TOWN IN A MAPLE MADNESS, the eighth book in the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery series by B.B. Haywood, starts off with a bang from the very first page! The author sets the stage, pulling you in, keeping you guessing and turning pages throughout the entire book. The protagonist, Candy Holliday, works part-time for the newspaper in Cape Willington, Maine. She also helps her father, Doc, with their blueberry farm when it’s in season, and helps other farmers in the area during their particular seasonal crop. The town is preparing for a new annual celebration, Maple Madness weekend, to be held in conjunction with the state’s Maine Maple Sunday… and yes, I researched and found out Maine really does hold a Maple Sunday celebration! Cape Willington will be holding demonstrations on how sugar maple sap becomes maple syrup along with many ways to use and eat maple syrup. I was astounded at the variety of food the author weaves into the book and I enjoyed the tidbits of information surrounding the maple syrup small farm industry sprinkled throughout the book.
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The setting of Cape Willington is a quaint, close-knit town with a history of a long-standing feud between the two wealthiest families who settled the area. There is a mystery surrounding this feud with the thread running through the entire series, however, the books can all be read on their own without the reader getting lost. Being a Southern California gal, my mouth dropped open when I read that Candy thinks it’s almost balmy in late March as spring is arriving… and it’s only a touch above 40 degrees! I have come to the firm conclusion that it takes a hardy person to live and thrive in Maine, especially during winter and early spring. Between the low temperatures and the icy mucky mud the residents have to endure, I have a new found appreciation for people who choose to live there.
However, on the positive side, the residents do get to indulge in fresh maple syrup each season. B.B. Haywood provides plenty of recipes at the back of the book for using pure maple syrup and they all sound fabulous! Being a huge fan of cookies, I chose to make Melody’s Cafe’s Maple Drop Cookies. A generous amount of maple syrup along with maple extract provide the recognizable flavor to these cake-like cookies. I always have a stash of maple sugar in my pantry and sprinkled some on top of the cookies just before baking for added maple sweetness. This recipe makes a lot of small, bite-sized cookies, which are sure to bring a smile to all those you share with!
Amazon Synopsis
The imminent arrival of spring has the locals gearing up for their sweetest celebration ever—the first annual Maple Madness Weekend. Along with maple sugar house tours, a community-wide marshmallow roast, and a weekend-long pancake breakfast, restaurants will be serving up special maple syrup dishes. But the weekend festivities are put in jeopardy when things start to get sticky…
One of Candy’s friends is accused of stealing sap from a rival’s sugar maple trees, and landscaper Mick Rilke is found dead, floating down the river wrapped up in a fisherman’s net. As Candy taps into Mick’s life, his unsavory side comes to light, as well as a possible connection to both crimes. Now it’s up to Candy to follow the flow of suspects to a cold-blooded killer…
A huge thank you to B.B. Haywood for providing a print copy of TOWN IN A MAPLE MADNESS to one winner. Limited to U.S. residents only, please. Contest ends Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. 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!)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 teaspoons maple extract (vanilla can also be used)
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).
- Grease or line with parchment paper, one cookie sheet.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the maple syrup and sugar together.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add the sour cream and mix.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. (You can also use the microwave.) When the butter is melted, add it to the bowl and mix well.
- Add the maple extract (or vanilla). Mix well.
- Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
- The dough will be sticky, and that is fine.
- Drop by small teaspoons onto the greased (or lined) cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 8 minutes or until firm-looking and golden brown on the bottoms.
- Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
- Makes about 6 - 8 dozen small cookies, depending on size.
- I always have maple sugar in my pantry. Sprinkle a bit on top of the cookie dough right before baking for an added maple burst of sweetness.
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I received an advanced copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’ve never experienced maple syrup harvesting, but I’ve seen the drips and buckets on trees in our area before.
I have watched maple syrup harvesting on TV but never seen it in person. It looks very interesting.
In Burton, OH each year they hold a maple festival that deals with making maple syrup, maple sugar candy and anything else you might think of that deals with maple syrup. I’ve attended several times and saw the trees that have been tapped and then viewed the process of turning it to syrup. One of the best things was the maple stir that turns maple syrup into maple sugar. Yum.
No, I’ve never experienced maple syrup harvesting.
I’ve never personally seen it harvested, but I’ve watched the process on TV. I prefer maple syrup over the other flavored brands.
No, I’ve never experienced maple syrup harvesting. Missed it on my trip to Vermont but did get some fresh syrup.
My sister-in-law did it. takes a lot to make 1 pint.
I live in Florida and have never seen a maple syrup harvest. It sounds like a lot of fun though.
I’ve never experienced it personally but I love seeing the buckets on the trees around my town and there are many places to go watch it being boiled down and places to buy local syrup. I guess one of the perks of living in NH.
No, I have never been to maple syrup harvest. But would love to go to one.
No I haven’t….not yet….
Only in books
I have never seen a maple harvest.
I’ve never seen the harvesting but have bought gallons of the syrup over the years when we visit cousins in Vermont.. Good stuff!
I haven’t but I have heard multiple first-hand accounts from relatives and seen pictures. It would be fun, sometime!
