recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

## Book Reference

Sugar Cookie Murder

This is a slow cooker recipe, but you can also do it in the oven.

*Edna Ferguson contributed this recipe. She says every new bride should be presented with it, right along with her wedding ring.*

### Ingredients

* Approximately 8 pounds potatoes, peeled
* 3 packages *(8-ounces each)* cream cheese
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* salt
* pepper
* 1 cup dried, chopped onions
* 1 stick cold butter
* parsley and/or paprika to garnish
* a packet of dry instant mashed potatoes (just in case you need them)
* more cream or milk (just in case you need it)

### Directions

* Boil the potatoes in salted water until they're tender enough to mash. Drain them. Soften the cream cheese in a bowl in the microwave. Then mash the potatoes with the cream cheese and the cream. *(A hand masher works just fine—Edna says you want a few small chunks so people can tell they're homemade)*
* Mix in salt and pepper to taste. Mix in any other seasonings you'd like *(garlic powder, onion powder, etc.)* Add a cup of dried onions and mix them in.
* Spray the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker with Pam or other non-stick cooking spray. Spoon in the potatoes. Garnish with parsley or paprika. Cut the stick of butter into eight pieces and press the pieces down a little on top of the potatoes. Put the cover on the crock-pot. You're all done.
* Plug in the slow cooker and set it on LOW. Cook for a minimum of 4 hours but as long as 5 or 6 hours. Check a half hour before serving to see if they're the right consistency.
	+ If there's too much liquid, sprinkle in some instant mashed potatoes and stir them in.
	+ If there isn't enough liquid, add more cream and stir it in.
* When the potatoes are perfect, you can add a little cholesterol by cutting another stick of butter into chunks and putting them on top, if you wish. Even if you don't the potatoes will be delicious when you serve them. *(I put mine up around noon for an evening dinner.)*

*Edna says that if you don 't have a slow cooker and you're too cheap to buy one to make your life easier, you can put these in a pan, cover them tightly with two layers of foil, and heat them in a 300°F oven for 3 hours. She also says tell you that they'll hold in the oven for another hour if your guests are late.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Lakeside Stew

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder

*(a crockpot recipe)*

**Ingredients:**

* 2 pounds of red potatoes (washed and quartered)
* 2 large or 3 medium sized carrots (peeled and roughly chopped in 4 pieces each)
* 3 ribs of celery (chopped into chunks about the size of your little finger)
* 1 large yellow or brown onion (peeled and diced)
* 1 15-ounce can of Whole Kernel Sweet Corn (I used Libby’s)
* 2 cans mushrooms (I used Green Giant)
* 2 pounds of good Bratwurst, Knockwurst, or Polish Sausages (sliced into ½-inch pieces)
* 1 12-ounce can of Chicken Broth (I used Swanson)
* 2 10.5 ounce cans of Cream of Mushroom soup (I used Campbell’s)
* 2 10.5 ounce cans of Cream of Celery soup (I used Campbell’s)
* 1 teaspoon of dried basil
* 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon of paprika (we all love Hungarian Paprika, but regular paprika works just fine
* 1 and ½ cups of Half & Half (or ½ cup of Heavy cream)

**Directions:**

1. Place potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, corn, and mushrooms in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to mix all the vegetables together.
2. Layer your 2 pounds of sausages over the top of the vegetables.
3. Combine your Chicken Broth, Cream of Mushroom soup, Cream of Celery soup, and seasonings together in a measuring cup, stir everything up, and pour it over the sausages in the slow cooker.
4. Set the slow cooker to LOW and cover it with the lid.
5. Cook covered for 6 to 7 hours. (By this time the sausages will be incredibly tender and the vegetables will be “cooked to a turn.”)
6. Stir the 1 and ½ cups of Half & Half, or the ½ cup of Heavy Cream, into the stew.
7. Cover the slow cooker once again and turn it up to HIGH, cooking your Stew for 30 minutes more.
8. After 30 minutes have passed, turn the slow cooker down to WARM, and you are done!
9. Serve your Lakeside Stew in either bowls or soup mugs, with a bowl of sour cream, some freshly chopped parsley, and chopped fresh tomatoes to top it all off (if you want to make it more special for company).

Heck, if your guests are looking particularly hungry that day, try adding a fresh green salad and good, crusty bread, and create a small feast for them!

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
French Dressing

## Book Reference

Sugar Cookie Murder

*Claire Rodgers contributed this recipe. She got it from one of her mother's friends, Mabel Drager.*

### Ingredients

* 1 can *(10 3/4 ounces)* condensed tomato soup *(Claire used Campbell's Classic Tomato)*
* 1/3 cup wine vinegar
* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 cup brown sugar

### Directions

* Dump all ingredients into a quart-sized jar. Put on the top and shake vigorously. Refrigerate.
* Use to dress a nice green salad. You can put a few Dilly Onion Rings on the top, if you like.

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Mac Diehl

'

'

## Books

Carrot Cake Murder

**Mac Diehl** is Herb's uncle in Carrot Cake Murder.

## Bio

Mac was the Jordan High School swimming champion.

He's been playing the stock market and never makes any money at it. He is also a very good lier.

## Chronology by Novel

### Carrot Cake Murder

Years ago, before Patsy and Mac married, Patsy loaned money to Gus just before he left town. Mac tried to collect it, even thought Patsy told him that it was her money before they were married so he didn’t have any say about.

