Kim, Author at Cinnamon and Sugar

Fall Soup with Charred Vegetables

THE PINT OF NO RETURN, the second book in the Sloan Krause Mystery series by Ellie Alexander brings the reader to Oktoberfest time in the quaint Bavarian-style village of Leavenworth, Washington. The author paints a vivid picture of the festivities, capturing the sights, sounds, smells and most importantly, the tastes of the celebration. The protagonist, Sloan Krause, is a capable young woman who is exerting her independence and strength to stand on her own after leaving her cheating husband. Sloan had been working for her husband’s family at their very successful brewery but is now working for a small pub, Nitro, helping with the brewing, managing the pub and preparing food to sell.

Click on book to visit Amazon

I really like that Sloan isn’t afraid to take risks and do what is right for herself and her young teenaged son. It’s enabled her character to grow and be a good role model for other women. I also appreciate that Sloan has remained a beloved daughter-in-law to her husband’s family, despite the breakup of her marriage, since she was raised in foster care and has no other family. The author weaves in the mystery of Sloan trying to discover who her biological mother is and my curiosity is definitely roused. The thread of this mystery has been carried from book one and appears to be continuing on with the series since it wasn’t resolved with book two.

Ms. Alexander has developed some great characters and several have continued from book one such as April Ablin, Sloan’s nemesis. April is annoying, as she’s meant to be, yet provides a bit of comedy with her insistence on everyone in town dressing in Bavarian dirndl and/or lederhosen. The new characters introduced are part of the film crew and actors who descend on Leavenworth to film a documentary. The documentary gives the author plenty of opportunities to providing interesting insights into brewing. I especially enjoyed the bits and pieces of facts pertaining to what it takes to develop new brews and the distinctive ingredients that can be used to create unique flavors. The murder of the star of the documentary, Mitchell, pulls Sloan back into investigating. I like that her boss and the owner of Nitro, Garrett, doesn’t mind her investigating and in fact, wants to help out. They make a good team and it seems, perhaps, that some romance might be brewing between the two. After seeing Mitchell interact with other characters, the reader isn’t surprised he’s the victim. He’s a nasty piece of work and almost anyone who meets him would want to kill him. Still, the author manages to provide enough clues to keep the reader guessing and ties the threads of the mysteries together in an exciting conclusion. I found THE PINT OF NO RETURN to be an even stronger book than the first installment and look forward to what’s next in store for Sloan!

While the book doesn’t contain any recipes, Sloan is an able cook and prepares food to serve at the pub with their craft microbrews. Ellie has graciously developed a recipe for Fall Soup with Charred Vegetables that will complement any Oktoberfest brew and satisfy the heartiest of appetites. Along with a flavorful broth, small chunks of substantial veggies are broiled to provide char that mimics the undertones of the bitterness in beer. I really appreciated the large amount of veggies used (I’m always on the lookout for ways to increase produce in my meals) and the star-shaped pasta added a fun element to the bowl.

Amazon Synopsis

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause returns in The Pint of No Return, another delightful cozy by Ellie Alexander―this time investigating a movie star who’s murdered not long after arriving in Leavenworth, WA to film his latest project.

No other festival compares to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, Washington. The whole town is buzzing with excitement over this year’s activities and eagerly awaiting Nitro’s latest offering Cherrywizen, made with locally sourced cherries. But local brewmaster Sloan Krause is tapped out. Between trying to manage the pub, her pending divorce with Mac, and her mounting feelings for Garrett, she’s fermenting in internal turmoil.

To complicate matters, dreamy movie star Mitchell Morgan and his production crew have arrived in the village to film during the authentic Bavarian brewfest. Mitchell has his eye on Sloan and a taste for Nitro’s Cherrywizen. Sloan escapes his advances for good when she finds Mitchell slumped over the bar. Is this a case of one pint too many, or has Mitchell been murdered by microbrew?

A special thanks to Ellie Alexander for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of THE PINT OF NO RETURN. Contest ends Tuesday, October 23, 2018 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!)

