Read Online Devil's Food Cake by Josi S. Kilpack - Free Book Online
Authors: Josi S. Kilpack
Tags: cozy mystery
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and Gayle were on folding chairs in one corner, talking, and he patted her hand. Sadie stood by the door for a few seconds, not sure what to do, before spying the two cake boxes still on the counter. She picked up one of the boxes and headed for the outside door, all the while wishing she could just turn off her brain. There were plenty of people in the world who could shrug their shoulders and carry on with their lives amid tragedies such as this—why wasn’t she one of them? Why couldn’t she just worry about herself instead of wanting to see such a big picture? Life would be far simpler if she could.
Sadie transferred the cake box to one hand and pulled on the door twice before remembering that Pete had ordered all the exits and entrances locked. She turned the heavy dead bolt and made a mental note to make sure Andy locked the door behind them when she and Gayle were ready to leave for good.
Moments later she was in the darkened parking lot again and replaying the last conversation she’d had with the photographer. Had she missed anything? Were there inflections that may have said things she didn’t hear?
The snow was coming down harder now and she ducked her head, glad that the evening was over and she didn’t have to worry about what the snow was doing to her hair. When she smelled cigarette smoke, she looked up and froze as a tremor ran down her spine. When the photographer had made his getaway, she’d realized how secluded the back lot was. Suddenly she felt very vulnerable.
Sadie squinted in the faint glow from the exterior lights, finally picking out the shape of a person leaning against her car. Sadie’s heart abruptly began racing within her chest. Fear wasn’t something that came easily for her, but finding herself alone in a parking lot with a stranger—and armed with only a devil’s food cake—was a precarious circumstance.
The tall, lanky body pushed itself away from Sadie’s car and flicked a cigarette, the red ember twirling through the air before sizzling upon the snow-covered blacktop.
“Sadie Hoffmiller,” the person said—and not just any person, but the female voice that Sadie recognized from the cryptic message on her cell phone. Ms. Jane herself.
Tina’s Turtle Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
2⁄3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
Whisk the 2 egg whites in another bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
While cookies are baking, microwave caramels and cream in a bowl, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Once cookies are removed from oven, fill each indentation with 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack and cool completely.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Chapter 9
Can I help you?” Sadie asked, intimidated by the circumstances of this introduction but trying to play it cool. She squinted through the snow, reaching for visual recognition that would make this exchange a lot less creepy.
By the time the woman was within ten feet of her, Sadie was feeling less threatened and
Sadie transferred the cake box to one hand and pulled on the door twice before remembering that Pete had ordered all the exits and entrances locked. She turned the heavy dead bolt and made a mental note to make sure Andy locked the door behind them when she and Gayle were ready to leave for good.
Moments later she was in the darkened parking lot again and replaying the last conversation she’d had with the photographer. Had she missed anything? Were there inflections that may have said things she didn’t hear?
The snow was coming down harder now and she ducked her head, glad that the evening was over and she didn’t have to worry about what the snow was doing to her hair. When she smelled cigarette smoke, she looked up and froze as a tremor ran down her spine. When the photographer had made his getaway, she’d realized how secluded the back lot was. Suddenly she felt very vulnerable.
Sadie squinted in the faint glow from the exterior lights, finally picking out the shape of a person leaning against her car. Sadie’s heart abruptly began racing within her chest. Fear wasn’t something that came easily for her, but finding herself alone in a parking lot with a stranger—and armed with only a devil’s food cake—was a precarious circumstance.
The tall, lanky body pushed itself away from Sadie’s car and flicked a cigarette, the red ember twirling through the air before sizzling upon the snow-covered blacktop.
“Sadie Hoffmiller,” the person said—and not just any person, but the female voice that Sadie recognized from the cryptic message on her cell phone. Ms. Jane herself.
Tina’s Turtle Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
2⁄3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
Whisk the 2 egg whites in another bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
While cookies are baking, microwave caramels and cream in a bowl, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Once cookies are removed from oven, fill each indentation with 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack and cool completely.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Chapter 9
Can I help you?” Sadie asked, intimidated by the circumstances of this introduction but trying to play it cool. She squinted through the snow, reaching for visual recognition that would make this exchange a lot less creepy.
By the time the woman was within ten feet of her, Sadie was feeling less threatened and
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