Cinnamon and Sugar

Bite-Sized Apple Pie

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CLOSELY HARBORED SECRETS, the fifth book in the Seaside Café Mystery series by Bree Baker, is a spooktacular addition to an entertaining series! While Halloween might be over, this new release brings plenty of atmosphere and captures the feel of the spooky season. Starting out with a haunted historic walking tour on the small island of Charm, the author weaves in local myths and legends. With stories of ghosts, pirates, and treasure interjected into a real life murder that Everly Swan is suspected of committing, the suspense provides chills and thrills. Everly is a wonderful protagonist and I love her charming Sun, Sand, and Tea shop and the way she interacts with tourists and townspeople alike. Her two elderly aunts make terrific supporting characters with their vivacious and witty banter, and their Blessed Bee shop showcases the family’s centuries-old love and preservation of the honey bee. Despite their age, they’ve expanded their horizons and I greatly enjoyed the subplot of Aunt Fran and her candidacy for the position of mayor.

Investigating the murder is Everly’s beau, Detective Grady. While he knows she’s innocent, there’s still the baffling evidence of why the victim scratched Everly’s name into the ground right before she died. As Grady investigates it soon becomes apparent that Everly is being targeted. Despite warnings, she gets involved in solving the case. Intertwined in the murder mystery are legends of Everly’s ancestor and how the woman died at the house she now owns, adding another layer of Halloween eeriness. I was captivated as this multi-layered story unfolded and with a heart-stopping reveal, left me wishing the next book in this delightful series was available for me to read already!

Everly makes all sorts of delectable treats for her café including unique and delicious iced teas. The author kindly includes several recipes, for food and drink alike, at the back of the book. They all sound scrumptious! I was drawn to the Bite-Sized Apple Pie recipe because I love individual serving-sized treats that are easily shared. Plus, using ready-made convenience products, this is a recipe that comes together quickly, yet the delicious resulting dessert belies the ease. Pillow-y rolls encase apple filling that’s been generously enhanced with cinnamon and sugar. With a drizzle of melted butter and more cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the tops, these delectable bite-sized treats bake up golden and irresistible! Serve warm with caramel sauce or a scoop of ice cream. I also made a quick drizzle using powdered sugar and water for the leftover pies.

Amazon Synopsis

It’s almost Halloween, and the small island of Charm, North Carolina is decked out for the festivities. When Everly Swan agrees to close her iced tea shop early to help her aunts host their annual haunted historic walking tour, she expects some good-natured spooks. But the night turns grave when one of the ghostly actors is found dead. To complicate matters, the victim scratched Everly’s name into the ground before she died, making her a key suspect.

The murder mystery heats up when Everly’s potential boo, Detective Grady, takes the case—and he definitely doesn’t want her getting involved. Will their seaside romance be threatened by all the ghostly drama? But when a phantom sailor straight out of local legend starts leaving Everly threatening messages, she has to get involved… With a local election under way, ghosts on the loose, and a search for long-lost buried treasure, Everly can’t help but stir the pot!

A special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing a winner with a print copy of CLOSELY HARBORED SECRETS. Contest ends Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Bite-Sized Apple Pie

Bring everyone's favorite fall treat to any gathering, and leave the messy pie pan and server at home!

Makes 16 servings.

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) tubes crescent roll dough
1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling
3 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespooons butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
Spritz a muffin tin with baking spray.
Separate the crescent rolls. Place the center of one dough triangle into each muffin tin, allowing the ends to stick out. Top each triangle of dough with apple pie filling.
Blend the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle half over the pie filling, reserving the other half for later.
Wrap the ends of the crescent rolls over the top of the pie filling.
Drizzle the melted butter over each little pie and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or caramel syrup as desired.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Raspberry Scones with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

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WEDDING BEAR BLUES is the fourth book in the shamelessly adorable Teddy Bear Mysteries by Meg Macy. This newest addition features Valentine’s Day as the backdrop for protagonist Sasha Silverman and her family-owned Silver Bear Shop and Factory. Love should be in the air with chocolates, roses, and teddy bears galore but instead a bridezilla and the worst best man ever take all the joy out of the holiday. I truly enjoy Sasha and her family. They work well together and I love how her mom has gotten involved in local politics and is running for mayor. Rounding out their core family are two sets of aunts and uncles. The extended family gives greater insight into the characters of the Silverman family, which is all good. The auxiliary characters, however, don’t have many qualities to make them likeable, including the ring bearer dog and the bratty flower girl. Still, the interaction between these characters ramps up the tension as the scene careens toward the murder.

