Kim, Author at Cinnamon and Sugar

Vegan Pumpkin Brownie Pie with Pecan Streusel

BONES TO PICK, the debut cozy mystery in the Brie Hooker Mystery series by Linda Lovely starts out with humor in her acknowledgement and the chuckles continue throughout this delightful read! The quirky characters add to the charm of the story and captured my attention from the very first page. I found the protagonist, vegan chef Brie Hooker, to be an entertaining character from her ironic name to the situation she finds herself in helping her aunt run a goat farm, to her dilemma of the handsome vet and the moonshine man showering her with attention. The author provides many clever names and sayings that are quite entertaining. “Limburger and Liverwurst” is one of many creative cheese and meat swear words that Brie uses and just might find their way into my own vocabulary.

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There’s nonstop action in the plot, especially after Tammy the pig digs up bones belonging to Brie’s long-gone uncle by marriage. The local sheriff seems to have it in for Brie’s family with her Aunt Eva in his crosshairs. Brie shows her devotion to her family and jumps in to prove her aunt’s innocence even to the peril of her own life. There are plenty of people who are viable suspects in the decades old murder mystery and when one of Brie’s suspects is murdered, the stakes are even higher. I was intrigued with how the cold case was woven into the new murder along with fraud and forgery that kept me guessing at how the threads were going to come together. But come together they did in a very exciting, suspenseful conclusion!

While I could easily become a vegetarian, I would personally struggle with being a vegan as I adore cheese too much! I have friends who are vegan and I admire their commitment to their lifestyle and frequently enjoy the foods that they prepare… especially the desserts. Linda has graciously provided a recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Brownie Pie with Pecan Streusel for me to share. Vegans and non-vegans alike will swoon over this decadently rich-tasting treat! You will never miss the lack of eggs or dairy and if you don’t spill the secret, no one will even know. The three layers are each deliciously flavorful on their own, but when put together, the resulting dessert is absolutely amazing!

Amazon Synopsis

Living on a farm with four hundred goats and a cantankerous carnivore isn’t among vegan chef Brie Hooker’s list of lifetime ambitions. But she can’t walk away from her Aunt Eva, who needs help operating her dairy.

Once she calls her aunt’s goat farm home, grisly discoveries offer ample inducements for Brie to employ her entire vocabulary of cheese-and-meat curses. The troubles begin when the farm’s pot-bellied pig unearths the skull of Eva’s husband, who disappeared years back. The sheriff, kin to the deceased, sets out to pin the murder on Eva. He doesn’t reckon on Brie’s resolve to prove her aunt’s innocence. Death threats, ruinous pedicures, psychic shenanigans, and biker bar fisticuffs won’t stop Brie from unmasking the killer, even when romantic befuddlement throws her a curve.

A special thanks to Linda Lovely for providing an e-book copy of BONES TO PICK for one lucky winner! Contest ends Friday, October 27, 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!)

Vegan Pumpkin Brownie Pie with Pecan Streusel

According to the original recipe this serves 8-10. In our house figure on the side of 8 servings.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Brownie Layer

1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil softened
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (regular unsweetened cocoa will work)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tblsp non-dairy milk (such as cashew, almond, coconut)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you want it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (vegan if necessary, otherwise regular are fine)

Pecan Streusel Topping

1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup Sucanat or brown sugar
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Grease a 9-inch pie plate.

Pumpkin Brownie Layer

Use a hand or stand mixer to mix pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla together.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, Dutch cocoa, salt and baking soda together and add to the pumpkin mixture. Spread into the pie plate.

Pumpkin Pie Layer

Mix together the pumpkin, vanilla, and non-dairy milk.
Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and spices. Slowly whisk dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture, then spread over the brownies.
Sprinkle pumpkin pie layer with the chocolate chips.

Pecan Streusel Topping

Mix all the topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the chocolate chip layer.
Bake 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1-1/2 hours.

