Spicy Cajun Christmas Sugar Cookies

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING, the third book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron is celebrating its release! It’s Christmas time in Pelican, Louisiana and the protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is preparing to celebrate with her family and their Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast guests. I loved the descriptions provided about the local holiday traditions enjoyed by the residents, especially the elaborate bonfires built to light the way for Papa Noel. Maggie is a smart, likeable artist who cares deeply for her family and friends. She pitches in to help no matter what the problems are. There are many memorable characters to support the plot and Maggie’s nemesis, Rufus, is back on the scene. One of my favorite lines in the book comes from Rufus, “Chère, it’s Louisiana. We only follow the rules we like.” This premise leads to some interesting developments!

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The murder victim, investor Steve Harmon, is one of their former bed and breakfast guests and was tossed out by Maggie’s mother. His interest in staying at their property was only to figure out a way to take over the business and force the family to leave their ancestral plantation. In addition, Steve wanted to exploit Maggie’s boyfriend’s young autistic son. Bo threatens Steve and demands he leave his child alone. With both of her loved ones suspects, Maggie takes it upon herself to clear their names and find the real killer. The plot is multi-faceted with threads of subplots woven throughout the story. There are many suspects each of them viable and once the bonfires are lit a suspenseful conclusion pulls the story together for an exciting ending!

Maggie’s mother, Ninette, is the cook for the family’s bed and breakfast. She serves amazing Cajun meals to her family and guests. I appreciate that the author provides recipes at the back of the book and has allowed me to share her recipe for Spicy Cajun Christmas Cookies. These sugar cookies are flavored with cinnamon and cayenne powder. Before you think that you don’t like spicy, the cayenne did not make the cookies overly hot. Instead it enhanced the flavor of cinnamon and both of my granddaughters loved them! With Halloween right around the corner, I decorated cookies to fit in with that theme plus threw in a nod to Christmas. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating, these Spicy Cajun Cookies are a nice change from plain vanilla sugar cookies.

Amazon Synopsis

Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.

The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.

The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël…

A special thanks to Ellen Byron for providing a hardcover copy of A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING for one lucky winner! Contest ends Friday, October 20, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is restricted to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Spicy Cajun Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing**

4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder (available to most craft stores)
5 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

Cream the butter, then add the sugar and beat until it's fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
Stir the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix together until well combined.
Divide the dough in half and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of two hours or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
Roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a well-floured board.
Cut the dough with cookie cutters of your choice and place the unbaked cookies on an ungreased cookie tray (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper). If the dough gets sticky, add more flour to the board and/or rolling pin.
Chill the cutouts on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking. This will help keep them from spreading out and losing their shape.
Bake 6 - 10 minutes, basically until they're golden brown around the edges. They will brown quicker if the shapes are thinner.
Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Once the cookies have cooled, frost with royal icing, either as prepared below or prepared on the icing box.

Royal Icing

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7 minutes at medium-low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer). If icing seems too thick, add more water 1/2 teaspoon at a time and beat in until desired consistency is reached.

Tips for Cookies

*When measuring the flour firmly scoop and level the flour. If you have a scale, use 15 ounces of flour.
I often mix up cookie dough one day, refrigerate overnight, then bake the cutouts the following day. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for a few days, so I often decorate a day or two after baking them to spread out the work on decorated sugar cookies.

Tips for Royal Icing

**Instead of making your own royal icing, you can purchase a boxed mix at your local craft store.
It is imperative that your bowls, spoons, spatulas, beaters and any thing else that comes in contact royal icing is grease free. I use Dawn Liquid Dish soap on these items because I know it will remove any trace of residual grease.
Cover the icing bowl with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap in between working with royal icing. It dries out quickly.
For longer storage, royal icing can be stored in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

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Aloha Mix-up Cookies

I am very happy to be helping Catherine Bruns celebrate her new release, DEATH OF THE KONA MAN, while I’m visiting the Big Island of Hawaii and the Kona area this week!

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Set in a tropical paradise, DEATH OF THE KONA MAN is the exciting tenth addition to the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series (written by various authors) and the second contribution by Catherine Bruns. The author captures the spirit of Hawaii accurately… the sun, the sand, the food… her descriptions will make you feel like you’re visiting the warm, tropical island while reading! Protagonist, Carrie Jorgenson, is a likeable and somewhat sympathetic character. A recent transplant from Vermont, Carrie has had a very difficult childhood and as a result, she is often filled with self-doubts and low self-esteem. To balance that, the author has connected Carrie romantically with her boss, Keanu Church, whose parents own the Loco Moco Café where they work. Keanu is an optimist and he is everything a girl could want in a boyfriend: caring, pretty hot, supportive, and generous with his time, compliments, and money. He allows Carrie to discover who she is and what she wants out of life, creating a caring environment for her to grow as a person.