When the bride’s sister is accused of the murder, Sasha and her sister are pulled into proving her innocence. The author does an admirable job of setting up reasons why so many people could have killed the worst best man ever. I was convinced multiple times that I’d figured it out only to change my mind a few pages later. Along with the main murder plot, there are subplots interwoven to add to the storyline. Why does their teddy bear shop competitor want to buy a neighboring house? Is he trying to sabotage their business? The author also includes a heartwarming thread for raising both awareness and funds for pediatric brain cancer which I applaud. On the other hand there is a small subplot involving creepster men who use teddy bears for nefarious reasons involving kids. While there is nothing graphic and nothing happens on page, it left me with an icky feeling. Despite that one small item, as the story concludes and the reveal comes to light, Ms. Macy pulls all the threads together into a cohesive plot that left me satisfactorily surprised.

While there aren’t any recipes in the book, there are multiple mentions of yummy food that Sasha enjoys from her favorite coffee shop and bakery, Fresh Grounds. I was instantly drooling over her description of decadent chocolate-drizzled raspberry scones and decided I need to create a recipe! Infused with lemon oil and lemon peel, plus frozen raspberries (for both convenience and to keep the raspberries intact while mixing) the rich, flaky scone is drizzled on top with dark chocolate. The combination of raspberries and chocolate is pure heaven while calling to mind the flavors and color of Valentine’s Day.

Amazon Synopsis

When a heartless killer ruins a Valentine’s Day wedding, teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman vows to solve the crime . . .

At the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha will be selling plenty of bride and groom teddy bears come springtime. But this Valentine’s Day weekend, she’d take any of those silent, stuffed couples over the real thing. Sasha and her sister Maddie are bridesmaids at Cissy Davidson’s upcoming wedding in Silver Hollow. Cissy is fuming over the worst choice of best man—the jerk who broke her sister Debbie’s heart—and the groom-to-be won’t budge in his decision. At the rehearsal dinner you could cut the tension with a wedding cake knife.

That is, until best man Dylan is found dead, impaled with an ice pick. Although jilted Debbie is the most likely suspect—the blood on her dress doesn’t help her case—the bride begs Sasha to prove her sister’s innocence. If anyone’s going to walk down the aisle, Sasha will first need to find the cold-hearted killer who iced Dylan . . .

A special thanks to Meg Macy for providing a winner with a print copy of WEDDING BEAR BLUES. Contest ends Monday, January 4, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Raspberry Scones with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients

1 cup frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

For the drizzle:

1/3 cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
Place the frozen raspberries in a bowl and sprinkle the confectioners' sugar over. Stir until the berries are coated then place the bowl in the freezer until needed.
Whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Place the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and half the chilled butter into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 15 times until the butter is incorporated. Sprinkle the remaining chilled butter over the top of the flour mixture and pulse about 10 times until butter is small pea-sized pieces.
Place the flour mixture in a large mixing bowl and stir in the frozen berries. Pour the milk mixture in and gently stir until dough forms. There can be some dry bits of flour remaining.
Place the dough on a well-floured surface and bring together into a ball, kneading a couple of times if necessary. Pat the ball into a 9-inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.
Transfer the scone wedges to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until tops are golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

For the drizzle:

Place the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 70% power for 30 seconds. Stir well and heat in 10 second intervals at 70% power, stirring well after each cycle, until chocolate is melted.
Place the melted chocolate into a piping bag, or a ziplock plastic bag, and snip the corner off. Drizzle over the scones and serve.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tropical Krispie Treats

