Kim, Author at Cinnamon and Sugar

Summer Corn Casserole

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DEATH OF A COOKBOOK AUTHOR is the tenth book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series by Lee Hollis and is an entertaining page turner! I love that Hayley is an “older” woman, her children grown and on their own. She writes a successful food and cocktail column for the Island Times newspaper in Bar Harbor, Maine. The author includes several of Hayley’s columns sprinkled throughout the book and they add a peek into her personal life as she shares snippets of memories, anecdotes and recipes. It truly is a unique way for the reader to feel like they know the protagonist. When Hayley is invited to spend the 4th of July weekend at Penelope Janices’ estate and participate in a celebrity potluck casserole competition, Hayley can’t believe her good luck. It’s cute how she goes all fan-girl over Penelope, the famous cooking and lifestyle star on the Flavor Network. I’m sure I would act just like her if I ever had the chance to meet a famous television personality.

Hayley believes she overhears a plot between Penelope’s husband and assistant to murder the famous woman. However, it’s Penelope’s husband that ends up dead shortly thereafter and Hayley has a difficult time believing it was just an accident like the police say. Not one to shy away from asking questions and finding out the truth, she starts digging and uncovers a multitude of secrets that the rich and famous weekend guests have tried to hide… but could that make one of them a killer? I have to hand it to Hayley, even though she managed to make most of the guests mad at her, she doesn’t let it deter her. The exciting reveal pulls the reader in and keeps you turning pages faster and faster and just when I gave a sigh of relief that justice was served, the author threw in one last twist that I didn’t see coming!

The theme of the recipes centered around the celebrity completion are casseroles and Hayley has recipes galore that she shares with readers, along with some delicious cocktail concoctions! I’ll admit, I love casseroles for their ease of serving larger groups and the leftovers typically reheat well. I was intrigued by Hayley’s recipe for Summer Corn Casserole, which is actually a side dish… except I loved it so much I felt like I could easily make it a main vegetarian meal! Super easy to mix together and bake, the corn flavor shines through. And since frozen or canned corn may be used instead of fresh summer corn, I can enjoy this year round!

Amazon Synopsis

Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell will be cooking alongside top chefs at a cookbook author’s party. But a killer plans to ruin her appetite . . .

When Hayley’s idol, cookbook author and TV personality Penelope Janice, invites her to participate in a Fourth of July celebrity cook-off at her seaside estate in Seal Harbor, Maine, Hayley couldn’t be more flattered. She just hopes she can measure up. With a who’s who of famous chefs whipping up their signature dishes, this holiday weekend has all the ingredients for a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience.

Instead, Hayley gets food poisoning her first night and thinks she overhears two people cooking up a murder plot. The next morning, a body is found at the bottom of a cliff. Tragic accident or foul play? To solve a real cliffhanger, Hayley will need to uncover some simmering secrets—before a killer boils over again . . .

A special thanks to Lee Hollis for providing a print copy of DEATH OF A COOKBOOK AUTHOR for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Sunday, May 6, 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!)

Summer Corn Casserole

Ingredients

2 - 2-1/2 cups fresh corn off the cob (about 5 ears) you can substitute frozen or canned
1 can cream-style corn
1 8.5 ounce box Jiffy corn muffin mix*
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
Combine both your corns, Jiffy mix, and sour cream in a mixing bowl.
Melt your butter and add to the bowl and mix all together.
Pour the corn mixture into a greased casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with shredded cheese on top and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and serve.

Notes:

I successfully substituted a gluten-free cornbread mix for the Jiffy mix by weighing out 8.5 ounces of the mix and proceeding with the recipe as written.

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Blackberry Muffins

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COLOR ME MURDER, the first book in the brand new Pen & Ink Mystery series by Krista Davis was everything I had hoped and so much more! The reader is introduced to Florrie Fox, a delightfully creative protagonist. She has a kind and loyal heart and I loved the relationship she has with her family, especially her sister. It’s refreshing to see close-knit families portrayed on the page. Ms. Davis includes a cast of characters at the beginning of the book so that you can reference if needed. I felt that the author was judicious in bringing new characters to the page, so I never got confused about who was who. But it was nice to know the list was there if I needed it. The story quickly pulled me in and allowed me to get a good sense of who the main characters are, especially Florrie, while the murder mystery provided page-turning suspense. I found Florrie’s method for collecting and organizing clues by sketching what she had seen or heard to be very unique and added to the enjoyment of the story.