I have never been to a maple syrup harvesting, but I bet it would be a lot of fun!
No I haven’t had the experience always lived in Ca until 15 years ago then Ia and not traveled very far due to being disabled. I have watched how to do it on tv and it looks so interesting. I haven’t had a real maple syrup except Log Cabin and the ones that you buy in the store. Thank you for offering a print copy of your book it sounds so good.
Log Cabin is NOT, I repeat, NOT maple syrup. It is maple flavored corn syrup.
Treat yourself to the real thing and you will taste the difference.
I’ve had this series on my list for the longest time! It sounds so fun!
I would love to see a maple harvest!
Some years back my two kids were being home-schooled and we took a group to see maple syrup production at a little place.
No, I’ve never experienced the harvesting but have received maple syrup from relatives in PA who are in the business. Delicious!!
I have never seen maple syrup harvesting. Sound interesting.
They harvested sap from the maple trees on our local golf course last year—then sold the bottles of syrup right there later in the summer. It was REALLY good.
My Amish friends harvest sap and makes syrup. I will be baking these cookies!
First I love maple syrup, maple candy, maple cookies…get the pattern. I have never experienced the harvesting…but it is on my “Bucket List.”
No, I haven’t. I was always a little envious of a friend who went with her husband’s family each year to collect the syrup.
I have never experienced maple harvesting but it looks fun! Thank you for this giveaway!
No I have not myself collected the syrup.
My mother in law dabbled in collecting some syrup from trees on her property. I don’t know if I have the patience for that!
I’ve never seen a maple syrup harvesting in person, but I have seen it done on TV.
No, I haven’t!
No, I have never experienced maple syrup harvesting, but I would like to someday!
No I have not experience maple syrup harvesting, but it sounds amazing!
I have also never seen maple syrup harvesting, but love the taste of it!
No I never experienced maple syrup harvesting. But I love maple syrup. And Town In A Maple Murder sounds like an interesting book. Thank you for a chance to win a print copy.
I have read lots of mysteries with maple sugaring described & seen photos but have never seen it in person. Thanks for the cookie recipe.
I have never attended a maple sugaring harvest but have read about it in books.
I have never attended maple sugar harvesting – but sounds like fun from what I have read.
I love maple syrup so will definitely try this recipe.
I have! I’ve been homeschooling for 17 years, and have taken the kids several times to a local farm.
I have no experience at all with maple syrup harvesting except for what I’ve read in books throughout the years. I don’t think they do it here in Calif. I like seeing pictures of it.
I have never seen maple syrup harvesting, but I sure do want to try these cookies.I’ll bet they would be good with a maple glaze.
I’ve never experienced Maple Syrup harvesting. I grew up in Florida & were never further north than Georgia.
Nope. I have never seen Maple harvesting but I sure would like to go to New England one day. That would be on the top of my list as well as visit the coastal towns and watch the changing leaves…one day! Thank you for the contest.
Marilyn Watson ewatvess@yahoo.com
While I have never gone to a “real” harvesting in Vermont, I DID visit a maple farm in Utah what seems like millennia ago in my girl scouting days and we got to watch the process from tapping the trees, gathering the buckets of sap, boiling it in HUGE cauldrons until it was just a tiny amount of syrup from gallons upon gallons of the sap. We got to try maple sugar and all kinds of different maple infused products. Would love to experience that again!
No. But when I was 10 we had traveled back east for a tournament, Took our time visiting several states while we were at it. An extended vacation. Didn’t mind missing school at all. The teacher said we would get extra credit if we gave a good report on the places we visited. we stopped at a place where they had a family farm and watched them harvest. Remember being cooled, but fascinated. Then bored when they said how long it takes to fill a bucket. It has been a family tradition for decades he told us, that they were the best sugarbush or something like that. Then told us the history, grading, when to get the lightest. The darkest. Gave each of us kids maple candy. Told us how it was done. The folks bought three different grades. Thought the light amber looked the best. But the dark one was far more flavorful. So after we all had decided what ones we liked the best Dad contacted them and we had a regular shipment. I still order mine from back east.
Yes I have. When I was younger my family used to tap a few trees in our yard to get the syrup. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work but totally worth it.
There was a place where I raised my boys that had maple syrup harvesting. I would take them with the cub scouts and they learned all about the process and at the end they would get pancakes with syrup!
Never have experienced maple syrup harvesting.
I haven’t, however I buy maple syrup that is harvested from our local outdoor school.
No I never have which is sad because my grandparents lived in Maine and had maple trees that they tapped for syrup! But we never lived near them as my Dad was career Army and we moved a lot but never near them!
Looks interesting but he have done maple harvesting.
No, I’ve never experienced maple syrup harvesting. It looks interesting.
No, I have never experienced Maple syrup harvesting, but I loved learning about and seeing it on TV. I love pure maple syrup! There is no other syrup that tastes as good in my opinion! 🙂
I’ve not witnessed maple syrup harvesting but switched to real maple syrup (as opposed to the Mrs. Butterworth variety) several years ago. The cookie recipe sounds delicious!!
I love maple! I have never seen it harvested, but will definitely do so if I have the opportunity. Thank you for the fun giveaway and the great recipe!