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DESSERT IS THE BOMB, by Catherine Bruns, is the eleventh book in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries. I think this series keeps getting better and better with each installment, which is saying a lot since I’ve loved it from the very first book. At the center is protagonist Sally Muccio Donovan and her zany, loveable family. The characters are what keeps me coming back to the series and this newest addition is no different. While Dessert is the Bomb can be read as a standalone, starting at the beginning will give the reader a greater appreciation of the author’s skills in developing and growing the characters. Each of the core characters are expertly penned with their own individual personalities and mannerisms. I’m especially drawn to Sally’s endearing, always misspeaking common clichéd sayings, grandmother. Some of them have me laughing out loud! Her funeral-home owning, Father of Death blogging father also adds a level of wacky humor.
When Sally’s cookie shop is threatened by Celeste Delgado, the owner of the new It’s the Bomb bakery right across the street, sparks fly. It gets even worse when Celeste inserts herself in between Sal’s parents creating a rift where there had only been unity before. Tempers flare and Sally and her best friend, Josie, are arrested for the murder of Celeste on Halloween night. A new detective in town seems to have it in for the pair. Joining in the effort to find the killer and clear Sally and Josie, are Sally’s grandmother and her elderly Sicilian friend, Nicoletta, who usually has a vendetta against Sally. Twists and turns keep the mystery fast-paced and clues are sprinkled throughout to keep a sharp reader on their toes. With several viable suspects, I was kept guessing throughout the story. As usual, Ms. Bruns has penned an entertaining read that keeps me coming back for more!
Sally and Josie bake up all sorts of tempting treats for the bakery and both agreed that their competitor, It’s the Bomb, also sold delectable desserts before the owner was brutally killed. Luckily for the reader, there are several enticing recipes included at the back of the book to try at home. I was honored when Catherine asked if I would like to come up with a recipe for chocolate smash bombs for the book. I was doubly honored when her designer was able to use my photos of the finished dessert for the cover of DESSERT IS THE BOMB! I stuck to a simple candy smash bomb and decorated it to fit the Halloween theme using candy melts, fondant cutouts, and colored sprinkles. Using your imagination to decorate for any holiday or event and filling with whatever treats you want, makes these a versatile and fun dessert.
Amazon Synopsis
Baker turned sometimes-sleuth Sally Muccio has always loved Halloween, but this year she has more on her mind than ghosts and goblins. In addition to catering a party at her wacky father’s funeral home, a competing bakery has just moved in across the street from Sally’s Samples. The new owner, Celeste Delgado, seems intent on burying Sal’s novelty cookie shop into the ground with her sensational smash cake bombs. Suddenly, the homemade fortune cookies that Sal and her best friend Josie create with loving care are predicting an ominous future for their business.
Before Sal can discover what’s behind Celeste’s grudge, the woman is killed by an explosion. To take the cake, Josie was heard threatening Celeste shortly before her death. A night in the slammer, another deadly explosion, and dangerous family secrets all add to Sal’s growing list of concerns. Like an oven timer, precious minutes of her life are ticking away. Can she find Celeste’s killer before everything blows up in her face?
A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of DESSERT IS THE BOMB. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, October 3, 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!)
- Small round bowls (equally sized) or specialty small ball pan such as from Wilton
- Small wooden or rubber food-safe mallets
- If using fortunes: paper and fine tip edible black pen
- 2-1/2 ounces chocolate candy melts for EACH 3-inch smash bomb
- Assorted candies to fit the theme of the holiday or event
- Candy melts in colors to fit the theme of the holiday or event
- Sparkling sugar in colors to fit the theme
- Fondant cut out in mini shapes to fit the theme
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If desired, cut small fortune cookie-sized strips of clean paper. Using a fine tip edible pen, write out fortunes or messages. Set aside.
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Melt the chocolate candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power in 30 second increments. Stir well after each heat cycle. As they begin to melt, stir to use the residual heat of the bowl to smooth out the chocolate, as much as possible. Do not overheat the chocolate or it will become thick and clumpy. If this happens, try adding a 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil at a time, stirring in well to smooth the chocolate out. It sometimes helps.