The mystery was well plotted and kept me guessing as Florrie uncovered suspects, including her own sister… which puts her loyalty to the test. There are so many creative twists and turns in the book and I love how the author expertly weaves together humor with mystery, adds adorable animals and admirable humans, hidden secret passageways with a missing author, and then ties it all up with an exciting conclusion! And if a delightful tale isn’t enough, Ms. Davis provides several delectable recipes at the back of the book and if you purchase the print copy, you will have your very own cover to color with your own creative style.

Speaking of the recipes, they are drool worthy and you’ll want to try them all! I’m delighted to share Krista’s recipe for Blackberry Muffins, perfect for breakfast, snack, tea time. Since I visit my sister in Oregon every summer and pick wild blackberries, I’m always on the lookout for blackberry recipes to try. Not only were these blackberry muffins super quick and easy to mix up, they were utterly delicious from the crunchy, cinnamon-y topping to the jammy pieces of tart blackberries baked into the sweet bread. Since it’s not wild blackberry season yet, I had to settle on store-bought cultivated blackberries. They are much, much larger than wild berries so I cut them into smaller pieces so they were more evenly distributed. I can’t wait for berry season to start so I can make these again and again!

Amazon Synopsis

By day, Florrie Fox manages Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. By night, she creates her own intricately detailed coloring books for adults, filling the pages with objects that catch her eye. There’s plenty of inspiration in her new apartment—a beautiful carriage house belonging to Professor John Maxwell, Florrie’s boss. He offers the property to Florrie rent-free with one condition—she must move in immediately to prevent his covetous sister and nephew from trying to claim it.

When the professor’s nephew, Delbert, arrives, he proves just as sketchy as Florrie feared. But the following morning, Delbert has vanished. It’s not until she visits the third floor of the store that Florrie makes a tragic discovery—there’s a trap door in the landing, and a dead Delbert inside. The esteemed Professor Maxwell is an obvious suspect, but Florrie is certain this case isn’t so black and white. Doodling clues, she begins to consider other colorful characters on the scene, all with a motive for murder. With a killer drawing closer, Florrie will need to think outside the lines . . . before death makes his mark again.

A special thanks to Krista Davis for providing a print copy of COLOR ME MURDER for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Sunday, April 29, 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!)

Blackberry Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

Butter for greasing muffin tin
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh blackberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Fahrenheit.
Grease muffin wells in the muffin pan.
Combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Mix well with a fork, and make a well in the middle.
In another bowl, whisk the egg with a fork, pour in the milk and combine, then whisk in the 1/3 cup melted butter.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. It should be lumpy. Do not overmix!
Add the blackberries and turn gently to distribute.
Spoon into the muffin pan, diving evenly, filling each well about 1/2 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the cinnamon with the 1/4 cup sugar.
Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl.
Remove the baked muffins from oven. While still hot, remove each muffin from the pan, dip into the melted butter, and then dip into the sugar.

Note:

If your blackberries are huge, as often times cultivated berries are, cut them into smaller pieces so they distribute more evenly in the muffins.

Notes

Makes 12 muffins

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Seville Meringue Pie

LORD OF THE PIES (such a great title and yes, you’ll be craving pie while reading) is the second book in Nell Hampton’s Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series. This delightful addition gives the reader an insider’s peek at working for the royal family in London. The protagonist, Chef Carrie Ann Cole, is an American transplant who is hired by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a private chef for the family. While she’s making a few friends, several people view her as an outsider and it seems like someone is going out of their way to sabotage her position. Could it be the stalker who spies on her while she’s working in the kitchen late at night? Or maybe one of the other palace chefs who feel that an American shouldn’t be cooking for royalty? Carrie Ann knows she must prove she is more than capable in order to keep her job. When her pie is found to have poisoned a waiter and she’s relieved of duties while the investigation is ongoing, Chef Cole finds herself asking questions and gathering information on who could have wanted the waiter dead in order to clear her name.

Ms. Hampton weaves intrigue, spies, scandal, and a cooking competition in this page turner. I’ll admit I love hearing about Britain’s monarchy and greatly enjoyed the glimpses we see of the young royal family through Carrie Ann’s interaction. The story is well-plotted and the action provides good pace. Given how many people are keeping secrets in the palace along with the plot twists, I was kept guessing about who the killer was but also who the intended victim was. The final reveal caught me by surprise… I didn’t see that one coming at all! The satisfying conclusion gives a hint of what’s in store for Carrie Ann in the next book and I cannot wait!