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I was provided a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Callie’s Sour Cherry Pie

SECRETS AND PIES, the long anticipated third release in author Jenny Kales’ Callie’s Kitchen Cozy Mystery series, lived up to and even exceeded my expectation! The adorable cover is filled with mouth-watering pies and invites you in and then the story grabs your attention, giving the reader a twisty, turvey ride. The protagonist, Callie Costas, is finding her stride and her life seems to be finally falling into place. Her relationship with Detective Sands is moving forward, her daughter is a delight, and her father has finally acknowledged her need to run her own restaurant. She’s even coming to terms with her ex-husband and his new wife living close by. But life is never static and Callie finds herself stressed by the amount of special events her kitchen needs to cater along with unforeseen personnel issues. When she finds a lifeless body in the garden of a lakeside Gilded Age home that her ex-husband is supposed to renovate, her mettle is put to the test.

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The author effectively weaves the theme of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Gilded Age throughout the book. I loved her description of the majestic mansions doting the lake around Crystal Bay, and the provided bits and pieces of history of that era. I also enjoy the photos that the author occasionally posts on Facebook of the real Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, of which she uses as inspiration for her fictional town. I’ll admit I thought I knew where the plot was going early on in the story but was totally thrown for a loop by the twist the story took. It kept me turning pages, wanting to find out how the mystery was going to be resolved. The conclusion provided a suspense scene that helped tie the threads together into a satisfying cozy mystery.

Callie bakes up so many amazing treats in her kitchen that you’ll drool while reading. Jenny provides several mouthwatering recipes that you will definitely want to try out! I was instantly drawn to the recipe for Callie’s Sour Cherry Pie. Fruit pies are my favorite type of pie and my most favorite dessert (next to cookies, of course)! My mother-in-law was a whiz at making pie dough from scratch but that’s one thing I always struggled with. Jenny’s crust can be mixed up using a food processor which I found to be super easy to do and without the frustration of over-working the dough. The results were an easy to make, easy to roll, and super flaky pie crust! She also uses tart “sour” canned cherries instead of the sickening sweet “fake” cherry filling. I thought the tart cherries provided more fruit flavor and I liked the texture much better, without the hassle of pitting fresh cherries. Served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, Callie’s Sour Cherry Pie is sure to please your family and friends!

Amazon Synopsis

Summertime in Crystal Bay means tourist season for Calliope “Callie” Costas, owner of Callie’s Kitchen, a Greek-meets-Midwest from-scratch eatery. Business is booming but so is the stress. Callie can barely keep up with the demand for her famous summer fruit pies and savory Greek delicacies, plus she’s agreed to bake dozens of “pitas” for the annual Greek Fest.

When Callie is asked to deliver cast party treats for a Murder Mystery Night at the historic Harris House, it seems like a welcome break from her hot stove. That is, until she finds herself an unwilling player in yet another suspicious death. Worse yet, the victim is a family friend and graduate student working on a project involving Crystal Bay’s colorful past.

Before long, a motley crew of suspects makes things as juicy as the succulent berries strewn around Callie’s Kitchen. And that’s not all Callie’s got on her plate. Add family obligations, a deepening romance with a local detective and unexpected personnel problems to the mix.

A special thanks to Jenny Kales for providing one winner the choice of either print or an e-book copy of SECRETS AND PIES for one lucky winner! Contest ends Monday, October 23, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and print copy is restricted to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Callie's Sour Cherry Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

Callie's Perfect Pie Crust

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup shortening (such as Crisco), very well-chilled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very well-chilled
6 - 8 tablespoons iced water *

Callie's Cherry Pie

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cans tart or "sour" red cherries (NOT cherry pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Instructions

Callie's Perfect Pie Crust

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, or using a food processor, cut in the shortening and butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Mix in the iced water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough forms a ball. If dough doesn't come together or looks crumbly, gradually add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it does. Take the dough out of the food processor (if using) and knead gently with your hands a few times. It should feel pliable and smooth. If not, add a little more water and knead in. Do not over process the dough.
Divide dough into two balls and flatten slightly into discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Using a well-floured surface and a rolling pin, roll each pastry disc from the center to the edges.
Roll each pastry into a circle that is several inches larger than a 9-inch pie plate.
Place gently in pie plate and trim overhang. Fill pie and add top crust as recipe directs.