The murder mystery surrounding who would want to kill Randolph Cremshaw, renowned food critic, is well plotted. Carrie is a suspect because she served him coffee and food from the café. Is someone setting her up or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Randolph was known as the Kona Man because he drank up to 10 cups of Kona coffee a day… and no other coffee would do. In fact, he was quite obnoxious about his coffee and heaven help anyone who served him something sub-par. However, from personal experience while visiting some of the coffee plantations in Kona, I have to agree that Kona coffee is pretty special! (You can see a few photos that I took while learning how to roast coffee beans this week, at the bottom of the page.) The conclusion and wrap up of the story holds some unforeseen surprises which will have the reader turning pages faster and faster while hoping that Catherine’s next release in this series comes sooner than later!

I had the pleasure of creating the recipe for Aloha Mix-Up Cookies for DEATH OF THE KONA MAN. Aloha Mix-up Cookies starts with a sweet brown sugar cookie dough base and adds an assortment of Hawaiian treats, such as macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, crunchy coconut, and creamy white chocolate to tantalize your taste buds! The best part is that you can mix and match the add-ins to suit your family and friends’ tastes and share the aloha spirit!

Amazon Synopsis

Carrie Jorgenson is living the dream in Hawaii. She has a steady job as a waitress at the Loco Moco Café, a hot new love interest in her manager, and the curtain’s about to rise on her role in a local theater production. But when she’s asked to deliver food to a guest at the Aloha Lagoon resort—who then drops dead!—her dreams quickly become the stuff of nightmares.

World renowned food critic Randolph Cremshaw has no shortage of enemies. He’s rude, patronizing, and famous for his one-star reviews. After the coffee Carrie delivers is discovered to have been poisoned, she and the café quickly rise to the top of the suspects list. A jealous co-worker, thefts at the restaurant, and a performance that threatens to blow up in Carrie’s face only make things worse. With an already full plate, Carrie is also forced into making a decision that may change everything for her. But this all pales in comparison when she comes face to face with Randolph’s killer and what might be the final curtain call…of her life.

A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing one winner the choice of either print or an e-book copy of DEATH OF THE KONA MAN for one lucky winner! Contest ends Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and print copy is restricted to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

SALE

For a very short time, DEATH OF THE KONA MAN will be on sale for $2.99! Don’t miss out on this special introductory price. (You can click on the book cover above to visit Amazon.)

Aloha Mix-Up Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups 14.4 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix-ins (use as much or as little as you wish)

3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Don't preheat the oven yet as the dough needs to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Using a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the flour all at once and pulse the mixer to keep flour from flying. Once mostly combined, increase speed and mix until flour is completely incorporated. Resist the urge to over-mix. (If using a hand-held electric mixer, you will need to add the flour in increments.)

Mix-ins

You can either stir the white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and coconut into the dough or mix-and-match. You can create several combinations of cookies by dividing the dough between four separate bowls and mix some of the white chocolate chips with macadamia nuts into one, pineapple and coconut into another, pineapple and macadamia nuts in the third, and using all four mix-in ingredients in the last portion. Or create your own combinations.

Baking

Place the bowls of dough in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop tablespoon-sized rounds of dough onto the sheet.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie starts turning lightly golden. Rotate baking sheet half way through baking.
Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes 6 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Tip

If you refrigerate the dough longer than 30 minutes, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to make scooping easier.

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I had the pleasure of taking a coffee plantation tour and learning how they roast their Kona coffee beans! It was fascinating and the smell was absolutely incredible!

Coffee “cherries” are ripe when they turn bright red. The bean is contained inside the fruit.

Once the bean has been extracted they are washed and dried and look green.

The green coffee beans are roasted at around 400 degeees (F) in a large drum for 20 – 25 minutes, until they turn a chocolate brown. When they are released from the drum there is lots of aromatic smoke.

The beans are cooled with a stirring machine that also blows cool air through the bottom of the tub.

100 pound sacks are waiting to be distributed. Wish I had some room in my suitcase!

Pittsburgh Pretzel Salad

I’m happy to be celebrating the new release, A ROOM WITH A BREW, by Joyce Tremel with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours! This third book in the Brewing Trouble series finds Max O’Hara, owner of the Allegheny Brew House in Pittsburgh, getting ready to host her first Oktoberfest celebration. The author manages to combine an exciting blend of cold war intrigue, oompah bands, tasty brews, a discovered priceless masterpiece, and murder.

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Max’s friend, Candy, a seventy-something old cupcake bakery owner, has had minor roles in the previous two books but in A ROOM WITH A BREW, she takes center stage. I’ve always been curious about Candy, but she’s always held her secrets close. This time, though Candy’s story is finally told and while I won’t provide any spoilers, she certainly has quite the tale to tell and kept me entertained! There are plenty of memorable supporting characters surrounding Max and as with Candy, I’m now curious about their own stories.