Fall Soup with Charred Vegetables

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
3 large carrots
3 stalks celery
½ pound brussels sprouts
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
Half a head of broccoli
6 cups vegetable stock
2-3 sprigs of fresh herbs—parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of stelline pasta (star pasta) (or other small-type pasta)
Tin foil

Instructions

Chop garlic, celery, onions, and carrots. Heat a large stock pot with a healthy glug of olive oil and add the veggies. Sweat on low heat.
While the mixture on the stove begins to sweat cut brussels sprouts in half, slice peppers into thin strips, and trim broccoli florets into smaller pieces. Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the veggies in the oil and place the baking tray in the oven. Broil for five minutes, then remove tray from oven and flip vegetables. Return to oven and broil for five more minutes. Repeat until vegetables develop a lovely char—about twenty minutes.
Set charred vegetables aside and finely chop herbs—parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Add herbs to stock pot, along with the vegetable stock, pasta, and salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil. Simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Add charred vegetables just before serving.
Pairs perfectly with a hunk of rustic bread and a pint of Oktoberfest beer.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

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

Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake

Click on book to visit Amazon

MARDI GRAS MURDER, the fourth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron, contains an intriguing look at small town Mardi Gras celebrations while providing a humorous cozy mystery read! While I’ve attended the wild festivities of Mardi Gras in New Orleans (in my much younger days) Ms. Bryon paints a delightful and family-oriented picture of how the bayou celebrates the Carnival. Protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is roped into judging the town’s Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen Contest, a contest she has always despised. Making matters worse, the head judge is pretentious and wants his favorite candidate to win the crown. When the judge is murdered practically in front of her, Maggie feels pressure to get involved and help solve the case. Except her boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, is investigating and doesn’t want her involved. There is new tension between the couple and I wanted to turn the pages faster so I could find how it turns out. The pace of the mystery is lively and pulled me deeper into the story with each passing chapter.

As Maggie digs into the judge’s life, she becomes more aware of his involvement in the area’s historical society. I was fascinated by the author’s inclusion of the history of the area, especially the Orphan Train. This train brought numerous orphans into Louisiana in the early 1900’s for families to raise when no one else would take them. Even though some history is included, the writing is vivid and descriptive, providing substance to the story instead of dragging it away from the plot. Adding to the sense of festivities is Maggie’s dad’s involvement in the town’s annual gumbo competition. His attachment to and reverence of his special gumbo pot and the lengths he goes to creating Louisiana’s official state cuisine adds lightheartedness and humor. I adore Maggie’s family. They are close-knit yet at times there are some arguments and irritation which makes them believable because of the author’s great character development.

Maggie and her family own and operate the Crozat Plantation Bed & Breakfast. Maggie’s mother, Ninette is the cook for both family and guests, serving up mouthwatering dishes and desserts every day. One of the traditional desserts served during Mari Gras is King Cake. Maggie’s Grandmere came up with a recipe for Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake instead of following Ninette’s labor intensive traditional recipe. While I’m not opposed to spending time in the kitchen, sometimes it’s wonderful having a convenient and easy recipe that looks and tastes like it was made 100% from scratch… and this recipe fits the bill perfectly. Canned cinnamon rolls layered into a bundt pan and then slathered with a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture before baking created a lovely cake, especially after the doctored icing was drizzled on. A few sprinkles of the traditional purple (for justice), gold (for power), and green (for faith) sugar completed the look before my guests were wowed by both the appearance and taste. I won’t be relegating Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake to Mardi Gras only… it will definitely become a fixture anytime of the year I serve brunch!

Amazon Synopsis

Southern charm meets the dark mystery of the bayou as a hundred-year flood, a malicious murder, and a most unusual Mardi Gras converge at the Crozat Plantation B&B.

It’s Mardi Gras season on the bayou, which means parades, pageantry, and gumbo galore. But when a flood upends life in the tiny town of Pelican, Louisiana―and deposits a body of a stranger behind the Crozat Plantation B&B―the celebration takes a decidedly dark turn. The citizens of Pelican are ready to Laissez les bon temps rouler―but there’s beaucoup bad blood on hand this Mardi Gras.

Maggie Crozat is determined to give the stranger a name and find out why he was murdered. The post-flood recovery has delayed the opening of a controversial exhibit about the little-known Louisiana Orphan Train. And when a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant is shot, Maggie’s convinced the murder is connected to the body on the bayou. Does someone covet the pageant queen crown enough to kill for it? Could the deaths be related to the Orphan Train, which delivered its last charges to Louisiana in 1929? The leads are thin on this Fat Tuesday―and until the killer is unmasked, no one in Pelican is safe.

