recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Brownies Plus

Cream Puff Murder

## Ingredients

* 6 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate ***(or three-quarters cup chocolate chips)***
* 1 cup butter ***(two sticks, ½ pound)***
* 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 4 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1½ cups flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 5 to 7 three-ounce chocolate candy bars ***(I've used Nestle’s Treasures Cappuccino Truffle Bars, Hershey’s Symphony Bars, Nestle's Crunch Bars—the number of bars depends on how many inches of your pan they cover.)***

**A SHORT CUT: Lisa got this recipe from Diana Dickerson. Diana says that if you don't feel like making your brownies from scratch, use two packages of brownie mix, the kind that makes an 8-inch by 8-inch square. Use two bowls, one for each package, and prepare the brownie batter by following the directions on the ox. Once the batter is mixed, use the contents of one bowl for the bottom layer and the contents of the other bowl for the top. Diana's favorite candy bars to use are Hershey's Symphony Bars.**

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in middle position.
* Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by lining it with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides. Spray the foil-lined pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
* Microwave the chocolate squares ***(or chocolate chips)*** and butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for one minute. Stir. ***(Since chocolate frequently maintains its shape even when melted, you have to stir to make sure. )*** If it's not melted, microwave for an additional 20 seconds and stir again. Repeat if necessary.
* Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Feel the bowl. If it's not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the vanilla extract.
* Mix in the flour and stir just until it's moistened.
* Spoon half of the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
* Unwrap the candy bars and place them on top of the batter. Make a single layer, and try to cover as much of the batter as you can. You may have to break a couple of the bars to fill in the gaps.
* Spoon the remaining batter on top of candy bars, and use the rubber spatula to smooth it out.
* Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
* Cool the Brownies Plus in the pan on a metal rack. When they're thoroughly cool, grasp the edges of foil and lift the brownies out of the pan. Put them facedown on a cutting board, peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces.
* Place on squares on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar if you wish.

**Hannah's Note: These brownies freeze well if you leave them in one large piece. When they're cool, just lift them out of the pan, fold the foil over the top, and slip them into a freezer bag. When you want to serve them, let them thaw on the counter, cut them into pieces, and dust with powdered sugar.**
7th Inning Slush

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder

### Directions

1. Place the 2 cups of club soda, the packet of Kool-Aid Pink Lemonade Drink Mix Unsweetened, and the white granulated sugar into a blender.
2. Add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and blend well.
3. Add 3 cups of ice cubes or crushed ice, and blend again until smooth.

### Yield

* 4 to 6 Glasses of ice-cold summer relief!

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Bergstrom's Department Store

## Book Reference

Candy Cane Murder

**Bergstrom's Department Store** is the busiest and most profitable retailer store in the Tri-County Mall.

Delores is in her element when she shops there.

Wayne Bergstrom is the owner and his brother-in-law Cory Reynolds works at the store in the Wonderful Weddings department.

Wayne and his wife Melinda live above the store in their luxurious and opulent pent house.
Brownie Candy

Banana Cream Pie Murder

## Ingredients

* 1 cup *(2 sticks, 8 ounces, ½ pound)* salted butter, softened
* 1 cup cashew butter
* 1 pound powdered *(confectioner's)* sugar
* 1 and ½ cups finely crushed vanilla wafers *(I used Nabisco Nilla wafers)*
* 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips *(6-ounce by weight bag is fine)*

Hannah's 1st Note: Take the 2 sticks of butter out of the refrigerator, unwrap them, and put them in a covered mixing bowl the night before you want to make this Brownie Candy. They'll be nice and soft in the morning.

Hannah's 2nd Note: I chop my vanilla wafers in the food processor with the steel blade in an on-and-off motion. If you don't have a food processor, put them in a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Just make sure they're finely crushed.

## Directions

* DO NOT preheat oven. This dessert needs NO baking!
* In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix the salted butter with the cashew butter. A wooden spoon works well for this. Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and thoroughly incorporated.
* Add the powdered sugar to your bowl. There's no need to sift unless it's got big lumps. Stir until the powdered sugar is thoroughly incorporated.
* Measure out a cup and a half of crushed vanilla wafers and add them to your bowl. Mix until you have a homogeneous mixture.
* Spray the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and spray that.
* Dump the butter, cashew butter, powdered sugar, and crushed vanilla wafer mixture into the cake pan and pat it out as evenly as you can in the bottom.
* Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over MEDIUM heat or in a heavy metal saucepan on LOW heat, stirring constantly.
	+ Alternatively, you can melt the chips in the microwave by placing them in a small microwave-safe bowl or Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup and heating them on HIGH for 1 minute. At the end of that time, let them stand in the microwave for 1 minute and then try to stir them smooth. If there are still lumps, heat them in 20-second intervals with 20-second standing times until you can stir them smooth.
* With a heat resistant spatula, spread the melted chocolate on top of the mixture in the cake pan. Spread it out as evenly as possible.
* Place the pan in the refrigerator until the Brownie Candy is firm. This will take at least 2 hours.
* When your dessert is firm and the chocolate on top has hardened, take the cake pan out of the refrigerator and cut your dessert into brownie-sized pieces.

