Some Enchanted clair : A Magical Bakery Mystery (9780698140561) (24 page)

Makes one 8" x 8" coffee cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

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cups sugar

5 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel (be sure to avoid the white pith of the lemon, which is bitter)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8" x 8" glass baking dish.

Stir together flour, sugar, lemon peel, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Add the oil and lemon juice, mixing until evenly moist and small clumps form. Set aside one cup for the crumble topping, leaving the rest in the bowl.

In another bowl thoroughly blend the sour cream, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder.

Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture all at once and beat with an electric mixer until the batter is smooth.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan, and sprinkle the reserved crumble topping evenly over the top.

Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool.

Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, cut into squares, and serve. Can be made one day ahead.

Makes 12–24 cookies, depending on size

1 cup sugar

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the three ingredients thoroughly together and roll into small balls.

Put on a cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.

Sprinkle with a dash of kosher or sea salt and bake 10–15 minutes (depending on size) until slightly browned.

Allow to rest on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack. Cookies will crisp a bit as they cool.

Makes one 10" x 14" sheet cake

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

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cup molasses

4 eggs, well beaten

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup applesauce (chunky or smooth)

1 cup unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons soda

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teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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teaspoons vanilla extract

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teaspoons orange extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and sugar a 10" x 14" pan.

Cream oil, sugar, and molasses.

Add eggs, carrots, applesauce, and vanilla and orange extracts. Mix well.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Add flour mixture to carrot mixture a small amount at a time, blending well. Batter will be quite thick.

Spread in the prepared pan and bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

This recipe will also make approximately 24 muffins. Start checking for doneness after 40 minutes in the oven.

8 ounces cream cheese

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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cups confectioners' sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth.

Spread on the cake.

Bailey Cates
believes magic is all around us if we only look for it. She's held a variety of positions, ranging from driver's license examiner to soapmaker, which fulfills her mother's warning that she'd never have a “regular” job if she insisted on studying philosophy, English, and history in college. She traveled the world as a localization program manager but now sticks closer to home, where she writes two mystery series, tends to a dozen garden beds, bakes up a storm, and plays the occasional round of golf. Bailey resides in Colorado with her guy and an orange cat that looks an awful lot like the one in her Magical Bakery Mysteries.