Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swensen, #11)(57)

“Wonderful!” Hannah said, spooning up another bite. It was amazingly exhilarating to feel indulgent and virtuous at the same time. “Only twenty-five calories,” she repeated, giving Norman a big smile. “In that case, I might just have two!”





GUILT-FREE PARFAIT

1 small box sugar-free lemon gelatin***

1 small box sugar-free lime gelatin

1 small box sugar-free raspberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water for each package of Jell-O (3 cups in all)

1 cup cold diet ginger ale for the bottom layer (Sally used diet Vernor’s)

1 cup cold diet lemon-lime soda for the middle layer (Sally used diet 7 Up)

1 cup cold soda water (Sally used Canada Dry Seltzer)



Hannah’s Note: You can use any flavors of sugar-free gelatin you wish, but it’s prettier if the layers are contrasting colors. You can also use any carbonated diet drinks that you wish in the gelatin layers.

Sally’s Note: Use canned diet soda whenever possible. It has more fizz than the large bottles. If you can find it, use a small bottle of soda water or seltzer rather than the 2-liter type.

Norman’s Note: Of course you could make this dessert in a dish using just one flavor of sugar-free gelatin. Making it with three layers gives you three flavors and three colors and makes you feel as if you’re eating something very special.

Get out six small parfait glasses. You can also use large balloon wineglasses if you don’t have parfait glasses.

Boil one cup of water for the bottom layer. Pour the boiling water in a small bowl, and add the sugar-free lemon gelatin. Stir it until it’s dissolved. That should take about one minute.

Let the gelatin cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Set your kitchen timer. You don’t want it to harden, just to cool to room temperature.

Open a can of icy cold diet ginger ale. Measure out one cup and add it to your cooled gelatin. Stir it in gently. Avoid stirring too much—that will break down the bubbles. Pour bottom layers in each of the six glasses you’ve chosen to use.

Rinse out your bowl. You can use it again for the next layer.

Refrigerate the glasses until the bottom layer is set. This will take approximately one hour.

When the bottom layer is set, it’s time to make the middle layer. Boil one cup of water. Pour the boiling water into the small bowl you rinsed, and add the sugar-free lime gelatin. Stir it until it’s dissolved, about one minute.

Let the gelatin cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Open a can of icy cold diet lemon-lime soda. Measure out one cup. Add it to your cooled gelatin, and stir it in gently. Stir just enough to blend. You don’t want to lose the bubbles.

Take your glasses out of the refrigerator and pour in the middle layer. Return them to the refrigerator, to set for one hour.

Rinse out the bowl you used so that you can use it again for the top layer.

When the middle layer is set, it’s time to add the top layer. Boil one cup of water. Pour the boiling water into the small bowl you rinsed, and add the sugar-free raspberry gelatin. Stir it until it’s dissolved, about one minute.

Let the gelatin cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Open a small bottle of icy cold seltzer or soda water. Measure out one cup and add it to your bowl of gelatin. Stir it in gently. Avoid overstirring—you don’t want to break down the bubbles.

Take your glasses out of the refrigerator, and pour in the top layer. Return the glasses to the refrigerator. Once the top layers are set, you can cover each glass with a piece of plastic wrap to keep the top fresh.

Add three raspberries to each parfait glass before serving. You can also use a small strawberry, or a thin slice of peach or pear. The calorie count will be approximately the same.

Sally says to tell you she’s going to make some with Sugar-Free Strawberry Kiwi Jell-O on the top layer and decorate each glass with a slice of kiwi because that’s really exotic here in Lake Eden, Minnesota.





Chapter Twenty




“Norman and I will be right back.” Hannah rose to her feet and motioned to Norman. “We’re just going to dash to the kitchen and compliment Sally on her Guilt-Free Parfait.”

Delores pulled a stack of papers from her briefcase-sized purse. They were stapled together, and Hannah assumed they constituted the list of names her mother and Carrie had called on the phone. “Go ahead, dear. I just want to go over these names with Carrie one more time. If you see our waitress, would you ask her to leave a large carafe of coffee?”

“I’ll make sure she does that, Delores,” Norman promised.

“Thank you, dear. That’s very sweet of you.”

Hannah couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Dear? At some time when she hadn’t been looking, Norman had been elevated from Norman to dear.

“I should call Lonnie,” Michelle pushed back her chair. “He may have some information for us. The reception’s better in the lobby, so I’ll just go out there to call.”

Andrea jumped up. “Hold on and I’ll go with you. I need to check on the kids.”

Hannah gave a glance back at the booth as everyone bailed. Carrie and Delores didn’t look at all upset, and she guessed it was okay with them. What on earth could she ask them to do that would be exciting and not injurious to their health?

“You look worried,” Norman commented.