Cool the scones for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove them to a wire rack with a metal spatula. (If you used parchment paper, all you have to do is position the cookie sheet next to the wire rack and pull the paper over to the rack.)
When the scones are cool, you can cut them in half lengthwise and toast them for breakfast.
Yield: Makes 18 delicious scones.
COUNTRY EGG BAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
4 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese (or Swiss cheese)
? cup chopped red onions
2 cups chopped ham
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
1 small can sliced black olives, drained 3 cups half-and-half or whipping cream 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
? teaspoon ground black pepper (freshly ground is best)
2 Tablespoons honey mustard (I used Beaver)
6 large eggs
Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by spraying it with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
Layer half of the shredded Pepper Jack cheese in the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle half of chopped red onion over the Pepper Jack cheese.
Scatter half of the chopped ham over the onion.
Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar over the chopped ham.
Distribute the sliced olives on top of the shredded cheddar.
Repeat, using the rest of the cheeses, the chopped red onions, and the chopped ham.
Pour the half-and-half or cream into a bowl. Sprinkle the flour, salt, black pepper, and honey mustard on top of the bowl.
Crack the eggs and mix them into the bowl, beating until you have a smooth texture and all the ingredients are incorporated.
Pour the egg mixture into your prepared pan, distributing it as evenly as possible.
Bake your Country Egg Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Test for doneness by inserting a knife from your silverware drawer 1 inch from the center of the pan. If it comes out milky, bake for 10 minutes longer and test again. Except for the melted cheese that might stick to the knife blade, the knife should come out clean.
Take the pan out of the oven and place it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack on the counter.
Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving it.
Cut your Country Egg Bake into squares, but do not remove them from the pan. Instead, put the pan on pot holders in the center of the table and let each person serve themselves, or pass you their plates so that you may serve them.
Yield: Serves 8 breakfast guests as long as you also serve muffins, toast, biscuits, or scones.
Chapter Six
Hannah was smiling as she opened the back kitchen door of The Cookie Jar and walked in. The blizzard had raged for two more days, but on the third day, the snow had stopped falling, the winds had ceased to blow. A few hours later, they’d heard the welcome sound of Earl’s snowplow coming down the access road that led to the condo complex. Hannah had put on the coffee, Michelle had prepared a plateful of their newest creation, Chocolate Mint Cookies, and Mike and the men had gone out to intercept Earl to invite him in for coffee and cookies.
Mike and Lonnie had been the first ones to leave, and before he’d left, Mike had promised Hannah that he would warn Ross. Hannah, Norman, and Michelle had been ready to follow Mike out, but then the phone had rung and the call had been from Lisa, who’d told them that she’d opened The Cookie Jar that morning for their customers who lived in town. There weren’t many customers since the country roads hadn’t yet been plowed and the long farm driveways were still impassable. Lisa said that the school would be closed for another couple of days, so Hannah and Michelle should take an additional day or two off. Since there weren’t many customers, Lisa insisted that she was managing just fine with Aunt Nancy and Marge. And since they weren’t that busy, they were going to test some Valentine recipes. She’d recommended that Hannah should stay home with Michelle and do the same. Then they could compare notes when Hannah got back to town.
Hannah had felt a bit guilty staying at home when The Cookie Jar was open for business, but Lisa had convinced her. And there were several recipes she wanted to test. But this morning, Hannah’s mini-vacation had ended as early as sunrise when she’d glanced out the window to see a beautiful, calm morning outside.
Once she’d unlocked the back door to the kitchen, Hannah stepped inside, slid out of her boots, changed to shoes, and hung up her parka. Then she headed straight for the kitchen coffeepot to make herself a fresh, hot supply of her favorite morning wake-up drink.
A few minutes later, coffee mug in hand, she’d opened the swinging door to the coffee shop. Everything was in place, ready to go, and she was the only occupant in the building. Instead of feeling lonely, Hannah was grateful for this time alone in one of her favorite places. She carried her coffee to her favorite table in the back of the coffee shop and sat there, sipping and waiting for the sun to come up.
It was so quiet in The Cookie Jar, Hannah could hear the clock on the wall behind the counter clicking off the minutes. This was her favorite time of day, the half-light that began to brighten the sky right before the sun peeked over the horizon. Shapes began to appear in the distance, and the shops across the street gained recognizable form. There was nothing else moving. No cars. No lights. It was as if she were the only person awake at this hour in Lake Eden. There was a sense of peace, of feeling comfortable in her own skin, the beginnings of happiness after Hannah’s long weeks of feeling abandoned and bereft. She relished in the moment until she heard a knock at the back kitchen door.
Could it be Norman? Or Mike? Or Michelle? Or Delores? Hannah went through the possibilities with lightning speed as she rose to her feet and hurried to the door. The knock came again, just as she reached it, and that was when she realized that the knock was not distinctive and she could not identify it. It was probably an early delivery of baking supplies that Lisa had ordered.
“Coming!” she called out, releasing the deadbolt and turning the doorknob. She pulled the door open and gasped in shock as she recognized the man standing there. Despite the warning Mike had given him, it was Ross! He was back!
“Hannah!” he said, reaching out to her.
Hannah stepped back out of sheer reflex. “Ross. What are you doing here?”
“I love you, Hannah. My wife is going to get a divorce and I want to marry you again the minute it’s final.”
Hannah shivered at the thought. “No!” she said. “Never!”
“But, Hannah . . . I love you. All I need is the money I left in the safe deposit box. I’ll give it to my wife and she’ll file the papers.”
Hannah felt cold all over and it had nothing to do with the freezing temperature outside. “No!” she said again, even louder this time. “You’re a liar and a cheat! I wouldn’t marry you again even if you were the last man on earth!”
“But I’ll make it up to you, I promise. And this wasn’t my fault, Hannah. When I left my wife a year ago, she said she was going to divorce me. She was the one who didn’t keep her word, not me!”
Hannah just stared at the man she thought she’d loved. Her heart was leaden in her chest and she knew she could never trust him again. “No!” she said again. “Go away and don’t come back!”
“Look, Hannah. I’ll be perfectly honest with you. I’m in big trouble and I need that money. Just give me the money and the key that was under the money in the safe deposit box and I’ll never bother you again.”
“I don’t carry that key with me.”