DO NOT remove the cupcakes from the pans. If you remove them from the pans while they are too warm, they may lose their shape.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pans until they reach room temperature. Then remove them from the pans and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes before you frost them.
(Recipe and instructions follow.)
Yield: 18 to 24 rich chocolate cupcakes that everyone will love. After you frost them, serve them with icy cold glasses of milk or strong hot coffee.
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet (regular) chocolate chips (a 12-ounce package)
? teaspoon salt (it brings out the flavor of the chocolate)
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 ounce (2 Tablespoons) salted butter
Hannah’s 1st Note: If you use a double boiler for this frosting, it’s foolproof. You can also make it in a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat on the stovetop, but you’ll have to stir it constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula to keep it from scorching.
Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the underside of the top pan.
Put the chocolate chips and the salt in the top of the double boiler, set it over the bottom, and place the double boiler on the stovetop at medium heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate chips are melted.
Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk and cook approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the frosting is shiny and of spreading consistency.
Shut off the heat, remove the top part of the double boiler to a cold burner, and add the butter and stir it in until it melts.
Your frosting is ready to use.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you want to keep this frosting soft for several minutes, place the top part of the double boiler over the hot water again. This will enable you to use the frosting for ten minutes or so before it hardens.
If your frosting begins to harden and you’re not yet ready to frost your cupcakes, simply heat the water in the bottom part of the double boiler again and place the top part over the reheated water. Give it a couple of minutes and then stir the frosting again to re-soften it.
Once you have frosted your cupcakes, give the pan to your favorite person to scrape with a spoon and eat. Another alternative is to frost soda crackers, salt side down, or sugar cookies for snacking.
Hannah’s 3rd Note: Once this frosting cools, it’s just like fudge.
Chapter Nineteen
Hannah glanced over at the spot where Mike had been sitting, but he was gone. She folded up her chair, Andrea folded hers, and they put them back in the rack where they’d found them.
As they emerged from the dim interior of the backstage area, Andrea glanced at her watch. “I’d better go,” she said.
“I thought that Tracey and Bethie were staying out at Grandma McCann’s farm.”
“They are, but I need to show a house this afternoon. It’s my listing and if I let anyone else show it, I have to split the commission with them.”
“Are you planning on getting new drapes for your bedrooms with the commission?”
Andrea’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How did you know?” she asked.
“You’ve been talking about that for a while and I know you want to repaint the bedrooms in your house.”
“So it was just a lucky guess on your part?”
“That’s right. Go sell that house, Andrea. I’ll see you later this afternoon when it’s time to bake again.”
Once Andrea had left, Hannah called Norman to tell him that she could go out on the lake with him in the afternoon. The phone rang several times, and then Norman answered.
“Hi, Hannah,” he greeted her. “Sorry I missed you, but I’m on my way into town. I have to go to the clinic for a couple of hours this afternoon.”
Hannah felt a stab of disappointment. She’d been looking forward to relaxing with Norman this afternoon. “What’s up at the clinic?” she asked him.
“Doc Bennett booked an appointment for an implant and he’s a little nervous about doing it. When he went to dental school, they didn’t spend much time on the procedure, because it was experimental.”
“So you’re going to do the implant?”
“No, he is. I’m just going to be there in case he needs me.”
“That’s nice of you, Norman,” Hannah complimented him. “Is it a very complicated procedure?”
“Not really, not if you know what you’re doing. I’ll just be there for backup and it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. I’ll be back in time for happy hour with the rest of the contestants. I’ll see you later, Hannah.”
Even though she knew it was silly, Hannah felt a sense of abandonment as she hung up on Norman. Mike was gone, Andrea had left, and now Norman was gone, too. She spent a few seconds wondering if she should go back to the kitchen to start another dessert, but she really didn’t feel like baking something they probably wouldn’t need anyway.
“Oh, well,” she said with a sigh, walking down the hallway. Sally was upstairs by this time and there was absolutely no one she really needed to talk to. She glanced in as she passed Dick’s bar, hoping that he was still there, but the lights were off and the bar was deserted.
She was about to turn on her heel and go back to the elevator when she saw Mike hurrying down the hall toward her.
“Wait a second, Hannah,” he called out to her. “I need to talk to you.”
At least someone needs me, Hannah thought, and then she smiled as she realized how pathetic that was.
“Hi, Mike,” she said, waiting until he caught up to her.
“Where are you going, Hannah?”
Hannah gave a little shrug. “I wasn’t really going anywhere. I was just wandering around, wondering what I should do.”
“Lucky for me,” Mike said, taking her arm. “Looks like I caught you at the perfect time. I need you, Hannah. Do you have your Murder Book with you?”
Hannah shook her head. “It’s upstairs in the room.”
“Then go up and get it. Dick told me that I can use the bar this afternoon for any interviews I have to do. You get your book and we’ll go down there to talk about the case. I really need to compare notes with you, and I want your impression on a couple of things.”
“Okay,” Hannah said, surprised at how eager she was to talk to Mike.
“Good. Go get your Murder Book and I’ll pour you a drink. White wine?”
Hannah shook her head. “Thanks, but no. If there’s any lemonade, I’ll take a glass of that.”
“You got it,” Mike said, pressing the elevator button and waiting until it arrived. “I’ll go pour your lemonade, and I’ll meet you in the bar.”
Hannah unlocked the door to the room she shared with Andrea and was surprised to see Rosa there, making her bed. “Hi, Rosa,” she greeted Sally’s head housekeeper.
“Hello, Hannah. I’ll be through in less than ten minutes if you want to come back.”
“No, that’s okay,” Hannah assured her. “I just came back to pick up my notebook. I’m going back downstairs again.”
“Are you going to see Mike?” Rosa asked.