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Using a spoon, spread a thick layer of the melted chocolate into the cavities of the bowls. You will need 2 half spheres per smash bomb. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until chocolate is firm.
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If needed, re-melt the leftover chocolate (using the method above) then, using a pastry brush, spread a thin layer over the set chocolate. Refrigerate 5 minutes until firm.
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Carefully remove the chocolate half spheres from the molds. Fill half with your choice of candy and a fortune.
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Re-melt the leftover chocolate (using the method above) then, using a pastry brush, carefully brush the rim of the empty half sphere with the chocolate. Immediately press into the filled half sphere and align the halves together. If gaps are visible, use your finger or pastry brush to apply extra melted chocolate to fill them in. Refrigerate for 5 minutes until set. Repeat with remaining half spheres. To smooth out the seam, if necessary, dip a spoon in hot water then dry. Using the back of the heated spoon, gently smooth out the seams. Heat the spoon as often as necessary (just be sure to dry it before using) to melt the rough edges of seam into the sphere.
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Melt a small amount of candy melt colors to fit your theme. Place in a piping bag (or small ziplock sandwich bag) and snip a small opening. Drizzle over the tops and sides of the spheres, enough to cover the seams. Repeat with additional colors to create layers if desired. Refrigerate until firm.
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If desired, use coordinating sparkling sugar colors or sprinkles, and distribute over the drizzled candy melts before it sets.
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Alternately, cutout holiday-themed mini shapes from fondant. Using an edible pen, embellish as desired. Moistened the back of the fondant shape with a tiny bit of water to adhere to the spheres.
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Using a wooden or rubber food-safe mallet, smash through the chocolate sphere shell and enjoy the treats!
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Those chocolate bombs are so dang cute!
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is something I try to bake every fall.
Sounds like an amazing book. I just love this blog!
.Every year the Reece’s peanut butter cups are always a big hit. But I love the nostalgia of caramel apples plus there are so many ways to decorate and dress them up. Besides doesn’t the fruit part mean the candy part isn’t so bad for you? 🙂
Can’t wait for the opportunity to read “DESSERT IS THE BOMB” by Catherine Bruns and to try this recipe!
Popcorn balls, pumpkin bread and Frosted fall shaped cookies.
I do not make any Halloween treats. I like to eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. at Halloween – or any time!
I am with you!
It’s a chocolate piñata and I am so going to give this a try. I do not have any special Halloween treats that I make.
Those chocolate bombs are SO CUTE!! How creative! The book sounds like a great read! I usually make Halloween themed cupcakes every Oct. to celebrate my sister’s birthday(the 4th). I like to use the Halloween themed Marshmallow Peeps as part of the decoration.
No, I don’t. Unless apple pie counts.
When I was growing up, I used to help my Grandmother make caramel apples – so delicious!
No. I usually let my daughter-in-law do the baking.
Pumpkin spice muffins. So good!
These look so cute and delicious!?
These look like fun! We like to make a taffy apple pizza all fall long.
The bombs are so cute but i am not that talented. We love to make carmel apples but now where we live we get no trick or treaters so it is sad. We do get the mailman UPS and others and to them I make up a baggie of candy and give it to them. If it is warm outside I also give them a bottle of water and we do that year around. My hubby has been known to run after them down our windy driveway and the drivers burst out laughing he tells them that his wife would be so mad if he didn’t give them a bag of candy.
No i don’t have a Halloween treat that I make every year.
Caramel apples
I don’t make anything but I do love the small pumpkin candies, especially the gumdrop version.
These are so fun! I usually like to make cutout cookies and decorate them. Last year I found a recipe for apple cider caramels everyone loved, so I’ll for sure make those again.
I don’t make any Halloween treats but I do consume plenty!!
We have done caramel apples
The chocolate smash bombs are cute! My son requests hot dog mummies (wrapped in crescent roll dough) every year. This year we are going to try chicken “boo”dle soup–the bow tie pasta looks like bats!
