Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(73)

“Yes, she certainly did.”

“And she got both of us to agree to cater her event, didn’t she?”

Hannah sighed and it was a resigned sigh. “Yes, she did that, too. And you’re right, Michelle. Mother got us to do all the work and everyone there is going to think she organized the whole party all by herself.”

*

“Ready, Hannah?” Norman asked, once Hannah had made a point of looking through the peephole and, only then, opening the back kitchen door. “I left the car running so it’s nice and warm inside.”

“I’m almost done here,” Hannah told him, wrapping plastic wrap over the top of the last batch of cookies she’d mixed. “Just hold on a second and I’ll put these in the cooler. Then all I have to do is say goodbye to Lisa and Aunt Nancy, and I’ll be all ready to go.”

There was a whole shelf lined with metal mixing bowls covered with plastic wrap, and Hannah felt proud as she surveyed the work she’d done since Norman had left The Cookie Jar.

“Ready,” she said, stepping out of the cooler and closing the door behind her. “I’ll tell Lisa and Aunt Nancy I’m leaving.”

“Not quite yet,” Norman said, smiling at her. “I have one more thing I have to do while we’re here.”

Hannah recognized that smile. It was Norman’s I’ve-got-a-secret-and-you’re-going-to-love-it smile, the one he used when he was convinced he’d done something that would both surprise and please her. “What else do you have to do?” she asked him.

“I have to make a phone call to Clara Hollenbeck before we leave to make sure she’s home.”

Hannah was puzzled. “But Clara’s okay, isn’t she?”

“Clara’s fine. And she’s going to be even better when she gets my call. I stopped by the hardware store and talked to Cliff. And Cliff told me that Clara and Marguerite bought their phones from him and took out the insurance policy.”

“Insurance policy?” Hannah questioned. “You mean Clara’s phone was covered by insurance when it was stolen?”

“That’s exactly what I mean. Cliff filed the insurance form for Clara and he found out that the insurance company will replace her phone free of charge.”

“But . . . Marguerite told me that Clara doesn’t want another phone.”

“I know, but she’s entitled to one. And that’s not the best part.”

Hannah sat down on a stool. “Okay, Norman. Tell me. What’s the best part?”

“All of Marguerite and Clara’s information is on the cloud. They signed up for that kind of coverage when they bought their cell phone insurance.”

Hannah blinked. “You mean . . . Clara’s photos of the big pine tree and the shadows are on the cloud?”

“That’s right. Her phone backed up to the cloud every time she saved a photo. And Marguerite told me that Clara always saved each photo after she took it. It’s all there, Hannah. And Cliff is going to put them all on the new phone that Clara is getting from the insurance company.”

“That’s great news! Clara’s going to be very happy that she doesn’t have to take those photos all over again. When can she get her new phone, Norman?”

“Cliff took it out of the box while I was there and he hooked it up to download Clara’s cloud backup. She’ll have her photos and everything else on her new phone by the time Cliff opens the hardware store in the morning.”





CRUNCHY CHEWY WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

DO NOT preheat oven—dough must chill before baking.



1 and ? cups melted butter (3 sticks, 12 ounces, ? pound)

2 cups white (granulated) sugar 2 large eggs beaten (just whip them up in a cup with a fork)

? cup white Karo syrup 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ? cup finely chopped pecans (measure AFTER chopping)

4 cups all-purpose flour (pack the flour down in the cup when you measure it)

2 cups white chocolate (or vanilla baking) chips (an 11-ounce bag will be fine)

? cup white (granulated) sugar for coating the dough balls





Hannah’s 1st Note: To measure Karo syrup, first spray the inside of a measuring cup with Pam so that the syrup won’t stick to the sides of the cup.



Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl by heating it on HIGH for 90 seconds or until melted. (I use a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup with a spout.)



Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can use a mixer from this point on if you wish.



Pour the melted butter in the bottom of a large mixing bowl and add the white sugar on top.



Mix until everything is well combined.



Feel the bowl. If it’s not so hot that it will cook the eggs, add them now and mix them in.



Add the Karo syrup, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.



Mix in the finely chopped pecans and mix until thoroughly blended.



Hannah’s 3rd Note: You can use finely chopped almonds or finely chopped walnuts if you prefer.



Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.



Remove the bowl from the mixer. Give it a final stir and set it on the counter.