April 2019 - Cinnamon and Sugar

Lemon Tea Cakes

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SIFTING THROUGH CLUES, the eighth book in the Cook Book Nook Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber, captures the spirit of all that is great about cozy mysteries. An engaging, amateur sleuth with a crime for her to solve; memorable characters; delightful settings; and mouth-watering food! The charming town of Crystal Cove, California is hosting the Book Club Bonanza week-long event and the protagonist, Jenna Hart, is preparing all sorts of displays, crafts, and food at her shop, the Cookbook Nook and Café. As so often happens when I’ve read the Cook Book Nook mysteries in the past, I end up having a list of books mentioned in the story that I want to buy. I love how Ms. Gerber weaves appropriate titles into the theme of events happening in the town. Jenna is surrounded by a good cast of family and friends and I enjoy how the author has not only developed the protagonist, but the supporting characters as well.

When a member of Jenna’s Mystery Maven book club is found murdered during their progressive dinner, everyone looks to Jenna to help solve it. The town’s Chief of Police, Cinnamon, happens to be Jenna’s good friend but Cinnamon doesn’t want her help, causing a strain on the friendship. But as Jenna hears people talk, she can’t help but start piecing the puzzle together and getting involved. There were plenty of suspects to keep me guessing with clever twists to the plot. The author provides an exciting conclusion and the wrap-up is heartwarming, bringing the story of family and friendship full circle.

All sorts of yummy goodies come out of the kitchen of the Cookbook Nook’s café and the author includes multiple recipes at the back of the book, both sweet and savory, and they all sound fantastic! Lemon is a favorite flavor in my family and I was drawn to the recipe for Lemon Teacakes, especially since we’ve had a bumper crop of lemons this year. I like that the batter is baked in small or mini loaf pans, so that this delectable treat can easily be shared. Quite some time ago I purchased a mini bundt cake pan which I (finally) used with some of the batter. I loved how elegant they turned out, but the mini loaf pans worked just as well. Lemon Tea Cakes have layers of bright, sunny flavor thanks to plenty of lemon juice and zest used in the sweet quick bread batter, glaze, and frosting. Summer in a dessert!

Amazon Synopsis

Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour.

As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before Pepper’s goose is cooked . . .

A special thanks to Daryl Wood Gerber for providing a winner with their choice of one of the following books: Final Sentence; Inherit the Word; Stirring the Plot; Fudging the Books; Grilling the Subject; Pressing the Issue; Wreath Between the Lines. Contest ends Sunday, April 28, 2019 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!)

Lemon Tea Cakes

From Jenna: As promised by Sweet Pea Bakery, the food truck that was serving high tea near Azure Park, I found this recipe on its website. It is moist and delicious and would make lovely gifts, wrapped in cellophane bags and ribbons. You can use small or mini loaf pans. If using the latter, be sure you reduce the baking time.

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
5 tablespoons lemon zest, approximately 3 - 4 lemons
8 ounces unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup lemon juice, no pulp, no seeds
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice, no pulp, no seeds

For the frosting:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 tablespoons lemon juice, no pulp, no seeds

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray 5 - 6 small loaf pans or 10 - 12 mini loaf pans with nonstick oil.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and stir well to let the lemon oil mix with the sugar.
Cream the butter and lemon/sugar mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another small bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla
Add half of the flour mixture to the eggs/lemon/sugar mixture and then add half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat and beat until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans, filling about 2/3 full.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Reduce baking time if using mini loaf pans.
When the cakes are done, remove from oven and let cool for about 15 - 20 minutes before removing from pan.

For the syrup:

Meanwhile, while the cake is cooling, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to simmer and cook until the syrup thickens, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
After turning the cakes out of their pans, set on a tray lined with parchment paper and poke holes in the bottom of the cakes using a skewer. Then drizzle half of the syrup over the holes. Turn the cakes over and drizzle the remaining syrup over the tops of the cakes. Smooth with the back of a spoon. Let cool.

For the frosting:

While the cakes cool completely, make the frosting. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a smooth but thin frosting. Add more lemon juice or water, if necessary. Pour the frosting over the tops of the cakes and let the frosting firm up. Serve immediately or cool in the refrigerator.

Notes:

These cake do well in the freezer. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer bags.
Yield: 5 - 6 small loaf cakes or 10 - 12 mini loaf cakes

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I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spot Prawns with Citrus and Harissa

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MURDER FROM SCRATCH is the fourth book in the Sally Solari Mystery series by Leslie Karst. I’ve read the previous three books and have greatly enjoyed the way she’s focused on one of the five senses in each book. However, this book is my favorite so far and I feel that the author has found her stride. Restauranteur Sally Solari may be the protagonist, but the author manages to integrate Sally’s blind cousin, Evelyn, effectively into the story. I was fascinated by the details brought into play, showing the reader how a blind person lives and accomplishes day-to-day things that the rest of us take for granted. I was pleased that Evelyn is not a figure to pity, but instead is a fully developed character who is inspirational. Well, I did pity Evelyn because her mother was murdered, but the young woman manages to move forward and try to do everything she can to find the truth. I admire the way Ms. Karst focuses on the strength of family, especially when Sally takes in her orphaned cousin, despite not knowing her, because “nothing trumped famiglia.” She provides heartwarming scenes that tug at the heart and pulls the reader into the story.