Yield: Approximately 24 to 36 pieces, depending on cutting size.
Carrot Cake Murder

**Carrot Cake Murder** is the tenth book in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series. It was originally released in 2008.

## Short Summary

***Summertime has finally arrived in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and Hannah Swensen, owner of The Cookie Jar bakery, is looking forward to warm, lazy days, eating ice cream, and sharing picnics with friends. But when a family reunion takes a deadly turn, it’s up to Hannah to find a killer . . .***

Hannah Swensen has a lot on her plate, baking up a storm for The Cookie Jar. But she’ll always make time for her business partner, Lisa, who’s preparing for a big family reunion. Everyone is delighted when Lisa’s long-lost uncle makes a surprise appearance. No one has heard from Gus in twenty-five years.

Uncle Gus is immediately the hit of the reunion. He’s almost as popular as Hannah’s scrumptious carrot cake. But the next morning, as the whole family gathers for the group photo, one person is missing. Hannah offers to track down Uncle Gus, but her search leads to a shocking find. Over by the bar at the pavilion, she spots two slices of her infamous carrot cake, frosting-side down on the floor—and Gus’s corpse with an ice pick jutting out of his chest!
A little snooping reveals that not everyone was celebrating Gus’s return. And when Hannah unearths secrets from Gus’s past, she discovers many more people with an axe to grind. Now Hannah’s got to sift through a long list of suspects to find a killer—even if it could mean a recipe for her own demise . . .

**Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!**

## Main Characters

* Hannah Swensen
* Lisa Herman
* Mike Kingston
* Norman Rhodes
* Gus Kleins
* Moishe

## Side Characters

* Herb Beeseman
* Marge Beeseman
* Delores Swensen

## Quotes

* *Because you’re going to get it anyway, one way or the other. There’s no sense in trying to keep you from sticking your nose in my case, is there?* (Mike Kingston, Chapter Eight)
* “*Your father used to say that three men can keep a secret, but only if two of them are dead.*” (Delores Swensen, Chapter Twenty-Eight)

## Cover Gags

* The audio book cover shows a knife placed next to the cake with blood dripping from it.

## Trivia

* This is the third cake title of the series.
* This is the first main book in the series without a cover gag.
Cinnamon and Raisin Snap Cookies

Coconut Layer Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 1 cup raisins ***(either brown or golden)***
* ¼ cup rum ***(I used white Bacardi)***
* 2 cups salted, melted butter ***(4 sticks)***
* 2 cups brown sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 2 large eggs, beaten ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar ***(critical!)***
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in a cup when you measure it)***

**Dough ball rolling mixture**

* ½ cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg ***(freshly grated is best)***

**Hannah's 1st Note: If you're making these cookies for children or if you don't want to use rum, simply substitute water for the rum and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for flavor.**

## Directions

* DO NOT preheat your oven quite yet—this dough needs to chill before you bake it.
* Place the raisins in a microwave-safe bowl that will hold 2 cups.
* Pour the quarter-cup rum over the top of the raisins.
* Heat the raisins and rum mixture for 2 minutes on HIGH. Let it sit in the microwave for 1 minute and then take it out and remove it to a pot holder or towel on your kitchen counter.
* Cover the bowl containing the raisin and rum with sheet of oil to keep the heat it. The raisins will pumps up while you're mixing up the rest of your cookie dough.
* Place the 4 sticks of butter in another microwave-safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave for 2 minutes on HIGH. Let the melted butter sit in the microwave for another minute and then remove it to another pot holder or towel on your kitchen counter.
* Add the sugars and mix. Let the mixture cool to room temperature while you beat the eggs and then stir them in. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well. Add flour increments, mixing after each addition.
* Use your hands to roll the dough in walnut-size balls. ***(If dough is too sticky, chill for an hour before rolling.)***
* Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl to make the dough ball rolling mixture. ***(Mixing it with a fork works nicely.)*** Roll the dough balls in the mixture and place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten the dough balls with a greased spatula.
* Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. ***(They should have a touch of gold around the edges.)*** Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.