Like I said at the beginning, you’ll be craving pies as you read this book. I am happy to say that Ms. Hampton provides a few recipes at the back of the book and I’m delighted to share her recipe for Seville Meringue Pie! Seville oranges (also known as bitter or sour oranges) are used for cooking and not eating. I found Seville Marmalade at my local Bristol Farms market but regular orange marmalade can be substituted. The orange custard was simply amazing and I would have been happy to eat it as pudding on its own. However, when paired with the buttery, flaky crust and topped by sweet meringue that’s crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, this dessert is fit for royalty… or serve to someone you want to treat as royalty!

Amazon Synopsis

When Carrie Ann Cole bakes a lemon meringue pie to die for that actually kills someone, she must find out who the real killer is before her time at the Kensington Palace expires.

The elegant Orangery at Kensington Palace is the perfect setting for the bridal shower of Carrie Ann Cole’s best friend’s sister. Personal chef to the royal family, Carrie Ann’s pie theme is naturally winning. But a waiter later keels over dead into the lemon meringue pie she leaves as a thank-you to the staff and Carrie Ann realizes that somebody slipped a mickey into that meringue.

Her floury fingerprints are all over that pie and the authorities suspect her distress is a cover-up for murder. Carrie Ann must set out to clear her name if she wants to stay at her dream job any longer. But all too soon, another body drops in the Orangery. This time, it’s the Orangery chef.

Murder won’t crimp her style, and as bodies pile up, Carrie Ann uncovers palace intrigue, London nightlife, and British pies scouring for the killer in Lord of the Pies, the witty follow-up to Nell Hampton’s Kale to the Queen.

A special thanks to Nell Hampton for providing a hardcover copy of LORD OF THE PIES for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Wednesday, April 25, 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!)

Seville Meringue Pie

Ingredients

Pie Crust

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons ice water
3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Pie Filling

3/4 cup full-fat milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
zest and juice from 3 medium oranges (about 1 cup juice)
1/4 cup thin-cut Seville orange marmalade
3/4 cup unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks

Meringue

4 large egg whites
1 cup golden caster sugar*
1 teaspoon cream of tarter

Instructions

Pie Crust

Stir flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add butter; cut with pastry cutter until it resembles fine meal or is pea-sized.
Add 4 tablespoons ice water and cider vinegar. Stir with a wooden spoon until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonful if dough is dry.
Gather dough together and turn out onto work surface. Form into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Using a little flour to dust the surface, thinly roll out the pastry and place in a loose-bottomed tart tin.
Leave the excess overhanging and prick the base with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the tart tin on a baking sheet, then line the pastry with foil and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is firm and dry, then remove the beans and foil. Bake for 20 minutes more or until the pastry is golden brown and biscuity. Leave to cool.

Pie Filling

Pour the milk into a pan and bring to a simmer.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, orange zest, juice and marmalade. Pour the warm milk into the bowl, whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture into a clean pan and cook over low heat, stirring all the time, until shimmering and thickened. The custard might look a bit lumpy at first, but keep stirring and it will come together.
Take off the heat and beat in the butter. Constantly whisking, add 1/2 cup of the warm custard to egg yolks, then add egg mixture back to the pan of custard. Be sure to whisk constantly until fully incorporated.

Meringue

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in a large bowl. Add the sugar in four additions, beating back to stiff peaks after each, to make a thick meringue. Whisk in the cream of tarter.

Putting it together

Trim the edges of the pastry case with a small serrated knife.
Warm the orange filling until it bubbles, stirring occasionally. Spoon the filling into the case and smooth the top.
Carefully spoon the meringue on top of the hot filling, starting at the edge and working towards the middle to prevent the meringue from sinking. Gently swirl the meringue down to meet the pastry all around the edge of the tart.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meringue is pale golden brown.
Cool for at least 1 hour, then remove from the tin and serve.

Notes

*I couldn't find golden caster sugar so substituted white caster sugar, aka C & H Baker's sugar. Or you can process regular granulated sugar in the food processor for 2 minutes until it is finely ground.

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Traditional English Scones

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APPLE STRUDEL ALIBI, the eighth book in the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries by H.Y. Hanna is a very fun addition to an enjoyable series! The protagonist, Gemma Rose, owns Little Stables Tearoom, a successful tearoom near Oxford, England. She’s having a difficult time connecting with her investigator boyfriend… murder cases keep getting in his way and his latest cancellation of their holiday plans is the last straw. When Gemma’s tearoom Traditional English Scones win a contest, she sees it as the perfect chance to go on holiday to collect the award in Vienna, Austria. Fortunately for the entertainment of the reader, the four elderly women (aka the Old Biddies) who frequent Gemma’s tearoom, decide to invite themselves along for the holiday. From there zany antics abound as they find themselves embroiled in murder and mayhem away from home.

