Dead Before The Wedding: A Carly Keene Cozy Mystery (Carly Keene Cozy Mysteries Book 1) (11 page)

A week had passed since all the excitement had taken place at Sweets & Eats, and the little bakery had never been busier. Of course, most people really came in for the latest gossip on Larry’s murder and Mona’s arrest, but everyone left with one of Shell’s delicious creations.

This week’s special was morbidly appropriate. ‘Death by Chocolate’ was basically a double chocolate chip brownie that was drowning in chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream. The simple, but sinfully sweet, dessert was flying out of the display case as fast as they could fill it.

Carly had gotten used to the attention, and her detective skills hadn’t gone unnoticed. Not only had she seen a sudden uptake in photography bookings, but the local newspaper had also called and asked if she’d like to fill in for one of their regular photographers who had gone on an extended medical leave.

Thrilled to have a chance to take advantage of  her passion for both photography and her community, Carly had taken the position and was looking forward to tackling her first assignment.

The bell over the door jingled as Carly was filling the display case with chocolate death. She looked up and saw Tucker standing in the doorway. “Hey, Tucker, what’s up?”

He walked over to the counter and leaned over it slightly to get a little closer to Carly. “Nothing much. I just wanted to say thank you, again, for helping Tina.” He seemed a little sad, and Carly wondered whether something had happened to Betty Sue. She felt bad that they hadn’t managed to get the dogs together for their doggie play date yet.

“How are Tina and Tyler doing?” Carly hadn’t seen either one since Mona’s arrest.

“They’re good. Actually, they’re going up north, all of them, even Tina’s dad.” He paused, and Carly realized why he was so sad. “They’re going to move in with Tina’s aunt up in New York.”

“Oh.” Carly didn’t really know what to say. “That’s a shame. I know you really became attached to Tyler. Maybe you can still keep in touch.” She wondered if it was wrong to feel happy that Tina was leaving town, even if it meant Tucker was losing contact with his only nephew.

Tucker shrugged. “Maybe.” He straightened back up and cocked his head to the side. “Do you want to go do something this weekend? I mean, with the dogs.” He seemed suddenly shy, and Carly had to stop herself from giggling.

“Sure, I’d love to.” She pushed the last dessert onto the shelf of the display case and slid the door closed. She thought for a moment, then said, “How about Sunday afternoon around 2:00? You could meet me here, out front.”

Tucker’s face lit up. “Sure, that would be perfect. Maybe we can take the dogs over to the park for a little bit.”

Carly grinned. “Okay, but you’d better watch out. Betty Sue’s not the only one who goes crazy for those squirrels.”

“I’d better get back to work,” Tucker said. “I just wanted to come and say hi. I guess I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“See you then,” Carly replied, and watched Tucker walk out the front door.

“I knew it.” Shell’s voice nearly gave Carly a heart attack. She hadn’t heard her walk out from the back of the bakery, and Carly wondered if her friend had been listening the whole time.

“You knew what?” Carly was blushing, and she hoped Shell didn’t notice.

“I knew those two would get together eventually. I mean, they’re made for each other.”

Carly was confused. “What? Who do you mean?”

“Well, Betty Sue and Bo, of course.” Shell laughed, “And any fool could have told you that Tucker would ask you out eventually. He just took his sweet time doing it.” Shell picked up her cleaning cloth and started wiping the fingerprints off of the display case.

Carly laughed. Tucker may have taken a little while to ask her out, but in her opinion, that just made the whole relationship a little bit sweeter. “I do think I like that boy,” Carly confided to Shell. “Now, let’s get this place ready to close. I have another date tonight,” Carly stated.

Shell’s eyes got big. “With who?”

“With you, on the couch. I’m dying to find out what happened this week on ‘Love and Life.’”

Shell flicked the cleaning rag playfully at her best friend. “And I thought you’d had enough drama for one week,” she laughed.

“Well, I guess it just goes to show that you never can tell what you’ll like until you try it.” Carly sat back on the stool behind the counter and smiled. She couldn’t wait until Sunday. She had a feeling that she was going to like spending time with Tucker very, very much.

Shell’s Secret Recipes

Here are just a few of Shell’s favorite recipes from the story that I thought you’d love!

Pete’s Favorite Macarons

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

50 grams of granulated (white) sugar (This is ¼ cup, but it’s best if you weigh the dry ingredients!)

200 grams of confectioners (powdered) sugar (1 ⅔ cup)

110 grams finely ground almonds (1 cup)

Food coloring paste (optional)

Filling:

Any frosting you like, or you can make one by thoroughly combining:

1 stick soft butter

⅔ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract

2-3 drops of food coloring (optional)

To make the Macarons:

1: Start by beating your egg whites in a mixing bowl until they start to look foamy. (This works best in a stand mixer!) Once you see foam, beat in the granulated (white) sugar until you get pretty, glossy peaks.

2: Sift the powdered sugar and almonds together, then fold them quickly into the egg white mixture, using the minimum amount of strokes to mix them (around 30). You want to keep the air in them so they’ll be light and fluffy! You can also add the food coloring if you want to make them super pretty!

3: Use a piping bag to test your batter. Squirt a little out on some wax paper and see if it keeps its pointy peak or if it flattens. You want it to flatten, so you’ll have a cute rounded top. If it doesn’t flatten, gently fold your batter just a little more and try again.

4: Once it holds the right shape, pipe the mixture onto a cookie sheet covered in lightly greased parchment paper or a lightly greased silicone cookie sheet. Make little rounds, about an inch apart. Then, let them sit at room temperature until they form a slight skin on top.

5: Heat your oven to 285 degrees Fahrenheit (140 degrees Celsius). Bake the cookies until they are set but not browned. Let them cool completely before filling them.

Fill them with cake frosting, or whip up a batch of buttercream frosting.

In a mixing bowl, combine one stick of softened butter, ⅔ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract and a few drops of food coloring, if desired. Mix it until it’s smooth, and put it between two macaron cookies for a delightful treat!

Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

(Death by Chocolate)

These are the basis for Shell’s “Death By Chocolate” recipe that was at the end of “Dead Before The Wedding.”

Ingredients:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 stick (½ cup) butter (cut into pieces)

1 cup white (granulated) sugar

1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)

2: Grease 9x13-inch pan or pyrex dish.

3: Melt half of the chocolate chips and the butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently to keep it from burning or clumping.

4: Once it’s smooth, take it off the heat and add the eggs, flour, sugar, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well, then add the remaining chocolate chips and mix some more. You can also add the nuts now, if you want.

5: Pour mixture into the pan and bake for around 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean but sticky. Cut into squares and serve with ice cream or chocolate sauce and whipped cream.