Wedding Cake Murder Read online

  Again, Hannah was silent. She didn’t like the idea of turning everything over to her mother and sisters, but it seemed like the only reasonable option since she’d made such a mess of it on her own.

  “Delores said to tell you that there are only two things you have to do,” Grandma Knudson spoke again. “The first thing is to choose your wedding dress. Your mother has already consulted with Claire at Beau Monde, and Claire has ordered more than a half-dozen gowns for your approval. When they come in, Claire will let you know so that you can run next door to try them on. All you have to do is choose the one you want to wear and Claire will do any alterations you might need.”

  Hannah gave a slight smile. At least they were letting her choose her own wedding gown! And it was true that she didn’t have time to organize a big wedding. The nightmare of trying to arrange Delores’s wedding was still fresh in her mind. There was no way she wanted to get involved in a morass like that again, but she was the bride and it was a bit disconcerting not to be involved in any of the planning. “What’s the second thing they want me to do?” she asked.

  “Show up at the church on time.”

  Hannah’s sarcastic nature kicked in, and the question popped out of her mouth before she could exercise restraint. “Do they want me to show up with or without Ross?”

  Grandma Knudson burst into laughter. “With Ross. Not even your mother could accomplish a wedding without a groom.” The older woman reached out to take Hannah’s hand. “Are you all right with this plan, Hannah? If you’re not, we can try to come up with something else that’ll work.”

  Grandma Knudson was waiting for an answer and Hannah took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m all right with it as long as Ross and I can get married before the Food Channel competition. Do you think that’s possible?”

  “Your mother assured me that it was.”

  Hannah gave a reluctant nod. “All right then. I’ll do it, if you’ll do something for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’d like a second piece of your lemon pie, and I’d also like to have the recipe. It’s the best non-meringue lemon pie I’ve ever tasted!”

  EASY LEMON PIE

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  Note from Grandma Knudson: I got this recipe from my friend, Lois Brown, who lives in Phoenix, AZ. She has a lemon tree in her backyard so she always has lemons to make this pie.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: You can make this recipe in a food processor or a blender. We use a food processor down at The Cookie Jar.

  1 frozen 9-inch piecrust (or one you’ve made yourself)

  1 whole medium-size lemon

  ½ cup butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)

  1 cup white (granulated) sugar

  4 large eggs

  ——————

  Sweetened whipped cream to put on top of your pie before serving

  If you used a frozen pie crust, take it out of the package and set it on a cookie sheet with sides while you make the filling for the pie.

  If you made your own piecrust, roll it out, put it in a 9-inch pie pan, cut it to fit the pie pan, and crimp the edges so it looks nice. Then set it on a cookie sheet with sides to wait for its filling.

  Cut the tough ends off your lemon. Cut it in half and then cut each half into 4 slices. (The slices should be round, like wagon wheels.)

  Cut the other half-lemon into 4 similar slices to make 8 slices in all.

  Examine the slices and pick out any seeds. Throw the seeds away.

  Place all 8 seedless slices in a blender (or a food processor).

  Turn on the blender or food processor and process the lemon slices until they are mush. (This is not a regular cooking term, but I bet you know what I mean!)

  Melt the half-cup of butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. (If you’d rather do it in the microwave, this should take about 50 seconds on HIGH.)

  Pour the melted butter over the lemon mush in the blender.

  Add the cup of white sugar.

  Crack open the 4 eggs and add them one by one.

  Turn on the blender or food processor and blend everything until it is a homogenous mush. (Another nonregulation cooking term.)

  Pour the lemon mixture into the crust.

  Bake your Easy Lemon Pie at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes or until the mixture turns solid and the top is brown.

  Take your pie out of the oven and cool it on a cold stove burner or a wire rack. Once it is cool, cover it with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: I like to use my Crème Fraiche on this pie. Here’s the recipe just in case you don’t have it handy:

  HANNAH’S WHIPPED CRÈME FRAICHE

  (This will hold for several hours. Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it.)

  2 cups heavy whipping cream

  ½ cup white (granulated) sugar

  ½ cup sour cream (you can substitute unflavored yogurt, but it won’t hold as well and you’ll have to do it at the last minute)

  ½ cup brown sugar (to sprinkle on top after you cut your pie into pieces)

  Whip the cream with the white sugar until it holds a firm peak. Test for this by shutting off the mixer, and “dotting” the surface with your spatula. Once you have firm peaks, gently fold in the sour cream. You can do this by hand or by using the slowest speed on the mixer.

  Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve your Easy Lemon Pie.

  To serve your pie, cut it into 6 generous pieces or 8 smaller slices and put each slice on a pretty dessert plate.

  Top each slice with a generous dollop or two of Hannah’s Whipped Crème Fraiche.

  Sprinkle the top of the Whipped Crème Fraiche with brown sugar.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: If you want to get really fancy, cut a paper-thin slice of lemon, dip it in granulated sugar, and put it on top of each slice of pie.