While Gemma’s English village and tearoom are charming, it was a refreshing change to see Vienna through her eyes. I loved the description of Austria – the sights, sounds, smells and above all the tastes of their famous pastries! Ms. Hanna made the location come alive and I felt like I was on vacation with Gemma. Muesli, Gemma’s adorable and mischievous tabby, also makes the trip and plays a prominent role. But once again, it’s the Old Biddies who steal the limelight of each scene they’re in! They are such great characters and talk Gemma into the craziest trouble, providing lighthearted humor. Their sauna scene is one of the funniest scenes I’ve read in a long time and one I won’t soon forget.

The mystery itself is well plotted with plenty of suspects with viable reasons to kill the victim. I didn’t figure it out until just before the reveal and the suspenseful conclusion wrapped up the plot and subplots nicely. I was a bit unnerved when a young child was threatened but it was handled with sensitivity and the resolution adhered to our cozy guidelines: a happy ending… which is why I enjoy cozy mysteries so much!

Be prepared to drool all over the pages with the many mentions of Vienna’s delectable pastries and desserts! Ms. Hanna provides a recipe for Traditional Apple Strudel at the back of the book, which was generously provided by Ursula Schersch, blogger at Li’l Vienna. I’ve provided a photo and a link back to Li’l Vienna’s blog at the bottom of the page for that recipe. I’m re-sharing my post of Ms. Hanna’s recipe for Traditional English Scones which was published in A SCONE TO DIE FOR, the first book in the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries. These “award winning” delectable scones will make you feel like you’re visiting a quaint English tearoom… like Little Stables Tearoom!

Amazon Synopsis

When Gemma’s romantic holiday with her boyfriend is cancelled, the tearoom sleuth finds herself heading to Vienna instead, with her cat Muesli and the nosy Old Biddies for company. And it’s not long before they stumble across a murder right in the heart of Austria’s historic capital.

A handsome art critic dies suspiciously at their hotel and the Old Biddies are determined to sniff out the killer. Is it the bitter hotel owner nursing a grudge? The critic’s jealous mistress wanting revenge? Or even the visiting American who seems inexplicably nervous around the police?

Soon Gemma is dragged into an impromptu investigation which has her tackling Vienna’s famous pastries, snooping in police files and even braving a nude sauna in search of clues!

But can she sort the suspects from the Schnitzel, and solve the mystery before the killer strikes again?

A special thanks to H.Y. Hanna for providing one winner the choice of print or an e-book copy of APPLE STRUDEL ALIBI! Contest is open worldwide and ends Monday, April 16, 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!)

Traditional English Scones

Ingredients

500 grams all-purpose flour (approximately 4-1/4 cups or 17.6 ounces)
4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder*
1/2 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar**)
125 grams butter (room temperature (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon or 4.4 ounces)
150 ml full fat milk (just under 2/3 cup)
2 eggs beaten lightly
Egg and milk wash for the “egg wash” to glaze the scones***

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250C / 400F
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl (this is important to add more “air” to the mixture).
Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers – it is important to coat the flour with butter as much as possible. Keep doing this until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar to the mixture and mix well with your fingers. (This is the stage when you can add in extra ingredients such as raisins and currants, if you wish.)
Add the eggs and some of the milk – do not add all the milk at once; go slow and check that the dough does not become too wet otherwise the scones will “drop”.
Mix well with your fingers until the dough forms a ball.
Tip the dough onto a floured board, scatter some more flour on top, and then knead lightly. It is very important not to over-work the dough otherwise the scones will become very hard.
When the dough looks smooth, gently pat it out (or use a rolling pin) into a thick slab, about 1 – 1.5 inches thick. This is one of the secrets to great scones – not rolling the dough out too thinly.
The dough should now be rested for at least 30 minutes – unless you are using a single-acting baking powder. Some chefs say that resting the dough for hours, even overnight, is the secret to getting really light, fluffy scones.
Using a cutter of your choice, stamp out the scones from the dough. Be careful not to twist the cutter as you are pressing it down – only twist it gently at the very bottom to free it.
Roll up any leftover dough and spread it out again – keep cutting out scones until you have used up all the mixture.
Place the cut rounds onto the greased baking tray or baking paper. Brush the tops with the the egg and milk wash – this will give them a lovely golden glaze.
Bake in the hot oven for about 12 – 15 minutes.
Cool the scones on a wire rack. Serve warm with some jam and butter or clotted cream! Enjoy!