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I’m delighted to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour introducing GROUNDS FOR MURDER! This debut cozy mystery in the Coffee Lover’s Mystery series, by Tara Lush, pulled me in from the very beginning and kept me glued to the pages throughout this fast-paced story until the very end. The protagonist, Lana Lewis, has not only lost her investigative reporter job but her marriage disintegrated at the same time. Distraught, she’s moved back to her childhood home on Devil’s Island, Florida. Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, the setting has location, location, location, which Ms. Lush describes in alluring detail. A vacation destination it is! Despite being bereft over the loss of a job she loved, she puts her feelings aside and takes over managing her family’s coffee café, Perkatory. Ms. Lush has created a string of quirky characters with zippy, and often, snarky dialog. I felt like she accurately captures the essence and lifestyles of single, twenty-something-year-olds (along with Lana’s bohemian dad, whose an absolute hoot!) living in a location that embraces free spirts and partying. While at times it may push the boundaries of traditional cozies, I found it made the scenarios and characters more realistic without crossing the line.

The mystery revolved around the lothario barista who worked for Lana, until he quit the day before his death. Although she wasn’t a fan of his lifestyle, Fabrizio brought in a steady stream of women who’d buy her coffee for a chance to partake of the Casanova’s latte art. While hunky Noah, the investigating officer, would rather label the barista’s death as accidental or self-inflicted, Lana can’t quite believe it. She uses her skills honed as a journalist to investigate and ask questions. Ms. Lush writes a well-plotted whodunit with some twists to keep the story moving. As Lana delves into Fabrizio’s life, she finds almost too many suspects. It kept me guessing and turning pages to see what Lana uncovers next. With the adorable Shih Tzu puppy, Stanley, who adds cuteness galore, along with her new misfit best friend, I can’t wait to find out what’s next in store for Lana.

Running a coffee café along with providing treats to sell alongside the caffeinated beverages, Lana does quite a bit of baking. She comes up with a quick and simple recipe for Tropical Krispie Treats, a nod to the beach vibes of the island. With the simple addition of candied pineapple and sweetened coconut, the longest part of making this no-bake recipe is waiting for the bars to firm up after pressing the mixture into the pan. Sweet and crunchy, the hint of pineapple citrus and rich coconut will have you dreaming of a warm, beach-y getaway.

Amazon Synopsis

When Lana Lewis’ best — and most difficult — employee abruptly quits and goes to work for the competition just days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her café’s chances of winning the contest are creamed. In front of a gossipy crowd in the small Florida town of Devil’s Beach, Lana’s normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger. Of course, Fabrizio “Fab” Bellucci has a slick explanation for jumping ship. But when he’s found dead the next morning under a palm tree in the alley behind Lana’s café, she becomes the prime suspect.

Even the island’s handsome police chief isn’t quite certain of her innocence. But Lana isn’t the only one in town who was angry with Fabrizio. Jilted lovers, a shrimp boat captain, and a surfer with ties to the mob are all suspects as trouble brews on the beach.

With her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana’s prepared to turn up the heat to catch the real killer. After all, she is a former award-winning reporter. As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship — or will she come to a bitter end?

A special thanks to Tara Lush for providing one lucky winner with a $20 Amazon gift card. Contest ends December 17, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST, and is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Tropical Krispie Treats

From Author Tara Lush: I love to cook. I also love simple recipes! I have a day job and write fiction so it's not like there's a ton of time left over. Baking needs to be simple. And delicious. In my book, GROUNDS FOR MURDER, heroine Lana Lewis is a coffee lover whose family owns a café. She bakes treats to sell to her customers, but they all have only a handful of ingredients. In that spirit, here's one of my favorite recipes that helped inspire my heroine's baking passion!

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
3 ounces white chocolate chips
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups toasted rice cereal (Rice Krispies or similar)
1-1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup diced dried pineapple

Instructions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add marshmallows and allow them to melt, then add chocolate and stir until combined. Add vanilla.
Remove saucepan from stove. Mix the dry ingredients in and stir.
Pour everything into a pan of your choice (I use a foil-lined, 9x13-inch glass pan). Top with extra coconut if you wish.
Chill in fridge, then cut into squares and enjoy with coffee and a great book!