When Mac confronted Gus and demanded that he give him the money that he owed to Patsy, Gus laughed at him. Mac stabbed him, in the heart, with an ice pick and took the ice pick back to his cabin.

Mac first tried to shift the blame to Jack Herman‎‎, mentioned that he saw Jack go into the Pavillion where Gus died, from his cabin’s kitchen window. The kitchen window view was blocked by a big pine tree, too so he couldn’t have seen the anyone or anything out of it. Mac was out for his nightly walk when he saw Jack and it was not at the pavilion. He asked his wife to lie and tell the police that she was with him all night, but Patsy refused. She did say that she wouldn’t volunteer the information about Mac, but if asked point blank she would tell the truth.

Mac takes advantage of Patsy’s inability to swim when he wants to row her out to the waterlily garden for a romantic evening to rekindle their romance. Instead of rekindling anything he attempts to kill Patsy. Hannah and Michelle are paddling their canoe as fast as they can, to get to Patsy in time. They were almost there when Mac overturned his canoe with Patsy. Michelle dives in and save Patsy and pulls her to shore. Mac overturns the canoe that Hannah is in and then tries to drown her. She gets away from him and Mike arrives intime with a motor boat to fish Mac out of the water and to give Hannah a ride to shore.
Jack Herman

**Sons**: Tim Herman, ...**Daughters**: Iris Herman Staples, two unnamed, and Lisa Herman

## Books

at least mentioned in all Books

**Jack Herman** is a character in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series*.*

## Bio

Years ago when Jack and Marge where in school they dated. Then Jack met Emily and married her and Marge met her future husband, and married him. Now that both of their spouses are deceased, they have reconnected and spend a lot of time together.

He is the father of Lisa Herman and Lisa is living with him, due to his Alzheimer's.

### Personality

He seems to be a calm, gentle man, but his ailment could have made a difference in his personality.

### Appearance

*Jack Herman, Lisa’s father, spoke up. He was a tall, silver-haired man in his sixties who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a little over two years ago*.

## Chronology

Jack makes many brief appearances in the series, but has a larger role in the following books.

### Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

He is first brought up by Lisa and Hannah and Lisa mentions that Mr. Drevlow would be taking him to visit the Holy Redeemer Lutheran for lunch with some friends. She had to explain to Father Coultas that as he has Alzheimer's, there isn't any harm in him visiting other denominations.

### Blueberry Muffin Murder

Jack has a major clue that he passes on to Hannah concerning the daughter of his old friends. Realizing that he shouldn’t have said anything, he makes Hannah promise not to tell the daughter, Janie.

### Carrot Cake Murder

Jack is implicated in the death of Gus Kleins by his friend Mac Diehl. Hannah clears him and then finds out that it was Mac that killed Gus.

### Apple Turnover Murder

Jack is part of the assembly line making Apple Turnovers. With Marge, he assists customers at The Cookie Jar.

After the events in Carrot Cake Murder, Marge’s twin sister Patsy Diehl moves into Jack’s house to help both of them.

### Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

Jack and Marge help out at The Cookie Jar. Jack asks Hannah for advice on how to ask and what to say in asking Marge to marrying him. He also wants to rehearse the proposal with Hannah.

While they were rehearsing in the kitchen of the Cookie Jar, Marge and Lisa started in and say Jack down on one knee proposing to Hannah. They gasped and were upset, until Hannah quickly explained and told Jack to ask her NOW!!!
Jack proposed to Marge and she accepted.

## References

1. ↑ Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 13) (p. 51). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Mandarin Orange Hard Sauce

Coconut Layer Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* ½ cup ***(1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)*** salted butter, softened
* 2 cups powdered ***(confectioners)*** sugar ***(there's no need to sift unless it's got lumps)***
* 2 Tablespoons ***(⅛ cup)*** Triple Sec or any other orange liqueur

**Hannah's 1st Note: If you don't feel like going out to get orange liqueur, you can substitute regular brandy, or even rum.**

## Directions

* Make sure the butter has softened to room temperature.
* Place the butter in a medium-size mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer.
* Beat the butter at LOW speed for 2 minutes.
* Turn up the mixer speed to MEDIUM and beat the butter until it is light and fluffy ***(approximately 2 additional minutes).***
* Turn down the mixer to LOW speed again and beat as you add one cup of the powdered sugar. Beat until it is combined with the butter.
* With the mixer running on LOW, add one Tablespoon of the Triple Sec or orange liqueur and beat until it is combined.
* While the mixer still running on LOW speed, add the final cup of powdered sugar. Beat until it is well combined.
* Add the final Tablespoon of Triple Sec or orange liqueur and beat the mixture until it is smooth.
* Check your Mandarin Orange Hard Sauce for consistency. It should be fairly thicken, but still pourable. If it's too thin, beat in more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit more orange liqueur.
* Store your Mandarin Orange Hard Sauce in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator. Take it out thirty minutes or so before serving your Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert.

Yield: Enough hard sauce to serve with your Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: If you're in a hurry and you don't feel like making a hard sauce or a soft sauce, instant vanilla pudding made according to the package directions and thinned with a little additional Triple Sec or orange liqueur will do nicely.**
Hartland Flour Dessert Bake-Off

Hartland Flour is owned by by Clayton Hart.

