I am very happy to be joining the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour presenting THE CULINARY ART OF MURDER! This sixth book in the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery series by Heather Haven, is a delightful addition. I’ve been a long-time fan of the Alvarez Family (since finding her first book on Bookbub a few years ago) and enjoy Ms. Haven’s sense of humor as she spins her stories for us readers. I so adored that the author begins each chapter in this newest book with a culinary pun based on famous literary works. I wasn’t familiar with some of the books but she provides a list at the beginning so that I could reference it to get the full effect of her puns. Lee (Liana) Alvarez, a professional investigator, is a strong protagonist with a take charge attitude. But that is somewhat tempered by her loving relationship with her new husband and sweet relationship with her Uncle Tío. It’s refreshing to see the closeness her family has, despite her stern mother being the exact opposite. The repartee she has with her younger, techie, brother, gives the author a canvas for creating entertaining dialog. The family works well together at their detective agency and pull together to give their uncle support in clearing his friend’s name.

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I adored the setting for this mystery: the Palo Alto Culinary Arts Institute which, according to the author, is based on the real life Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California. I would love to have the chance to visit this fabulous place in the wine country! The plot is well thought out with plenty of suspects that kept me guessing as I turned the pages. There were several twists that greatly surprised me and added to the suspense of the reveal. I found it interesting that the author created the reveal in the Hercule Poirot style, which took me back to some of my favorite books.  

While there aren’t any recipes included with the book, there are some wonderful dishes created by the chefs at the Culinary Institute. The visiting chef at the Institute, and Tío’s love interest, is from Arkansas. She makes a Possum Pie which is famous in Arkansas (don’t worry, no animals are involved!) and Tío puts his own twist to the pie. Heather told me that it’s called possum pie because everything is ‘hiding’ or playing possum under the whipped cream. After checking Pinterest, I also found it’s also called Sex in a Pan, Chocolate Layer Pie, and Four Layer Delight. Either way, it’s amazingly delicious with it’s pecan shortbread crust, a layer of sweetened cream cheese, topped by another layer of rich chocolate pudding and smothered in heavenly freshly whipped cream!  

Amazon Synopsis

Lee’s Uncle ‘Tío’ is smitten with a visiting chef at a Silicon Valley culinary arts institute. When the lady is arrested for two murders, a fellow chef and the dishwasher, Lee Alvarez, lead investigator for Discretionary Inquiries, Inc., the family owned detective agency, agrees to help find the real killer. But undercover work at the institute proves to be more difficult than whipping up a chocolate soufflé. The killer tries to get Lee out of the way and permanently. But just who is it? The lady chef? One of her two sons? Or one of the other inmates from a cooking school with secrets as plentiful as sauces? Can Lee find the real killer before her own goose is cooked? And if it turns out to be the ambitious southern belle chef, will Tío ever forgive Lee for sending his new lady love to jail?

Thank you to Heather Haven for providing an assorted giftbox for the giveaway! This giveaway is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and you can use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends December 14, 2017 and is limited to U.S. residents only. Winner will be announced on this page and on Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours site, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Tío's Possum Pie

Famous in Arkansas, Possum Pie earned it's name because everything is ‘hiding’ or playing possum under the whipped cream. In this rendition, Tío adds a bit of spice to reflect his heritage.

Ingredients

First Layer (crust)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup chopped pecans, toasted

Second Layer

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Third Layer

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup of Dutch cocoa
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1/8 teaspoon ground chilis, optional
• Salt, a pinch
• 3 tablespoon corn starch
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 1 teaspoons vanilla (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla if you don’t use Kahlúa below)
• 1 teaspoon Kahlúa, a coffee flavored liquor from Mexico (optional)

Fourth Layer

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Chocolate shavings, optional

Instructions

1. Place all pecans needed for recipe in a skillet on medium heat and sauté until they just begin to turn fragrant and brown, about 3 to 5 minutes (watch closely so they don’t burn). Remove from heat and place on a plate to let cool. 

2. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

For the first layer (crust):

1. Finely chop 3/4 cup of the toasted pecans for the crust. Combine melted butter, flour and pecans. Spread the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, pressing down with your fingers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the dough just begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
   

2. Forget the second layer for the moment and move on to the third layer.

For the third layer:

1. While the first layer (crust) bakes, in a medium saucepan, add the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, salt, cinnamon (optional), ground chilies (optional), and corn starch. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks until broken up, then milk. On medium heat, add milk mixture to dry ingredients, whisking constantly until pudding begins to boil and thicken, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Add Kahlúa (optional), but remember to only put in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, not 2, if you’re adding Kahlúa  Let cool about 5 minutes. Pour pudding in a shallow bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface so a skin does not form. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
   

For the second layer:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk. Beat with electric mixture for 2-3 minutes or combined.
   

For the fourth layer:

1. Place mixer bowl and whisk in freezer for at least 20 minutes to chill. Pour heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla into the cold bowl and whisk on high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Do not over beat.
   

To assemble pie:

1. Spread cream cheese mixture over the completely cooled crust base. Remove pudding from fridge. Carefully spread the completely cooled pudding over the cream cheese layer. Top with whipped cream, toasted pecans and chocolate shavings if desired. Refrigerate or serve, cut into small pieces.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW
December 1 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
December 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW  
December 5 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
December 7 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 8 – T’s Stuff – INTERVIEW
December 9 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
December 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – INTERVIEW
December 13 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 14 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

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

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ANOTHER ONE BITES THE CRUST by H. Y. Hanna is the highly anticipated seventh book in her Oxford Tearoom Mystery series and it lived up to my expectations! This delightful cozy series features protagonist Gemma Rose, the owner of Little Stables Tearoom in Meadowford-On-Smythe along with her adorable cat, Muesli. Gemma is preparing for the grand summer ball of Oxford’s colleges. The author provides such inviting descriptions of the quaint and charming area, painting a vivid picture of each scene. Attending the ball and providing a special presentation is celebrity chef, Josh McDermott. While the general female viewing population adores him, Gemma finds he has a dark side when his manager accuses her of stealing the chef’s Egg Custard Tart recipe. But when Gemma stumbles across Josh who had been murdered at the ball, she’s pulled into the investigation. The plot is well-written with a good pace while the sub-plots are judiciously woven in, never detracting from the murder mystery. One of the sub-plots revolves around Gemma finally meeting Detective Inspector Devlin O’Connor’s (her boyfriend) mother. His mother is nothing like Gemma’s strict, straight-laced mother, and Ms. Hanna uses their interaction for added humor to the story.

Gemma’s friends, the four Old Biddies, decide they need to jump into the investigation as well, and it’s all Gemma can do to keep them out of trouble. This creates more humorous scenes that add to the appeal of this book. The four older ladies are quite the characters and in addition to their sleuthing take it upon themselves to provide an influx of crocheted doilies for Gemma’s tearoom, along with a pair of crocheted lace doily earrings for her to wear. I can imagine the look of disbelief on Gemma’s face when presented with the gifts. Yet, Gemma has a kind heart and would never say anything to hurt their feelings. Her compassionate personality also shows up when Muesli is cat-napped and Gemma comes up with a heartwarming solution. I also admire the author for bringing to the forefront the issue of ­­­­feral cats and some of the ways to humanely control their population and provide care for them.

Gemma’s baker provides many lovely tea time treats for the tearoom and creates the classic English Egg Custard Tart recipe that is central to the plot. I was honored when the author invited me to create a recipe for English Egg Custard Tarts to use in her book! I tried to create something that remains true to the British version, using lots of butter and cream. I also wanted to make mini tarts since they are easier to serve… people can just help themselves! My mini muffin tin worked beautifully so you don’t need to go out and buy mini tart pans (I already had some so used those as well). I found that even though the flavors are quite simple, the rich delicacy makes this a decadent and satisfying dessert that will please discerning palates!