  Chapter Two

  Hannah breathed a deep sigh of relief as she hurried in the back door of The Cookie Jar and sat down on a stool at the stainless steel work island. She’d been manipulated by two master manipulators, but she couldn’t be angry with either one of them. If everything Grandma Knudson had told her was correct, she had to change her small, intimate wedding plans and endure a huge church wedding and a reception with all the bells and whistles. Delores, Andrea, and Michelle would plan an elaborate affair, but there was no other recourse. And thankfully, there was nothing for her to do except choose her wedding gown and show up for the ceremony.

  One quick cup of coffee later and Hannah was on her feet, mixing up sugar cookie dough. She was just getting ready to mix in a cup of chopped pecans when Lisa Herman Beese-man, Hannah’s young partner, rushed through the swinging restaurant-style door that separated the coffee shop from the kitchen.

  “There’s a phone call for you, Hannah,” Lisa announced breathlessly. “It’s somebody named Eric, and he said he was from the Food Channel. I think it’s about the Dessert Chef Competition.”

  Hannah handed the wooden spoon to Lisa and gestured toward the bowl. “Will you stir in those pecans while I take the call? I’m making a variation of sugar cookies with maple flavoring and pecans.”

  “Sure. No problem. Aunt Nancy and Michelle have got everything covered out in the coffee shop.”

  Lisa began to stir, and Hannah headed for the phone on the kitchen wall. She flipped to a blank page in the shorthand notebook she kept on the counter, picked up a pen, and grabbed the receiver. “This is Hannah.”

  “Hi, Hannah. It’s Eric Connelly from the Food Channel. We’re in a little time crunch here and we had to move the Dessert Chef Competition up a week and a half. Can you clear the decks back there and be here on October tenth instead of October twentieth?”

  “Oh!” Hannah was so flustered, it took her a moment to think of something intelligent to say. “Yes. Of course I can.”

  “Good. And I’m telling all four conte
stants that we’ve added a new wrinkle to the contest.”

  He seemed to be waiting for her to respond, and Hannah gave a little nod she knew he couldn’t see. “What’s the new wrinkle? Or is that something we’ll find out when we get there?”

  Eric laughed, a nice deep laugh that ended in a chuckle. “It’s no secret. We just thought it would be more interesting if we went off-location for most of the episodes. We’ll start here in our home studio, but the winner that night will have the hometown advantage from then on.”

  “Hometown advantage?”

  “Yes. If you win, the remainder of the contest moves to your hometown in Lake Eden, Minnesota.”

  Hannah glanced at the one industrial oven she owned and began to frown. “But . . . my place is rather small. I don’t have room for four other chefs.”

  “I know that. Your sister sent in a photo of your kitchen when she entered you in the competition. I took care of that, Hannah. I checked with your friend Sally Laughlin at the Lake Eden Inn, and she has enough room in her kitchen for four baking stations. That’s only if you win the hometown challenge, of course. The other four contestants all have large restaurants in their home cities, so it’s not a problem for them.”

  The frown remained on Hannah’s face. “Doesn’t that put me at a disadvantage?”

  “Not at all. The Lake Eden Inn can hold as many people as the other four restaurants. If you win, it won’t be a problem at all.”

  “Oh . . . good.”

  “We’re all set then? I can send you the travel arrangements and you’ll be here on the tenth?”

  Hannah blinked twice, trying to clear her thoughts. “Yes. That’ll be fine with . . . oh, no!”

  “What was the oh, no! for?”

  “My wedding! It’s scheduled for Sunday, the eighteenth!”

  “That’s not a problem. The contest will be over by then. And . . .” Eric paused for a moment. “This is just off the top of my head, but maybe we can find a way to incorporate part of your wedding into the Dessert Chef Competition.”

  Hannah was genuinely puzzled. “How could you do that?”

  “If you win the hometown challenge, we’ll be in Lake Eden. And we might just stick around to film it. You’re having a reception at a local place, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. At the Lake Eden Inn.”

  “Perfect! Let us think about that for a couple of days and see what we can come up with. This could really bump up the ratings. Everyone loves a wedding. And everyone will love you as a bride-to-be. You’ll definitely have the viewer vote. That much is for sure.”

  “There’s a popular vote in addition to the judges’ decisions?”

  “No, but that’s what keeps people watching. And that’s what we want . . . viewers.”

  “Oh, yes. Of course you do. Ratings are everything . . . right?”

  “Right.” Eric chuckled again. “All right, Hannah. It was nice talking to you. My secretary will get back to you in the next couple of days with the travel arrangements. I’ve got her working on it right now. You do know that you can bring an assistant chef with you for the competition, don’t you?”

  “Yes. It was in the letter I received that told me I was a contestant. There was also a copy of the rules.”

  “Do you know who your assistant will be?”

  “Yes, I do. My assistant is Michelle Swensen. She’s my youngest sister.”

  “Good. The audience enjoys getting to know our chefs’ family members. Your sister isn’t under eighteen, is she?”

  “No, she turned twenty-one this past year.”

  “Good. The reason I asked is because we have to make special provisions for anyone under the age of eighteen on the set.”

  “I see,” Hannah said, even though she didn’t.

