Decaffeinated Corpse (33 page)

Authors: Cleo Coyle

Tags: #Mystery And Suspense Fiction, #General, #Fiction, #Detective, #Mystery, #Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths, #Fashion, #Mystery & Detective, #Fiction - Mystery, #Mystery & Detective - General, #Coffeehouses, #Suspense, #Women Sleuths, #Cosi; Clare (Fictitious character), #Mystery fiction, #Restaurants - Employees

BOOK: Decaffeinated Corpse

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¾ cup sugar
¼ cup butter (½ stick)
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
1-½ cup flour (sifted)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

STREUSEL INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Make the cake batter: Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the egg and milk, and mix with an electric mixer until blended. Dump in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until a smooth batter forms, but be careful not to overmix.

Now make the streusel filling and topping: Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well, but don’t worry if the mixture is lumpy.

Assemble your coffee cake: Grease an 8×8 square pan, pour half the cake batter. Note that the batter will be a little doughy. Use a rubber spatula to spread batter into pan corners. Spoon half your streusel filling over the batter. Now cover the filling with the remaining cake batter and top with the rest of your streusel. Bake at 375º F. for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

PB and Nutella Sandwich

Peanut butter
Nutella
²2 slices of bread

In this sandwich, the jelly in your PB&J is replaced with Nutella. What is Nutella? It’s a wonderful hazelnut chocolate spread that originated in Italy, where the hazelnut is king. Most major American grocery stores now carry it. Look for the jar in the peanut butter aisle. And speaking of peanut butter, if you actually need the recipe, here it is:

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. Spread Nutella on the other. Put the slices together and enjoy. (Hey, didn’t somebody once say peanut butter and chocolate go well together?)

I also enjoy Nutella on crackers, bread, and fruit slices, especially bananas.

Clare’s Cappuccino Muffins

The sour cream is the secret to making these muffins taste rich and delicious. Pair them in the morning with your favorite Breakfast Blend, a medium roast Columbian blend, or a cappuccino.

This recipe makes 12 big muffins.

2 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons darkly roasted ground coffee beans
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped hazelnut or almonds
1 teaspoon orange zest minced
½ cup (1 stick) butter softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup whole milk
2 eggs
¼ cup espresso or double strength drip coffee (cooled)
Paper muffin cup liners

Preheat oven to 375º F. Sift flour and mix with the dry ingredients including the cocoa, chocolate chips, nuts, and orange zest. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, sugars, sour cream, milk, eggs, and coffee. Fold in dry ingredients with a spoon, just until moistened and smooth (don’t over mix). Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups and bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife inserted in muffin comes out clean.

SWEET FROTHY TOP

2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
½ stick butter

After the muffins have cooled, whip ½ stick butter with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix together until well blended into a smooth icing. Lightly smooth glaze on top of cappuccino muffins.

Don’t Miss the Next Coffeehouse Mystery
FRENCH PRESSED

Chef Tommy Keitel runs Solange, one of New York’s hottest French restaurants, and Clare Cosi’s daughter, Joy, has become his favorite intern—in more ways than one. When Tommy’s competitive kitchen literally turns cutthroat, Clare worries her daughter may be in real danger. Resolved to spy on Joy’s workplace, Clare makes a deal to micro-roast and French press exclusive blends for Tommy, a man she wouldn’t mind seeing roasted and pressed himself. Then Tommy ends up dead, and it’s Joy who lands in hot water with the NYPD. To clear her daughter of the crime, Clare knows she must catch the real killer, which is why she’s determined to solve this Coffeehouse Mystery, even if it leads to a bitter end.

www.CoffeehouseMystery.com
Where coffee and crime are always brewing . . .