Amazon Synopsis

Champagne and ball gowns, fairy lights and music… Oxford summer balls are one of the highlights of the calendar and tearoom sleuth Gemma Rose is looking forward to taking a break and slipping into something gorgeous for the evening. But when the night ends with a celebrity chef murdered by his own whisk, Gemma finds herself plunged into a new mystery—and the nosy Old Biddies keen to help with the investigation!

But trouble is also brewing at her quaint Cotswolds tearoom: between fighting claims that she’s serving “fake” custard tarts and stopping her little tabby, Muesli, from being catnapped, Gemma has her hands full—and that’s before she has to fend off an amorous Italian. To top it all, her boyfriend Devlin’s mother is coming to visit and Gemma is anxious to make a good impression… although Mrs O’Connor isn’t quite what she expected!

With so much going on, it’s a recipe for disaster—but with a bit of help from her mother, Gemma might just solve the case… and live to bake another day.

 A very special thanks to H.Y. Hanna for providing one lucky winner their choice of either print or an e-book copy of ANOTHER ONE BITES THE CRUST! Contest ends Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe 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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English Egg Custard Tarts

Ingredients

Pastry

• 225 g (8 ounces) (2 scant cups) all-purpose flour
• 85 g (3 ounces) (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster (granulated) sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 150 g (5.3 ounces) (2/3 cup) cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk, beaten together
• 1 egg yolk, for brushing on pastry during baking

Custard

• 375 g (13.25 ounces) (1-2/3 cups) heavy cream
• 90 g (3.2 ounces) (1/3 cup) whole milk
• 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks
• 85 g (3 ounces) (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster (granulated) sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Pastry

1. Don't preheat the oven since dough needs to chill before baking. 

2. Place the flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Alternately you can whisk the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

3. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and either pulse in the food processor or cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until it resembles bread crumbs.

4. Add 3/4 of the beaten egg and egg yolk to the flour mixture and pulse (or mix by hand) just until dough comes together. If mixture is too dry, add remaining egg.

5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

6. Roll the dough out and cut into circles large enough to fit your tartlet pan or mini muffin pan. You can do a combination of sizes. Press the dough circles into the pans.

7. Place pieces of foil over each pastry shell then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F degrees.

9. Remove the pastry shells from the refrigerator and place either baking beans or rice on top of the foil, filling almost to the top. This will prevent the dough from slumping during baking.

10. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the foil along with the rice or beans.

11. Return the pastry shells to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

12. Remove from the oven and brush each pastry shell with the beaten egg yolk.

13. Return to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

14. Remove pastry shells from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 120 C / 250 F degrees.

Custard

1. Place the cream and milk in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stirring very frequently, heat just until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan.

2. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together.

3. Once the cream is hot, very, very slowly add to the egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Don't be tempted to add all at once or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.

4. Fill the pre-baked pastry shells with the custard, making sure to fill them evenly so that they cook in the same amount of time. Grate fresh nutmeg over the tops of the custard.

5. Bake 18 - 30 minutes, depending on size of the tarts.* The custard should be mostly set but the middle should have a faint jiggle. 

6. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before serving.

Tips

1. *The tartlets I baked using a mini muffin tin took 18 minutes. The small tart pans took 20 - 25 minutes. Keep a close watch and check for doneness often. 

2. You can use a large tart pan and bake for 35 - 45 minutes. 

3. You may substitute your favorite pre-made refrigerated pie pastry dough (such as Pillsbury) instead of making the pastry from scratch. Just be sure to pre-bake it and brush with egg yolk so that the crust doesn’t get soggy from the custard.

4. If you have any leftover custard filling, pour into small ramekins. Place the ramekins into a shallow baking dish and place in the oven. Carefully fill the shallow dish with hot water halfway up the ramekins. Bake at 163C/325F degrees for 25 – 35 minutes, just until set and the middle still jiggles a bit. Remove ramekins from the hot water, chill thoroughly and enjoy! 
   

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