A special thanks to Ellen Byron for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of MARDI GRAS MURDER. Contest ends Sunday, October 14, 2018 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!)

Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake

The Crozats generally leave the baking to Ninette or order delicious treats from Fais Dough Dough. But if Maggie's called upon to make a King Cake, she follows Gran's advice and takes a tasty shortcut, using cinnamon roll dough. Gran's super-easy King Cake recipe will have all your friends thinking you made one from scratch. Tradition dictates whoever gets the baby in their slice of King Cake has to provide the cake for the following year's Mardi Gras celebration.

Ingredients

The Cake

2 17.5 ounce cans jumbo cinnamon rolls (reserve icing packets)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

The Frosting

3 ounces whipped cream cheese
Both frosting packets from cinnamon roll cans
A little milk to thin the frosting
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Purple-, green-, and yellow-colored sugar
1 tiny plastic baby

Instructions

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.
Layer the cinnamon rolls, one by one, in the bottom of a Bundt pan so they overlap. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top, pressing it into the uncooked buns gently with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until cinnamon rolls are done. Let cool. When the cake is completely cooled, poke the plastic baby inside it, then flip the cake over onto a plate or cake plate.

The Frosting:

Blend the cream cheese, icing packets, vanilla and milk together. Frost the cake.
Once the cake is frosted, sprinkle it with alternating rows of purple-, green-, and yellow-colored sugar.
Serves 8 - 16, depending on how big you cut the slices.
Alert guests to the baby so it doesn't become a choking hazard!

Notes

If you're interested in an authentic King Cake, bakeries around Louisiana will ship them during the weeks prior to Mardi Gras.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

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

Lazy Girl Peach Pie

I’m excited to be participating in the Great Escapes Blog Tour introducing GLITTER BOMB, the fifteenth book in the Scrapbooking Mystery series by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran! This new release provides a rollicking romp through New Orleans’ French Quarter during Mardi Gras! I love how the authors capture the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this decadent celebration, making me feel like I was right there in the midst of it all. According to the authors, New Orleans is a town “filled with music, brimming with history, and perfect for foodies.” And they are so right!

Click on book to visit Amazon

The action starts right from the beginning when protagonist, Carmela Bertrand, witnesses her ex-husband’s Mardi Gras float explode during a parade, raining gold glitter onto the crowded street. While her ex, Shamus, is not injured, one of his float-mates is killed from the explosion. When it’s discovered that the death wasn’t an accident, Shamus begs Carmela to find the murderer and clear his name since he had a huge reason to want the man dead. Unfortunately Carmela’s fiancé, Detective Edgar Babcock, is none too happy about her helping out her ex and putting herself in danger to do so. But, Carmela does what she knows is the right thing to do even if she doesn’t care for Shamus. Plus she can’t say “no” to her curiosity and the thrill of investigating on her own.

Her sidekick and best friend, Ava Gruiex, provides plenty of opportunity for fun dialog and dragging the pair into escapades. The authors have created characters that exude both charm and memorable personalities which adds to the appeal of the story. The plot moves at a consistently fast pace and entertains the reader page and after page, until the last word is read.

I also like that there are scrapbooking, craft, and stamping tips at the back of the book along with recipes. Ms. Childs has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Lazy Girl Peach Pie. I’m always drawn to any dessert that has fruit (fruit is healthy!) and easy is always good! Lazy Girl Peach Pie is part cobbler, part pie and oh so delicious. A few pantry and refrigerator staple ingredients are quickly layered into a baking dish. And then magic happens in the oven as the ingredients meld together creating a moist filling that’s a bit crunchy on top while the cinnamon complements the luscious peaches. A scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a warm piece of pie is all you need to garnish this comforting dessert.

Amazon Synopsis

An exploding Mardi Gras float has got to be the strangest murder weapon scrappy sleuth Carmela Bertrand has ever encountered in this latest Scrapbooking Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author.

It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans and scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is excited to be attending the Pluvius Parade along with her best friend Ava. Carmela’s ex-husband Shamus rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus’ float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his krewe is killed.

Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the krewe-member’s death, but as they dig deeper it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder….and Shamus seems less like a victim, and more like a suspect.