I enjoyed the Pittsburghese expressions that are included, which adds to the authenticity of the location. For example, N’at is short for “and all that”. Fortunately for us Pittsburgh novices, the author provides translations. Aside from the memorable characters and the fun location, A ROOM WITH A BREW provides a well-plotted mystery with plenty of intrigue and suspects to keep the reader turning pages. Several subplots are woven into the story, adding to the enjoyment of this well-crafted tale!

While reading this new book, it was hard to not get thirsty for a brew or hungry for a delectable dish. Ms. Tremel provides several recipes in the back of the book to keep your hunger at bay but unfortunately, you’re on your own for imbibing. Back in my late teens and early twenties I had a recipe similar to the Pittsburgh Pretzel Salad recipe included in the book. Somewhere in my many moves in my younger days, I lost the recipe so was delighted to try it again. It didn’t disappoint and brought back many nostalgic memories from so many years ago. The crunchy saltiness of pretzels complements the creamy sweet tanginess of cream cheese. Juicy strawberries liven up strawberry jello for an appealing red layer, while additional whipped topping garnishes this cool, refreshing treat. I’m very happy to be able to share this fun dish with my own granddaughters.

Amazon Synopsis

It’s Oktoberfest in Pittsburgh, and brewpub owner Maxine “Max” O’Hara is prepping for a busy month at the Allegheny Brew House. To create the perfect atmosphere for the boozy celebration, Max hires an oompah band. But when one of the members from the band turns up dead, it’s up to Max to solve the murder before the festivities are ruined.

Adding to the brewing trouble, Candy, Max’s friend, is acting suspicious… Secrets from her past are fermenting under the surface, and Max must uncover the truth to prove her friend’s innocence. To make matters worse, Jake’s snooty ex-fiancée shows up in town for an art gallery opening, and she’ll be nothing but a barrel of trouble for Max.

A special thank you to Joyce Tremel for providing 3 paperback copies for the giveaway! This giveaway is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and you can use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends October 15, 2017 and is limited to U.S. residents only. Winner will be announced on this page and on Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours site, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Pittsburgh Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar

Filling (Middle Layer)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 8-ounce container whipped topping

Top Layer

2 3-ounce boxes strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions

Bottom Layer

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
Mix all the ingredients and press into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Completely cool.

Filling (Middle Layer)

Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
Fold in whipped topping then spread over cooled pretzel mixture.
Chill for 30 minutes or until Jell-O for the top layer is thickened.

Top Layer

Combine Jell-O with boiling water. Stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Add strawberries.
Chill until partially thickened, then spread over top of cream cheese mixture.
Refrigerate overnight or until firm.
If desired, top with additional whipped topping and sprinkle with crushed or broken pretzel pieces.

Tip

You can make half the recipe and use an 8x8-inch square casserole dish. The half recipe ingredients are listed in the video.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 2 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
October 2 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
October 3 – Blogger Nicole Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
October 4 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
October 6 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
October 7 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW
October 7 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
October 8 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW
October 9 – Laura’s interests – REVIEW
October 9 – Valerie’s Musings – INTERVIEW
October 10 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 11 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 11 – T’s Stuff – INTERVIEW
October 12 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 14 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 15 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

I was provided a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hoppy Cupcakes

I am so excited to be helping Ellie Alexander celebrate the release of DEATH ON TAP, the first book in her brand new Sloan Krause Mystery series! All I can say is, oh my, what an opening line… I loved it!! Sloan has a unique voice, a bit edgy at times and is often humorous. Being raised in the foster system has given her the feeling of being an outsider and maybe not quite fitting in. With the collapse of Sloan’s marriage, even though her mother-in-law and father-in-law are the only parents she’s ever had, she still feels like she doesn’t belong in the family any longer. At times her doubt about her self-worth to the family made me feel emotional and once or twice I got a bit teary. Sloan is the type of protagonist the reader wants to cheer for. I also liked that she is also a mom to a teenaged son. This gives added dimension to her character along with unique challenges to working full-time and trying to solve a crime.

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The town of Leavenworth is a quaint Bavarian-themed setting, perfect for the backdrop of murder by drowning in a brew tank. When suspicion falls on both Sloan’s cheating husband and her new boss, she realizes she needs to find some answers that will clear them both. Okay, she may have considered letting her husband take the blame, but for the sake of their son, decided he needed to be proven innocent. The murder mystery is woven around the theme of beer and I enjoyed the bits and pieces provided about the brewing process. I loved some of the very clever names the author provides for the various brews and wish I could sample some of Sloan’s concoctions! DEATH ON TAP is strong on character development and letting the reader get to know the town and area. I think it’s a good set up for future books in the series. There is also a mystery thread pertaining to Sloan’s life before the foster system that I believe will run through the subsequent books and I look forward to reading future books in this series!

