Cinnamon and Sugar - What I'm baking in my kitchen and mystery books I'm reading

Champagne Cupcakes

I’m counting down the days until FRAMED AND FROSTED releases! It’s available now for preorder on Amazon and will also be available on Kindle Unlimited. Print will be available on the release date. Don’t miss out on the special preorder sale price of $0.99!

Preorder link: https://amzn.to/3v6b7ud

I’m giving away a copy of the winner’s choice of either Sprinkles of Suspicion or Cake Popped Off. Print giveaway is limited to U.S. residents, all others will be awarded ebooks. Contest ends Sunday, June 13, 2021 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!)

Be sure to check out the blog tour and other virtual appearance dates at the bottom of the page and come visit for fun & giveaways!

One of the recipes included in Framed and Frosted is Champagne Cupcakes. Starting with a boxed mix (which makes this a quick dessert to mix up) the champagne gives it a light, airy texture. A simply, creamy buttercream frosting makes for the perfect backdrop for any type of decoration or celebration.

Champagne Cupcakes

Makes 20 - 22 cupcakes

With the ease of using cake mix as the base and adding low-fat ingredients to the batter, these cupcakes still provide an elegant and tasty treat for any special occasion without overdoing the calories.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix
1-1/4 cup champagne or prosecco
6 ounces 2% plain Greek yogurt (or substitute sour cream for richer cupcakes)
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 - 5 tablespoons champagne or prosecco
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar

Garnish suggestions:

Colorful sprinkles to match holiday or event
Edible gold or silver stars
Edible sugar pearls
Fresh strawberries

To make pink champagne cupcakes:

Substitute pink champagne for regular champagne
6 - 8 drops pink gel food coloring

Instructions

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
Add the cake mix, champagne, Greek yogurt, egg whites, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed and beat for 1-1/2 minutes.
Fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full.
Bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the cupcake tin, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting:

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Mix in 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar then add in 4 tablespoons champagne and vanilla. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. If the frosting is too stiff, add additional champagne, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
With a large star tip, pipe swirls of buttercream over the completely cooled cupcakes. Garnish with sprinkles, edible stars or sugar pearls, or fresh strawberries.

To make pink champagne cupcakes:

Substitute pink champagne in place of the regular champagne where called for.
Start with 6 drops of pink gel food coloring and add to the cupcake batter at the same time as the champagne. Mix for 1 minute. Add additional food coloring until desired shade is obtained, and mix for 1 additional minute. Do not overbeat the batter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

Check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast featuring the first chapter of Sprinkles of Suspicion!

On June 17, 2021, please join me as I “takeover” Cozy Mystery Launch Party Facebook page!

Click here to visit the event page: Kim Davis Author Takeover

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 21 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
June 21 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 22 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
June 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
June 23 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
June 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 24 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
June 24 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 26 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
June 26 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW
June 27 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 27 – Diane Reviews Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 28 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
June 28 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
June 29 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
June 29 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
June 30 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
June 30 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

July Appearances:

July 9 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Cozy Food Friday featuring a recipe from my book

July 10 – Kings River Life Magazine

Trinidad’s Easy Key Lime Ice Cream

Click on book to visit Amazon

PINT OF NO RETURN, the first in the brand-new Shake Shop Mystery series by Dana Mentink, has all the ingredients for a temptingly delicious cozy mystery! Protagonist Trinidad Jones, and her adorable flunked-out service dog, Noodles, are newly arrived in Upper Sprocket, Oregon to take control of a commercial building left to her by her in-the-slammer ex. She’s opening the Shimmy and Shake Shop featuring over-the-top milk shakes and I couldn’t help but drool over the descriptions of her frozen concoctions. While Pint of No Return follows the usual formula for cozy mysteries, Ms. Mentink ups the ante with colorful and quirky characters along with glimpses into the Cuban culture and food thanks to Trinidad’s heritage and her charming grandfather, Papa Luis. Trinidad also finds herself in a highly unusual position of living in a small town with not one, but two fellow ex-wives. This creates the opportunity for some interesting scenes, especially when one of the ex-wives is accused of murder and she begs Trinidad to help prove her innocence. With plenty of humor interjected, I was highly entertained throughout the entire story.