A special thanks to Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran for providing two print copies of GLITTER BOMB! Contest ends October 14, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The contest is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and the winner will be announced on this page as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Lazy Girl Peach Pie

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup SELF-RISING flour*
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 (15-ounce) can peaches
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Melt butter in 8-inch glass or pyrex pan.
Combine flour, sugar, and milk and pour this mixture over the butter.
Reserving juice, spread peaches over the batter.
Now pour reserved peach juice over mixture.
Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar and sprinkle half of mixture evenly over the top.**
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown. Half way through baking, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture over the top.

Tips

Wonderful with ice cream!
*Or substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
**I found that if you sprinkle the mixture all at once before baking, it sinks into the middle. It works better dividing and sprinkling half after the top has had a chance to set while baking.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 1 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
October 1 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
October 2 – Valerie’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
October 3 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
October 4 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 4 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
October 5 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
October 5 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
October 6 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 7 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
October 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 8 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
October 8 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
October 9 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 9 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 10 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
October 10 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
October 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
October 12 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
October 14 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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

Double Chocolate Chili Cookies

Click on book to visit Amazon

CRUMBLED TO PIECES is the sixth book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series by Catherine Bruns. Sally Muccio Donovan owns a delicious cookie shop, Sally’s Samples, while her best friend, Josie bakes all the delectable treats. I love the setting of the shop and can easily visualize and taste the cookies thanks to the strong descriptive language the author uses. I also adore the relationship Sally and Josie have. As close as sisters, they have a humorous repartee that provides plenty of opportunity for strong dialog. The theme running through all the books is the messages found in random fortune cookies that Sally hands out to every customer. Sometimes fortune cookies break in Sally’s hand and she finds her own puzzling fortune… sometimes hinting at disastrous events. In CRUMBLED TO PIECES it’s Sally’s new tenant that karma visits. Even though the elderly Sicilian woman is as nasty as you can possibly imagine, Sally’s adorable grandmother begs Sally to find justice for the woman after she is killed.

With the help of her best friend, grandmother and her grandmother’s friend (also known as “the thorn in Sally’s side”) the search for the killer takes them on a trip to Las Vegas. Their mission is to track down the estranged daughter of the deceased and find out why she was the only one of her siblings to inherit. Even though it’s a short trip, the author manages to capture the sounds and sights of Sin City while infusing more humor into the story and weaving a tight plot. As the reader turns the pages, the clues start providing more and more suspects which kept me guessing up until the suspenseful reveal. With a strong mystery as the focal point, it’s the characters that add delightful charm to the story and keeps me coming back for each new book in this series!

Sally’s Samples serves so many yummy cookies in addition to the fortune cookies. I am honored that Ms. Bruns has included my own recipe for Double Chocolate Chili Cookies in her book. Rich and chocolatey, these cookies have a bit of hot spice that adds to the depth of the chocolate. I’ve tinkered with this recipe for years and they’ve gained a permanent position on my Christmas cookie platters. I’ve tried substituting other chocolate cookies for a change of pace but my recipients all want these. I’ve found that the majority of people enjoy the cookies more when I use the smaller amount of cayenne for just a hint of spice, although others (like my son-in-law) prefer their cookie spicier. If spicy isn’t your cup of tea, then by all means omit it… these fudgy, chewy cookies will still be delicious!

Amazon Synopsis

In need of some quick dough, full-time baker and sometime sleuth Sally Muccio decides to rent the vacant apartment over the bakery to a friend of her grandmother’s. Allegra Fiato is nothing like Sal’s darling Grandma Rosa, though. She’s mean, dishonest, and harboring a deadly secret.

When the elderly woman is mowed down in a hit and run, it quickly becomes obvious this was no accident. Grandma Rosa asks for Sal’s help to find the killer which involves a last minute trip to Vegas crashed by Sal’s crazy parents, stolen fortune cookies, and a mysterious missing
locket. To add more spice to the mix, a loved one makes a startling admission to Sal that shocks her to the very core. Suddenly, Sal’s world is in danger of crumbling around her. Can she put the pieces back together in time before the killer makes her the next victim?

A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing a winner with their choice of print or e-book of CRUMBLED TO PIECES. Contest ends Sunday, October 7, 2018 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!)

Start the series for only 99 cents!

For a short time the first book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series, TASTES LIKE MURDER, is on sale for only $0.99! Don’t miss out on this special pricing!