While the book doesn’t contain recipes there are many dishes mentioned that use a variety of beers. Fortunately for us, Ellie loves to create in the kitchen and she came up with a recipe for Hoppy Cupcakes! With the unexpected addition of citrus IPA, these moist orange and lime flavored cupcakes are topped with decadent cream cheese frosting… which is one of the best frostings I’ve ever had! The cupcakes are delicious and my husband’s golf buddies devoured them, but across the board it was the frosting that stole the show. The next time I make Hoppy Cupcakes I might just add some additional powdered sugar to the frosting along with a tablespoon of the citrus IPA to add a bit more hoppy flavor. Either way, these were a hit!

Amazon Synopsis

When Sloan Krause walks in on her husband, Mac, screwing the barmaid, she gives him the boot. Sloan has spent her life in Leavenworth, Washington becoming an expert in brewing craft beer, and she doesn’t have time to be held back by her soon-to-be ex-husband. She decides to strike out on her own, breaking away from the Krause family brewery, and goes to work for Nitro, the hip new nano-brewery in the Bavarian-themed town. Nitro’s owner, brewmaster Garrett Strong, has the brew-world abuzz with his newest recipe, “Pucker-Up IPA.” This place is the new cool place in town, and Mac can’t help but be green with envy at their success.

But just as Sloan is settling in to her new gig, she finds one of Nitro’s competitors dead in the fermenting tub, clutching the secret recipe for the IPA. When Mac, is arrested, Sloan knows that her ex might be a cheater, but a murderer? No way. Danger is brewing in Beervaria and suddenly Sloan is on the case.

Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, I have a hardcover copy of DEATH ON TAP for one lucky winner! Contest ends Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Hoppy Cupcakes

Recipe yields 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients

Hoppy Cupcakes:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla
One orange—grate peel into batter and squeeze in a tablespoon of juice. Reserve remaining juice for frosting
1/2 cup citrus IPA
1/4 cup sour cream

Citrus cream cheese frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon each freshly squeezed orange and lime juice
1 teaspoon each orange and lime zest
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Hoppy Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add eggs, beating after each addition then add the vanilla and zest.
Combine sour cream and beer and alternatively add this mixture and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture with the mixer on low speed, starting and ending with the flour.
Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
When cupcakes are done, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with toothpicks or a fork and brush some beer on each while still warm.

Citrus cream cheese frosting:

Cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the citrus juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined.
Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.
Load frosting in a piping bag fit with a large star tip and pipe cupcake tops once cooled.

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Liverin’ It Up Treats

Petsitter extraordinaire Daphne Templeton returns in DIAL MEOW FOR MURDER, the second book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series by Bethany Blake. A few months ago I read the first book in this series and was smitten so I had great expectations when I picked this book up… and was as equally charmed with it as I was the first! The setting is Halloween time and the Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue gala fund-raiser is being held at the reputedly haunted Flynt Mansion in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. I enjoyed the seasonal theme along with the special events taking place in the town. Ms. Blake has an especially strong descriptive voice that made me feel like I was right there, seeing what the characters see along with experiencing a unique insight into the people the protagonist interacts with.

The author weaves a mesmerizing tale of a missing heiress, an embezzlement, an angry pedigreed attack cat, and murder. While the plot is well structured with twists and turns it is the humor and quirky characters (both human and pets) that captured my attention and held it until the very last page. Ms. Blake’s ability to provide entertaining personalities to the pets make it impossible for the reader to forget such endearing characters like Socrates, Artie, and Tinkleston. Their antics brought many laugh out loud moments to break up the seriousness of murder without detracting from the story. The ending provides a satisfactory conclusion with a bit of a teaser for some changes that may be occurring in Daphne’s life, along with the first chapter of the next book… and I can hardly wait until next year to read the full book!

Daphne likes to bake wholesome pet treats for her own pets along with the pets in town. Ms. Blake provides several recipes at the back of the book for both dogs and cats alike. I was immediately drawn to her recipe for “Liverin’ It Up Treats”. Last year I took my granddaughter shopping at the local pet store to buy her dog, Piper, some treats to keep at my house. She picked up a bag of freeze-dried liver and my thought was “ick”. But Piper went absolutely gaga over them and in fact when she comes to visit my house, makes a bee-line for the cupboard where I keep her dog treats and foods. She will whine and scratch at the cupboard until I give her some of the liver! Given how expensive those particular treats are, I liked the idea of making some beefy treats at home and keeping them in the freezer for her infrequent visits. Personally I couldn’t find the liver baby food called for so substituted beef and gravy baby food. It came as no surprise when Piper went gaga over these treats and she heartily agrees that the substitution works just fine. I made a second batch of these dog treats and added some chopped up freeze-dried liver to the batter. These treats were a big hit too! I’ll be baking up a few batches to give to her neighborhood doggie friends for Christmas!

