“I sold over twenty right here,” Rod told her. “They’re going like hotcakes, Hannah. Everyone wants to watch Stephanie’s reaction when the mayor goes facedown in a pie plate.”
“But he won’t go facedown,” Hannah told him. “Michelle promised the mayor that the contestants could use spoons.”
“Did she tell him what kind of a spoon?”
“Well . . . no, but . . .”
“They give the contestants those big spoons they use for dishing up stew,” Rod interrupted. “Since KCOW is going to show it on the news, it’ll be a lot funnier.”
“But what if Mayor Bascomb backs out when he sees the size of the spoon?”
“He won’t dare. That would make him look bad. It’s a winner, Hannah. Do it and I’ll get some great photos for the paper.”
“Done!” Hannah promised, making up her mind instantly. Delores would love to see Ricky-Ticky with a whipped cream mustache and so would everyone else in Lake Eden. Stephanie would probably think it was funny, too.
Hannah hung up the phone with a smile on her face. This was going to be fun and she was really glad that Ross would be home to capture it all on video!
PUMPKIN SCONES WITH SUGARED CINNAMON GLAZE
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Pumpkin Scones:
? cup salted butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ? pound) at room temperature ? cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 and ? teaspoons cinnamon ? teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
1 and ? cups plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 large egg, beaten (just whip it up in a glass with a fork)
3 cups biscuit mix (I used Bisquick—just fill the measuring cup and level it off with a table knife)
1 cup white chocolate chips or vanilla baking chips
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Beat this mixture at MEDIUM speed until it is smooth and creamy.
Add the pumpkin and mix it in until it’s well combined.
Add the beaten egg and mix that in until it’s well combined.
Mix in the biscuit mix, one cup at the time, beating after each addition.
Shut off the mixer, scrape down the bowl, and take the bowl out of the mixer.
Add the cup of white chocolate chips or vanilla baking chips by hand.
Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or lining them with parchment paper.
Divide your dough in half. Each half will make 9 scones.
Working with the first half of the dough and using a large spoon, drop 9 scones on the baking sheet.
Michelle’s Note: I just eyeball it and add or take away dough from the scones to make all 9 the same relative size.
Use the second half of your dough to make 9 scones on the second baking sheet.
Once the scones are on the cookie sheets, wet your impeccably clean fingers and shape them into more perfect rounds. Then flatten them with your moistened palms. They will rise during baking, but once you flatten them, they won’t be too round on top.
Bake the scones at 425 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top. (Mine took the full 12 minutes.)
While your Pumpkin Scones are baking, make the Sugared Cinnamon Glaze.
Sugared Cinnamon Sugared Glaze
This glaze is made in the microwave.
? cup water
? cup white (granulated) sugar
? teaspoon ground cinnamon
Right before your scones are ready to come out of the oven, mix the water, white sugar, and cinnamon together in a small, microwave-safe bowl.
Heat the mixture on HIGH power for 30 seconds. Leave it in the microwave for 1 minute and then stir.
Set the resulting liquid mixture on the counter along with a pastry brush.
Brush the tops of the scones with the glaze right after they come out of the oven.
Cool the scones for at least five 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, or nearly cool, you can cut them in half lengthwise and butter them for breakfast.
Hannah’s Note: These scones reheat beautifully if you wrap them in a paper towel and heat them for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave.
Yield: Makes 18 delicious scones that are guaranteed to remind you of Thanksgiving dinner.
Chapter Twenty-three
It was the most beautiful dream in the world. Hannah Swensen rolled over in the early dawn on Saturday morning and cuddled up close to her husband. His arms were around her and she felt so loved and cherished, she never wanted to wake up from the dream.
Reality reared its ugly head when her alarm clock began to beep with an irritating electronic tone. She opened her eyes, realized that part of her dream was not a dream at all since her husband was holding her tightly, and she reached out to do something she’d never done before. She punched the snooze alarm, giving them five more minutes to enjoy the morning.
“Good morning, Cookie,” Ross said in a sleepy, very sexy voice. “We don’t have to get up yet, do we?”
Hannah’s arm shot out and hit the snooze alarm another three times. “No, we don’t,” she told him. “We can stay here as long as we want. Lisa’s opening the shop this morning and I don’t have to rush.”
“Neither do I,” Ross said, smiling as he looked down, into her eyes. “I love you, Cookie.”
“And I love you.” And that was the last thing Hannah had time to say to him until the snooze alarm began to beep nineteen minutes later.
*
“The pies are ready,” Hannah said, carrying two to the walk-in cooler.
“Good.” Michelle looked up from the bowl of cookie dough she was mixing. “Are they the real ones, or the contest ones?”
“Both. I made the real ones yesterday afternoon before we left for the day. And the ones I just put in the cooler are the contest ones.”
“With no crust?”