Sally is becoming quite skilled at juggling her restaurant, Gauguin, along with employees, friends, and family, while hunting down suspects who may have wanted her aunt dead. Her hunt gives the reader a peek at the cutthroat practices of the restaurant business… and it’s brutal. Even though the police rule the death as a suicide, Sally perseveres and starts asking questions based on her cousin’s observations using senses that have been greatly developed due to her lack of sight. There were plenty of people who might have had issues with Sally’s aunt and I had a difficult time guessing the correct suspect as the story unfolded. With the reveal, Ms. Karst wrapped the story up in an exciting manner that had me turning pages until I read the very last word.

As a restauranteur, Sally cooks some amazing dishes and the reader will be drooling throughout the entire book. I love that the author provides several savory recipes at the back of the book and they all sound company-worthy. I was drawn to the recipe for Spotted Prawns with Harissa Sauce. Aside from some prep work that can be done ahead of time, this dish quickly cooks and looks impressive when served. The explosions of flavors in the dish complement each other, providing a delectable meal that will earn the home chef rave reviews!

Amazon Synopsis

Restaurateur Sally Solari’s cousin Evelyn may be blind, but she can see all too clearly that her chef mother’s death wasn’t an accidental overdose―she was murdered.

Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari’s life is already boiling over as she deals with irate cooks and other staffing issues at the busy Gauguin restaurant. The rainy December weather isn’t cooling things down, either. So she’s steamed when her dad persuades her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose mother has just died of a drug overdose.

But Evelyn proves to be lots of fun and she’s a terrific cook. Back at the house she’d shared with her mom, Evelyn’s heightened sense of touch tells her that various objects―a bottle of cranberry juice, her grandfather’s jazz records―are out of place. She and her mom always kept things in the same place so Evelyn could find them. So she suspects that her mother’s death was neither accident nor suicide, no matter what the police believe.

The cousins’ sleuthing takes Sally and Evelyn into the world of macho commercial kitchens, and the cutthroat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs. In Leslie Karst’s scrumptious fourth Sally Solari mystery, Sally will have to chop a long list of suspects down to size or end up getting burned.

A special thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of MURDER BY SCRATCH. Contest ends Monday, April 22, 2019 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!)

Spot Prawns with Citrus and Harissa

Gauguin prepares this recipe with spot prawns (a kind of large shrimp) because of their sweet, almost lobster-like flavor and because the seasonal harvest is limited and sustainable, thus allowing for the health of the species. But if you can't find spot prawns, feel free to substitute a different variety of shrimp (just be sure to check with your seafood supplier to learn which varieties are deemed the "Best Choice" the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program). We peel the shrimp before cooking but leave the tails intact for eye appeal and added flavor.

Harissa is a spicy North African condiment made from roasted hot chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, cumin, coriander, caraway, and other spices. Tubes or jars of this paste can be found in most supermarkets in the United States, but if you can't locate it, feel free to substitute another hot chili sauce such as sriracha (to which you could add cumin, coriander, and caraway to make for an even better substitute). If you are sensitive to spicy food, use only half the amount of harissa specified, then taste and add more if needed.

This dish is best served with steamed basmati or jasmine rice, and would pair nicely with a crisp green salad.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, halved, then thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon harissa
1 pound raw spot prawns or other shrimp, peeled (with tails intact)
2 seedless oranges, peeled and white pith removed, then cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, then add onions and sauté until they soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the onions start to brown.
Pour in the lemon and orange juices and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Then add the butter and harissa and toss to incorporate.
Once the butter has melted, add the prawns/shrimp and sauté until they turn from white to pink. Add the orange chunks and toss just long enough for them to heat through.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with the chopped cilantro.

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Rosemary Cornmeal Madeleines

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COOKIN’ THE BOOKS, the first book in the brand new Tish Tarragon Mysteries by Amy Patricia Meade is a delightful start to a fun series! I love the premise of protagonist Tish Tarragon’s new business as owner of literary-themed Cookin’ the Books Café along with catering, in Hobson Glen, Virginia. Her food revolves around pun-y titles pertaining to literary works such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Baked Ham, to give an example. I was entertained by the cleverness of the titles and yummy sounding dishes. In addition, her café has shelves that showcase a variety of cookbooks and literary works from international destinations, along with a lending library. Sounds like a great place to hang out!