Amazon Synopsis

Even an experienced pet sitter like Daphne Templeton can be fooled by animal behavior: how can an adorably tiny fuzz ball named Tinkleston be capable of sudden flying leaps with cat claws bared? But human behavior remains even more mysterious, especially when Tinkleston’s owner is murdered on the night of a gala fundraiser for Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue.

Accompanied by her unflappable basset hound, Socrates, Daphne plans to take charge of Tinks the Terror and leave the crime-solving to handsome detective Jonathan Black. But while luring the prickly Persian out of hiding, she uncovers clues that might take suspicion off her own mother. Maeve Templeton already has a reputation as a killer—in real estate. How far would she go to bag Sylvan Creek’s most coveted property, the Flynt Mansion?

To expose the truth, Daphne finds herself donning a deranged clown costume on an autumnal adventure that might just be crazy enough to work—if it doesn’t get her killed.

A special thanks to Bethany Blake for offering a copy of DIAL MEOW FOR MURDER along with some fun swag for one lucky winner! Contest ends Monday, October 2, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Liverin' It Up Treats

I would never tell Socrates, but the secret to his very favorite snack is...baby food! He would be so appalled. I actually hide the jar when I make these little crackers.

Ingredients

3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon brewer's yeast
1 (3.5 ounce) jar pureed liver or beef baby food
1/4 cup water, or more if needed

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add a little more water if the dough isn't coming together.
Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet - or better yet, use parchment paper. Less mess, less chance for things sticking.
Bake the snacks for about 20 minutes, then remove them from the oven and cool them before Socrates... er, your dog... gets hold of them.
Store leftovers - there won't be any - in the fridge. For longer term storage, freeze in a freezer-safe ziplock bag.

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Mini Cranberry Crab Cakes

I am very excited to be a part of the Great Escapes Virtual Blog Tour for the paperback release of CREPE FACTOR by Laura Childs with Terrie Farley Moran! I had the pleasure of reading the original hardcover release last year and I’m happy that I can share my review and the recipe for Mini Cranberry Crab Cakes again for the paperback release.

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CREPE FACTOR is truly a fun, fun read! Even though I was unfamiliar with the characters starting out, they quickly became people I wanted to read more about and enjoyed getting to know them and their quirky personalities. There is a lot of humor sprinkled throughout the book, making it a lighthearted, entertaining read that kept me turning pages wanting to see what new mischief Carmela and Ava would get themselves in to. There were plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep the mystery appealing and me guessing. The authors captured the setting of New Orleans perfectly and I could see, smell, and taste that amazing city on the pages. I also loved that there are facts about New Orleans woven into the story along with “local” words that had me opening a dictionary to find out what they meant. I so enjoy learning while being entertained!

One of my (many) hobbies is scrapbooking. I used to scrapbook a lot when my granddaughters were very young, but other hobbies and interests have intruded. I still have a cupboard full of beautiful papers and embellishments and whenever I see them, wish I could find time to take it up again (and do something with the hundreds of photos I have of the girls). CREPE FACTOR is not only a fun, madcap romp through New Orleans and the bayou with memorable characters, the book provides inspiration and tips for scrapbooking along with several delicious recipes. Terrie Farely Moran has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Mini Cranberry Crab Cakes, a very tasty yet easy appetizer to put together for upcoming holiday gatherings! The gorgeous jewel tones of the cranberry sauce brings elegance to an appetizer platter while the creamy crab filling provides a satisfying bite.

Amazon Synopsis

The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend, Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.

The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restaurateur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela’s, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.

Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon…

A special thank you to Terrie Farely Moran and Laura Childs for providing 2 paperback copies for the giveaway! This giveaway is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and you can use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends October 7, 2017 and is limited to U.S. residents only. Winner will be announced on this page and on Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours site, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Mini Cranberry Crab Cakes

Mini Cranberry Crabcakes

Ingredients

1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup crabmeat, drained, flaked, cartilage removed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
1 1.9-ounce package frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
1/3 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, crab, sugar, and scallions until thoroughly blended.
Place tart shells on an ungreased baking sheet.
Fill each shell with 1 tablespoon crab mixture.
Top each crab mound with 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until heated through.
Makes 15 mini crab cakes.