The mystery is well-crafted and the included sub-plots dovetail nicely into the story. Between Trinidad trying to prepare the Shimmy and Shake Shop for opening, to settling into a new town and meeting new people, to getting embroiled in a murder, the action never slows down. I found the pacing spot-on and it kept me turning pages until the last word was read. The author makes effective use of Trinidad being a newcomer to town and not knowing anyone. She’s forced to work extra hard to unravel the clues to help out her fellow ex-wife. With plenty of suspects to keep a sharp-eyed reader on their toes, I was surprised by not only the final reveal of the culprit, but also why the crime had been committed. I look forward to reading more in this yummy new series!

As I mentioned before, Trinidad creates lots of yummy frozen concoctions for her new shop’s grand opening. Being a transplant from Miami, she has tropical and citrus-based shakes to offer. I was pleased to find that the author includes the recipe for Trinidad’s Easy Key Lime Ice Cream at the back of the book. I’m a huge fan of ice cream and this was every bit as delicious as I’d imagined. Tangy yet sweet, the bits of graham crackers add a delicious texture to the creamy custard base. This ice cream is a refreshing change from a typical Key Lime Pie, especially on a hot summer day.

Amazon Synopsis

After her divorce from her thrice-married embezzler husband, Trinidad Jones is finally ready for a fresh start. So, when she’s left one of ex’s businesses in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, she decides to pack up her dog, cash in her settlement, and open her dream business: the Shimmy and Shake Shop, introducing the world to her monster milkshakes. And even with a couple sticky situations underway, namely that the other two ex-wives also call Sprocket home, Trinidad’s life seems to be churning along smoothly.

That is, until she discovers her neighbor, the Popcorn King, head down in his giant popcorn kettle. When one of Trinidad’s fellow ex-wives is accused of the murder and Upper Sprocket descends into mayhem, it’s going to take a supersized scoop of courage to flush out the killer.

A special thanks to Poison Pen Press for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of PINT OF NO RETURN! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, June 6, 2021 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!)

Trinidad's Easy Key Lime Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (3-oz.) package lime-flavored gelatin
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup fresh lime juice
6 whole graham crackers, broken into big pieces

Instructions

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and heavy cream, whisking often. Once the mixture is almost hot to the touch, whisk in the sugar and gelatin mix, stirring until the sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved.
Whisk a little of the hot sugar mixture to the beaten egg yolks to warm them, then add the yolks to the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the lime juice and let the mixture come to room temperature.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. Once the ice cream has start to thicken, open the canister and add the broken graham crackers. They will break into smaller pieces as you churn for about 5 minutes more.
Transfer to a freezer container, and freeze until solid for 6 - 8 hours.

Serves 8 - 10.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

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

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies

Click on book to visit Amazon

THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT is the fourteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. From the charming cover to the endearing characters to the well-plotted mystery, this newest release captures it all! I always look forward to visiting Old Town Alexandria, VA and catching up with Sophie Winston and her friends. With the backdrop of creative festivals, this time around a DIY Home Decorating Festival, the characters exhibit their strengths in spades. Sophie is an expert at organizing and hosting large events while solving a multitude of problems. Natasha (Sophie’s frenemy) is a house decorating diva, however impractical her designs may be, but they do provide lighthearted humor! And Nina (Sophie’s best friend) has always been there to lend support to the multitude of bad situations Sophie finds herself in. However, in this newest release, Nina is the one needing all the support she can muster when her traveling companion is brutally murdered shortly after returning home from Portugal and finds that she might be the next victim on the killer’s list.

From the first, Ms. Davis sets up intriguing scenarios that tie in to the international travel and the ongoing festival. I was captivated as the story unfolded and each clue sent my mind scurrying off in a tangent direction. At times the crimes committed were heartbreaking but the author’s interjection of heartwarming community spirit and friendship kept the book from becoming dark. There are suspects aplenty and lots of subplots to keep track of, but in the end all the threads of the story are pulled together in a cohesive conclusion. And best of all, the ending gives the reader a heartening surprise that left a smile on my face.

Sophie is known for her generous hospitality and shows her affection and love for her friends by feeding them – all the time! So many mouthwatering meals, snacks, and desserts are served at Sophie’s table, that the reader will be left famished as they read the tasty descriptions. Fortunately, there are several recipes, both savory and sweet, at the back of the book which all sound fabulous. I was instantly drawn to the recipe for Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies. As you know, I love cookies and I think that chocolate and bourbon have a natural affinity. With pantry and dairy staples, these mixed together quickly and it didn’t take long to pop them into the oven. My family also appreciated that these bars don’t need to be thoroughly cooled before cutting into and savoring each delectable bite!

