Kim, Author at Cinnamon and Sugar

Piled High Strawberry Pie

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THE DIVA SWEETENS THE PIE, the twelfth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series, is a sweet, satisfying cozy mystery! I love how the author starts each chapter off with a pie advice column question. You can always count on the protagonist, Sophie Winston, to provide a great answer while her nemesis, Natasha (who claims to be top Diva) provides advice that is best not followed. Sophie is one of those sweet, caring women who anyone would love to call a friend. Natasha, on the other hand, is abrasive and self-absorbed. However, I’ll have to admit over the course of the series, she’s grown on me and made me more likely to overlook her faults. Ms. Davis has created several memorable characters which have made this such an endearing and enduring series to her fans!

With the annual Pie Festival in full swing, Sophie finds herself involved in yet another murder when the celebrity chef falls face first into a butterscotch cream pie. Her good friend, the organizer of the festival, wants the crime solved so that the show can go on. Ms. Davis weaves a tight tale of long ago slights, an old murder, a young girl who begs Sophie to free her mother from prison, and pies galore. The author draws the reader in and keeps you turning pages with well-sprinkled clues and suspects to keep you guessing. A suspenseful conclusion wrapped up the threads of the story with a satisfying and sweet ending!

If you’re a “people of the pie vs. clan of the cake” like I am, then this book is for you! Filled with mouthwatering descriptions of all sorts of pies, the author satisfies the reader’s cravings with several pie recipes at the back of the book, both dessert pies and savory pies. As I read through the recipes, I really wanted to make them all! In the end, I allowed my granddaughter to choose the pie to celebrate her half birthday which lands on Pi Day. We started the tradition when she was three and have continued for the last eleven years. Since strawberries are a huge favorite in her house, she chose the Piled High Strawberry Pie and it was the perfect choice for springtime. And she even took after Sophie and Nina by consuming the pie not only for dessert, but breakfast too. I loved the ease and the extra flavor and texture the graham cracker crust brought to the pie. The combination of both fresh and cooked strawberries added to the appeal, while sweetened whipped cream was the crowning touch to this beautiful jewel-toned Piled High Strawberry Pie. The perfect way to celebrate the best of spring!

Amazon Synopsis

Nothing heats up Old Town quite like the annual Pie Festival, and this year is no exception, especially since Sophie’s professional rival, Natasha Smith, is barred from participating. Sophie, meanwhile, has been asked to oversee the pie eating contest. But the drama really rolls out when celebrity judge, Patsy Lee Presley, host of television’s most popular cooking show, bites the crust during the competition, and Sophie’s friends are suspected of the crime.

As the folks of Old Town dish, the tough truth about Patsy’s meteoric rise to domestic stardom begins to leak. It turns out that Patsy’s sweet exterior hid a secret sour side, which alienated many of her closest allies, including a jilted ex-husband, a bitter ex-mentor, and a jaded ex-best friend. With the festival falling apart, and her friends in danger of being boxed up for murder, Sophie must cobble together the clues and stop a flakey fiend from serving up any more deadly desserts.

A special thanks to Krista Davis for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of THE DIVA SWEETENS THE PIE. Contest ends Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. 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!)

Piled High Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

1 8-inch pie pan
9 sheets honey graham crackers (or 4.8 ounces graham cracker crumbs)
4 tablespoons butter

Pie Filling

2 pounds strawberries
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
Melt the butter. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. With the food processor running, pour in the butter. Press into the pie pan with your fingers.
Bake 8 - 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Pie Filling

Wash the strawberries, hull, and cut into quarters lengthwise. Place 2 cups of the strawberries in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the sugar, and mash with a potato masher, leaving some clumps of strawberries. Add the cornstarch and mix until dissolved. Stir in the water and lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Cook at a simmer (you may need to turn the heat down a bit) and cook until it thickens and turns red, approximately 2 minutes.
Pour enough of the uncooked strawberries into the prepared pie pan to cover the bottom in a single layer. The should not be perfectly arranged. Some should be turned up and others down.
Ladle 1/3 of the hot strawberries over them. Add another layer of the uncooked strawberries, mounding them toward the center. Ladle another 1/3 of the cooked strawberries over them. Add the remaining uncooked strawberries, heaping them toward the middle. Ladle the remaining hot strawberries over top, slowly. (If you pour it too fast it may overflow.) Try to cover all the bare strawberries.
Refrigerate until completely chilled and set