Yield: Approximately 8 dozen, depending on cookie size.
Betty Jackson

## Books

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

**Betty Jackson** is a character in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series*.*

## Bio

Betty is way over weight and not at all light on her feet. She loves to dance but he men steer clear of her to save their feet.
She has worked as Max's secretary at the Cozy Cow Dairy for over 20 years.

### Personality

She is one of the biggest gossips around and very noisy.

### Appearance

Weights around 300 lbs, and always wears vertical stripes.

## Chronology by Novel

### Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

She is Max Turner's secretary at the Cozy Cow Dairy.

Bill Todd was put in charge of revealing the information of Ron's death to his boss, but because Max is away at the Tri-State Buttermakers' Convention - he sent the information to Betty instead.

A bit later she told Edna Ferguson what was going on at work, such as Ron asking for an assistant, and how he didn't get payed overtime.

### Fudge Cupcake Murder

“Did you hear about my new promotion?” Betty asked, before Bill could open the subject of his car and hers. “Now I’m an executive assistant to Max’s cousin at the dairy. Cozy Cow is doing so well, I just hired two new secretaries to fill my old job.

She was able to provide an alibi for Bill Todd because she hit his car, breaking the taillight, that was parked in front of his house at the time the Sheriff was killed.

### Raspberry Danish Murder

Is working at KCOW television as a receptionist. She is temporarily filling in for an employee on maternity leave but is hoping it will become permanent.

### Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

Betty did get a permanent job with KCOW-TV

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 5) (p. 138). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Almond Kisses

## Book Reference

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder

**Almond Kisses** is the second recipe featured in Lemon Meringue Pie Murder.

 Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups melted butter *(3 sticks)*
* 2 cups white sugar *(granulated)*
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/8 cup molasses *(2 teaspoons)*
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt *(if you use salted almonds, cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon)*
* 1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds *(grind them up in your food processor with the steel blade - they don't have to be blanched)*
* 2 beaten eggs *(just whip them up with a fork)*
* 4 cups flour *(no need to sift)*
* 13 oz. bag Hershey's Kisses *(or small squares of milk chocolate)*

 Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in middle position.
* Microwave the butter in your mixing bowl to melt it. Add the sugar, the vanilla, the almond flavoring, and the molasses. Stir until it's blended, then add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
* Grind up the almonds in your food processor. Measure *after* grinding. Add them to the bowl and mix. Pour in the beaten eggs and stir. Then add the flour and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
* Let the dough firm up for a few minutes. Then form it into walnut-sized balls and arrange them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.
* Cut Hershey's Kisses in half *(from the top down, so that each half has a point and a base.)* Press the halves into the middle of your cookie balls, cut side down. They'll look pretty on top as a yummy decoration. If you want to splurge a little, press a *whole* Hershey's Kiss into the center of the dough ball, base down and point sticking up. *(If you do splurge, you'll need double the amount of Hershey's Kisses. If your kids help you unwrap the Kisses, you should probably triple the amount!)*
* Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. *(Don't worry--the Hershey's Kisses won't melt.)* Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: 10 to 12 dozen cookies, depending on the cookie size. *(If that's too many, just cut the whole recipe in half. And if you have any Kisses left over, the baker deserves a treat!)*

## Trivia

*Norman says these cookies taste the way he always wishes marzipan would taste.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Carrot-Oatmeal Muffins

**Carrot-Oatmeal Muffins** is the fifth recipe featured in Devil's Food Cake Murder.

## Ingredients

* 1 and 1/3 cups flour ***(just scoop it up and level it off with a table knife)***
* 1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned dry oatmeal ***(I used Quaker Quick--1 Minute)***
* 1 Tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon ***(I used half cinnamon and half cardamom)***
* 1/2 cup brown sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 3/4 cup finely shredded carrots ***(pack them down when you measure them)***
* 1/2 cup raisins ***(I used golden raisins)***
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 beaten egg ***(just whip it up in a glass with a fork)***
* 1/3 cup melted salted butter ***(approximately 3/4 of a stick)***
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

## Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375, rack in the middle position.
2. Grease or spray with Pam ***(or another nonstick cooking spray)*** the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the oatmeal.
4. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon on top. Mix them in thoroughly.
5. Stir in the brown sugar. Mix until all is blended.
6. Shred the carrots if you haven’t already done so. A fine shred is best. You want them to cook in the time it takes the muffins to bake and turn golden brown and delicious.
7. Add the shredded carrots and raisins to your bowl. Mix them in thoroughly.
8. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk, beaten egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Give it a good stir so that everything is well combined.
9. Dump the contents of the small bowl into the larger bowl. Gently stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry “pockets” remain.
10. Fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4 full.
11. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
12. Set the muffin pan on a cold burner or a wire rack for 10 mins. This cooling process is necessary because if you try to take the muffins out of the muffin cups now, they may break into pieces and you certainly don't want that!
13. When the muffins have cooled for 10 mins, slide the blade of a knife around each muffin's edge and gently pry them out. Once the muffins are out of the cups, you can try to cool them completely on a wire rack, but I'm betting that several will disappear before they're cool.
Breakfast Puffs

Wedding Cake Murder

Yield: 12 light and delicious Breakfast Puffs.

## Ingredients

* 1 large egg
* 1 cup cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 stick of butter ***(3 ounces)***
* 1/2 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ***(freshly grated is best)***
* 1/2 cup cold milk
* 1 and 1/4 cup flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***

* 3/4 stick salted butter, melted ***(3 ounces)***
* 1/2 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Spray the inside of a pan of 12 regular-size muffin cups with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
* Beat the egg until it is light and fluffy.
* Unwrap the cream cheese and the butter, and place both in a microwave-safe bowl.
* Soften by heating the cream cheese and butter in the microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the bowl sit in the microwave for another minute and then try to stir the mixture smooth. If you cannot stir it smooth, microwave in 30-second increments with 30-second standing times until you can stir it smooth.
* Add the cream cheese and butter mixture to the beaten egg. Mix until everything is well combined.
* Add the white sugar and mix it in.
* With the mixer running on LOW speed, mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
* With the mixer still running on LOW speed, mix in half of the cold milk and half of the flour. Mix until well combined.
* Add the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour. Mix thoroughly.
* Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.
* Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and they have puffed up to fill the muffin cups.
* When your Breakfast Puffs are approximately 5 minutes from done, place the second 3/4 stick of salted butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Melt it on HIGH for 30 seconds.
* While the butter is melting, place the white sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and mix them together with a fork.
* Prepare a towel-lined basket to use for serving your Breakfast Puffs.
* When your Breakfast Puffs are golden brown on top and the time is up, turn them out on a cookie sheet or a bread board, and dip them, one by one, into the melted butter. Immediately roll the puff in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and place it in the towel-lined basket you prepared for serving.
* Repeat, working quickly, with one puff at a time, until all 12 puffs have been dipped in butter and rolled in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
* Serve immediately. They're best eaten hot.

**Hannah's Warning: If you invite Mike for breakfast and you don't have eggs, or sausage, or anything else to go with the puffs, you'd better make two or three pans.**
Black Forest Brownies

Carrot Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 4 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate ***(or the equivalent—¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips will do just fine)***
* ¾ cup butter ***(one and a half sticks)***
* 1½ cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 3 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ***(or cherry extract)***
* 1 cup flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* ½ cup pecans
* ½ cup chopped dried cherries ***(or ½ cup well-drained Maraschino Cherries finely chopped)***\*\*\*
	+ \*\*\*I used dried Bing cherries in one batch, and chopped maraschino cherries in a second batch. People loved both batches, but all agreed that the ones with the dried cherries were chewier.
* ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ***(I used Ghirardelli)***

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by lining it with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides. Spray the foil-lined pan with Pam or other nonstick cooking spray.
* Microwave the chocolate squares and butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for one minute. Stir. ***(Since chocolate frequently maintains its shape even when melted, you have to stir to make sure.)*** If it's not melted, microwave for an additional 20 seconds and stir again. Repeat if necessary.
* Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Feel the bowl. If it's not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the flavor extract ***(vanilla or cherry.)***
* Mix in the flour and stir just until it's moistened.
* Put the pecans and dried cherries in the bowl of a food processor and chop them together with the steel blade. If the dried cherries stick to the blades too much, add a Tablespoon of flour to your bowl and try it again. ***(If you don't have a food processor, you don't have to buy one for this recipe—just chop everything up as well as you can with a sharp knife.)***
* Mix in the chopped nuts and cherries, add the chocolate chips, give a final stir by hand, and spread the batter out in your prepared pan.
* Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
* Cool the Black Forest Brownies in the pan in a metal rack. When they're thoroughly cool, grasp the edges of the foil and lift the brownies out of the pan. Put them face down on a cutting board, peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces.
* Place the squares on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar if you wish.