Her very first catering job is for the local library fundraising dinner, hired at the last minute by Binnie Broderick, the Executive Director of the library. Binnie is a very unpleasant woman and almost everyone in town hated her. When she dies after taking two bites of Tish’s catered dinner, all eyes are on Tish and her friends helping her serve the dinner. Tish must clear their names and save her fledgling business even though she hasn’t even opened the café. With just about everyone in town having disputes with the victim, Tish has plenty of suspects to sift through. I enjoyed that most of her suspects understood and cooperated with her questions without getting uncomfortably upset. Tish’s two friends, Mary Jo and Julian (who is also the Channel 10 weatherman), are great sidekicks, providing opportunities for fun interaction and dialog along with helping in her investigation. As Tish narrows down the suspects, the reader is pulled in for the exciting reveal while the author effectively ties the subplots together. This is a fun mystery with great characters and I’m looking forward to future books in this new series!

While the book doesn’t contain recipes, Ms. Mead has created a recipe for Cornmeal Rosemary Madeleines that her protagonist loves to serve to her friends and clients. When I think of madeleines, I always think of sweet, cake-like treats. I love the idea of using the elegant madeleine pan for a savory side dish to serve alongside soup, chili, or salad. Warmed up with a little butter to melt into the cheesy cornbread goodness with the hint of rosemary, I’ll be making these frequently instead of the generic pan of cornbread that I usually do.

Amazon Synopsis

Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon fights to save her reputation and catch a killer when a murder occurs during a fundraising dinner for the local library. Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon has just moved to Hobson Glen and opened a new restaurant and catering business, Cookin’ the Books Cafe. So when her new landlord, Schulyer Thompson, recommends her to Binnie Broderick, the executive director of the local library, Tish is delighted. Binnie needs a last-minute caterer to create a literary inspired three-course dinner for the library’s annual fundraiser, one of the highlights of Hobson Glen’s social season. But there’s a problem: Binnie Broderick is a notoriously difficult woman to please. And when she chokes to death from arsenic poisoning after dousing her main course in hot sauce, Tish suddenly finds herself fighting to save her business – and her reputation. It seems that very few of Hobson Glen’s residents escaped Binnie’s disapproval. But who would want her dead, and why?

A special thanks to Amy Patricia Meade for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of COOKIN’ THE BOOKS. Contest ends Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. and Canadian 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!)

Rosemary Cornmeal Madeleines

Ingredients

1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder
1/3 teaspoon (0.5 mL) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (50 mL) grated Asiago cheese
1 clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Spray Madeleine molds with nonstick cooking spray.
Beat butter, sugar and egg on medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy. Add buttermilk; mix well. (Mixture will look curdled).
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Add to creamed mixture on low speed, mixing until smooth. Stir in grated cheese, garlic and rosemary. Spoon batter into prepared molds, filling about three-quarter full.
Bake in centre of preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until firm on top. Remove from molds and cool completely on wire rack.

Tip:

These tend to dry out quickly so it’s best to eat them within 24 hours of baking - which typically isn’t a problem in our cheese loving house!

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Coming September 1, 2019

Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Garden-themed luncheon for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club’s president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards – and how desperate they are to win. Wealthy, retired businessman Sloane Shackleford has won the coveted best garden category five years in a row, but he and his Bichon Frise, Biscuit, are universally despised. When Sloane’s bludgeoned body is discovered in his pristine garden, Tish soon learns that he was disliked for reasons that go beyond his green fingers. Have the hotly contested awards brought out a competitive and murderous streak in one of the residents?

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Banana Bread

It’s a pleasure to welcome Paige Shelton back to my blog as she celebrates her new release, THE LOCH NESS PAPERS! Thanks for joining us today, Paige, and sharing your memories of your grandmother and baking, along with your amazing Banana Bread recipe!

***

Did you have a grandmother who baked? Maybe you were one of the lucky ones and the child (your mother or father) of that grandmother paid attention and learned how to bake the most amazing things in the world. Or, maybe, none of your grandmother’s kids paid a bit of attention to her baking because they didn’t understand how amazing it was, didn’t ever think to write down recipes, didn’t care. Maybe, you, as the grandchild, have spent many moments throwing your hands up in disbelief. How did no one write anything down?

You can probably guess which group I belong to. Yep, my grandmother made the most amazing baked goods; she should have had her own bakery instead of three children who took her for granted. Okay, so maybe they didn’t take her for granted, but they did take her baking skills for granted.

I might get over this someday.

At least I got to enjoy her ways in the kitchen when I was a child. She’s been gone a long, long time now, and I still think of her and miss her often. Some of my best memories of her are the time we spent together in her kitchen. Food is such a thing, isn’t it?

She was one of those people who, though she might not have shown it, would be insulted if her baked goods, sitting there on the kitchen counters and table wrapped or hidden under a domed cake platter, weren’t eaten. No one ever ignored them, really, but I remember a tsk or two when they weren’t noticed right off.

