Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(98)

"And I'll help you with the wedding," Andrea offered. "I just cleaned out my closet and I found all the plans I used for my wedding. And that reminds me ... I've got a package in the car for you, Hannah. Remember those summer slacks we bought last year?"

"Oh, yes." Hannah sighed. How could she forget? Those miserable slacks had prompted her diet.

"Well, we must have mixed them up when we took them out of my car. I don't know how, but I ended up with yours."

Hannah's mouth dropped open. "You mean the slacks I have belong to you? "

"That's right."

Hannah's head was still reeling when the waitress arrived to take their order. She wasn't overweight. She'd been dieting to try to fit into Andrea's slacks!

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Joanne Fluke

"Could I take your order?" the waitress asked, pausing by Hannah's chair.

"Just one second," Hannah said, and she turned to Andrea again. "Are you absolutely positive the slacks I have are yours?"

"Of course I am. The pair I wound up with is much too big for me "

Hannah was grinning as she turned back to the waitress. "I'm skipping my salad and entr6e tonight. Just bring me the dessert cart and park it right here."

Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees E, with rack in middle position.

(Another recipe with a no-roll crust—don't you just love it?)

2 cups flour (no need to sift)

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks, ^2 pound)

1/2 cup white sugar

4 beaten eggs (just -whip them up with a fork)

l/2 cup white sugar

!/2 cup frozen concentrated pineapple juice

l/2 cup drained crushed pineapple (if you have

any left over, freeze it) l/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 tablespoons flour (that's *A cup—don't bother

to sift)

FIRST STEP: Dump pineapple in a strainer and let it drain while you do this step. Cream butter with sugar and add flour. Mix well. (You can also do this in a





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food processor with hard butter cut into chunks and the steel blade.) Spread mixture out in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan (that's a standard sheet cake pan), and press it down evenly with your hands.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. (Don't turn off oven!)

SECOND STEP: Mix eggs with sugar. Add pineapple concentrate, drained pineapple, and mix. Add salt and baking powder and stir it all up. Then add flour and mix thoroughly. (This will be runny—it'll set in the oven.)

Pour this mixture on top of the pan you just baked and stick it back into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F. for another 45-50 minutes. Then remove from oven.

Let cool thoroughly, then sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the top and cut into brownie-sized bars.

(Herb Beeseman loves these—it was the least I could do for him. Mother and Carrie love them too,





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but they like a double serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Marge Beeseman has refused to taste them, probably because she thinks she makes the best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in the state of Minnesota and she doesn't relish any interference.)