When your Breakfast Puffs are approximately 5 minutes from done, place the second ? stick of salted butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Melt it on HIGH for 30 seconds.
While the butter is melting, place the white sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and mix them together with a fork.
Prepare a towel-lined basket to use for serving your Breakfast Puffs.
When your Breakfast Puffs are golden brown on top and the time is up, turn them out on a cookie sheet or a bread board, and dip them, one by one, into the melted butter. Immediately roll the puff in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and place it in the towel-lined basket you prepared for serving.
Repeat, working quickly, with one puff at a time, until all 12 puffs have been dipped in butter and rolled in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Serve immediately. They’re best eaten hot.
Yield: 12 light and delicious Breakfast Puffs.
Hannah’s Warning: If you invite Mike for breakfast and you don’t have eggs, or sausage, or anything else to go with the puffs, you’d better make two or three pans.
Chapter Fifteen
“These Breakfast Puffs are great, Michelle!” Ross took another from the basket, broke it open, and spread on more salted butter. “My cholesterol level’s probably through the roof, but I can’t seem to stop eating them.”
“That’s because they’re so good,” Hannah told him, giving her sister a smile. “Would you like more coffee?”
“That would be great.” Ross glanced at his watch. “I’ve got time for one more cup before I have to hightail it out to the station. P.K.’s meeting me at seven.” He slipped his arm around Hannah and gave her a little hug. “Are you two rehearsing in Sally’s kitchen this morning?”
Michelle pushed back her chair and stood up. “Yes. We’re supposed to be there at seven. We drew names and I got the first slot.”
“So that means the rest of your day is free?” Ross turned to Hannah to ask the question.
“Yes, and no. We’ll be helping out at The Cookie Jar, but we also have to figure out how we’re going to present our cookies to the judges.”
“Present?” Ross looked a bit confused. “You’re not going to pass a platter to the judges?”
“No. Everyone will do that, and Michelle and I want to be different. I think we’ll serve a coffee drink with our cookies.”
“Something with a liqueur in it,” Michelle explained. “There are all sorts of great dessert coffee drinks.”
“We just have to choose which one goes best with the cookies,” Hannah told him.
Ross smiled. “That’s a good idea. Your cookies are special, but a coffee drink would make them even more special.”
“That’s what we thought. The judges liked it when we served coffee with our wedding cake,” Hannah said.
“They loved it. Your coffee was a big hit with them. I’ve got a shot of Chef Duquesne drinking his third cup. And P.K. got some great footage of you cutting the cake. And that reminds me . . . the cookies you’re baking aren’t as colorful as the wedding cake, are they?”
Hannah shook her head. “No, they’re not. That’s one of the reasons why we want to pair them with a coffee drink.”
“Excuse me a second,” Michelle said, walking toward the kitchen door. “I’m just going to get my jacket. We’ve got to get on the road before we’re late for our practice time.”
Ross stood up and so did Hannah. He pulled her close to him and said, “You did great last night. I think you’re going to be the grand winner, Cookie.”
Hannah smiled. It was good that Ross had such faith in her, and there was no way she wanted to disappoint him. “I hope you’re right,” she told him, “but there are a lot of really good contestants and they’ve all been classically trained. I’m just a home baker.”
“That may be true, but I think you’re better than any of them.”
“Thank you.” Hannah hugged him, but then she pulled away to look up, into his face. “Will you be terribly disappointed in me if I’m not the grand winner?”
“Of course not!” Ross leaned down and kissed her. “I love you, Hannah. Even if you don’t win, you’ll always be my grand prize.”
*
Hannah was thoughtful as she zipped down the highway toward the Lake Eden Inn. “I think I’ll bring a dozen of our practice cookies home so Ross can have them for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Good idea.”
“And I’ll leave the rest of the dough in the walk-in cooler so Sally can use it for her lunch buffet.”
“Not a good idea.” Michelle shook her head. “Nobody should be able to taste what you’re baking until after you present it to the judges.”
“But I don’t want to throw out the dough!”