Notes

*”Double-acting” baking powder contains both cream of tartar and baking soda and causes the dough to rise only after heat is applied. If you use single-acting baking powder (which rises immediately), then you must not leave the dough to “rest” but must cut the scones and bake them immediately.
**If you don’t have super fine sugar on hand, run regular granulated sugar in the food process for a minute or two.
***I used 2 teaspoons egg taken from the recipe’s beaten eggs and 2 teaspoons whole milk. You don’t need to waste an entire egg for this. A little goes a long way.

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Apple Strudel (“Apfelstrudel”) is a typical and beloved Austrian dessert. This is Ursula Schersch’s granny’s recipe! http://www.lilvienna.com/original-viennese-apple-strudel/

Black Forest Cupcakes

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WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE, the tenth book in the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay is a delightful addition to her very entertaining series! I’ve been waiting on pins and needles from her release last year to find out what new escapades protagonist, Mel (Melanie) Cooper and her best friend, Angie DeLaura find themselves in. Ms. McKinlay does not disappoint and I was glued to the pages, even forgetting to take notes for my review! The story picks up with Angie getting ready to marry their friend, Tate, who is also co-owner of their Fairy Tale Cupcake Shop in Scottsdale, Arizona. But of course the wedding plans aren’t going smoothly, especially when the two women find Angie’s photographer murdered seven days before the wedding.

As Mel and Angie start looking into the murder (because they just can’t help themselves) the author throws in several twists. Could it be that Angie is actually the target? I love the cast of characters working at Fairy Tale Cupcake, especially octogenarian Marty. Mel and Angie have taken him in and made him one of “their people”. The friendship between Mel, Angie, Tate and the crew is admirable and heartwarming, bringing a sentimental note to the story. As the plot progresses many suspects come to light while the body count starts rising and more twists are thrown in. The ending wraps up the threads nicely while leaving the reader waiting to see what new adventure awaits the gang at the Fairy Tale Cupcake Shop!

Reading about the cupcake shop will leave you craving some sweet treats. Luckily for the reader, Ms. McKinlay provides several delectable cupcake recipes at the back of the book. All sound amazing and it was very difficult to choose just one to try for this blog post. In the end I decided on Black Forest Cupcakes, which Jenn has graciously allowed me to share with you. The rich, dark chocolate cupcakes are supremely moist but the surprise is the cherry filling hiding beneath mounds of fluffy vanilla buttercream. One bite and you’ll think you’ve stepped foot into the delightfully yummy Fairy Tale Cupcake Shop!

Amazon Synopsis

With Angie and Tate’s wedding just around the corner, it’s a happy time for Melanie Cooper and the bakery crew. Not only are they finessing the last minute details of the big day, but their bakery, Fairy Tale Cupcakes, has just been hired to bake cupcakes for the blockbuster book signing of a controversial author who wrote a steamy bestseller filled with juicy local gossip.

But one by one, the people Angie has hired to work at the wedding begin turning up dead. As the body count rises, the bestselling author is the next to bite the dust. Mel quickly realizes she needs to figure out how the murders are connected and why–before the killer brings the entire cupcake crew crumbling down. After all, Angie and Tate deserve their sweet happily ever after.

A special thanks to Jenn McKinlay for providing a print copy of WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE plus fun measuring spoons for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Sunday, April 8, 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!)

Black Forest Cupcakes

A rich chocolate cupcake with cherry filling and vanilla cream frosting.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1-1/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teapoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Filling

1 can cherry pie filling

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Garnish

Chocolate shavings
12 fresh cherries with stems (if unavailable substitute maraschino cherries)

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, adding eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
Add in the flour mixture alternately with the milk until well blended.
Fill paper liners two-thirds full. Bake 18 - 22 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

In a large bowl, cream butter and vanilla. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed and adding milk as needed. Scrape sides of bowl often. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Makes 3 cups of icing.

Assembling the cupcakes

Using a melon baller, scoop out the center of the cooled cupcakes no more than halfway down. Spoon in the cherry pie filling. Using a pastry bag, pipe the vanilla buttercream over the top of the cupcake. Garnish with chocolate shavings and a fresh cherry on top.

Notes

Makes 12 cupcakes.

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Empire Biscuits

I am so happy to have Paige Shelton on my blog today to share an amazing shortbread recipe and celebrate her upcoming release, LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES, with you! Be sure to check out her giveaway below the recipe, too!

