“Go, Noreen!” he shouted at his sister, and that finally got her attention.
Buford was screaming at both of us now, writhing and twisting as though he were some kind of snake, but we didn’t let go. I’d been stabbed not that long ago, and I was in no hurry to repeat the experience.
Thank goodness I didn’t have to.
Twenty seconds later, the same armed security guard I’d seen earlier showed up, and once he had his weapon trained on Buford’s midsection, the man collapsed as though he were made of straw.
“Thanks for helping out,” I told Van.
“Don’t thank me. If you hadn’t jumped him, we’d both be dead right now. I kept hitting the call button, but it must not be working.”
“At least Noreen came in when she did,” I said, trying to catch my breath.
“It was still too close for my taste,” he said. “I don’t know how you do it, Suzanne.”
“What, make donuts every day?” I asked him with a grin.
“That too, but I was talking about investigating crimes like you do. Speaking of donuts, you still owe me a lesson.”
“And the mayor, as well. Do you think this will help you two get along better in the future?”
“Probably not,” Van said with a grin.
Jake and the police chief burst into the room, and my husband wrapped me up in his arms. “We just heard what happened.” The chief cuffed Buford and led him out. Clearly there was no fight left in the man.
“Everything’s okay,” I said, offering him comfort, despite the fact that I’d been the one who’d recently been attacked. “Van really stepped up.”
“Don’t give me too much credit. It was mostly just self-preservation,” the councilman said, getting some of his bravado back.
Jake wouldn’t hear of it, though. He released me and approached Van with his hand extended. “I owe you, sir.”
“It’s okay,” Van said.
“I mean what I say,” Jake replied. “I am in your debt. Any time you need me, day or night, I’ll be there.”
Van nodded, and then Jake came back to me. “Let’s get you out of here, okay?”
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” I said, happy to be back with him once again. There was nothing like coming close to dying to make me realize just how lucky I was to have so much love in my life.
As he led me out of the hospital, he said, “By the way, I had a talk with the chief. Everything’s good between him and Grace.”
“She doesn’t think so,” I reminded him.
“He knows he’s been a little distant lately, but I shared a bit of wisdom and experience with him, and he’s going to do better. I told him how important it was to have someone in your life to love, and to never take them for granted.”
“I feel the exact same way,” I said as I moved even closer to him, holding onto my husband’s arm for dear life.
Chapter 18
Five Months Later, Sometime in Late December
“I can’t believe this is really going to happen,” Jake said in the early morning hours as he waited for his ride outside the donut shop. Snow had been falling for half an hour, and it appeared that it was going to be our first major storm of the season.
“You’re going to have a blast,” I said as the first plow approached. Earl popped out of his truck, with his partner Bob not far behind. To my surprise, they weren’t alone.
Mayor George Morris grinned as he disembarked as well.
“Are you coming too, Mayor?” Jake asked as I handed out hot coffee and donuts to the men.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“I know I lost the auction, so thanks for making this happen anyway,” Jake said as he shook each man’s hand.
“Are you kidding? It’s the least I could do, since you wouldn’t take any other payment for all of your help,” the mayor said. “Besides, this sounds like so much fun, I can’t wait to tag along myself. Are we ready, gentlemen?”
“Let’s go,” Bob said with a grin.
All Earl could do was smile, but it was enough.
As the four men took off into the early-morning darkness, the snowfall beginning to intensify, I found myself oddly contented with the world.
They would make the streets of our sleepy little town safe for all.
It was a worthy task, and the four men were more than able to perform it, and do it well.
I watched the trucks disappear, and then I went back into my kitchen, happy to be doing what I loved most, making donuts for my friends, family, and any customers who came my way.
It was a good life, and I was thankful every day for it.
I just hoped that Jake wouldn’t want to run the snow-clearing routes every time it snowed once he got a taste for it.
Then again, there were worse ways to spend a morning, and if it made him happy, why not?
Recipes
A Blast From the Past
This is one of our favorite baked donuts that I make. My family is amazed by how tasty they are, and I used this donut recipe to lead them into being open to trying other baked donuts as I’ve created them. No one ever suspects that there are mashed potatoes in them! I like to use my mini donut maker for this donut, but I also have molds that are perfect for the oven, and I’ve used them with great success in the past as well. This donut is rich and thick, offering a hearty treat that’s especially good on the long, dark days of winter.