Click on book to visit Amazon

Double Chocolate Chili Cookies

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup (102g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt or kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (depending on how spicy you want the cookies)
3/4 cup (172g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (210g) packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (152g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups (245g) chocolate chips (your choice of semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white)

Instructions

Don't preheat the oven yet since the dough needs to chill first.
Whisk flour, cornstarch, cocoa, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cayenne powder together in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter until pale and fluffy.
Beat in sugars until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add in vanilla, then beat in one egg at a time until incorporated.
Add in half the flour mixture on low and mix to incorporate before adding the other half.
Once flour is incorporated stir in the chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for several hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Using 1-1/2 teaspoon scoop, roll dough into a ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar before placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. The tops of the cookies will have a crackled appearance, but the inside should still look soft.
Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

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

Dark Chocolate and Orange Scones

Click on book to visit Amazon

THE DOUGH MUST GO ON is the ninth book in the Oxford Tearoom Mystery series by H.Y. Hanna and is filled with a jolly good time! Gemma Rose, owner of Little Stables Tearoom in Oxford has been hired to cater morning and afternoon tea for a famous reality talent show: From Pleb to Celeb. The creator and owner of the show is one of the richest and probably most eccentric men in Britain. This gives the author plenty of opportunities to create scenes filled with hilarity, especially when the four octogenarians, known as the Old Biddies, land a spot on the show with their “Granny Band” act. Ms. Hanna provides great descriptions of the various and often crazy talent acts which provides plenty of chuckles. Of course Gemma’s adorable little tabby, Muesli, gets in on the act as well and steals every scene, while Gemma’s mother puts her own mark on the show.

After discovering a murder victim during the competition (killed with an unbelievably unique weapon), Gemma is drawn to helping find the murderer. With so many contestants and show employees in the vicinity of the crime, there are plenty of suspects. As Gemma delves deeper into the victim’s life, she finds lots of people had reasons to truly dislike the murdered woman. Gemma’s boyfriend Devlin, is the inspector in charge of the investigation. While he’s a capable investigator, Gemma has a way of getting people to confide in her, providing clues along the way. The suspenseful conclusion wrapped up the threads of the story and I was greatly surprised at the “how” the murder was executed. It was quite ingenious!

With Gemma’s tearoom catering tea time for the talent show, scones are a must for English tea. Little Stables Tearoom is famous for their Traditional English Scones (the recipe is included in A SCONE TO DIE FOR), which are round and compact, light and fluffy on the inside, and crusty on the outside. They are not very sweet and are usually plain with no toppings. American scones, in contrast, are larger and denser, with more butter and sugar, and are normally made with a variety of ingredients added to the dough. Ms. Hanna thought it would be fun to provide an American scone recipe for contrast and I was honored that she asked me to develop the recipe. We settled on a scone that features an eternally popular combo: tangy orange and dark chocolate. Tart orange zest and bittersweet dark chocolate flavors the buttery scone dough while a drizzle of thick dark chocolate scented with orange extract gives taste buds a sudden burst of flavor with each bite!

Click here to see the recipe for: Traditional English Scones

Amazon Synopsis

Showbiz comes to Oxford in the form of Britain’s hottest new talent show, and tearoom owner Gemma Rose gets a peek behind-the-scenes when she’s asked to cater for the event. But with the Old Biddies, entering the contest as England’s first “granny band”, and her little tabby, Muesli, stealing the limelight, Gemma soon ends up with more than she bargained for… and that’s before she comes across a frozen dead body!

Now, she’s on the trail of a murderer, with four nosy old ladies giving her a helping hand, while also dealing with her embarrassing mother, her workaholic boyfriend–and even a mouse invader at her tearoom!

With things heating up in the contest and so many suspects in the running, can Gemma catch the killer before the curtain falls?

A special thanks to H.Y. Hanna for providing a winner with their choice of either print or an e-book copy of THE DOUGH MUST GO ON. Contest ends Friday, October 5, 2018 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!)