Amazon Synopsis

With Old Town’s DIY Home Decorating Festival in full swing, Sophie’s swamped, juggling a bumper crop of artisans, antique dealers, and decorators for the busy street fair. Still, when her best friend Nina suddenly needs a ride from the airport, Sophie is happy to help . . . until she sees Nina disembarking in a state of disarray. It’s obvious the trip to Portugal soured somewhere along the way. But after one of Nina’s traveling companions turns up murdered the following day, Sophie knows something is truly rotten . . .

Though the crime scene is staged to look like an accident, Sophie isn’t fooled and peels off to conduct her own investigation. Her only clue is a strange image the victim scratched into the soil before dying. Could it point to a cryptic killer in Old Town? A bitter travel adversary? Or a cursed artifact smuggled back from the trip? As the mystery grows, so does the body count, and if Sophie doesn’t pluck the murderer soon, her best friend may be the next to fall . . .

A special thanks to Krista Davis for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Wednesday, June 2, 2021 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!)

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 - 3 tablespoons Bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour an 8 x 8-inch pan and line with one piece of parchment paper cut to fit the sides, but long enough to act as handles on two sides for removing the blondies.
Melt the butter and set aside.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Beat the eggs with the dark brown sugar until thick and lighter in color. Beat in the bourbon and vanilla.
With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and butter. Give one quick mix to combine and pour half of it into the pan.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips in a single layer and pour the remaining batter over them, spreading it out over the top. If adding flaky salt, dust the top with a pinch or two.
Bake 20 minutes. (Do not bake longer or else they won't be chewy!)
Using the edge of the parchment paper as handles, lift out of the pan and cool on a baking rack. They can be eaten warm or cold.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

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

Corny Fritters

Click on book to visit Amazon

BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT is the fifth book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton. This series just gets better and better with each new addition! With strong characters, led by protagonist Emily Westhill, the reader is enticed into getting to know them better while the well-developed plot kept me turning pages to find out what happens next. With a fun-filled Friday the thirteenth Faker’s Dozen Carnival as the backdrop, Emily’s Deputy Donut Café is well suited to the theme as they serve up piping hot corny fritters. The author does an admirable job of capturing the essence of a small-town carnival from the food, the music, the rides, and the entertainment. Of course, carnivals have a sullied reputation for attracting grifters and the wrong sorts of people, and Ms. Bolton uses that aspect to set up the murder. A missing bucket of sugar, a sticky-fingered magician, a mime, and a rodeo performer add to the twists and turns of the plot.

When the mime attacked and left for dead in Nina’s (Emily’s employee/friend) home, Nina is the number one suspect and is thrown into jail. Knowing her friend wouldn’t have committed the crime, Emily begins asking questions. First and foremost is what was the relationship between the mime and Nina? They share a very strong resemblance. Trying to piece together if Nina could have been the intended target and delving into the past Nina had tried so hard to hide, Emily’s investigation is more complicated than traversing a house of mirrors. Ms. Bolton provides plenty of misdirection and suspects to keep the reader guessing. With a darling puppy and Emily’s protective cat, Deputy Donut, involved in the exciting reveal, this cozy mystery ticks all the boxes for a tilt-a-whirling ride!

With lots of fair food mentioned throughout the book and of course delectable donuts served at Emily’s Deputy Donut Café, the reader’s appetite will be whetted. The author includes a couple of recipes at the back of the book for the home cook to try. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try the “Corny Fritters” since they can be served savory, spicy, or sweet depending on individual tastes. It’s also fairly simple since you can bypass the effort of using fresh corn (unless you want to) and instead use either canned or frozen corn. With just a few other pantry and dairy staples, these mix up quickly and it didn’t take long for little hands to pluck these tasty snacks off the cooling rack for nibbling pleasure.

Amazon Synopsis

Selling her corn fritters at a carnival, Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill faces off against a murderer who doesn’t play fair . . .