**Jo Fluke's Note: The ladies at Delta Kappa Gamma deserve credit for this recipe. I spoke to them in Camarillo, CA, they gave me a huge box of dried fruit that included the dried Bing cherries that I used in these brownies.**

**Hannah's Note: If you really want to be decadent, frost these with Neverfail Fudge!**
Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

**Chocolate Cream Pie Murder** is the twenty-second book in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series. It was released in February 2019.

## Short Summary

*Not even Lake Eden’s nosiest residents suspected Hannah Swensen would go from idealistic newlywed to betrayed wife in a matter of weeks. But as a deadly mystery unfolds in town, the proof is in the pudding...*

When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery—not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that’s practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, swapping the crime scene in her condo for her mother Delores’s penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case that’s messier than an upended chocolate cream pie. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden...before someone takes a slice out of her!

## Main Characters

* Hannah Swensen
* Delores Swensen
* Andrea Todd
* Michelle Swensen
* Norman Rhodes
* Mike Kingston
* Ross Barton

## Minor Characters

* Tom Larchmont
* Lynne Larchmont

## Quotes

* "'...Doc gave me something to help me sleep and I didn’t even know that I was taking it. It knocked me out for a solid eight hours and that’s the most sleep I’ve had in weeks.'” (Hannah Swensen, Chapter Twenty-Two)

## Trivia

* This is the second cream pie title in the series.
Butterscotch and Pretzel Cookies

Coconut Layer Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 1 cup softened, salted butter ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, ½ pound)***
* 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 3 Tablespoons molasses
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 2 cups crushed salted thin pretzels ***(measure AFTER crushing) (I used Rold Gold, but Snyder's are fine, too)***
* 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 and ½ cup butterscotch chips ***(I used Nestlé)***

**Hannah's 1st Note: If you can't find thin stick pretzels in your store, you can use the mini regular pretzels. Just make sure that any pretzels you use are SALTED. If they're low-salt or no-salt pretzel sticks, your cookies won't turn out right.**

**Hannah's 2nd Note: This dough gets really stiff—you might be better off using a mixer, or you may have to end up mixing this dough with you impeccably clean hands, almost like kneading bread.**

## Directions

* Preheat over to 350 F, rack in the middle position.
* Mix the softened butter with the sugar and the molasses. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, and the molasses is completely mixed in.
* Add the vanilla and baking soda. Mix them in well.
* Break the eggs into a glass and whip them up with a fork. Add them to your bowl and mix until they're thoroughly incorporated.
* Put your pretzels in a Ziplock plastic bag. Seal it carefully ***(you don't want crumbs all over your counter)*** and place it on a flat surface. Get out your rolling pin and run it over the bag, crushing the pretzels inside. Do this until there are no large pieces and the largest is a quarter-inch long.
* Measure out two cups of crushed pretzels and mix them into the dough in your bowl.
* Add one cup of the flour and mix it in. Then add the second cup and mix thoroughly. Add the final half-cup of flour and mix that in.
* Measure out a cup and a half of butterscotch chips and add them to your cookie dough. If you're using an electric mixer, mix them in at the lowest speed. You can also put the mixer away and stir the chips in by hand.
* Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased ***(or sprayed with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray)*** cookie sheets. You can also line your cookie sheets with parchment paper, if you prefer. Place 12 cookies on each standard-size sheet.

**Hannah's Note: I used a 2-teaspoon cookie disher to scoop out this dough at The Cookie Jar. It's faster than doing it with a spoon.**

* Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned. ***(Mine took 11 minutes.)***
* Let the cookies cool for two minutes and then remove them from the baking sheets. Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooing.

Yield: Approximately 5 dozen chewy, salty, and sweet cookies that are sure to please everyone.
Buddy Neiman

## Books

Cinnamon Roll Murder

**Buddy Neiman** keyboard player of the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band.

## Bio

Two months prior, he told them he was leaving the band because he had to get away from the Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul). They asked him to stay for two months so they could find another keyboard player. The event Lake Eden was going to his last with the band.
Buddy once told Cammy that he was worried about something that happened in Seattle.

Cammy thinks that Buddy leaving the band had something to do with a woman that came backstage as Buddy was very upset after that.
All I can tell you about her is that she had dark hair, and she was shorter than Buddy.

His real name was Chaz Peyton and he plaid in a jazz band "Ticket to Tulsa" in Seattle at the "Jazzman" club. He was friends with Dr. Gene Burroughs. Gene was involved with Beverly Thorndike whom he had met at a free clinic that they both volunteered at. Gene took her to the Jazzman and introduced her to Chaz. A few weeks later she broke up with Gene and dated Chaz. One night at the club they fought about Beverly and Chaz killed Gene.