We like to pick apples and them make Carmel ? in the fall. The smash bombs look like fun May try those.
Every year I make pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese frosting. I also make spiced apple cider with freshly made cider from a local farm.We pick apples there and eat them whole,in pies,cakes,crisps and a delicious apple cinnamon cheesecake.
I don’t usually make Halloween treats, I just buy a bunch of candy to give away.
I don’t make any but love anything with peanut butter and chocolate.
I don’t make Halloween treats, but I love the Reese’s pumpkins. Thank you for the recipe, and this chance!
I always serve Chili, Pigs-in-the-blanket and Caramel Apples! Thanks for the chance!
Those chocolate smash bombs look fabulous! Who wants to make me some?
No, I just buy a couple bags of chocolate candy even though I haven’t had any trick or treaters in about 20 years. Not even kids in the building.
I don’t make any Halloween treats. I buy bags of Reese’s cups and Butterfingers.
I don’t make Halloween treats, I buy them. I.usually buy a bag of candy, but I don’t get many trick or treaters.
I wish that I could say that I do but I don’t have a special Halloween treat that I make every year. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of Halloween. Thank you for the giveaway!
No, I usually set my sight on Christmas!
I don’t have any special treats that I make for Halloween. I know a lot that make popcorn balls but that’s not such a favorite with me.
Rice Krispies treats, Thanks for this amazingly generous giveaway.
Ooo, an edible piñata! Cool idea.
I don’t make anything special for Halloween now that my kids are adults but I do buy a lot of Taffy Apples! I love them!
Nothing special since the kids are grown and we are in an active 55 that does not have trick or treating… but it use to be homemade Peanut Butter chocolate cups.
i try pumpkin seeds every year but i keep messing it up
My daughter and I find something new each year to make. She was talking about some dark chocolate cookies she wants to make this year for Halloween.
Not doing the giveaway but had to say that your review is exactly what I want to hear about a book! I was going to wait until payday to buy this one you make me want it NOW!
No favorite but I do make pumpkin pies from now to Thanksgiving. Thank you for a chance to win a print copy of Dessert Is The Bomb.
The Chocolate bombs look delicious. No, I don’t make anything special.
I don’t make anything special. I made butternut squash soup with pumpkin pie spice. That counts, right?
I don’t have any Halloween treats to make every year but my niece and nephew would love this. Will try.
I love to make iced sugar cookies in Halloween shapes every year.
no homemade treats, I like all the little candy bars
Thank you for your wonderful giveaway and I love candy corn and peanuts mixed together. Always make a me think of Fall.
I do not make homemade Halloween treats. I buy caramel apples and the fun-sized candy bars.
Apple cinnamon pancakes
I don’t have any homemade Halloween treats that I make.
I don’t bake much for Halloween. One year I did make a meat graveyard cake for my students, though
That should have said NEAT graveyard cake…a meat one sounds awful ?
Thanks for the giveaway! I don’t really make halloween treats but I do eat more than my fair share of Reese Peanut Butter Cups!
Thank you so much for sharing. This sounds like such a fun book.
Sticky Toffee Pudding! I’m going to try these with my kids, thank you for sharing!
These look like so much fun not to mention yummy! I’d love to win a copy of this book.
Thank you! One year I spent hours making the cutest scarecrow cupcakes for my son’s kindergarten class for Halloween. I was so proud of them! They turned out looking just like the picture, I loved it! Anyway, I brought them to the party and the kids looked at them and hated them ? because they had shredded wheat for hay and they wouldn’t even touch let alone taste them!! I was so sad ?
I don’t make any special treats but I do buy them! I can enjoy all the yummy treats and don’t have to clean up my mess!?
i love making chocolate chip pumpkin cookies!
I don’t make Halloween treats. I wonder why I don’t!
I don’t make any treats, but I love almost anything Caramel Apple flavored.
We like making popcorn balls
I love making Pumpkin Muffins for a Halloween treat for myself and my family. These Smash Bombs are gorgeous!