This was the first Hartland Flour bake-off, and they were all hoping that it would become an annual affair.

The Bake-off was held held at the Jordan High school auditorium in Lake Eden. with the stage converted to four kitchens for the contestants. After the contest was over with, Mr. Hart donated all of the kitchen equipment to the home economics department at Jordan High. He is also planning on renovating the cafeteria and the school kitchen over the summer,

Hannah is the Senior Judge of the 5 person panel.
One of the judges, Mr. Rutlege, had a dental emergency the day of the first elimination contest so a substitute was needed.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Strawberry Shortcake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 2) (p. 17). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Moishe

**Moishe** is a cat adopted by Hannah Swenson prior to the series.

## Bio

When Hannah Swensen moved into her condo, a stray cat adopted her. He was blind in one eye and has a torn ear. He was pre-neutered before he came to live with Hannah. He often has anxiety attacks if he can see the bottom of his bowl so Hannah is always careful of keeping food in it.

## Personality

Moishe is a cat with a lot of personality and a huge appetite. He adores his owner and empathizes with her, shown best when he teasingly shook his behind towards the phone when she was speaking to her mother; who he appears not to like at all. He is also said to be really smart, knocking over his food bowl intentionally to help Hannah get off of the phone. He can be spoiled and crafty at times, but he is kind to those he likes. He is also very mischievous...from chewing through a door to get to his food stash to stealing sock balls out of Hannah's closed (heavy) dresser, he loves to be silly. His best friend's name is Cuddles, whose "pawent" Dr. Norman Rhodes, DDS who is a close friend to Hannah. When Hannah returns home, Moishe hurls himself into her arms.

## Appearance

Moishe is described as an orange and white tomcat implied to have been in poor shape when Hannah first found him. He is twenty-three pounds and is half-blind with a torn ear.

## Chronology

### Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Hannah interacts with Moishe throughout the book, recalling various incidents in the past involving him.

### Raspberry Danish Murder

Moishe doesn't run to greet Hannah by jumping in her arms, when she comes home from work. Actually he seems to be sleeping a lot more then usual. After a visit to Dr. Bob Hagaman where he was fully tested it was determined that there was nothing wrong with him. Dr. Bob suggests that he may be tiring himself out while they are gone during the day.

When Hannah and Michelle come home early one day, they discover Moishe is stalking the new robovac that was a wedding gift to Hannah and Ross. After they told Norman about it as it answered the same question about Cuddles, Norman said that he can change the schedule of the Robovac to be less demanding on Moishe.

## Trivia

Moishe's always ready to leap by a single bound into Hannah's arms once the front door opens, nearly knocking her over except she's in her foothold strong and ready to receive with open arms. Actually, anyone who opens the door knows to be prepared for Moishe's habitual greet-and-meet.
Not So Swedish Meatballs

## Book Reference

Sugar Cookie Murder

Can be made in the oven or slow-cooker

*Edna Ferguson used to make her meatballs by hand, until she came up with this really good mushroom sauce and discovered that no one could really tell the difference. She likes to make hers in the slow cooker because they'll hold for a couple of hours that way, and they're really easy to take to a potluck dinner.*

### Ingredients

* 1 five-pound bag cooked, frozen meatballs *(about 120 meatballs)*
* 1 restaurant-sized can cream of mushroom soup undiluted *(50 ounces)*
* 1 cup whole milk, Half & Half, or cream *(depending on how rich you want it)*
* 1/3 cup dried onions *(or one large onion, finely chopped)*
* 1 teaspoon Seasoned Pepper *(or freshly ground black pepper)*
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 envelope *(.88 ounce)* brown gravy mix *(just in case you need it)*
* Cooked egg noodles, fettuccine, mashed potatoes, or rice

### Directions

* Spray a 5-quart slow cooker or a large roasting pan with Pam or other non-stick cooking spray. Combine everything except the frozen meatballs in the bottom of the slow cooker or the roasting pan. Mix in the frozen meatballs, making sure the tops are covered with the sauce.
* Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6 to 7 hours, or in a tightly covered roasting pan at 350 degrees F. for 5 to 6 hours.
* Check meatballs a half hour before the end cooking time. If there's too much liquid, sprinkle some brown gravy mix over the top and stir it in. If there's not enough liquid, add more milk or cream. Check for salt at this time and add it if needed.
* Finish cooking and serve over egg noodles, fettuccine, potatoes, or rice.
* These can also be served as appetizers if you cut on the liquid. Present directly from the slow cooker or roaster, and provide food picks and small plates for your guests.