Gene was Ben Matson older step-brother, but they were close. When Ben saw Buddy in the hospital he knew who he really was. All he really wanted to do was to talk to him and get some answers but Buddy set him off and killed him.

## Chronology by Novel

### Cinnamon Roll Murder

He’s injured his wrist in the buss accident but while at the hospital he is murdered with surgical scissors and Delores finds him.

When Doc does the autopsy, he discovers that Buddy wasn’t who he said he was. His hospital records and blood donor card said that he was A+, but the autopsy showed that his blood type was B negative. Everything in his wallet said his name was “Bernard Alan Neiman”.

## References

1. ↑ Fluke, Joanne. Cinnamon Roll Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 15) (p. 145). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.
Dixie Lee's German Apple Cake

Plum Pudding Murder

## Ingredients

**Apple Cake**

* 4 cups peeled and sliced apples ***(4 or 5 medium size apples)***
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***

**German Apple Cake Frosting**

* 8-ounce package softened cream cheese ***(the brick ind not the whipped)***
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice ***(freshly squeezed is best of course)***
* 4 Tablespoons ***(½ stick, 2 ounces)*** melted butter
* 2 cups confectioners ***(powdered)*** sugar ***(no need to sift unless it's got big lumps)***

## Directions

**Apple Cake**

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Grease ***(or spray with Pam or another nonstick baking spray)*** the inside of a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. ***(I used Pam baking spray, the kind with flour in it.)***
* Peel, core, and slice the apples as you would for a pie. Place the sliced apples on the bottom of the prepared cake pan.

**Hannah's Note: You can mix the cake batter by hand or with an electric mixer. We use our electric mixer down at the Cookie Jar because we quadruple the recipe and make 4 apple cakes at once.**

* In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil until they’re thick. Then add the sugar and beat it in.
* Mix in the vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
* Add the flour in one-cup increments, mixing after each cup.
* Scrape down the bowl, give a final stir with a spoon, and then drop the batter over the apples in spoonfuls. ***(Don’t worry if it doesn’t completely cover the apples—the batter will spread out during baking.)***
* Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes. ***(Mine took only 50 minutes.)*** Cool the cake in the pan on a cold burner or a wire rack.

**German Apple Cake Frosting**

* If you forgot to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften naturally, unwrap it, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 20 seconds on HIGH. Check it to see if it's soft. If it's not, give it another 15 seconds or so, until it is.
* Stir the vanilla into your cream cheese. Then add the lemon juice and the melted butter. Mix until it’s smooth.
* Beat in the confectioners sugar in half-cup increments, checking the consistency after each addition. When the mixture is the consistency of frosting, stop adding sugar. ***(I ended up using all of the powdered sugar.)***
* Dixie Lee has given us a win-win frosting for her apple cake. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it's too stiff, add a little more lemon juice or vanilla.
* Frost your cooled German Apple Cake, cut a slice to have with a nice cup of coffee, and enjoy.

**Lisa's Note: I'm going to try this with peaches instead of apples when they're in season.**
Coconut Green Pie

## Book Reference

Sugar Cookie Murder

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

You'll need a blender to make this pie. It makes its own crust.

*Note: Bridget Murphy makes this green pie every year for St. Patrick's Day dinner. She says that if green food doesn't spark your appetite, either cover the top with whipped cream, or shut your eyes when you eat it.*

### Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups water
* one can sweetened condensed milk *(14 ounces)*
* 1/2 cup Bisquick *(biscuit baking mix)*
* 3 eggs
* 1/4  cup *(1/2 stick)* melted butter
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 3 or 4 drops green food coloring *(optional—don't tell Bridget I said this, but you can leave out the green food coloring if you'd rather)*
* 1 cup flaked coconut

### Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* In the blender container combine water, sweetened condensed milk, Bisquick, eggs, butter, vanilla, and green food coloring.
* Blend on low speed for 3 minutes.
* Spray a 10-inch pie plate with Pam or other non-stick shortening. Pour the contents of the blender container into the pie plate and let it stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 5 minutes. *(The Bisquick settles to the bottom and that's what makes the crust.)*
* Sprinkle 1 cup of flaked coconut over the top of the pie.
* Carefully place the pie in a 350°F oven. *(This takes steady hands! I set my pie plate on a baking sheet before I fill it, just in case it spills on the way to the oven.)* Bake pie for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean.
* Cool on a wire rack.

This pie can be served slightly warm, room temperature, or chilled. Bridget says to remind you that it's wonderful with strong Irish coffee, and to be sure to refrigerate leftovers.

