After youโve engaged in a shopping frenzy at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and
Emporium, located at 222 Baker Street, West London, Massachusetts, be sure and
pop next door for afternoon tea at Mrs. Hudsonโs.
Head baker Jayne Wilson does a marvellous job of crating the perfect,
fully-traditional afternoon tea. You might even be lucky enough to get one of
the special Sherlock tea pots and matching cups.
Occasionally, for a special occasion, Jayne is forced to reply on her business
partner Gemma Doyle for help in the kitchen. And, occasionally, Gemma gets to
enjoy the fruits of their labours.
Fiona placed a large teapot on the table as well as a small jug of milk, a
sugar bowl, a plate of sliced lemon, and two cups and saucers. She dropped a mug
of coffee in front of Kevin.โWhat a beautiful tea set,โ Linda said. The pot and cups matched: roses of
pink and pale blue on fine white china trimmed with gold. โMay I pour?โโGo ahead.โ I leaned back to allow Fiona to place the three-tiered silver
tray in the center of the table along with pots of butter, strawberry jam
straight from the kitchen of a West London woman, and proper clotted cream.Ignoring any pretext of good manners, I snatched one of the cucumber
sandwiches before my dining companions could get it. Weโd also been served
salmon, roast beef and arugula, and cream cheese with chives. The middle level
of the tray held scones plump with raisins and on the top layer tiny perfect
strawberry and lemon tarts nestled beside miniature coconut cupcakes piled high
with buttercream icing.โI try to have at least one scene involving afternoon tea in each of my
books,โ the author said. โIt gives Desdemona and Sherlock a chance to get
together and talk over what theyโve learned.โI refrained from mentioning that I couldnโt imagine Sherlock Holmes, man of
action, pipe tobacco and lover of a seven percent solution, enjoying a cream
tea.Body on Baker Street,by Vicki Delany
Mrs. Hudsonโs Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pulse shredded coconut in a
food processor until finely ground, and whisk into flour mixture.
With and electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until
pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in whole eggs, whites and vanilla, scrapping
down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three
batches, alternating with two additions of coconut milk, and beating until
combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling eat three-quarters full.
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers
come out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; turn out cupcakes onto wire
racks and let cool completely. cupcakes can be stored overnight at room
temperature , or freeze up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread a generous dome of icing
onto each cupcake, and, if desired, garnish with flaked coconut. Store at room
temperature until ready to serve.
Icing: Use your favourite buttercream vanilla icing. I like to
use a splash of coconut milk rather than plain milk. If you donโt normally add
milk to your icing, you can cut down slightly on the butter and replace with
coconut milk.
Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop
and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudsonโs Tea Room in
anticipation of the storeโs upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta
Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But
during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally
attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlockโs legacy, only to be
publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper
hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the tableโdead.
Donald insists he didnโt do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name.
Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between authorโs
bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a
handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other
Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renaltaโs depiction of the Great
Detective. Itโs up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and
deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man in Body
on Baker Street, the second Sherlock Homes Bookshop mystery perfect for fans
of Miranda James and Kate Carlisle.
Mystery Cozy [Crooked Lane Books, On Sale: September 12, 2017,
Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781683312994 / eISBN: 9781683313007]
Vicki Delany is one of Canadaโs most prolific and varied
crime writers, author of more than twenty-five crime novels, including
standalone Gothic thrillers, the Constable Molly Smith series, and the Year
Round Christmas Mysteries. Under the pen name Eva Gates she
writes the Lighthouse Library cozy series from Penguin.
Her latest is Body on Baker Street, the second in the
Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane (Sept 12, 2017).
Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com.
Facebook: Vicki Delany & Eva Gates (evagatesauthor) and
twitter: @vickidelany and @evagatesauthor
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