Cinnamon Roll Murder

“And we’ll all taste it,” Hannah promised, not even bothering to check with her mother and sisters. She knew they were all in agreement that any sweet treat that came out of Sally’s kitchen was bound to be wonderful.

STUFFIN’ MUFFINS

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

4 ounces salted butter (1 stick, 8 Tablespoons, ? pound)

? cup finely chopped onion (you can buy this chopped or chop it yourself)

? cup finely chopped celery

? cup chopped apple (core, but do not peel before chopping)

1 teaspoon powdered sage

1 teaspoon powdered thyme

1 teaspoon ground oregano

8 cups herb stuffing (the kind in cubes that you buy in the grocery store—you can also use plain bread cubes and add a quarter-teaspoon more of ground sage, thyme, and oregano)

3 eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)

1 teaspoon salt

? teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground is best)

2 ounces (? stick, 4 Tablespoons, pound) melted butter

? to ? cup chicken broth (I used Swanson’s)

Hannah’s 1st Note: I used a Fuji apple this time. I’ve also used Granny Smith apples, or Gala apples.

Before you start, find a 12-cup muffin pan. Spray the inside of the cups with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray OR line them with cupcake papers.

Get out a 10-inch or larger frying pan. Cut the stick of butter in 4 to 8 pieces and drop them inside. Put the pan over MEDIUM heat on the stovetop to melt the butter.

Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onions. Give them a stir.

Add the chopped celery. Stir it in.

Add the chopped apple and stir that in.

Sprinkle in the ground sage, thyme, and oregano.

Saute this mixture for 5 minutes. Then pull the frying pan off the heat and onto a cold burner.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the 8 cups of herb stuffing. (If the boxed stuffing you bought has a separate herb packet, just sprinkle it over the top of the mixture in your frying pan. That way you’ll be sure to put it in!)

Pour the beaten eggs over the top of the herb stuffing and mix them in.

Sprinkle on the salt and the pepper. Mix them in.

Pour the melted butter over the top and mix it in.

Add the mixture from your frying pan on top of that. Stir it all up together.

Measure out ? cup of chicken broth.

Wash your hands. (Mixing the stuffing is going to be a lot easier if you use your impeccably clean hands to mix it.)

Pour the ? cup of chicken broth over the top of your bowl. Mix everything with your hands.

Feel the resulting mixture. It should be softened, but not wet. If you think it’s so dry that your muffins might fall apart after you bake them, mix in another ? cup of chicken broth.

Once your Stuffin’ Muffin mixture is thoroughly combined, move the bowl close to the muffin pan you’ve prepared, and go wash your hands again.

Use an ice cream scoop to fill your muffin cups. If you don’t have an ice cream scoop, use a large spoon. Mound the tops of the muffins by hand. (Your hands are still impeccably clean, aren’t they?)

Bake the Stuffin’ Muffins at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes.

Yield: One dozen standard-sized muffins that can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Hannah’s 2nd Note: These muffins are a great accompaniment to pork, ham, chicken, turkey, duck, beef, or ... well ... practically anything! If there are any left over, you can reheat them in the microwave to serve the next day.

Hannah’s 3rd Note: I’m beginning to think that Andrea can actually make Stuffin’ Muffins. It’s only April now, so she’s got seven months to practice. I’ll let you know how she does right after Thanksgiving dinner.

Chapter Fourteen

“This is the lemoniest cake I’ve ever tasted!” Delores exclaimed, and Hannah could tell that her very proper mother was dangerously close to smacking her lips in appreciation.

“I agree. It’s just great!” Michelle turned to Sally who was waiting for their opinions. “How does your chef get all that lemon flavor into one slice of cake?”

“He grinds up the whole lemon,” Sally told them, “minus the seeds, of course. But everything else goes into the grinder. That’s pectin, zest, everything.”

Hannah tasted another bite. “You’d think it would be bitter, but it’s not.”

“He says that’s offset by the sugar and raisins.”

“Well, he’s right,” Michelle said, taking another bite. “It’s wonderful!”

“I’ll tell him you said that. And I’ll definitely add it to the dessert menu.”

When Sally left, Hannah saw her signal to their waitress. The girl was there almost immediately to take their dessert and coffee order.

“Have chocolate,” Delores told Hannah.

“I was planning on it, but why do you want me to have chocolate?”

“Here’s one reason.” Delores pulled a large box out from its hiding place under the table. “I know how much