Angelica Miles is a busy woman, but somehow she always makes time to cook and bake. Here are her recipes from A FATAL CHAPTER.
Angelica’s Carrot Cake
Ingredients
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in the raisins.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 10 inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. When completely cooled, frost with maple butter cream frosting.
Maple Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 3/4 cups Confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30-40 seconds until whipped. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Sift the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Beat with mixer for 30 to 40 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and add the brown sugar and maple syrup. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy; scraping sides of bowl as needed. Stir in walnuts until just until mixed and spread on the cooled cake.
Pasta Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
8 ounces elbow (or other) macaroni
3/4 to 1 pound cooked small shrimp
8 ounces frozen peas, thawed
3 to 4 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
Dressing
1 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup French salad dressing
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1-1/2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, shrimp, peas, celery and onion.
In another bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Yield: 8 serving
Booked for Lunch’s Black-Bean Soup
Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, Diced
2 medium-sized green peppers, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (to taste)
1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
chopped cilantro (optional)
diced avocado (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Place the beans in a bowl or pot, cover with cold water, and allow to soak overnight or add the beans to a medium-sized pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water.
In a medium pot, add the beans, chicken stock, water, onions, and peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At that time, add salt, chili powder, and cumin and stir. Cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the soup is the thickness you desire (it can be thin to very thick, depending on your preference). Garnish with cilantro, avocado and/or sour cream.
Yield: 6 servings
Curried Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard,
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Coarse Ground
1/8 teaspoon salt
paprika (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped chives (optional)
Slice the boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks; place in small bowl. Mash the yolks with fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, curry powder, mustard, pepper and salt until smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe the mixture into the egg-white halves. Sprinkle with Paprika and garnish with the chives. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Yield: 12 (2-half) servings
Grandma Miles’s Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup shorting
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cream sugar and shortening; add the eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Sift the dry ingredients and cut into the creamed mixture. Do not stir or beat. The dough should be very tender and light. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Mix the 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will puff up then flatten and cool off to a tender, crisp cookie.
Yield: 5 dozen
WANT MORE RECIPES?
Lorna’s alter-ego, Lorraine Bartlett, has written two cookbooks: Recipes to Die For (A Victoria Square Cookbook), featuring the characters and their favorite foods and drinks from the Victoria Square Mysteries, and The Best From Swans Nest, highlighting character Kathy Grant’s B&B Swans Nest Inn.
Lorna/Lorraine posts every regularly on the Cozy Chicks Facebook Group Page. The (collective) Cozy Chicks have published three cookbooks, The Cozy Chicks Kitchen, Tea Time With The Cozy Chicks, and (a free download) The Cozy Chicks Picnic. Click this link for more information on these terrific cookbooks, containing recipes from the Chicks’ and their cozy mystery characters.