Dark Chocolate and Orange Scones

Ingredients

Scones

2 cups (272 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup (72 grams) granulated sugar
zest from 1 large orange
1/2 cup (112 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and frozen
1/2 cup (108 grams) sour cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 egg
1-1/2 ounces (42 grams) dark chocolate, chopped

Chocolate Orange Drizzle

2 ounces (56 grams) dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Instructions

Scones

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F) or 218 degrees (C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together until smooth the sour cream, egg, and orange juice. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together until combined (about 10 pulses) flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and orange zest.
Sprinkle the frozen butter pieces over the top of the flour mixture, then pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and pulse just until the dough comes together. Be careful to not over process the dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the dough then gently knead into the mix. Again, be careful to not overwork the dough or it will toughen.
Place the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and move them slightly apart.
Bake 12 - 15 minutes. The scones should be golden and the center should look set. Cool scones on a wire cooling rack while preparing the glaze.

Chocolate Orange Glaze

Place the chocolate and vegetable shortening into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 70% power for 45 seconds. Stir. Heat in additional 20 second increments as needed, stirring after each heat cycle until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Mix in the orange extract and stir until smooth.
Drizzle the chocolate over the scones. Allow to set for 15 minutes then serve.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

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

Sadie’s Cheesecake Brownies

Click on book to visit Amazon

A DEADLY BREW is the latest Tourist Trap Mystery novella by Lynn Cahoon and is already a USA Today Best Seller! This fun, quick read definitely got me in the mood for Halloween with a ghost story as the central theme. I enjoyed how it started with the author’s dedication to her mother and their shared love of Dark Shadows. It brought back memories of my childhood when I would sneak over to my best friend’s house to watch that scary fun program! It wasn’t allowed in my home but I was intrigued by the peek into the supernatural and looked forward to the program each week.

Protagonist Jill Gardner, along with her boyfriend (the handsome detective Greg King) and 3 other couples are participating in a haunted house lock-in. The owner of the house disappeared fifteen years previously and had never been found. One of the friends participating is Esmerelda, who purportedly has psychic abilities and hopes to contact the owner from the “other side” to find out what happened. Most of the group is skeptical but when Jill starts experiencing strange things in the house, she finds her beliefs are challenged. Ms. Cahoon weaves in a tight tale of the cold case concerning the missing woman who was a supposed witch, a ghost searching for a lost child, and things that go bump in the night! Even though it is a short novella, I felt the story contained all the necessary elements to make it a delightful read: good characters, a mystery or two to be solved, clues sprinkled around, and an exciting conclusion. You’ll definitely want to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and a plate of Sadie’s Cheesecake Brownies while reading this “spirited” book!

While A DEADLY BREW does not contain recipes, Sadie’s Cheesecake Brownies are served during the lock-in and Ms. Cahoon was kind enough to develop a recipe for me to share. The base is rich, moist chocolately brownies that mix up quickly. Tangy cream cheese, egg, and sugar mixes together to top the brownie base and is then swirled a bit to marble. The resulting dessert is devilishly yummy and sure to please all your ghouls and goblins!

Amazon Synopsis

As Halloween approaches South Cove, California, four couples get into the spirit of the holiday by conjuring up spirits. . .

The house has sat empty for fifteen years, taking up prime real estate along the picturesque coastline. Built by one of the founders of South Cove, its last known owner, Maryanne Demerit, vanished without a trace. Now her home will be demolished for a condo development, but until then, it’s the perfect spot for a Halloween haunted house.

Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, her boyfriend, and three other couples are spending the weekend in the Demerit home. But what begins as an all-in-good-fun fright fest turns into a mystery begging to be solved as Jill is contacted by the ghost of Maryanne . . .

A special thanks to Lynn Cahoon for providing a winner with an e-book copy of A DEADLY BREW. Contest ends Sunday, September 23, 2018 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!)

Sadie's Cheesecake Brownies

Author's Note: You can use a box for the brownie section if you're short on time, but I love making brownies from scratch. This is a recipe I developed in high school and it has never failed me...

Ingredients

Brownies:

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa

Cheesecake Topping:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

Instructions

Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Cream the sugar into the butter then add the vanilla and eggs.
Once combined, stir the dry ingredients into the mix. Spread batter into a greased 9- x 9-inch pan and make your topping.

Cheesecake Topping:

Mix all the topping ingredients together until creamy.

Putting it together:

Spread over the top of the brownie batter. You can also marble this by running a knife through the top, mixing the brownie and cheesecake mixture together. Do not overmix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes to see if brownies are done by putting a toothpick in the middle to see if brownies have set.
Allow brownies to completely cool before cutting into squares and serving.