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Cookies

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

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

**Hannah's 1st Note: Mike loves chocolate-covered peanuts and he adores these cookies. For those with peanut allergies, use chocolate-covered something else and another flavor chips. (I've baked these with M&Ms and white chocolate chips, and they were delicious.)**

## Ingredients

* 1 cup salted butter, softened ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, 1/2 pound)***
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cups)*** vanilla instant pudding mix ***(NOT sugar-free)***
* 1/2 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1/2 cup brown sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 egg, beaten ***(just whip it up in a glass with a fork)***
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 and 1/2 cups quick rolled oats ***(I used Quaker's Quick 1-minute kind)***
* 1 cup chocolate-covered peanuts ***(I used a 12-ounce bag. There was about 1/4 cup left, but not for every long!)***
* 1 cup peanut butter chips ***(a 6-ounce package--I used Reese's)***

## Directions

**Hannah's 2nd Note: You can mix these cookies up by hand, but it's a lot easier with an electric mixer.**

* Mix the softened butter, dry pudding mix, white sugar, and brown sugar together. Beat them until they're light and fluffy.
* Add the egg and the vanilla extract. Mix them in thoroughly
* Add the baking soda salt, and cinnamon. Mix until everything is incorporated.
* Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.
* Add the rolled oats in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.
* Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate-covered peanuts and the peanut butter chips by hand.
* Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart, no more than 12 cookies to a standard-size sheet. ***(I covered my cookie sheet with parchment paper.)*** You can also use a 2-teaspoon size scooper to dish out the cookie dough.
* Bake the Chocolate-Covered Peanut Cookies at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
* Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets. Then remove them to a wire rack to complete cooling.

Yield: Makes approximately 4 dozen wonderful cookies.
Banana Cream Pie Murder

**Banana Cream Pie Murder** is the twentieth book in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series. It was released in February 2017.

## Summary

*A romantic seven-day cruise is the perfect start to bakery owner Hannah Swensen’s marriage. However, with a murder mystery heating up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, it seems the newlywed’s homecoming won’t be as sweet as she anticipated . . .*

After an extravagant honeymoon, Hannah’s eager to settle down in Lake Eden and turn domestic daydreams into reality. But when her mother’s neighbor is discovered murdered in the condo downstairs, reality becomes a nightmarish investigation. Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town...and made throngs of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as police claim, or was a deadlier scheme at play? As Hannah peels through countless suspects and some new troubles of her own, solving this crime—and living to tell about it—might prove trickier than mixing up the ultimate banana cream pie...

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Hannah Swensen
* Ross Barton
* Delores Swensen
* Andrea Todd
* Michelle Swensen
* Norman Rhodes
* Mike Kingston
* Lisa Herman

### Minor Characters

* Victoria Bascomb
* Aunt Nancy
* Mayor Richard Bascomb
* Stephanie Bascomb
* Laine Warner‎‎
* Sally Laughlin
* Dick Laughlin
* Betty Jackson

## Quotes

* "'I can be nice on occasion'" (Mike Kingston, Chapter Twenty-Six)

## Trivia

* The internal chronology of the story is off, as Thanksgiving day doesn't happen it is hard to determine exactly how much off, possible by a week
* This is the first cream pie title in the series.
Devil's Food Cake Murder

**Devil's Food Cake Murder** is the fourteenth book in the *Hannah Swensen Mystery* series. It was released in 2011.

## Short Summary

Hannah Swensen has to admit life is pretty sweet. Things are going well in the romance department and her bakery's delectable confections are selling as fast as she can bake them. Even her good friend Claire is head over heels with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to take their honeymoon!

When Bob's childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town, it seems like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he's on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire take that long-awaited honeymoon. It sounds like the perfect plan--until Hannah finds Matthew face-down in a plate full of Devil's Food Cake, a single bullet in his head. It will take some sleuthing to sift out the killer, but Hannah is sure of one thing: even the most half-baked murder plot can be oh so deadly....

## Main Characters

* Hannah Swensen
* Lisa Herman
* Andrea Todd
* Norman Rhodes
* Mike Kingston
* Michelle Swensen
* Delores Swensen
* Bill Todd

## Minor Characters

* Reverend Bob Knudson
* Claire Rodgers
* Reverend Matthew Walters
* Beverly Thorndike
* Priscilla Knudson

## Quotes

* “'Unless he has his own selfish interests at heart. He wants you to get so mad at Norman that you’ll fall into his arms on the rebound. Either that or...'” Andrea faltered and Hannah stepped in with a possible explanation. “'Either that or Mike has the IQ of a small kitchen appliance.'” (Chapter Five)

## Trivia

* This is the fourth book without a "cover gag" of any type in most forms.
* This is the fourth cake title in the series.
Bud Hauge

## Books

Apple Turnover Murder

**Bud Hauge** owns the local welding shop in Lake Eden, he appears in Apple Turnover Murder.

## Bio

He can repair just about everything including broken antique pieces for Grannie's Attic.