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
German Pancakes

**German Pancakes** is the eleventh recipe featured in Cinnamon Roll Murder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

**Hannah's 1st Note: This dish works best if you use and electric mixer.**

## Ingredients

* 6 strips bacon ***(I used applewood smoked bacon)***
* 4 large eggs
* 1 cup whole milk ***(I've used heavy cram and that works also)***
* 1 cup flour ***(Just scoop it up and level it off with a table knife.)***
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 ounces cream cheese ***(half of an 8-ounce package)***
* Minced parsley to sprinkle on top ***(optional)***

## Directions

* Fry the bacon in a frying pan on the stove top until it's crispy. Let it cool to room temperature, and then crumble it into the bottom of your baking pan.
* In an electric mixer, beat the eggs with half of the milk ***(that's 1/2 cup)***. Continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
* Add the vanilla extract and salt. Beat until they're well combined. Mix in the flour and beat for 40 seconds.
* Add the second half of the milk ***(another 1/2 cup)*** and beat until everything is light and fluffy.
* Pour half of the mixture over the bacon crumbles in the 8-inch square pan.
* Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch-square cubes. Place them evenly over the egg mixture in the pan.
* Pour the second half of the mixture over the cream cheese.
* Bake at 375 degrees F. for 45 to 55 minutes, or until it's golden brown and puffy on top.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: This breakfast entrée is excellent when served with biscuits or crispy butter toast.**
Janet's Texas Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

**Janet's Texas Jalapeño Pimento Cheese** is the fifteenth recipe featured in Cinnamon Roll Murder

No need to preheat your oven. This recipe requires chilling, not baking.

**Hannah's 1st Note: This recipe is from Janet McLeod.**

## Ingredients

* 8 ounces ***(that's a half pound)*** mild cheddar cheese
* 16 ounces ***(that's a half pound)*** sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 8-ounce package softened cream cheese ***(the brick kind, not the whipped kind) (I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the rectangular silver package.)***
* Two 7-ounce jars of diced pimento, drained
* 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
* 1/4 cup ***(4 Tablespoons)*** mayonnaise ***(I used Hellman's)***
* 2 Tablespoons ***(1/8 cup)*** Worcestershire sauce ***(I used Lea & Perrins)***
* 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño pepper slices
* Basket of assorted crackers, your choice

**Hannah's 2nd Note: Janet says that a home-size food processor won't hold all the cheese at once, so you'll have to process them in 3 batches.**

## Directions

* Place one-third of the shredded mild cheddar cheese, one-third of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and one-third of the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade. Process the cheese for approximately 45 seconds, or until they are the same color and consistency.
* Use a rubber spatula to remove the cheese from the bowl of the food processor and store it in a bowl on the counter. The bowl you choose should have a cover and hold about 5 cups.
* Process the second batch of cheeses. When you're finished, use the rubber spatula to add it to the first batch you processed.
* Process the third batch of cheese, and add it to the bowl on the counter.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: Don't worry about washing out the food processor bowl. You're going to process the rest of the ingredients, but it's just fine if there's a little cheese in the bowl.**

* Drain the pimentos and place them in the bowl of the food processor.
* Drain the roasted red peppers and place them in the bowl of the food processor.
* Add the mayonnaise and the Worcestershire sauce.
* Drain the pickled jalapeno pepper slices and place them in the bowl of the food processor.
* With the steel blade in place, process the ingredients with an on-and-off motion 6 to 8 times, or until everything has been chopped into small pieces.
* Use the rubber spatula to scrape the final ingredients from the bowl of the food processor. Stir them into the bowl with the cheese, and mix until they're evenly distributed.
* Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, but no longer.
* Serve in a pretty bowl with knives for each person to use for spreading it on crackers.

Yield: This recipe will serve at least 6 people as an appetizer, but only if Mike Kingston's not invited. If he is, you'd better make double!

**Hannah's 4th Note: This is Mike's favorite snack. I made it for him to take to a Winnetka County Sheriff's Detectives meeting, and everyone raved about it.**
Ezekiel Jordan

**Ezekiel Jordan** was the first Mayor of Lake Eden. His house was re-created as a replica for tours by the Lake Eden Historical Society in their first annual Winter Carnival in Blueberry Muffin Murder.

In Lemon Meringue Pie Murder the house was re-invented into Granny's Attic.

He and his wife Abigail had three daughters Emily, Catherine, & Lucinda. Ezekiel believed that a camera stole a man’s soul and wouldn’t allow any photos taken of himself and his family.

EZ seemed to have had major quarrel with F. E. Laughlin years ago that was never resolved, so now his *ghost* is visiting the city during the Lake Eden Winter Carnival in Blueberry Muffin Murder because they are taking pictures of tourists at the "Ezekiel Jordan House".

Hannah wants to get to the bottom of the quarrel and verify the ghost is EZ himself. She finds that initially the "Ghost" is just a figment of peoples imagination, but then Sally Laughlin and her sister-in-law take advantagous of the hype and create sightings of the ghost. Which results in additional bookings for the Lake Eden Inn.
Rusty's Cheese and Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

## Ingredients

* 8 ounces white mushrooms
* ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
* ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 4 ounces block Pepper Jack cheese
* 1 Tablespoon salted butter
* ½ teaspoon minced garlic
* salt, fresh ground pepper, and smoked paprika ***(to taste)***

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Prepare a standardized-size cookie sheet by spraying it with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
* Clean the mushrooms with a soft brush or damp paper towel.
* Remove and discard the mushroom stems.
* Mix the Panko bread crumbs and the grated Parmesan cheese in a medium-size bowl and set it aside on the counter.
* Dice the Pepper Jack cheese into 1-inch squares and set them aside in another bowl.
* Melt the salted butter in a 9-inch or larger saucepan on the stovetop over MEDIUM heat.
* Add the garlic.
* Stir everything together and cook until the contents turn a light golden brown. This will take about 2 minutes.
* Add the cleaned mushroom caps on top of the garlic and butter with the cavity facing up.
* Cook the mushrooms for 2 minutes.
* Turn the mushrooms over and sprinkle them with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
* Cook the mushrooms for 1 minute.
* Remove the mushrooms from the pan while still firm and slightly browned, and place them on your prepared cookie sheet with the cavity facing up.
* Insert the Pepper Jack cheese squares into the cavity of each mushroom.
* Lift one mushroom at a time with tongs, dip into the Panko mixture, and return them to the cookie sheet with the Pepper Jack center facing upward.
* Use a Tablespoon to generously top each mushroom with the remaining Panko and Parmesan mixture, covering the Pepper Jack center. Finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
* Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven.
* Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
* Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let stand on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack on the counter for several minutes before serving.