Emily and her assistant, Nina, are looking forward to manning the Deputy Donut tent at the Faker’s Dozen Carnival in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin—a festival held on Friday the thirteenth to celebrate good and bad luck. But Emily has barely dropped the corn fritters in oil when bad luck boils up. First, their bucket of confectioner’s sugar disappears—and then while a mime creates a distraction, a magician robs their cash register.

After the carnival, their misfortune continues. Emily discovers that someone has broken into artist Nina’s loft and vandalized a large painting in progress with the bucket of stolen sugar, which is now on the head of the mime, who seems to have been suffocated. Emily would bet Nina was the intended victim, but the cops think Nina silenced the mime. Now Emily must catch the killer white-handed—before someone else kicks the bucket . . .

A special thanks to Ginger Bolton for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, May 30, 2021 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!)

Corny Fritters

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup corn kernels - fresh, frozen, or canned. If using frozen, thaw first, then drain and pat dry on paper towels. If using canned, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Choose 1 of the following seasonings

1 teaspoon (or to taste) sweet smoked paprika for regular corny fritters or
1 teaspoon (or to taste) whole black peppercorns for pepper-corny fritters or
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) powdered ancho or other hot ground chiles for turbo-charged spicy corny fritters
Vegetable oil with a smoke point of 400 degrees (F) or higher (or follow your deep fryer's instruction manual)

Optional:

Granulated sugar or
Confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Sift the flour with the baking power and salt.
Stir in eggs, milk, corn kernels, and your choice of seasoning, until blended.
When oil reaches 370 degrees (F), drop batter by spoonfuls into the oil without crowding them. Fry until both sides are golden, approximately 1 minute per side, turning once.
Lift basket to drain, then drain fritters on paper towels.
While still warm, roll in sugar (if desired) and serve with guacamole and/or sour cream.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

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

#giveaway 20 Advance Reader copies of Framed and Frosted

I’m thrilled to have ebook advance reader copies now available my upcoming release, FRAMED AND FROSTED (Thanks to Lisa of Lisa Ks Book Reviews for another fabulous title!!!) It’s available now for preorder on Amazon and will also be available on Kindle Unlimited. Print will be available on the release date.

Preorder link: https://amzn.to/3v6b7ud

I’m celebrating with a giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 20 ebook advance copies of FRAMED AND FROSTED! If you enter, please try to have a review posted to Goodreads and Amazon within a month of the release date, 6/22/21. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Contest ends Saturday, 5/22/21.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Synopsis

Framed and Frosted, the third book in the Cupcake Catering Mystery series, finds cupcake caterer, Emory Martinez, working at a Laguna Beach society Fourth of July soiree, with her sister and their new employee, Sal. With a host that seems intent on accosting both catering employees and guests alike, things go from bad to worse when he accuses Sal of murdering his long-dead son.

As the crescendo of exploding fireworks overhead becomes the backdrop for cupcakes and champagne, a deadly murder occurs. Can Sal and Emory explain why the cupcake the host ate, after shoving a trayful of buttercream frosted cupcakes onto Sal, resulted in his death? Or will the guests and detective alike believe that Sal is a murderer? Emory and her octogenarian employer, Tillie, whip into action to find out who framed Sal after being frosted by the victim.

Includes recipes!

I promise I’ll be sharing some of the recipes here in June and July, along with fun giveaways, but for now let me tempt you with some of the recipes included in the book:

Mini Phyllo Cups with Whipped Goat Cheese and Cranberry Stars
Jicama, Apple, and Berry Salad with Citrus-Ginger Dressing
Orzo Salad with Roasted Red Pepper, Feta, and Kalamata Olives
Lemon Drop Martini Cupcakes
Champagne Cupcakes
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
… and more!

S’mores Cookie Bars

Click on book to visit Amazon

KNEE DEEP IN DOUGH, the tenth book in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries by Catherine Bruns, is another terrific addition to a long- enjoyed series! While this can be read as a stand-alone, the author’s strength is in her character development over the course of the series. The protagonist, Sally Muccio, and her husband, dreamy Mike Donovan, are celebrating their third wedding anniversary and life couldn’t be better with their eight-month-old daughter, Cookie, by their side. Not only has the protagonist grown and changed (like we all do in life) but the core cast of characters have as well. Sally’s parents are still a hoot and not only is her father still blogging as Father Death but he now owns a mortuary and Sally’s mother is designing a funerary clothing line. Ms. Bruns knows how to create scenes for maximum hilarity and Knee Deep In Dough doesn’t disappoint. While some of the characters are quirky, there’s never a doubt that Sally and her family are loving, kind, and deeply supportive of each other, and never more so with this new book. I’m always tentative about a cozy mystery series where the protagonist is a mother and there’s a baby or child involved. Ms. Bruns handles the situation with sensitivity and, given the support Sally receives from her family, it put my mind at ease so I was able to sit back and enjoy the story as it unfolded.

