DOUG’S SAUERBRATEN
2 cups water
1½ cups red wine vinegar
½ cup dry red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for seasoning meat
8 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
6–10 juniper berries
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 (3½- to 4-pound) bottom round pot roast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup old-fashioned gingersnaps, crushed*
In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the water, red wine vinegar, red wine, onion, carrot, celery, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil; lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Rub the meat with the vegetable oil and salt it on all sides. Heat a large sauté or fry pan over high heat; add the meat and brown it on all sides.
After the marinade has cooled, place the meat in a nonreactive vessel, and pour the marinade over it. Place the roast in the refrigerator for three days. If the meat isn’t completely submerged, turn it over once a day.
After three days of marinating, preheat the oven to 325°F. Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover the pan, and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Cook until tender, approximately 4 hours.
Remove the meat and keep it warm. Strain the liquid to remove solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place it over medium-high heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook the sauce until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Slice the meat and serve it with the sauce.
*If the sauce needs additional thickening, either use more crushed gingersnaps or mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup water and whisk the mixture into the sauce as it cooks.
PIPER’S LEBKUCHEN
1 egg
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup dark molasses
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup candied mixed fruit peel, finely chopped
GLAZE
1 egg white, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
In a large bowl, beat the egg, brown sugar, and honey until smooth. Stir in the molasses. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Stir the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture. Stir in the almonds and candied fruit peel. Cover the bowl or wrap the dough, and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a ¼-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 2 x 3-inch rectangles (or squares). Place the cookies 1½ inches apart on the cookie sheets.
Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. While they are still warm, brush the cookies with the lemon glaze.
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the egg white, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Brush the glaze over warm cookies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The author of the Bunco Babes mystery series, GAIL OUST is often accused of flunking retirement. Hearing the words “Maybe it’s a dead body” while golfing fired her imagination for writing a cozy. Ever since then, she has spent more time on a computer than at a golf course. She lives with her husband in McCormick, South Carolina. Visit her online at www.gailoust.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
ALSO BY GAIL OUST
Kill ’Em with Cayenne
Rosemary and Crime
Whack ’n’ Roll
’Til Dice Do Us Part
Shake, Murder, and Roll
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Cinnamon
Melly Prescott’s Gingersnaps
Doug’s Sauerbraten
Piper’s Lebkuchen
About the Author
Also by Gail Oust
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
CINNAMON TOASTED. Copyright © 2015 by Gail Oust. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover illustration by Matthew Holmes
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Oust, Gail, 1943–
Cinnamon toasted: a spice shop mystery / Gail Oust. — First edition.
p.; cm. — (Spice shop mystery series; 3)
ISBN 978-1-250-01106-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-3430-9 (ebook)
1. Women detectives—Fiction. 2. Murder—Investigation—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3620.U7645C56 2015
813'.6—dc23
2015033729
e-ISBN 978-1-4668-3430-9
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition: December 2015