still a bit warm.)
Add the pudding powder to the heavy cream and whip to stiff peaks, then spread the filling over the bottom cake layer. Gently place the top layer onto the cream filling piece by piece. Chill the cake for 1 hour or until the filling is set.
When you're ready to serve the cake, slice the Bienenstich gently with a sharp knife while you hold the top lightly, being careful not to not to use too much pressure (or else the filling will spill out). Guten Appetit!
Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) Oktoberfest Hearts
Ingredients:
3/4 cup softened (not warm) butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup honey
2 medium eggs, beaten
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Egg white for brushing
Royal Icing for decorating
Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then add spices and zests, beating until they are incorporated. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat molasses and honey until boiling and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the molasses mixture to the creamed butter, stirring constantly, then beat in the eggs one by one and combine thoroughly.
Sift 3 cups flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and stir into the butter/molasses mixture one cup at a time, adding as much of the remaining flour as needed to get a soft but not sticky dough. Shape dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out chilled dough to about 1/3-inch thick. Using cutters or working freehand, cut the dough into whatever shapes you have in mind (hearts are typical for Oktoberfest; if you’re adding ribbon to the top, as is traditional in Germany, don’t forget to add a hole for the ribbon). Brush cookies with lightly beaten egg white, place on a parchment-covered baking sheet with plenty of space between the cookies, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Try not to let the edges brown!
To decorate Oktoberfest Hearts, wait until completely cooled and decorate with a piped stiff royal icing, made from a mixture of slightly beaten egg whites, a little lemon juice and confectioner’s (powdered or icing) sugar added gradually until the icing becomes stiff and stands in peaks. You can color some of the icing if you like (blue is traditional), or leave it white. In Germany, words like “I love you” or “Oktoberfest” are frequently piped, along with a decorative border. Have fun!
Chocolate Glazed Lebkuchen
Ingredients:
Lebkuchen
1/2 + 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup honey
Scant 1/4 cup butter, softened
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups ground almonds
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 medium eggs
Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp water
7oz. dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions:
Combine the sugar, honey, butter and orange zest in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.
Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture a cup at a time, mixing until well combined.
When the dough is mixed, cover the bowl and place in the fridge for half an hour (preferably overnight).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out balls of dough using a measuring spoon or coffee scoop, about 1 1/2 tbsp at a time, and roll dough balls between slightly damp hands until round and smooth. Place on the baking sheets with ample space between them, flattening them slightly with your fingers.
Bake cookies for about 15 minutes; when they are done, they will be firm and lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center will out clean. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
When the cookies are cooled, measure the powdered sugar into a small bowl and gradually mix in enough of the water to form a slightly runny icing (if it is too wet it will run off the cookies). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze, allow the excess to drip off, and then place them right-side up on the wire rack to set.
Once the sugar glaze has set, melt the chocolate, either in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave (check it often), then pour it into a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the bottoms of the cookies into the chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off, then place the cookies chocolate-side-down on the parchment paper to set. Once the glaze is set, store the cookies in an airtight container.
Goat Milk Flan
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups goat's milk (you can use cow’s milk instead, if you’re not a fan of goat’s milk)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease four 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the granulated sugar to a small saucepan set over high heat and let the sugar melt without stirring. As it melts, gently swirl the pan around to make sure it melts evenly. When the sugar has turned to caramel and is dark amber in color, carefully divide the caramel evenly among the ramekins. (If your caramel isn’t working and you want an easier approach, you can simply pour a tablespoon or two of dark corn syrup into the bottom of each ramekin).
Add the milk and the superfine sugar to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. As the milk heats, add the egg yolks, whole eggs and vanilla to a large mixing bowl, whisking together until foamy. Add a little of the hot milk to temper the eggs, stirring to combine, then gradually add the rest of the milk so it doesn’t cook the eggs. Once the milk is completely incorporated, stir the mixture well and then divide it evenly among the four ramekins.
Line a deep baking dish or roasting pan with a kitchen towel and carefully place the ramekins on top. Place the dish in the oven, then fill it with hot water so it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake until the custards are set, about 35 minutes, and remove the ramekins from the oven and allow to cool. (I often use tongs or potholders to take them out of the roasting pan and cool them on a wire rack; they can be slippery, though, so be careful.) Chill flans in the fridge before inverting onto a plate to serve.
German Pretzels
Ingredients:
Pretzels
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
4 1/
2 teaspoons (2 pkgs) active dry yeast
3 tbsp butter
Coarse salt for sprinkling
Baking Soda Bath
1/2 cup baking soda
2 quarts water
Instructions:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the sugar to the center of the well, then pour the yeast mixture into the well. Let rest for 15 minutes before mixing.
After 15 minutes, add the softened butter to the mixing bowl and knead everything to a smooth dough by hand or with the dough hook on a standing mixer, adding a bit more water (not too much) if dough is too dry. Form dough into a ball and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the ball of dough into twelve equal parts, then with your hands, roll each piece on an unfloured, clean table or countertop to a dough rope of about 20 inches (not less), tapering the dough at the ends. Try not to overwork the dough; if it gets too warm as you roll it out, it might tear.
To form a pretzel shape, place a dough rope on the parchment-lined cookie sheet so that it creates a letter "U". Take both ends of the "U" and cross them over each other twice to form a twist, then bring the twist down and place it over the bottom curve of the "U".
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