Recipes for Motive for Murder
In Order of Appearance
Éclairs (Makes 10-12)
Pastry
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Directions
- Heat water and butter in pan until boiling. Remove from heat.
- Add flour all at once and stir vigorously about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball.
- Remove from heat and stir in eggs, one at a time. Beat vigorously until smooth.
- Drop dough in round or oblong mounds on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 35–40 minutes.
- Cool. Cut off tops and pull out bits of dough from inside. Fill with pudding using a spoon or pastry bag.
- Frost with chocolate icing.
Pudding
1 large box, (5.1 ounce) cook and serve or instant vanilla pudding. Make according to directions. Cool.
Chocolate Frosting
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or 1 square melted semisweet chocolate)
3 Tablespoons butter
2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons milk
- Melt chocolate and butter then stir in vanilla and sugar.
- Add milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and beat until desired consistency is reached.
Kelly’s Twice-Baked Potatoes (Serves 4)
Kelly Sullivan
4 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1 package, (3 ounce), reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup kernel corn
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Optional: 1 Tablespoon chives
Directions
- Bake potatoes until done (either in oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or in microwave). Let potatoes cool slightly, then cut open lengthwise and scoop out insides.
- Mash pulp with milk, and then add cream cheese, salt, and butter.
- Stir in ham and corn then stuff potato shells with mixture.
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10–15 minutes.
Jen’s Fabulous French Bread (Makes 2 loaves)
Jen Martin
(Use a Kitchen Aid or some other mixer that can handle bread dough)
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages yeast
2 cups very warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar (divided)
1 Tablespoon salt
6 cups flour (divided) [If desired, you can use 3 cups whole wheat and 3 cups white flour)
1/4 cup oil
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white, slightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon of water
Optional: Sesame seeds
Directions
- Dissolve yeast and 1 Tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water
- Combine 2 cups water, salt, rest of sugar, oil, and 3 cups of flour. Mix well in mixer.
- Mix in yeast mixture then add rest of flour. After mixing well, let dough rise 15 minutes.
- Turn on mixer for approximately 5–10 seconds to punch down dough then let rest 15 min.
- Repeat the previous step two more times.
- Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 14″ x 6″ rectangle. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with the long side. Pinch edges and ends to seal. Place seam side down on a large, greased baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Brush with egg white mixture, then cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
- With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Brush lightly again with egg white mixture. Add sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake in a preheated, 375 degree oven for 18–22 minutes.
Clam Chowder (Serves 8)
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced fine
2 cups milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large cans (12 ounces) minced clams, do not drain
1/3 cup and 2 Tablespoons flour (for thickening.)
1/2 cup milk (for thickening)
Directions
- Boil potatoes, onion, and celery in small amount of water until tender. Drain.
- Add milk, evaporated milk, salt, sugar, butter, pepper, and clams.
- Put 1/3 cup flour in a bowl and slowly add 1/2 cup milk, beating until smooth. Stir into soup and heat until soup is thickened, stirring constantly.
Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Cookies (Makes 4 dozen)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Cream margarine or butter, and sugars.
- Mix in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Blend well.
- Stir in flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Add nuts if desired.
- Use teaspoon to drop cookies onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10–15 minutes.
TaLonnie’s Crock-Pot Chicken (Serves 4–6)
TaLonnie Sullivan
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (Can be cut into pieces or left whole)
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1 package zesty Italian seasoning mix
1 can cream chicken soup
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese
Put butter, water, and chicken in crock-pot. Sprinkle with seasoning mix. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. Mix cream cheese and cream of chicken soup and add to crock-pot during the last half hour. Serve over rice or pasta.
Honey Wheat Pancakes (Serves 4)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk and let stand 10 minutes)
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon oil
2 Tablespoons honey
Directions
- Mix flours, soda, and salt.
- In separate bowl, beat egg, then whisk in oil, honey, and buttermilk.
- Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened (the batter will be slightly lumpy).
- Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto a greased griddle and cook until the bubbles on top just begin to break. Turn and cook briefly on the other side.
Pollo Guisado
Marlene Bateman
1 whole chicken
2 teaspoons Adobo seasoning or plain salt (divided)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 medium potatoes cut into chunks
1 bell pepper, diced
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup olives, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 stalks fresh cilantro (with leaves)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
Directions
- Put chicken in pan with enough water to cover half the chicken. Add 1 tsp. Adobo seasoning or 1 tsp. salt. Cook chicken for forty minutes. Cool, and pull chicken off the bones and into pieces.
- In large pan, add chicken broth, potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, olives, olive oil, lime juice, oregano, garlic, cumin, black pepper, cilantro, tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning or salt, and bay leaves. Simmer for twenty minutes. Add chicken and simmer for 1 hour. Serve in a small bowl or over rice.
Adobo Seasoning
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions
- Mix together all ingredients and put in a shaker jar (Use a salt shaker).
Orange Rolls (Makes 22–28)
2 packages active dry yeast (or 5 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (divided)
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
5 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick, (4 oz.) butter
3 Tablespoons orange zest (grated orange peel; avoid pith)
Directions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water then add 1/2 cup sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Scald milk. Add shortening and stir until shortening has melted.
- Cool milk to lukewarm, stir in eggs then add yeast mixture.
- In separate bowl, combine flour and salt, and then add to liquid mixture and mix. Can use bread mixer or turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth.
- Cover and allow to rise, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- To prepare filling, combine butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and grated orange peel. Mix until it resembles crumbs.
- Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Spread filling over the dough and roll up, jelly-roll style into a log. Cut slices about ¾ inch thick and place in a greased muffin tin or on a baking sheet. Cover and place in warm area until dough has doubled.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10–15 minutes or until lightly brown.
- Frost with orange cream cheese frosting.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Optional: 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Beat cream cheese, butter, orange peel, and juice until creamy, then beat in sugar.
- Spread on rolls and sprinkle with nuts if desired.
Egg Salad Sandwiches (Serves 4–6)
8 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup celery, diced
1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1/4 cup diced dill pickle
Directions
- 1. Hard boil eggs. Cool, peel, chop, and set aside.
- 2. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, celery, mustard, onion, lemon juice, and salt. Stir in chopped egg gently.