* * * * * * * * * *

Of course, shortbread direct from Scotland is the best shortbread in the world. Except for your grandmother’s. No one can beat your grandmother’s anything. Having said that, I do love shortbread. Known by a number of different names in the UK, I was first introduced to these cookies as Empire Biscuits. They are addictive. So, no matter if you call them Imperial Biscuits, Double Biscuits, German Biscuits, Linzer Biscuit, or Empire Biscuits, they are delicious. And pretty easy to make. If you’re craving something sweet, these are the way to go. Also, if you’d just like a yummy recipe for shortbread, this one is good.

I found a tip somewhere on the Internet, and I have really enjoyed what this ingredient does to shortbread. Bird’s Custard Powder.

Instead of 4 cups of the flour, I use 3 cups flour, and one cup of the custard powder. If you don’t want to track down some Bird’s, just use 4 cups flour. I ordered mine from Walmart.com. This recipe should yield about 24 sandwich cookies (more might be possible if you make small, thin cookies), but I make my cookies bigger than the normal “biscuit” size, so I only get about 18.

Empire Biscuits

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

2 to 2-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup Bird’s Custard Powder (or substitute with flour)

For the filling and topping:

1 cup raspberry preserves
12 or more maraschino cherries

For the icing:

4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the biscuits:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour and custard powder until well blended. Start with 2 cups butter. Add more if you can’t keep the dough together enough to roll it out. It takes some work and some getting used to. If your dough seems too sticky, add a bit more flour at a time until it can be rolled out.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sandwich one teaspoon of preserves between two cookies. Repeat until all cookies are used, or all jam is gone, and remaining cookies must be sacrificed to the baker for all her hard work.

For the icing:

In a medium bowl, gradually stir the milk into the confectioners’ sugar until the icing is of a spreadable consistency. Spread on top of the sandwiched cookies. Top each cookie with half a cherry while the icing is till wet. If you’re feeling like a rebel, go ahead and top with something else. Anything you like would work just fine.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes:

Here is a recipe for making your own custard powder to use:
1 cup confectioners' sugar;
1/2 cup powdered milk;
1/2 cup cornstarch;
1 teaspoon vanilla powder (if you don't use, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to shortbread recipe);
1 teaspoon salt;
Whisk together and then measure out 1 cup to use for shortbread recipe.
If you substitute flour for the custard powder, but sure to add 1 teaspoon of salt to the shortbread recipe.

Thanks to Kim for letting me stop by today! See you all in the bookstores.

A special thanks to Paige Shelton for providing a hardcover copy of LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Wednesday, April 4, 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!)

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My Review

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I’ve been a fan of the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series by Paige Shelton and was excited to read an advance copy of her third book, LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES. Not only did it meet my high expectations but I think it’s the best book in the series so far! Ms. Shelton captured my attention starting with her Acknowledgments and continuing all the way through to her list of real-life victims at the back of the book. I couldn’t put the book down and devoured it in one sitting while neglecting to pause to even take a single note for my review. I greatly admire the protagonist, Delany, from Kansas in America, as the Scottish people are prone to call her. She has an adventurous spirit, enjoys researching historical books and items, and has a kind, friendly heart to those she meets… even to those who might not seem to deserve her compassion. She is surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters that greatly add to the enjoyment of the story. I adore The Cracked Spine, the delightful bookshop with its mysterious treasures and tomes! It’s a place I could spend days and days exploring and wish it were a real location. It’s also the perfect setting from which to feature Delany getting involved in murder mysteries.

Ms. Shelton weaves an intriguing plot incorporating not only a modern day murder but a murder that spans a decade and several historical murders from the early 1800’s! While the plot lines are intricate, the author writes skillfully so that the reader never feels lost. In fact, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages faster and faster to see how she would tie the seemingly unrelated deaths together. Ms. Shelton deftly brings the threads of the story together in an exciting and very satisfying conclusion that leaves me pleading for the next book to release soon!

Amazon Synopsis

Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at The Cracked Spine in the heart of town. She’s recently befriended a few medical school students after they came into the shop to sell some antique medical tomes. But when one of the students’ friends is found murdered outside in the alley, Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice.

During her investigation, Delaney finds some old scalpels in the bookshop’s warehouse―she finds out that they belonged to a long-dead doctor, whose story might be connected to the present-day murder. It’s all Delaney can do to race to solve this crime before time runs out and she ends up in danger herself.

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

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