  “Now that I think about it, your wedding will make a perfect ending to our competition. We were afraid we’d run short after one of the contestants dropped out for personal reasons. Is your sister one of the bridesmaids?”

  “Yes, she is. And so is my other sister, Andrea.”

  “Wonderful! It was too late to add another new contestant so the more bodies we can film, the better.”

  Hannah winced slightly. Bodies obviously meant something different to Eric than it meant to her!

  “Have you decided which desserts you’ll be baking for the competition?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “That’s all right. You have some time. As long as you give us a list of the ingredients you’ll need when you get to New York, it’ll be fine.”

  Hannah came close to groaning out loud. She hadn’t done any preparation for the competition. “When do you need my list?”

  “When you get off the plane in New York.”

  “All right. I’ll have my list ready for you.”

  “Good. That’s all then, Hannah. We’ll send your itinerary and your plane reservations in the next few days. We’re going to put you up at the Westin in the Theater District.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Hannah said, and she meant it. Michelle would be thrilled to be in New York’s Theater District.

  “We’re all set then. Good luck in the competition, Hannah. I’m looking forward to meeting you and your sister.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting you, too. Thank you, Eric.”

  Hannah said good-bye and hung up the phone. When she turned to face Lisa, there was a frown on her face. If she won the hometown challenge, they might show her wedding on television! Could Delores and her sisters get everything ready in time? And would the fact that the wedding might be televised throw Delores into a tizzy?

  Lisa looked up from her stirring. When she saw Hannah’s expression, she looked concerned. “What’s the matter, Hannah?”

  “It’s the Food Channel competition. They moved up the date. I have to be in New York by the tenth!”

  “But how about the wedding?”

  “They said the competition would be over by then and my wedding can go on as planned. And they’re thinking about televising it!”

  “Oh boy! You’d better tell your mother right away! It may make a difference in what she plans.”

  “You’re right.” Hannah took a moment to think about that. “Actually . . . this might not be a bad thing. I’m sure Mother and Andrea will do a great job. And they can consult with me by phone if there’s a problem when I’m in New York.”

  “How about Michelle?”

  “She’s going with me as my assistant, so she’s off the wedding team. I wonder if Mother and Andrea can handle it alone. They may have bitten off more than they can chew.”

  “I doubt that. Your mother’s a force. She knows how to get things done.”

  “That’s true.” Hannah thought of something else that Eric had told her and she sighed heavily. “Will you call your dad and Marge and ask them if they can handle the coffee shop for us while we have a meeting to plan what I’ll bake for the contest?”

  “I’ll ask them right now. They’re here at a table in the back. Dad will be really pleased. He loves to help out up front and so does Marge.”

  “Is your Aunt Nancy here today? I know she’s been helping you out in front.”

  “She’s here. She says it’s a wonderful way to meet the people in Lake Eden, now that she’s moved here.”

  “Good. I’ll need you, Michelle, and Aunt Nancy to come back here for the meeting. And I’ll text Mother and Andrea to come here right away. I have to decide which desserts to bake so that I can give the producer a list of the ingredients I’ll need.”

  “Okay. I just filled the display cookie jars and made a fresh pot of coffee. That should hold them out front for at least an hour.”

  “Thanks, Lisa.”

  “You’re welcome. Do you want me to make some white chocolate cocoa for us? I’ve got a new recipe that uses cinnamon and white chocolate chips.”

  “That sounds great. I have to talk to all of you, and we’ll meet right here around the work island.”

  “Okay. But i
f this is about the baking contest, why do you need your mother and Andrea? Andrea doesn’t bake anything except whippersnapper cookies, and your mother doesn’t bake at all.”

  “I know, but both of them have tasted everything we’ve ever baked in here. And if I don’t invite them, I’ll just have to explain everything all over again.”

  “That makes sense. And you need Aunt Nancy because she’s such a good baker?”

  “Exactly. Aunt Nancy has more recipes than anyone I know, and she may be able to suggest some desserts that haven’t even occurred to me. I have to come up with some real winning recipes before I leave for the competition, and there’s not that much time.”

  “How many desserts do you need?”

  “I need one super dessert for the hometown challenge. That’s on the first night. It has to be the best thing I’ve ever baked.”

  “What’s the hometown challenge?”

  “It’s the only part of the competition that’ll be held in New York. The winner of the challenge gets to move the rest of the competition to his or her restaurant.”

  “If you win, they’ll move the contest here?” Lisa glanced around their kitchen in dismay. “But that’s impossible, Hannah! We only have one oven!”

  “That’s exactly what I told the producer, but he was one step ahead of me. He called Sally at the Lake Eden Inn, and she agreed to hold the competition in her kitchen if I win the challenge.”

  “Well, that’s a relief! I was wondering how we could fit all those contestants in here.”

  “It’s not just the contestants. There’ll be a New York film crew here, too. The Food Channel is going to be airing the whole competition live.”

  “How many will be in the film crew?”

  Hannah shrugged. “I’m not sure, but it’s bound to be a lot of people.”

  “Thank goodness for Sally’s big kitchen! If we had to crowd everyone in here at The Cookie Jar, we’d have to knock out a wall and expand to include the whole block!”