The murder mystery starts out early and when Officer Brian Jenkins, a longtime friend of Sally’s, becomes the main suspect, she feels the need to come to his assistance. Afterall, Brian had saved Sally’s life on more than one occasion and she feels she owes him a debt. Plus, the victim was a friend of Sally’s from high school days before she moved away. As Sally begins to ask questions, it’s obvious the victim and Brian were/are hiding secrets. Uncovering the truth isn’t easy and it doesn’t take long before she’s attracted the attention of the killer. The clues are sprinkled throughout the story and with a fast-paced plot, I didn’t want to put the book down. It certainly proved to be a “just one more chapter” read until I’d finished the very last page. With a heart pounding reveal, and a couple surprising twists I didn’t see coming, Ms. Bruns has proven once again to be an accomplished storyteller!

Sally owns her cookie bakery, Sally’s Samples, and so many delectable goodies are mentioned on the pages. I had the honor of providing a recipe for the book and when I found out the season in the book was summer, I wanted to have something that was reminiscent of summertime treats from my childhood. My family made s’mores around a campfire after a long day spent hiking in the woods or on a lake boating with my cousins and the memory appealed to me. But in all honesty, the last time I had a s’more a few years ago as an adult, I was disappointed. The marshmallows were overburnt, the chocolate didn’t melt, and the graham crackers were too dry. Instead, I decided to create a S’mores Cookie Bars so that the perfect ration of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows could be had and no campfires were required. My husband took a stack of the S’mores Cookie Bars to share with his golf buddies and the overwhelming consensus was, they were one of the very best treats I’d had them taste so far!

Amazon Synopsis

For once, baker Sally Muccio’s life isn’t a recipe for disaster. She’s happy to be out celebrating her wedding anniversary… that is until she spies her friend Officer Brian Jenkins with a gorgeous blonde who is not his newlywed wife. The woman’s name is Kelsey Sherman, and it turns out she once dated Brian. Which doesn’t make Sal feel any better about the situation, but she decides to mind her own business and enjoy her evening.

Only before the night is over Kelsey is dead from a gunshot wound, and Brian is found standing over her body. To make matters worse, the bullet is confirmed to have come from his own gun. Brian swears he had nothing to do with the murder, and Sal believes him, even if the rest of the town’s convinced that he’s a total crumb. With nowhere else to turn, Brian asks for help to prove his innocence. But when the tables turn and someone tries to kill Sal as well, she might come out of this mess battered for life.

A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing a winner with a print copy of KNEE DEEP IN DOUGH! Contest ends Sunday, May 16, 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!)

S'mores Cookie Bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 (1.55-ounce) Hershy's Milk Chocolate bars, divided
1 (7-ounce) container marshmallow creme
3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
Create a foil sling for a 9-inch square baking dish. Fold 2 long sheets of foil to fit the inside of the baking dish then place them perpendicular to each other, allowing extra foil to hang over the edge of dish. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter with the granulated and brown sugars, and salt, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Stir in the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder. The mixture will be crumbly.
Reserve 1 cup of the dough and press the remaining dough into the prepared baking dish to form the crust.
Cover the crust with 5 chocolate bars, breaking bars as necessary to cover evenly. (Try to leave the bars as whole as possible.) Coarsely chop the remaining chocolate bar and set aside.
Spray a spatula with non-stick cooking spray and use to spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate bars.
Sprinkle the marshmallow fluff with mini marshmallows and the reserved cookie dough mixture.
Bake for 22 - 24 minutes or until the top looks golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped chocolate bar.
Allow the bars to completely cool until the chocolate has set, about 4 hours. Do not refrigerate.
Using the foil sling, remove the S'mores Cookie Bars from the dish and place on a chopping board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars with a knife spritzed with non-stick cooking spray.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

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