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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!)

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Gluten-free Gingerbread Biscotti

Yield: around 16 biscotti

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F) or 300 degrees (F) for convection.

2. Mix butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix until combined.

3. 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.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in the diced crystallized ginger and chopped almonds.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Note:

1. 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.

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STICKS AND SCONES is the nineteenth book in the Bakeshop Mysteries by Ellie Alexander. If you’re new to the series, rest assured the author does an amazing job of keeping newbies informed (or, if you’re like me and haven’t kept up with all the books, it’s easy to catch up within the story) with enough backstory so you’ll never feel lost. However, this is one of those series where the character development over the years is worth reading from start to finish. (And I really need to take my own advice, lol!) Protagonist Juliet—Jules—Capshaw, owner of Torte bakery in Ashland, Oregon, is one of those people you’d love to sit down with and savor a cup of coffee and a pastry. And I’d never turn down a chance to sip a glass of wine with her charming vintner/chef husband, Carlos! Together, they are a couple everyone should aspire to. Jules and Carlos both treat everyone in their orbit with love, affection, and, most of all, respect. It’s no wonder their businesses have flourished and the skills of their employees have expanded. Ms. Alexander’s strong descriptive voice brings both the characters and the setting to life, yet imbues an emotional depth.

While it may be the characters that keep bringing readers back, the author pens well-plotted mysteries that keep them turning pages. In this newest story, Jule’s best friend, Lance, is opening a stage production with a new theater troupe and staging it at Uva, Carlos and Jules winery. It’s a tremendous success until the leading actor meets his demise. As Jules asks questions and listening to “gossip” it becomes apparent no one is mourning his loss…and some just might be celebrating. This brings a slew of suspects to sift through, especially when all the major players seem to tell lies or trying to hide something. There are twists aplenty sprinkled liberally with treats galore as Jules narrows in on the culprit. And as the story concludes, a heartwarming scene has me ready to get caught up and then read the next one!

Running a bakery, Jules has all sorts of tempting treats on hand. Be prepared to want to snack on your favorite sweet and sip on your favorite hot beverage while you read. Or better yet, try one of the recipes included at the back of the book. I couldn’t wait to nibble on a batch of Chocolate Tahini Cookies, especially since they’re naturally gluten-free and vegan! And instead of using processed sugar, the sweetness comes from maple syrup. With the addition of almond flour, ground flaxseed, and tahini, the nutritional value is increased so you can enjoy these delicious, ultra chocolatey cookies without any of the guilt. Next time I make these, I’ll mix up a double batch and keep some in the freezer for when a chocolate craving hits!

Amazon Synopsis

It’s late spring in Juliet’s charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights—lemon curd cupcakes, mini coconut cream pies, grapefruit tartlets, and chocolate dipped almond Tuiles.

Meanwhile, Juliet’s friend Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is taking center stage with his new theater troupe—the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva’s vineyard promises to be a modern, gender-bending twist on “The Taming of the Shrew,” but as the curtain rises, so do the strange occurrences. Stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. But the real show begins when the leading actor, Jimmy Paxton, meets his final curtain call. Now, Jules is not only in the mix, but she’s going to need to craft the perfect recipe for solving this theatrical whodunit.

A special thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for offering a print copy of STICKS AND SCONES to one lucky winner! Contest ends September 15, 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!)

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Chocolate Tahini Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Sesame seeds, for coating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Combine the tahini, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy.

3. Add the ground flaxseeds, almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda to the mixture and stir until a thick batter forms. Fold the chocolate chips in by hand.

4. Form the batter into 1-inch balls and then roll them in sesame seeds. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and flatten them with your hand.

5. Bake for 10 minutes and allow cookies to cool slightly on a cooling rack before serving.

Notes

From Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander. Copyright © 2024 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

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