Mini Cranberry Crab Cakes

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 24 – Cinnamon, Sugar and Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW REPOST, RECIPE
September 24 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW REPOST, GUEST POST
September 25 – Socrates’ Book Reviews– SPOTLIGHT
September 25 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
September 26 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW REPOST
September 26 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW
September 28 – Writing Pearls – REVIEW
September 28 – Valerie’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
September 29 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 29 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
September 30 – The Power of Words – SPOTLIGHT
October 1 – My Funny View of Life – REVIEW
October 2 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – REVIEW
October 2 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 3 – Varietats – REVIEW, GUEST POST
October 3 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 4 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
October 5 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 6 – Teresa Trent Author Site – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 7 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

I was provided a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mini Cranberry Crab Cakes

Arsen’s Waffle Biscuits

AT WITS’ END by Kirsten Weiss is a fun, quirky cozy mystery that I had the good fortune of reading recently. Sue Witsend (love the play of words in the title!) moves to Doyle, California after inheriting her grandmother’s Victorian Bed and Breakfast. But it’s not your typical bed and breakfast… it has a giant UFO parked on top of the roof! Not only that, the town which is set in the Sierra foothills, caters to UFO enthusiasts and Sue is kept busy with her UFO crazy guests. When one of her guests (who just happens to be the sheriff’s ex-husband) is found murdered in his room and her cousin is one of the top suspects, Sue decides she needs to find answers, especially after the FBI gets involved.

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One of the things that struck me, and I greatly enjoyed, is that the small-town sheriff and the FBI agent are both women. While the two women might be at odds with each other, with Sue caught in the middle, they show strength and ingenuity. There are scenes of humorous entertainment when Sue and the local residents speculate that the FBI agent is actually part of the group “Men in Black”… or would it be “Women in Black” given the UFO connection? Ms. Weiss also includes “backstory” for the town about groups of missing people and even a bar set in the forest that disappeared into thin air. It provides a bit of delicious spookiness that I equate with the whole UFO theory. Do I believe in UFOs? I’m not sure… but the idea does intrigue me!

The murder plot was satisfying with plenty of suspects and the story had an exciting conclusion that effectively tied up the main murder mystery. The supporting characters have their own quirks which adds to the appeal of the story. A mysterious Madame X makes appearances a few times in the story and the author leaves her identity hidden. I’m hoping that with the next book the reader will be given more clues to who she is and what happened to those missing people! I didn’t mind the hanging threads surrounding the subplot since I’m sure more will eventually be revealed.

Running a B & B, Sue serves breakfast to her guests and there’s many delicious dishes mentioned in the book. Fortunately for the reader, the author includes several recipes at the back of the book. Sue’s best friend, Arsen, helps out one morning by creating cheesy scrambled egg stuffed biscuits cooked in a waffle maker. I’ve seen several similar dishes on Pinterest and I’ve long been intrigued and couldn’t wait to try this recipe. I liked that these Waffle Biscuits were very easy to make and would be fun for kids to help make. My granddaughter loved being able to dip them into maple syrup before eating with her hands, which makes these a great on-the-go breakfast. Of course serving with a plate and fork would be totally acceptable too!

Amazon Synopsis

A Doyle Cozy Mystery, by Kirsten Weiss When Susan Witsend inherits her grandmother’s UFO-themed B&B, she’s ready to put her organizational skills to the test. She knows she can make the B&B work, even if there is a faux-UFO in the roof. After all, what’s not to love about a Victorian nestled in the high Sierra foothills? None of her carefully crafted policies and procedures, however, can prepare her for a corpse in room seven – the body of her small-town sheriff’s ex-husband. But Susan has her own plans to solve the crime. In Susan’s mind, Men in Black, conspiracy-crazed old ladies, and an angry sheriff are just part and parcel of catering to UFO enthusiasts. But is there a government conspiracy afoot? Or is the murder a simple case of small town vengeance? Susan must keep all her wits about her. Because the killer isn’t finished, and if she isn’t careful, her fate may be written in the stars.

A special thanks to Kirsten Weiss for offering an e-book copy of AT WITS’ END for one lucky winner! Contest ends Monday, September 25, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Arsen's Waffle Biscuits

Ingredients

1 tablespoon milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tube refrigerated biscuit dough
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Over medium-low heat, warm a non-stick skillet.
In a medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs, salt and pepper to taste.
Scramble the egg mixture in the skillet until it's still a little wet. Stir in the shredded cheese and remove mixture from the heat.
Heat a waffle iron and spray with the non-stick cooking spray of your choice. (Arsen prefers butter flavor.)
Separate the biscuits and split them with a sharp knife, but DON'T COMPLETELY SPLIT THE BISCUITS IN HALF. They should fold open but still be connected, like a butterfly.
Stuff the biscuits with the egg and cheese mixture. Press the biscuit edges together and seal the eggs inside.
Place a biscuit in the waffle iron. Let the lid close gently, but don't smash the biscuit flat or force the lid to close completely.
After one minute, fully close the waffle iron, flattening the biscuit. Continue cooking two more minutes.
Remove the cheesy-egg-biscuit from the waffle iron and cook the rest of the biscuits, one at a time.