## Chronology by Novel

### Apple Turnover Murder

Bud went to school with Delores and they are good friends. At the dance for Carrie's wedding reception, she asked Bud if he's ever done restoration on "grave art" (statue or other personalized decoration as a tribute for a grave, usually made of marble but sometimes metal). She hopes he can restore an old metal fish decoration that she already has a buyer for.
Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

Plum Pudding Murder

## Ingredients

* 1 cup softened butter ***(2 sticks, ½ pound)*** The butter should be at room temperature unless you live in an igloo.
* 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 3 Tablespoons molasses
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 beaten eggs ***(just whip them in a glass with a fork)***
* 2 cups crushed salted thin stick pretzels ***(measure AFTER crushing) (I used Snyder's)***
* 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 and ½ cups semi-sweet ***(the regular kind)*** chocolate chips

**Hannah's 1st Note: If you can't find thin stick pretzels in your store, you can use the mini regular pretzels. Just make sure that any pretzels you use are SALTED.**

## Directions

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

**Hannah's 2nd Note: This dough gets really stiff—you might be better off using an electric mixer if you have one.**

* Mix the softened butter with the sugar and the molasses. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, and molasses is completely mixed in.
* Add the vanilla and baking soda. Mix them in well.
* Break the eggs into a glass and whip them up with a fork. Add them to your bowl and mix until they’re thoroughly incorporated.
* Put your pretzels in a zip lock plastic bag. Seal it carefully ***(you don't want crumbs all over your counter)*** and place it on a flat surface. Get out your rolling pin and run it over the bag, crushing the pretzels inside. Do this until there are no large pieces and larges is a quarter-inch long.
* Measure out two cups of crushed pretzels and mix them into dough in your bowl.
* Add one cup of flour and mix it in. Then add the second cup and mix thoroughly. Add the final half cup of flour and mix that in.
* Measure out a cup and a half of chocolate chips and add them to your cookie dough. If you're using an electric mixer, mix them in at the slowest speed. You can also put the mixer away, and stir in the chips by hand.
* Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased ***(or sprayed with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray)*** cookie sheets. You can also line your cookie sheet with parchment paper, if you prefer. Place 12 cookies on each standard sized sheet.
* Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned. ***(Mine took 11 minutes.)***
* Let the cookies cool for two minutes and then remove them from the baking sheets. Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: Approximately 5 dozen chewy, fairly soft chocolaty cookies that are sure to please everyone.

This recipe can be doubled if you wish.

**Hannah's 4th Note: These cookies travel well. If you want to send them a friend, just stack them, roll them up like coins in foil, and cushion the cookie rolls between layers of Styrofoam peanuts, or bubble wrap.**
Corn Cookies

## Book Reference

Fudge Cupcake Murder

**Corn Cookies** is the eighth recipe featured in Fudge Cupcake Murder.

## Ingredients

* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup butter *(2 sticks, 1/2 lb)*
* 1 egg
* 1 15-ounce *(by weight)* can mashed pumpkin puree *(I use Libby's)*
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
* 1 cup golden raisin
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 4 cups flour *(no need to sift)*
* Package of candy corn

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 375°F, rack in the middle position.
* Melt the butter. Add the sugar and mix. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then stir in the egg. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the flour, mixing after each addition. Add the flour, one cup at a time, and mix it thoroughly. Let the cookie dough sit for 5 minutes to "rest.".
* Drop by spoonful on a greased cookie sheet, 12 cookies per standard-size sheet. *(If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate it for a few minutes to firm it up.)* Flatten the cookies with a greased spatula. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
* When the cookies come out of the oven, leave them on cookie sheets and immediately press pieces of candy corn on top as a design. Do this right away, so that the candy will stick after the cookies have cooled.\*\*\*
	+ \*\*\*If you fail to put on the candy corn when the cookies are still hot from the oven, all is not lost. You can put it on later using a little dab of powdered sugar frosting *(powdered sugar with a tiny bit of milk)* as "glue."
* Let the cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 6 to 7 dozen, depending on cookie size.

## Hannah's Note

*Tracey's friends really loved these cookies and they all offered to help me decorate them next year*.

## Trivia

Jon Walker suggested these cookies for Hannah's contribution to the Community Halloween party.

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.