**Rusty's Note: You can prepare these mushrooms for baking in advance. Simply stop before baking the mushrooms, cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap, and leave it out on the kitchen counter. Then preheat your oven when your company comes and bake them. If you do this, it will be 15 minutes before you can serve them to your guests.**

**Rusty's 2nd Note: As an alternative to Pepper Jack cheese, use your favorite cheeses to stuff the mushrooms. I have tried goat cheese, Dilled Havarti, Smoked Gouda, Cambozola, and Brie with rave reviews.**

**Hannah's Note: These appetizers are simply yummy. When I tried them, both Norman and Mike raved about them. Michelle and I decided that we're going to double the recipe, get two plastic-covered cookie sheets to get them ready to go in the oven, and take them over to Mother and Doc's penthouse so that the whole family can taste them.**

Yield: Enough delicious appetizers to serve 6 people.
Main Page

Hannah Swensen

What happens when you mix baked goods with murder? You get Hannah Swensen, amateur sleuth and professional full-time baker at her *Cookie Jar* bakery, located in a small town with interesting characters of Lake Eden, Minnesota.

Long-time fans, cozy-mystery novel enthusiasts, and bakers alike will *love* this series and Wikia.

Here you will learn every tasty bit this book series has to offer including characters, book information, and EVEN the recipes included in each book of the Hannah Swensen Mystery in Wikia.

Q: What more could an avid reader want to accompany real-time relaxation?

A: A Hannah Swensen novel to keep company and learn a delicious new recipe :-)

**Joanne Fluke** is the *fabulous* author behind each beloved *Hannah Swensen Mystery Novel* series.
Ginger Ale Jell-O

## Book Reference

Sugar Cookie Murder

*From my sister Andrea, the Queen of Jell-O. She got this recipe from Immelda Griese, Father Coultas' housekeeper. The original recipe used canned green grapes, but Andrea couldn't find them at the Red Owl unless she bought a huge can of fruit cocktail and picked them out, grape by grape. Since she didn't want to do that, she substituted pears, and Immelda says she likes it even better that way.*

### Ingredients

#### Salad

* One 6-ounce package lemon or peach Jell-O
* 1 1/2 cups boiling water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 2 cups cold ginger ale *(Andrea uses Vernor's)*
* 2 cups sliced canned pears, drained
* Two 8-ounce cans pineapple tidbits, drained
* 2/3 cup sliced almonds

#### Dressing

* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 Tablespoon honey

### Directions

#### Salad

* Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add salt and paprika. Let cool to room temperature.
* Add cold ginger ale. Refrigerate until partially set. *(Andrea's instructions are: "It should look like jelly on hot toast.")*
* Stir in sliced pears, pineapple tidbits, and sliced almonds. Pour into a 2-quart mold and refrigerate overnight.

#### Dressing

* Mix up the mayonnaise, cream, and honey. Put them in a little dish with a spoon next to the Jell-O on the table.
	+ To serve Jell-O, turn out on a platter and invite people to take a slice and top it with a little dressing.

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookies

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

# Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

## Ingredients

* 1 package containing 10 taco-sized ***(8-inch)*** flour tortillas ***(You will use 6 of these flour tortillas in this recipe.)***
* 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* ½ cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* ½ cup ***(1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)*** salted butter

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Prepare a baking sheet or a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
* Cut each tortilla into 8 equal pieces.

**Hannah's 1st Note: The easiest way to do this is to cut the circle in half, cut each half in half to make quarters, and cut each quarter in half to make 8 pieces.**

* Place the cinnamon in a shallow bowl on the counter.
* Add the white granulated sugar to the bowl and mix them together with a fork.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: We usually place the cinnamon and sugar in a sealable plastic bag and shake it to mix the two ingredients.**

* Place the half-cup of salted butter in a second shallow bowl that is microwave-safe.
* Heat the butter on HIGH in the microwave for 30 seconds. Check it see if your butter i smelted. If it is, leave the bowl in the microwave. If it isn't heat it for another 15 seconds on HIGH.
* Take the bowl out of the microwave and set it on your kitchen counter next to the bowl with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. ***(Be careful. The bowl with the melted butter could be hot.)***
* Move the prepared cookie sheet next to the bowls for easy access.
* Dip each flour tortilla piece into the bowl with the melted butter. Be sure to coat both sides of the piece.
* Take the piece out of the butter bowl and dip it in the bowl with the cinnamon and sugar. Again, be sure to coat both sides with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
* Do this for all of your flour tortilla pieces.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: If you have quite a bit of melted butter and cinnamon and sugar mixture left, don't worry. You can always save it to make more Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookies after the first sheet comes out of the oven. You may have to re-melt the butter if your kitchen is cold, but that's easy to do in the microwave.**