Ingredients
Mixed
•1 egg, beaten
•1/2 cup sugar, white granulated
•1/2 cup mashed potatoes
•1/4 cup whole milk
•4 tablespoons butter, melted
Sifted
•1 cup flour, unbleached all-purpose
•2 teaspoons baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
•1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 365 degrees F, or start your donut maker to the preheating cycle. While you’re waiting for the oven to come to the proper heat, in a large bowl, beat the egg thoroughly and add the sugar, mashed potatoes, milk, and butter. Set that aside, and in another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing thoroughly as you go.
Grab a cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon and add the dough to your pan or donut maker.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until they are golden brown.
A light vanilla glaze works well with this donut.
Yield: 8 to 12 small donuts
Chocolate Donut Perfection
My family goes through phases of enjoying vanilla, lemon, and cherry, but by far, they always love anything chocolate. This, at least in my mind, is the best chocolate donut I’ve ever tasted, if I say so myself. They are rich, dense, and decadent. It appears that this book’s recipes have the same theme: Pamper your taste buds. These donuts are beautiful, and they fill the house with smells of chocolate that are almost worth making them for the scent alone! I top these with chocolate glaze or vanilla glaze or simply hit them with powdered sugar, but any way you to choose to eat them, you’ll be glad that you did!
Ingredients
Dry
•1 cup flour, unbleached all-purpose
•1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet
•3/4 cup half and half (whole milk, 2 percent, or even 1 percent can be substituted)
•1 egg, beaten
•2/3 cup brown sugar (dark for more flavor, light for less)
•4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•1/2 vanilla bean seeds, scraped
Topping
•powdered confectioners’ sugar, as needed for dusting the finished donuts
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, or start your donut maker and let it come to temperature. While you’re waiting, in a large bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. In another, smaller bowl, mix the half and half, beaten egg, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla beans together. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until it’s all incorporated.
In a donut mold, add a tablespoon or more of batter to each form and bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the topping of your choice, and enjoy!
Yield: 10 to 12 donuts.
Deep-Fried Peanut Butter Delights
This is one of my first peanut-butter–based donut recipes, and it’s still my very favorite. When I get in the mood for something completely different, this is the recipe I turn to. When they are finished, I love adding a chocolate glaze to the top. After all, who can resist the combination of peanut butter and chocolate?
Ingredients
•1 egg, beaten
•1⁄2 cup sugar (white)
•1⁄4 cup brown sugar
•1 cup buttermilk (2% or whole milk will also do)
•2 tablespoons canola oil
•1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
•1 cup all-purpose flour
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•1⁄4 teaspoon salt
•1⁄2 cup peanut butter (I like chunky, but smooth works fine too)
Directions
Heat enough canola oil on the stovetop to 360 degrees F while you prepare the batter. In a large bowl, beat the egg, and then slowly stir in the sugar. Once it is incorporated, add the milk, oil, and vanilla, stirring as well. Sift in the dry ingredients one at a time, and fold it all into the batter. Add the peanut butter last, mixing it in thoroughly so you get that taste with every bite.
Rake a tablespoon of batter into the fryer when the oil is up to temperature. If the batter doesn’t immediately rise to the surface, take a chopstick and gently pry it up from the bottom, being careful not to burn yourself on the hot oil. After 2 minutes, flip the donut balls to the other side if they haven’t done it themselves, and fry for another full minute. These times may vary depending on your oil, the amount of batter you use, and the barometric pressure, for all I know! Watch them, and remove them when they turn a nice shade of gold.
For sheer perfection, add a chocolate glaze and enjoy!
Makes 6 to 10 donut rounds, depending on your scoop methods.
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Other Books by Jessica Beck
The Donut Mysteries
Glazed Murder
Fatally Frosted
Sinister Sprinkles
Evil Éclairs
Tragic Toppings
Killer Crullers
Drop Dead Chocolate
Powdered Peril
Illegally Iced
Deadly Donuts
Assault and Batter
Sweet Suspects
Deep Fried Homicide
Custard Crime
Bad Bites
Old Fashioned Crooks
Dangerous Dough
Troubled Treats
Sugar Coated Sins
Criminal Crumbs
Vanilla Vices
Raspberry Revenge
Fugitive Filling
Devil’s Food Defense
Pumpkin Pleas
Floured Felonies
Mixed Malice
Tasty Trials
Baked Books
Cranberry Crimes
Boston Cream Bribery
The Classic Diner Mysteries
A Chili Death
A Deadly Beef
A Killer Cake
A Baked Ham
A Bad Egg
A Real Pickle
A Burned Biscuit
The Ghost Cat Cozy Mysteries
Ghost Cat: Midnight Paws
Ghost Cat 2: Bid for Midnight
The Cast Iron Cooking Mysteries
Cast Iron Will
Cast Iron Conviction
Cast Iron Alibi
Cast Iron Motive
Cast Iron Suspicion