Tips

I used Pillsbury Grands Biscuits and they held 1/2 egg each. If you use large biscuits I would recommend scrambling 4 eggs.

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Blake’s Signature Espresso Brownies

It’s always fun to be introduced to a new author who is debuting a new series! I had the pleasure of recently reading BREWING UP MURDER by Neila Young, where the very first sentence and then paragraph captured my attention. The protagonist, Blake Harper, owns Mystery Cup Café in Wilton, Missouri. The town is known for a string of murders that happened 50 years ago, the crimes never solved. While the author doesn’t go into great detail, there is enough information provided that makes me curious if subsequent books in this series will lead the protagonist to find answers to the deaths of twelve young women. I’m definitely intrigued with this plot! In addition to the old, unsolved murders, a new murder has taken place. Blake finds her assistant, Nikki, dead in the Mystery Cup Café and her kitchen trashed. Even though Blake’s sister, Kyle, is the detective working the case, the café owner still feels responsible for bringing the murderer to justice.

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The two sisters have strong personalities and I enjoyed the close bonds they share with their brother, Ryan. There is fun interaction between the three siblings and a bit of entertainment with Ryan always trying to set Blake up on blind dates. Ms. Young has created a great cast of characters to surround her protagonist; some are there for support, a couple to offer romance, while others to create tension and conflict in Blake’s life. The town and the characters are good backdrops for a puzzling mystery with plenty of suspects that kept me guessing. When I finally read the surprising conclusion the only thing on my mind was wondering when the next book is coming!

The Mystery Cup Café serves up delectable treats and fortunately for the reader the author provides a couple recipes at the back of the book. Blake has indeed perfected her Espresso Brownie recipe and Ms. Young has graciously allowed me to share it with you. Super rich, super gooey and oh so decadent is the only way to describe these amazing brownies! I found small squares, each topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean, and served with a piping hot cup of coffee made the perfect pick-me-up for a morning snack. The staff at my granddaughter’s school certainly enjoyed having these show up in their break room and I was happy that I could share such a delicious treat with them!

Amazon Synopsis

As the owner of Mystery Cup Café in Wilton, Missouri, a town made famous by a string of long-ago murders, Blake Harper is used to the mysterious. When her barista is found strangled in a mound of coffee beans, Blake vows to find the killer, even though her sister, the town’s lead police detective, tells her to stay out of it. Blake finds plenty of suspects, like the owners of a rival coffee shop and the handsome new bookstore owner. But when new threats are made, she soon realizes the danger is centered around Mystery Cup and someone is targeting her personally. Will Blake be able to solve the murder, find a new barista, and perfect her recipe for espresso brownies before she becomes the next victim?

A special thanks to Neila Young for offering a copy of BREWING UP MURDER for one lucky winner! Contest ends Friday, September 22, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Blake's Signature Espresso Brownies

Ingredients

1-1/3 cup butter, softened
2-2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Combine flour, cocoa, salt, and instant coffee. Add to the creamed mixture.
Add chocolate chips and pecans and mix well.
Spread into a greased 9x13-inch pan.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and espresso beans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 26 to 28 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

Tip

If the brownies seem too soft after cooling, chill in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

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Dark-Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

It’s always a delight to pick up the first book in a brand new series and the cover of ASKING FOR TRUFFLE by Dorothy St. James drew me in… a chocolate shop, a cute dog, and a southern location! The protagonist, Charity Penn (who goes by Penn), was abandoned twice in one day as a newborn infant. Raised in her distant grandmother’s household by staff, she’s learned to shield herself from emotional hurt. As a result, she’s “prickly as a porcupine” and not quite like other cozy mystery protagonists. However, I thought Penn had a unique voice that was a bit self-deprecating, a bit snarky, and definitely world-weary. It gives the reader a different perspective as the story unfolds in the town of Camellia Beach which Penn describes as a rundown, shabby town where “only a bulldozer could fix a town as broken as this one.”

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While Penn may be prickly, Ms. St. James creates other lovable characters to surround her and I was charmed by the two elderly women who run The Chocolate Box, Bertie Bays and Miss Mabel. I loved the time Penn spent with them in the chocolate shop and drooled over the descriptions of the candies. However, Penn didn’t arrive in Camellia Beach to learn to make chocolates. She came in search of why her friend “Skinny” was murdered at the shop and who would do such a thing to him. Especially after the police insist that it was a druggy situation gone bad. Knowing Skinny wouldn’t be involved in that, Penn decides she must find the truth. In addition to the murder plot, there is a strong subplot surrounding Penn and The Chocolate Box. Ms. St. James has a magical way with words that brings magic to the story without it being paranormal. As a result, I felt that Penn found a place that she could grow in both self-confidence and respect for herself and I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for her.