* When all of your tortilla pieces have been coated with butter, the cinnamon and sugar mixture, and placed on the cookie sheet, you are ready to bake them.
* Bake the Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookies at 350°F for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. ***(My cookies took the full 12 minutes.)***
* Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, place it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack on the counter, and let your delicious snack cookies cook thoroughly. Then take them of the parchment paper and serve them.
* If there are leftover Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookies ***(and I'm willing to bet there won't be!)***, store them in a cool, dry place. ***(Your refrigerator is cool, but it is NOT dry!)***

Yield: 10 flour tortillas will make 6 dozen crunchy, sweet, and delightful little cookies. ***(Because I know that you will eat at least 8, before you serve them.)***
Gus Kleins

'

## Relations

**Parents**: *deceased*

**Twin Sisters**: Patsy Diehl, Marge Beeseman

**Nephews**: Herb Beeseman, ...

## Books

Carrot Cake Murder

**Gus Kleins** is Herb's uncle in Carrot Cake Murder.

## Bio

Right out of High School he was drafted in the minor league baseball, but he left them. (Probably kicked out)

*Gus left Lake Eden over thirty years ago, and no one’s heard from him since. I hired a private detective to try to find him when my mother got sick, but he said Gus probably changed his name, and unless he knew what it was, he couldn’t get a lead on him.*

While in Atlantic City he uses the name Grant Kennedy and owned a strip joint, not exactly seedy but not an upscale lounge that he was telling everyone it was.

## Personality

You’ve got to understand that the Gus we knew was concerned only about himself. He used people to get what he wanted. And then, when he didn’t need them anymore, he discarded them like old candy wrappers. It was all about Gus, if you know what I mean. He had an ego that wouldn’t quit.

## Appearance

*Gus Klein was a handsome, well-dressed man in his fifties. Just an inch or so short of the six-foot mark, he had carefully styled dark blond hair with an elegant streak of silver over his left temple. The silver streak made him look distinguished, and Hannah suspected a beautician had placed it there.*

## Chronology by Novel

### Carrot Cake Murder

After no word for over thirty years, Gus comes back to Lake Eden for the Beeseman-Herman Family Reunion held at the lake.

While in Atlantic City, Gus found out that one of his old baseball cards was worth over $2 million, so he immediately packed and left for Lake Eden. When he arrives, he found out that there was a huge family reunion just starting. Once he connected with his sisters, he found out that most of his stuff was packed in a trunk and still stored in the attic. He was able to get his baseball cards and a few other things.

He was planning on leaving to go back to his life in Atlantic City without telling anyone that he was going or saying good bye, again!
But before he left Mac caught up to him and demanded that he give him the money that he owed to Patsy. Gus just laughed at him and Mac stabbed him, in the heart, with an ice pick. Gus died instantly.

## Trivia

* His heights is mentioned first as just under 6' and later in the same book a couple of inches over 6'

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 10) (p. 7). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 10) (pp. 171-172). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
3. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 10) (p. 31). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Kurt Howe

## Books

Blueberry Muffin MurderSugar Cookie Murder

**Kurt Howe** Editor at "Savoy Press", preparing Hannah’s Lake Eden potluck cook book to be published soon.

## Bio

An Editor at "Savoy Press" in Minneapolis. He arrived in Lake Eden as part of Connie Mac's entourage as he was suppose to help her make her deadline for her next cook book.

He met Hannah and the rest of the Edenites and wanted a cookbook from them Sugar Cookie Murder.

## Personality

Very nice young man. After Connie Mac is murdered, he handed over to Marge Beeseman 200 pre-signed cookbooks in exchange for the ones she had that were unsigned.

## Appearance

He was blond, handsome, and about ten years too young for her.

## = Blueberry Muffin Murder

He had a big fight with Connie Mac and she planned on calling his boss the next day and having him fired. She was killed before she could make that phone call. The reason for the fight was that he refused to sleep with Connie Mac.

Kurt's alibi:
*I spent the night with Marcia, and her father owns Savory Press*.

### Sugar Cookie Murder

Kurt attends the community banquet, but his photographer was unable to attend and he wanted to get pictures for the cookbook. He enlists Norman's help and they stage some of the dishes and tables to take pictures that will be used in the cookbook.

When the snow storm starts to turn into a blizzard he abruptly leaves so that he can get back to Minneapolis.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 3) (p. 161). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 3) (p. 163). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Jibak Rakabaka

## Background

Date of Birth: September 12, 1962

Place of Origin: Mogadishu, Somalia

Height: 4' 11"