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OUR PARTICIPANTS

December 8 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
December 8 – Maureen’s Musings – RECIPE POST
December 9 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
December 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
December 10 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
December 10 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW
December 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
December 12 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
December 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
December 12 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
December 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST
December 14 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
December 14 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 15 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE POST
December 15 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
December 16 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
December 16 – eBook Addicts – RECIPE POST
December 16 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
December 17 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
December 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Muffins

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WINE TASTINGS ARE MURDER, the fifth book in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series by Libby Klein, is my new favorite out of them all! That said, I’ll get my one and only criticism out of the way upfront… I hate love triangles and feel like the protagonist, Poppy McAllister, has dragged out her choice 3 books too long. However, the author has used her wicked sense of humor, in the form of supporting characters, to poke fun at and address the love triangle which made it more palatable. And (I’m jumping ahead here) there is a resolution with a jaw-dropping twist. If you’re like me in this regard, hang in there because the ride is well worth it!

Ms. Klein’s knack for hitting the one-liner zingers with impeccable timing had me laughing out loud more times than I could count. While Poppy may be the “serious” character in the bunch, her inner thoughts, along with dialog, is laced with hilarity. And then there are the supporting characters, Poppy’s Aunt Ginny being the chief ringleader. Her zany antics, as she leads her band of biddies in their quest for mischief and mayhem, kept me entertained every step of the way. Thrown in for more laughs are a young Eastern European narcoleptic housemaid, a houseful of wine tasting tourists, and a battle between the resident cat, Figeraro, and the naughty visiting teacup Pomeranian, Tammy Faye Baker.

Of course being a cozy mystery book there is a murder. One of the guests at Poppy’s B & B drops dead during a wine tasting event. The author’s attention to detail in setting up the murder and suspects is top notch and the clues and red herrings she plants are cleverly plotted. With plenty of suspects to keep a motivated reader guessing (I was more than happy to sit back and enjoy the story as it unfolded instead of trying to puzzle it out) the final reveal showcased another wickedly clever twist that takes the award for the most creative I’ve ever read!

Running a B & B along with dividing her time between providing gluten-free bakery items for a coffeehouse and desserts for a restaurant, Poppy spends a lot of time in the kitchen. All the mentions of food will leave the reader craving goodies and the author shares some of those recipes at the back of the book. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bake her recipe for Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Muffins since lemon is my youngest granddaughter’s favorite flavor. I appreciated that the recipe calls for “gluten-free” flour instead of a bunch of different flours, which made the recipe much easier. While not specified, I used a cup-for-cup gluten-free substitute (such as King Arthur Flour or Bob’s Red Mill blend) so there’s no need to mess with xanthan gum. I also appreciated the recipe calls for pre-made, jarred lemon curd. With these conveniences, it didn’t take long to mix up and start baking. Super moist and oh so flavorful thanks to the generous amounts of lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon curd, these are a delicious treat for breakfast and snack time, or serve with a dollop of ice cream for dessert!

Amazon Synopsis

It’s vintage Poppy McAllister when the gluten-free baker and B&B owner tries to solve a murder at a Cape May winery . . .

When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch. Grumpy guest Vince Baker should be in a better mood—he’s filthy rich and on his honeymoon with his much younger wife Sunny, who seems to dote on him almost as much as her high-spirited teacup Pomeranian, Tammy Faye Baker.

But the honeymoon is over when Vince drops dead the next day touring the Laughing Gull Winery. Turns out he’s been poisoned, and it seems like everybody on the tour is hiding something. Now Poppy has to put her gluten-free baking on the back burner and bottle up her feelings for the two men in her life while she charges after a bitter killer with a lethal case of sour grapes . . .

A special thanks to Libby Klein for providing two lucky winners with a print copy of WINE TASTINGS ARE MURDER. Contest limited to U.S. residents and ends Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Muffins

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups gluten-free flour (such as gf cup-for-cup / or you may use all-purpose flour)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pink salt
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 2 large lemons
1/4 cup juice from the 2 lemons you zested
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 jar lemon curd

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F) and grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with cupcake papers.
Place the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Add sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, sour cream, butter, eggs, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat until well combined, 2 - 3 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix on low just until combined. Be sure to not over-mix your batter, or you'll have rubbery muffins. The batter will be slightly stiff.
Fill each muffin cup halfway with the batter. Make a little well in the center with the spoon. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon curd into each muffin hole in the well you made. Top with the remaining batter to cover the lemon curd. Smooth out the tops if you want rounded muffins out of the oven. Mine didn't change shape at all as they baked.
Bake 15 - 20 minutes until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
Leave to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. I brushed the top of the warm muffins with a pastry brush dipped in the remaining lemon curd, but that's optional.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Holiday Season #giveaway

To start off the December holiday season, I’m celebrating with a book and Amazon gift card giveaway!

