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SILENT NIGHTS ARE MURDER is the ninth book in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries by Libby Klein. This is one of those series that the second I receive the new release, I immediately move it to the top of my TBR pile. With laugh-out-loud one-liner zingers, zany characters that keep you on your toes, hilarious descriptive analogies, and a complex mystery to solve, it’s no wonder this continues to rate as one of my favorite series. Protagonist Poppy McAllister has her hands full trying to keep her Aunt Ginny corralled, and her internal dialog relating to all the madcap antics kept me giggling. Besides Aunt Ginny, the supporting characters are all well-developed and each has their own unique personalities. I adore Poppy’s relationship with Gia and his young son. Each scene they inhabit brings special tender moments.
Despite it being the Christmas season, there’s a grinch who’s not happy with a fish supplier in town. When his body is found, along with a note to ‘Get Poppy’ in the freezer of Poppy’s ex’s restaurant, Poppy gets pulled into the investigation even though it has nothing to do with her… or so she thinks. Ms. Klein’s attention to detail and her careful plotting of clues takes the reader on the chase to find the killer before they strike again. Just when I thought I’d figured it out, another piece of the puzzle was revealed and had me guessing all over again. But, at the conclusion, I found answers to all my questions. The ending left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling and a longing to have the next book in my hands already!
Not only does Poppy cook dishes for her and Aunt Ginny’s B&B, but she bakes for Gia’s coffee shop and works as a temporary pastry chef at her ex’s restaurant while hunting down the murderer. Needless to say, there are all sorts of mouthwatering dishes mentioned throughout, so be prepared to be hungry or make one of the author’s recipes included at the back of the book before reading. With a Christmas theme, I was happy to find several yummy recipes that are perfect for the season. I couldn’t wait to make the Gluten-free Gingerbread Biscotti. Perfectly sweetened and chockful of warming spices and bits of candied ginger, these make the perfect holiday gift for friends and family, even if they don’t need to eat gluten-free. That is, if you don’t devour them all yourself first 😊
Amazon Synopsis
Ever since Thanksgiving, when an engagement ring in a velvet box—and no gift tag—was left behind, Poppy and her pals have been left with an unsolved mystery. But at least this mystery isn’t the kind that involves murder. That all changes when the body of a fish supplier is discovered in the kitchen of her ex’s restaurant—and he’s frozen, not fresh.
For once, it’s not Poppy who tripped over the corpse, yet she can’t escape being drawn in since the victim has a note taped to him reading Get Poppy. Figures—an engagement ring isn’t labeled, but the dead guy is addressed to her. Now, while Aunt Ginny plans a tree-trimming party and pressures Poppy to decode a mysterious old diary, the amateur sleuth is asked to “unofficially” go undercover at the restaurant to help the police. Until then, the only crime Poppy had been dealing with was the cat Figaro’s repeated thefts of bird ornaments from the tree; now it looks like it’s going to be a murder-y Christmas after all . . .
A special thanks to Kensington Publishing for offering a print copy of SILENT NIGHTS ARE MURDER to one lucky winner! Contest ends September 29, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)
Yield: around 16 biscotti
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, if not included in your gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced fine
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1 bag white chocolate chips for melting and dipping after baking
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F) or 300 degrees (F) for convection.
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Mix butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix until combined.
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In a separate bowl, combine the almond meal, gluten-free flour, xanthan gum if needed, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and sea salt. whisk together.
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Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in the diced crystallized ginger and chopped almonds.
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Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper, and form into a log. Flatten the log into the size and shape you want your finished biscotti pieces to be. Roll the log up into the parchment paper to prevent the dough from spreading all over the pan. It will bake into this shape, so be sure it is as long and flat as you want your cookies to be when you slice them.
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Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Gently and carefully unwrap the dough from the parchment. Return to the oven and bake for 10 - 15 minutes longer, until it is dry and firm to the touch. Remove to cool on a wire rack.
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Once the dough is cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully slice the log into 1-inch-thick biscotti. The dough won't be cooperative--don't worry. You can mash any broken pieces together for toasting, and they'll stay together.
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Place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until slightly crispy. I like to gently touch them to see if they are dry. They will get crunchier as they cool.
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Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl on high, about a 1 minute or 1 minute, 30 seconds. Dip each cooled biscotti in white chocolate and place on parchment paper to set. You can either dip the tops, like you're frosting them, or dip one half. It's up to you. I love the way the white chocolate gets all melty when I dip my biscotti into my coffee, so I dip the entire top edge.
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The dough is very sticky. I chilled it for 30 minutes before forming into a log in the parchment paper.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Those sound delicious! The book sounds like a fun read! I love Christmas themed books.
I love cozy Mysteries!
Sounds like a book I will enjoy.
This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series! I love the author’s sense of humor, and I adore Fig! The recipe looks delicious!
Thank you for the GF recipe! Love it. And love cozies!
The recipe is fantastic! Thank you for the contest and a new series …..looks very fun!
Sounds interesting and fun to read. Recipe sounds yummy! The wrong email is on the contest. How to change it? Thank you