Weight: 120lbs

## History

Born in the mountains of Afghanistain in 1989, near the time of the
Soviet invasion of the middle east, Jibak was born under the Rakabaka (also spelled interchangeably with C's) family abandoned as a
child and was raised among anti soviet fighters, learning how to use
and operate weapons at an early age. During his time in the villages, he found that he is not attracted to neither male or female humans, but rather animals. His war mount, and first love, Ba Jaki was a prominent female camel who was Jibak's faithful companion for years. Jibak has disagreed with the views of the racist organization, Niggerhead Ranch due to their unparalleled cruelty and ruthlessness
towards Africans, African Americans, hispanics, and slavs. This has led
to him being one of Niggerhead Ranch's most hated enemies, and as a result have attempted to kill him numerous times,albeit unsuccessfully. Jamik, Jibak's second camel after Ba Jaki's passing,
was killed by Samuel Mauser[1], in an attempt to assassinate him. Since then, Jibak has been suffering
from a rare disease which makes him a living workhouse of diseases, bacteria and all things normal people are dismayed by. In 1995, a cult
known as Aum used plastic bags of Jibak's exhaled breath and popped them
 in the Tokyo subway, killing 13 and injuring thousands. The effects of
Jibak's breath is similar to that of sarin, a chemical compound used as a
 weapon both by Saddam Hussein and the Nazis. Jibak has gained notoriety
 over the years due to his presence online. For most of his life, Jibak mud hut he self constructed in Somalia after his days of being a soldier ended. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, George Bush immediately pinned the blame towards Jibak Rakabaka. However, of course, the name Osama Bin Laden was used as a cover up for certain CIA operations. After his capture, Jibak was captured and sent to an undersea holding facility 50 miles below sea level for study and containment. Jibak was released from his undersea prison when Liberal Democrats demanded Jibak be released as his containment was
 a form of hatred and racism against Blacks. As of 2012 roams a barren wasteland in the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland, where his life is documented.

"Get dat sand nigger down to da sea"

--Bill Clinton

"Where's Jibak? There's the Rackster Backster!"

--George W. Bush

"I have concluded that George Bush's mandate to imprison and torture an innocent black man, will be overturned."

--Barack Hussein Obama

## Clans

The Rakabakas

House Ubongoh

Yoruba Holy League

White Sun

White Moon

ANTNAT

United Nations

Specimen

## Settings

Africa

Antarctica

China

The Middle East
Mango Bread

## Book Reference

Key Lime Pie Murder

**Mango Bread** is the tenth recipe featured in Key Lime Pie Murder.

## Ingredients

* ¾ cup softened butter ***(1½ sticks)***
* 1 package ***(8 ounces)*** softened cream cheese ***(the brick kind, not the whipped kind)***
* 2 cups white sugar ***(granulated)***
* 2 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1½ cups mashed mangoes ***(you can use fresh and peel and seed your own, or you can buy them already prepared in the ready-to-eat section at your produce counter.)***
* 3 cups flour ***(don't sift—pack it down in the cup when you measure)***
* ½ teaspoon baking powder
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans ***(optional)***

## Directions

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

**Hannah's 1st Note: This is a lot easier with an electric mixer.**

* Beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until they're nice and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and the vanilla, and mix them in.
* Peel, seed, and slice the mangos ***(or drain them and pat them dry if you've used prepared mangoes.)*** Mash them in a food processor with the steel blade, or puree them in a blender, or squash them with a potato masher until they're pureed. Measure out 1½ cups of mashed mangoes and add it to your mixing bowl. Stir well.
* In another bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix them together.
* Gradually add the flour mixture to the mango mixture, beating at low speed until everything is incorporated.
* Mix in the walnuts or pecans by hand.
* Coat the insides of two loaf pans ***(the type you'd use for bread)*** with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon in the mango bread batter.
* Bake at 350°F for approximately one hour, or until a long toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns a bit too fast, tent a piece of foil over the top of the loaves.
* You can also bake this in 6 smaller loaf pans, filling them about half full. If you use the smaller pans, they'll need to bake approximately 45 minutes.
* Cool on a wire rack in the pan, loosen the edges after 20 minutes and turn the loaf out onto the wire rack.

Yield: Makes two bread-sized loaves, or 6 small loaves.

## Hannah's 2nd Note:

*This bread is also good toasted. Lisa took it home from the contest and tried it the next morning for breakfast. She said she liked hers plain, but Herb wanted butter on his.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Old Bailey Road

## Book Reference

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

**Old Bailey Road is a gravel road located just out side of the Lake Eden city limits.**

Bailey Road was gravel because it provided access to only three homes.

1. Freddy Sawyer lives in his mother’s cottage at the edge of the puddle they call Lake Bailey.
2. A new built retirement home for Otis Cox and his wife, Eleanor. They built their retirement home on the site of his parents’ old cottage. The Otis' love dogs so moved outside of the city limits and the city ordinance limiting the number of dogs a person could keep so they could take in as many strays as they wanted.
3. The last home is the old Hanks' place. The only residents are Luanne, her mother Marjorie, and Luanne’s baby daughter Suzie.
	* The city dump is next to this house, but it must be accessed from a different road, because *way down at the end where the snowplows had no room to turn around...* is how the location is described.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 1) (p. 59). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 1) (p. 59). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Laura Jorgensen

## Bio

**Laura Jorgensen** worked for Martin Dubinski.
She Went to school with Janice Cox.

## Chronology by Novel

### Sugar Cookie Murder

"...*And to think I’ve been pining over Martin for two years! I was so wrong, but it took meeting Drew to make me realize it*.”

