Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(73)

Sprinkle the salted pecan pieces on top of the caramel layer.

Pour or drizzle the chocolate fudge topping over the pecans.

Cover the top of your pie with wax paper (don’t push it down—you don’t want it to stick) and put your Snappy Turtle Pie in the freezer overnight.

Put your container of Cool Whip in the refrigerator overnight. Then it’ll be spreadable in the morning.

In the morning, remove your pie from the freezer and spread Cool Whip over the top. Cover it with wax paper again and stick it back into the freezer for at least 6 hours.

If you’re not planning to serve your pie for dinner that night, wait until the 6 hours are up and then put it into a freezer bag and return it to the freezer for storage. It will be fine for about a month.

Take your Snappy Turtle Pie out of the freezer and place it on the countertop about 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve it. When it’s time for dessert, cut it into 6 pieces as you would a regular pie, put each piece on a dessert plate, and place one Snappy Turtle Cookie (recipe follows) on the center of each piece, the head of the turtle facing the tip of the pie.

Yield: 6 slices of yummy ice cream pie that all of your guests will ooh and ahh over.

SNAPPY TURTLE COOKIES

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

? cup (one stick, 4 ounces, ? pound) salted butter,

softened

? cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when

you measure it)

? teaspoon baking soda

? teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 egg yolk (keep the white in a small bowl for later)

? teaspoon vanilla extract

? teaspoon maple flavoring (optional)

1 and cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the

cup when you measure it)

cup pecan halves cut in half lengthwise

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until they’re nice and fluffy.

Mix in the baking soda and the salt.

Add the egg and the egg yolk and mix well.

Mix in the vanilla extract and the maple flavoring (if you decided to use it).

Add the flour in increments, approximately a half-cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. (I know your last increment will be a little short, but don’t worry, the flour police will not knock on your door to arrest you!)

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange the pecan pieces in groups of 5 in a starburst design so that they will resemble the feet and head of a turtle when you put a cookie dough ball in the center.

Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonful into dough balls.

Dip the bottom of the dough balls into the egg white and then set it in the center of your starburst of nuts. Press the dough balls down so that the tips of the nuts will stick out to form the “feet” and “head” when the cookies are baked.

Bake the Snappy Turtle Cookies at 350 degrees F., for 10 to 13 minutes or until the cookies are a golden brown.

Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 2 and ? dozen cookies that will delight children and adults alike.

Hannah’s Note: Nancy sometimes frosts her cookies with canned chocolate frosting, but we always make our own frosting at The Cookie Jar. Here’s the recipe we like:

EASY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

? cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

? cup whipping cream

? cup butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ? pound)

1 and ? cups powdered (confectioners) sugar (NOT

sifted)

Combine the chips, cream and butter in a saucepan. Melt them together over very low heat, stirring constantly. When everything is melted, turn off the heat and move the pan to a cold burner. Stir everything smooth with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chips with the cream and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute on HIGH. Stir to see if everything’s melted and if it’s not, heat it in 30-second increments until it is.)

Measure the powdered sugar, packing it down in the cup when you do so. Place it in a bowl large enough to also hold the chocolate mixture.

Give the chocolate mixture in the saucepan a final stir and then pour it over the powdered sugar. Do this fast and all at once. Start stirring immediately and mix until the frosting is smooth. This frosting will look “runny,” but don’t worry. It’ll harden up when the butter solidifies. If it hardens too much as you’re frosting the cookies, just heat it very gently over low heat on the stovetop, or, if you made it in the microwave, heat it again on HIGH for 20 seconds or so.

Yield: This frosting should frost 2 to 3 dozen cookies, or a small cake.

Chapter Twenty-Four


“Tranquilizers,” Doc said the moment Sally had left. “Three times the normal dosage and that was only in the coffee that was left in the thermos. Whoever did it must have dumped a whole bottle in there.”

“I have a question for you,” Hannah said. “I know Doctor Bev was drinking sparkling water at lunch yesterday. Why didn’t it show up in her stomach contents?”

“Because there’s not much to identify in carbonated water. It would merely have diluted the other liquid contents.”

“Does Mike know that the tranquilizers were in the thermos?” Hannah asked.

“I called from the hospital to tell him. We invited him to dinner when he stopped by to pick up the report, but he said he was busy and I could give you the good news myself.”