There’s a woman like that in my upcoming book, “The Loch Ness Papers.” I love that writing gives me a chance to remember people I want to remember just by throwing in a trait or a turn of a phrase they use, or used to use. In the book there’s a loaf of banana bread that better not get ignored.

Unfortunately, I don’t have my grandmother’s banana bread recipe (see earlier note about throwing hands up in the air), but I do have a really good one.

I’m not sure exactly where I got it, but I think it came from a cookbook. The last part about adding the sugar on the bottom came from a friend though. Thanks to Shannon for that added touch.

Enjoy!

Thank you for letting me stop by today. Kim is so amazing; it’s always a thrill to be a part of her blog.

A special thanks to Paige Shelton for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of THE LOCH NESS PAPERS. Contest ends Monday, April 8, 2019 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!)

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
Extra sugar to put on the bottom of the loaf after baking
1/3 cup softened butter (I always use salted because I usually have it)
2 eggs
3 to 4 medium ripe bananas
1/3 cup water
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Sometimes I add about ½ cup nuts or chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, but most of the time I don’t.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease (or cooking spray) loaf pan.
Mix sugar and butter until only slightly crumbly.
Stir in eggs until blended.
Add bananas and water, beat 30 seconds.
Stir in remaining ingredients except nut or chips. Once everything is evenly moistened, add nuts or chips if using.
Pour into pan.
Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (8-inch loaf pan: 65 - 75 minutes. 9-inch loaf pan: 55 to 60 minutes)
Cool 5 minutes in pan.
Sprinkle some sugar on a flat surface.
Loosen side of loaf from pan and remove. Rub the bottom of the loaf gently over the sugar to coat the bottom, and then cool completely before slicing (this cooling step takes FORVER, particularly when your mouth is watering).

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Amazon Synopsis

Bookseller Delaney Nichols befriends a Loch Ness monster enthusiast; when he stands accused of murder she’ll do whatever it takes to learn who the killer is―and whether Nessie herself is really lurking in the Scottish waters.

Delaney Nichols is delighted with her life in Edinburgh, working at The Cracked Spine―a shop that specializes in hard-to-find books and artifacts. With a job she loves, and her fast approaching marriage to devastatingly handsome Scottish pub-owner Tom Shannon, Delaney’s life could be straight out of a fairy tale―at least it would be, if the pastor meant to perform the wedding ceremony hadn’t recently passed away. Outside the church where Delaney is searching for another reverend, she stumbles across Norval Fraser: an elderly man obsessed with the Loch Ness monster. Always attracted to the interesting and unusual, Delaney befriends Norval. But when his nephew is found dead, the police decide Norval’s obsession has moved from monsters to murder.

With a wedding to plan, her family arriving soon from Kansas, and the arrival of an over-the-top Texan with a wildly valuable book, Delaney’s plate is full to bursting, but she can’t abandon her new friend. Determined to help Norval, she sets out to learn the truth. The Loch Ness buries its secrets deeply, but Delaney is determined to dig them up―whether Nessie likes it or not.

My Review

THE LOCH NESS PAPERS, the fourth book in the Scottish Book Shop Mystery series by Paige Shelton, transports the reader to a land full of mystical intrigue! I’ve always been fascinated by myths and legends of other countries and loved the way the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie) is central to this tale. Ms. Shelton weaves in information on some “historical” sightings making me think just perhaps this mythical beast might actually exist… the hallmark of a great storyteller! She also captures the charming atmosphere of Scotland and the Scottish people. I love how she imbues her characters with brogues, providing authenticity to the setting. Between the Cracked Spine Book Shop, Edinburgh, and Loch Ness, the reader will feel like they are on a delightful vacation. I was especially drawn to her description of the protagonist’s visit to Urquhart Castle situated next to Loch Ness, since I had the pleasure of visiting the location many years ago. It brings back fond memories of watching a bagpiper climb the castle ruins and play his haunting music!

Protagonist Delaney Nichols is an American transplant to Edinburgh, Scotland and is preparing for her wedding to pub owner, Tom. She connects with Norval Fraiser, an elderly Nessie enthusiast, who has devoted his life to researching the Loch Ness monster. Delaney gets pulled into researching the death of his great-nephew after Norval is accused of murder. Ms. Shelton’s portrayal of the obsessive/compulsive elderly man is treated with sensitivity and she pulls the reader in as she peels back of the layers of the man’s life to figure out his obsession. The subplots intertwined with the main murder mystery contribute to a page turner that, at times, had me on the edge of my seat. With plenty of suspects mixed in with twists and turns, I was breathless as I read the exciting conclusion. Ms. Shelton has once again proven she can bring exciting suspense to a charming setting with delightful results!

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.