She becomes engaged to Drew Vavra.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne; Levine, Laura; Meier, Leslie. Joanne Fluke Christmas Bundle (p. 147). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
Broken Spear Pass

Broken Spear Pass is a narrow pass that leads into the Njord Mountains. Linfeld sits at the end of the pass, which is vital for trade with the dwarves. It is also the path often taken by raiding hordes of goblinoids. In 32 IY Boreal Clayton disappeared holding the pass against a mixed horde of goblins and demos led by the demon princess Kethess.
Jell-O Cake

## Book Reference

Sugar Cookie Murder

Preheat the oven to the temperature it recommends on the cake mix box.

*This recipe is from Andrea, who makes it for Tracey's birthday every year. Tracey's friends love it because it's colorful. Andrea loves it because it's easy and she's the undisputed Jell-O Queen of Lake Eden.*

### Ingredients

* 1 package white cake mix *(1 pound, 2.25 ounces)*
* The ingredients called for on the cake mix box
* 2 three-ounce packages dry Jell-o in contrasting colors
* 1 small tub of Cool Whip, or one can of whipped cream

### Directions

* Preheat the oven to the temperature it recommends on the cake mix box.
* Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular cake pan.
* Mix up the cake using the directions on the box. Bake the cake for the required amount of time. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
* When the cake has cooled, dump one package of Jell-O into a small bowl. Add one cup boiling water to the Jell-O and stir until it's dissolved *(about one minute.)*
* Poke holes in the top of the cake with a fork, punching it all the way to the bottom of the cake pan. Make about 30 punches.
* Pour the Jell-O evenly over the top of the cake. Give it a minute or two to sink down into the holes you punched.
* Refrigerate the cake for an hour.
* Prepare the second package of Jell-O, mixing the contents with 1 cup boiling water and stirring for one minute, or until it's dissolved.
* Punch more holes in the top of your cake, crisscrossing the first holes. Pour the second bowl of Jell-O liquid over the top of the cake. Give it a minute or two to sink down and then cover it with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours. Overnight is fine, too.

*Andrea says to warn you that the top is going to look ugly and that's why you'll frost it with Cool Whip or whipped cream.*

* When it's time to serve, "frost" your cake with Cool Whip or whipped cream and cut into in square pieces.

#### To Make A Layer Cake

* For a truly gorgeous cake, divide the batter into 8-inch round pans and bake it according to the package directions. Then divide the Jell-O between the two pans.
* To frost, remove the cakes from the pans, use Cool Whip or whipped cream between the layers and to frost the sides and top. Everyone will ooh and ahh when you slice the cake.

*Andrea made a confession to me the night of the Christmas potluck dinner. She said she doesn't bake the cake. She buys an unfrosted sheet cake at the Red Owl, does the part with the Jell-O, and frosts it with Cool Whip. I thought about this for a few minutes and decided it's probably a good thing.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Lake Eden Community College

## Book Reference

Apple Turnover MurderPlum Pudding Murder

The community college is only about ten years old as it was begun about the time that Hannah left for college.

They hold evening classes for adult continuing education, too.

## The Cave

**The Cave** is a little bistro on the community college campus in Apple Turnover Murder. Certain nights are reserved for Jazz Nite venue.
Hannah's Chicken Salad

Lake Eden's Cookbook

* 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon *(make your own or use real crumbled bacon from a can -- I used Hormel Premium Real Crumbled Bacon)*
* 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley *(it's better if it's fresh, but  you can use dried parsley flakes if you don't have fresh on hand)*
* 1/4 cup grated carrots *(for color and a bit of sweetness)*
* 1 cup well-drained, pitted black olives
* 4 ounces cream cheese
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise *(I used Best Foods, which is Hellmann's in some states)*
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder *(or 1/2 teaspoon freshly minced garlic)*
* 1/2 teaspoon onion powder *(or 1 teaspoon freshly minced onion)*
* Salt to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper to taste
* Curly leaf lettuce leaves, red lettuce leaves, butter lettuce leaves, or spinach leaves *(with the stems removed)* to form a bed for Hannah's Chicken Salad
* 1/4 cup salted sunflower nuts for a garnish. *(If you can't find salted sunflower nuts, use chopped salted cashews, or even crushed potato chips.)*

### Directions

* Place the cubed chicken *(approximately the size of bouillon cubes)* in a large mixing bowl.
* Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs. A rough chop is fine. You want people to recognize them as eggs. Add them to the bowl with the chicken cubes.
* Add the crumbled bacon, the parsley, the grated carrots, and the black olives to the bowl. Mix well.
* Put the cream cheese in a small, microwave-save bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on HIGH to soften it. If the cream cheese is too solid to stir, give it another 10 seconds or so on HIGH in the microwave before you add the other ingredients. If it can be easily stirred with a fork, take it out of the microwave and add the sour cream and mayonnaise. Mix well.
* Stir in the garlic powder and onion powder.
* Add the cream cheese mixture to the bowl with the chicken mixture and stir it all up. Add the salt and the freshly ground pepper to taste, and chill until ready to serve.
* You can serve this salad on a large platter so that everyone can help themselves, or on individual plates. Line the platter or individual plates with lettuce leaves or spinach leaves and cover them with mounds of chicken salad.
* Sprinkle the top of your salad with salted sunflower nuts, chopped salted cashews, or crushed potato chips to add crunch.

**Yield:** 6 entrée-size portions.

### Hannah's Note

*You can cut the egg and the chicken in smaller pieces and use this salad as sandwich filling. This recipe will make about a dozen chicken salad sandwiches.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.