The Chocolate Box is full of delicious candies and fortunately for the reader, the author includes several delectable recipes at the back of the book. Ms. St. James has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Dark-Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles… which were so incredibly yummy I almost didn’t want to take the time to let the candy set and form into truffle balls! The recipe is very simple to make and didn’t require fussy tempering or difficult steps, which I greatly appreciated. I had to force myself to share some of the truffles with a few friends and the first thing they said after tasting was “Do you have any more?” and then, “You need to make this again, soon!”

Amazon Synopsis

When Charity Penn receives a letter saying she won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina complete with free cooking lessons at the town’s seaside chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, she’s immediately skeptical. She never entered any contest. Her former prep school friend offers to look into the phony prize―only to end up drowned in a vat of chocolate.

Struck with guilt, Penn heads to the southern beach town to investigate why he was killed. But as wary as she is of the locals, she finds herself lured into their eccentric vibe, letting her defenses melt away and even learning the art of crafting delicious chocolates. That is, until delight turns bittersweet as she steps straight into the midst of a deadly plot to destroy the seaside town. Now, only Penn’s quick thinking and a mysterious cask of rare chocolate can save the town she’s learning to love.

A special thanks to Dorothy St. James for offering a hardcover copy of ASKING FOR TRUFFLE for one lucky winner! Contest ends Monday, September 18, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Dark-Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

(So simple even Charity Penn can't ruin this recipe)

Ingredients

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
7 ounces 70% or higher fair trade dark chocolate bars, coarsely chopped*
1/4 cup heavy cream
60 whole roasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

Mix the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a bowl.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted.
Add cream and the sugar/cocoa mixture. Stir until creamy and smooth.
Pour into a square dish. Cover and refrigerate for several hours until chocolate is set.
Remove chocolate from the refrigerator.
Use a teaspoon to scoop out chocolate.
Roll into bite-sized balls with a hazelnut at the center. They might be hard to roll at first, but as the chocolate warms to room temperature, it will become easier to work. If chocolate becomes too soft, return to the refrigerator for a few hours.
Roll balls in cocoa powder. Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Tips

*For a little extra crunch, use chocolate bars with nibs added or toss a small handful of chocolate nibs into the melting chocolate.
If the truffle candy sticks to your hands too much while rolling, liberally dust your clean hands with cocoa powder then try again.

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Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room Blueberry Muffins

I was smitten with the first book in Vicki Delaney’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series so when I had the opportunity to read the second book, BODY ON BAKER STREET, I jumped at the chance. This new book captured my interest and imagination as quickly as the first release and her protagonist, Gemma Doyle, is a character that is as unique as they come.

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Gemma owns Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London, Cape Cod. When she receives a last minute request to host a book signing for famous author, Renalta Van Markoff, she can’t pass up the opportunity. However instead of having a successful event, Renalta falls dead during the signing and all signs point to murder. Gemma is overtly observant, although her people skills could use some work… but it does lead to some humorous situations. She uses her skills to correctly surmise what people have been doing, almost channeling Sherlock Holmes, which provides clues to the reader as they turn pages.

Vicki Delaney proves herself to be a master at creating a tension-filled story with a twisty-turvey plot that had an unexpected surprise ending. I couldn’t put the book down and stayed up far too late to read the very last page… but it was worth it. The setting in West London and the book shop is delightful and the descriptions had me wanting to book a flight and go for a visit. Gemma has several good friends, despite her quirks, and they provide a nice support system. I look forward to the next book in this charming series!

Gemma’s best friend, Jayne, owns Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, which is attached to the book shop. She serves up delectable treats and afternoon tea that will leave the reader drooling! While there aren’t any recipes in the book, Vicki created one for Blueberry Muffins and has allowed me to share. When discussing what recipe to put on my blog, Vicki indicated that she was making 150 blueberry muffins for her daughter’s wedding breakfast! Congrats to the happy couple! That alone made me want to try these yummy muffins. I ended up making a double batch for my granddaughter’s birthday slumber party and Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room Blueberry Muffins were a hit with all the girls!

Amazon Synopsis

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room in anticipation of the store’s 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 Sherlock’s legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table―dead.

Donald insists he didn’t do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author’s 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 Renalta’s depiction of the Great Detective. It’s 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.

A special thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Vicki Delaney for offering a hardcover copy of BODY ON BAKER STREET for one lucky winner! Contest ends Friday, September 15, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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!)

Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. You may also line with cupcake wrappers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1-1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.
In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries.
Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
For topping mix together 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.
Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes before serving.

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