Sweetened Whipped Cream

Beat the cream until it begins to hold a shape. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until stiff.
Serve the pie with sweetened whipped cream. If you're feeling festive, pipe the whipped cream around the edges for a knockout appearance.

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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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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.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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THE HIDDEN CORPSE is the second book in the Food Blogger Mystery series by Debra Sennefelder. I love protagonist, Hope Early, and her blog, Hope at Home, and the way the author includes a peek into Hope’s recipe development and food photography sessions. It adds a layer of authenticity to the story. Ms. Sennefelder weaves together a tight plot that includes arson, a missing wife, a double murder, and small-town corruption. She also brings to light the heartbreaking dilemma that the elderly often face: memory decline and potential loss of independence. It adds an emotional element that is sometimes missing from mysteries. There were enough clues sprinkled throughout Hope’s sleuthing, but I still couldn’t guess who the murderer was.

Even though this is the second book in the series, it is easily read as a standalone. There’s just enough backstory included so the reader feels like they have an understanding of the characters. I felt that the author has gained experience since her first release and it shows in the way the plot of THE HIDDEN CORPSE flows at an even pace. It pulled me in and kept me reading to find out what happens next. With a satisfying, nail-biting, reveal that had me on the edge of my seat, I was grateful the author ended the book with a heartwarming scene.

Hope is frequently trying out new recipes for her food blog along with baking cookies to sweeten up suspects. Ms. Sennefelder has included several recipes at the back of the book and they all sound scrumptious! When my granddaughter’s lemon tree produced a bumper crop of citrus earlier this year, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make the author’s Ricotta Lemon Cookies. These lemony, cake-like cookies are super moist, thanks to the ricotta cheese and the icing brings an extra bite of tart and sweet flavor to the treat. These cookies are like eating a bite of sunshine and summer!

Amazon Synopsis

Former reality TV baking show contestant and recent divorcée Hope Early is trying to find her recipe for success as a food blogger—but murder keeps getting in the mix . . .

When Hope’s elderly neighbor perishes in a home fire, she can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. Only the day before, Peggy Olson had called her over, having burned a pot on the stove while she was sleeping and filling the house with smoke. In fact, she couldn’t even remember cooking. Clearly, it was dangerous for the woman to live alone.

But it turns out she wasn’t alone. When a second body is discovered in the basement of the burned house, suddenly what appeared to be a tragic accident is beginning to look like premeditated murder. As rumors spread like wildfire, Hope is determined to sort out the facts and smoke out a killer, but she might be jumping from the frying pan straight into the fire . . .

A special thanks to Debra Sennefelder for providing a winner with a print copy of THE HIDDEN CORPSE. Contest ends Sunday, March 31, 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 Ricotta Cookies

Posted by Hope Early: I'm in love with the brightness lemons bring to any dish but when you make it a central part of a cookie and add in a sweet and tangy glaze you've baked an irresistible cookie that is delightful year-round.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 cups granulated sugar
2 lemons, zested
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

For the glaze:

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 lemon, zested

Instructions

For the cookies:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest until the lemon sugar is fragrant. Set mixture aside.
Cream together the butter and lemon sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Reduce the speed of the mixer and add in the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add in the ricotta cheese and lemon juice and mix until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Scoop the dough, about 2 tablespoons for each cookie, onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 13 - 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet just long enough for cookies to set up before moving to cooling rack.
When cookies are completely cooled, drizzle with lemon glaze.

For the glaze:

In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and then place the cookies on rack or wax paper. Glaze will harden.