Winner’s choice of one of my three books! Print is available to U.S. residents only. Ebooks will be awarded to all others. Use the Rafflecopter below by Monday, December 7, 2020.

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My sincerest thanks for following along on both my blogging and

my writing journey this year!

I wish each of you a safe and joyous season!

All three books are available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Click on books to visit Amazon:

Yuletide Coconut Cherry Cookies

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YULETIDE AT MOONGLOW, the sixth installment in the charming Moonglow Christmas series by Deborah Garner, is a feast for the senses! From the very first book, I anticipate starting out each holiday season with a new heartwarming novella from this series, which captures the spirit of the season. At the center of the story is Mist, who has almost a mystical feel about her without crossing into the paranormal. Her calmness, along with projecting all things good about the people and situations around her, brings a much needed peaceful sentiment this year. As I settled into a comfy and cozy chair to read about Mist and the Moonglow Café where she works at the Timberton Hotel in Montana, I was swept into the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Christmas. Using the hotel as a backdrop, guests gather to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas together. Over the course of the six books, it’s been a joy getting to know recurring guests, such as Michael, Mist’s beau, along with new guests who show up with the need to connect to humanity and find comfort. Mist has a prescient feel for what each guest needs along with creating a meaningful miniature painting to memorialize the holiday for each of the guests. I’ll admit, I always look forward to the unveiling, so to speak, of what Mist has created… it’s inspiring and celebrates the best of what the holiday season has to offer!

While Mist creates both works of art on the canvas and in the kitchen, the owner of the hotel, Betty, hosts an annual cookie exchange party for the townspeople. Oh my goodness, so many delectable goodies mentioned in the story! I love how Ms. Garner gathers recipes from her readers (including yours truly) and weaves the treats into the story along with providing numerous drool-worthy recipes at the back of the book. I bookmarked several I need to try soon! I had the pleasure of creating Yuletide Coconut Cherry Cookies for the book and am happy to share that recipe with you here. With snowy white coconut and glistening red cherries, these shortbread-style cookies add holiday cheer making them an ideal addition to Christmas cookie platters.

Amazon Synopsis

When a Yuletide festival promises jovial crowds, resident artist and chef, Mist, knows she’ll have her hands full, as will all of the regular townsfolk. Between Mist’s legendary Christmas Eve dinner at the Timberton Hotel and this season’s festival events, guests will be surrounded with opportunities for camaraderie and celebration.

There’s a unique magic to Christmas in the small Montana town, one that offers joy, peace, and community to all who pass through. One thing is always certain: no one leaves Timberton without a renewed sense of hope for the future.

A special thanks to Deborah Garner for providing one lucky winner with their choice of print or ebook copy of YULETIDE AT MOONGLOW. Print is limited to U.S. residents and ends Monday, November 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Yuletide Coconut Cherry Cookies

Snowy white coconut and glistening red cherries add holiday cheer to these shortbread-style cookies making them an ideal addition to Christmas cookie platters.

Makes 18 - 20 cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter (substitute vegan margarine if desired, to make suitable for vegans)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (if using margarine, omit)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
20 small maraschino cherries, divided

Instructions

Drain the maraschino cherries. Cut 10 of the cherries in half, pat dry and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining cherries, blot excess liquid, and set aside.
Cream together the butter (or margarine), sugar, and almond extract, for 2 minutes.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt then stir into the butter mixture until incorporated.
Gently fold the reserved coarsely chopped cherries into the cookie dough.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Shape dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll in coconut flakes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes until bottom of cookies are slightly golden. Remove from oven and immediately press the reserved cherry halves into the center of each cookie.
Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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