“I can understand that. I really don’t want to share my cheesecake with the general public anyway. Go ahead and bake another kind.”

“I’ll have something for you to test in a couple of days,” Hannah promised, hoping that she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew. “If it works out, maybe you can use it in the cocktail scene. That would be a good tie-in with the movie, wouldn’t it?”

“In the

yes! Yes, it would! The audience would see those little beauties being passed around by the waitresses. And then, when they came out to the lobby after the movie, they’d get to actually taste them! That’s a wonderful idea. I’m so glad I thought of it!”

Oh brother! Hannah mouthed as Dean walked away. He’d taken her idea and claimed it as his own in less than twenty seconds. That had to be some sort of a record, even for a director with an ego as big as a double-wide pole barn.

MOCK TURTLE COOKIES

Do Not Preheat Oven—Dough Must Chill Before Baking

1˝ sticks chilled butter (ž cup)

2 cups flour

ž cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar

˝ teaspoon salt

˝ cup chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli’s semi-sweet)

1 egg, beaten

approximately 3 dozen Kraft Caramels (the soft kind that’s individually wrapped—they’re about a half-inch square)

Cut the butter into 12 pieces and place them in a work bowl. With two forks, mix in the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Continue mixing until the dough is crumbly.

Hannah’s Note: You can also do this in a food processor with the steel blade the same way you’d mix piecrust. It’s a lot easier that way.

Melt the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl (I use a glass measuring cup) for 40 seconds on HIGH. Stir them to see if they’re melted. (Chocolate chips may maintain their shape until they’re stirred.) If they’re not melted, microwave them in 20-second intervals until they are.

Add the melted chips to the dough mixture. Stir (or process, if you’ve used a food processor) until the chocolate is mixed in and the crumbly dough is a uniform color. Beat the egg in a small cup or bowl and add it to the work bowl. Mix it in (or process with the steel blade) until a soft, piecrust-type dough results.

Divide the dough into four equal parts. Tear off four pieces of wax paper about a foot and a half long. You’ll use these to hold your dough when you roll it out. Turn a piece of wax paper so that the long side faces you and place one piece of dough in the center. Using your hands, roll the dough into a log that’s approximately 12 inches long and ž inch thick. Do the same for the three remaining pieces of dough.