Callie's Cherry Pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
Drain the cherries and reserve the juice from only one can.
In a saucepan, stir the cherry juice into the combined mixture of the cornstarch and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, but not gluey.
Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, then gently stir in cherries.
Pour filling into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter or margarine.
Place second crust on top and gently seal by making a decorative edge with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Vent the pie by slashing the top crust several times. Or do as Max and Callie do, and use a shaped pie crust cutter to make decorative vents in the crust (such as a cherry shape). Place cut-outs on the crust and gently seal for additional decoration.
Bake 30 - 40 minutes or until crust browns and filling begins to bubble though the vents. Make sure it's bubbling or the filling will be too thin or "runny" once it cools.
If the edges of the pie are browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil or "pie crust protectors" (found at kitchen stores) for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Cool pie several hours to allow filling to thicken before slicing.

Tip

* You can substitute well-chilled vodka for the water. This creates a super flaky crust and cuts down on the worry of over-handling the dough.
You can make the dough a couple of days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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I was provided a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spicy Cajun Christmas Sugar Cookies

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING, the third book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron is celebrating its release! It’s Christmas time in Pelican, Louisiana and the protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is preparing to celebrate with her family and their Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast guests. I loved the descriptions provided about the local holiday traditions enjoyed by the residents, especially the elaborate bonfires built to light the way for Papa Noel. Maggie is a smart, likeable artist who cares deeply for her family and friends. She pitches in to help no matter what the problems are. There are many memorable characters to support the plot and Maggie’s nemesis, Rufus, is back on the scene. One of my favorite lines in the book comes from Rufus, “Chère, it’s Louisiana. We only follow the rules we like.” This premise leads to some interesting developments!

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The murder victim, investor Steve Harmon, is one of their former bed and breakfast guests and was tossed out by Maggie’s mother. His interest in staying at their property was only to figure out a way to take over the business and force the family to leave their ancestral plantation. In addition, Steve wanted to exploit Maggie’s boyfriend’s young autistic son. Bo threatens Steve and demands he leave his child alone. With both of her loved ones suspects, Maggie takes it upon herself to clear their names and find the real killer. The plot is multi-faceted with threads of subplots woven throughout the story. There are many suspects each of them viable and once the bonfires are lit a suspenseful conclusion pulls the story together for an exciting ending!

Maggie’s mother, Ninette, is the cook for the family’s bed and breakfast. She serves amazing Cajun meals to her family and guests. I appreciate that the author provides recipes at the back of the book and has allowed me to share her recipe for Spicy Cajun Christmas Cookies. These sugar cookies are flavored with cinnamon and cayenne powder. Before you think that you don’t like spicy, the cayenne did not make the cookies overly hot. Instead it enhanced the flavor of cinnamon and both of my granddaughters loved them! With Halloween right around the corner, I decorated cookies to fit in with that theme plus threw in a nod to Christmas. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating, these Spicy Cajun Cookies are a nice change from plain vanilla sugar cookies.

Amazon Synopsis

Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.

The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.

The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël…

A special thanks to Ellen Byron for providing a hardcover copy of A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING for one lucky winner! Contest ends Friday, October 20, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is restricted to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Spicy Cajun Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing**

4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder (available to most craft stores)
5 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

Cream the butter, then add the sugar and beat until it's fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
Stir the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix together until well combined.
Divide the dough in half and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of two hours or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
Roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a well-floured board.
Cut the dough with cookie cutters of your choice and place the unbaked cookies on an ungreased cookie tray (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper). If the dough gets sticky, add more flour to the board and/or rolling pin.
Chill the cutouts on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking. This will help keep them from spreading out and losing their shape.
Bake 6 - 10 minutes, basically until they're golden brown around the edges. They will brown quicker if the shapes are thinner.
Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Once the cookies have cooled, frost with royal icing, either as prepared below or prepared on the icing box.

Royal Icing

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7 minutes at medium-low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer). If icing seems too thick, add more water 1/2 teaspoon at a time and beat in until desired consistency is reached.

Tips for Cookies

*When measuring the flour firmly scoop and level the flour. If you have a scale, use 15 ounces of flour.
I often mix up cookie dough one day, refrigerate overnight, then bake the cutouts the following day. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for a few days, so I often decorate a day or two after baking them to spread out the work on decorated sugar cookies.

Tips for Royal Icing

**Instead of making your own royal icing, you can purchase a boxed mix at your local craft store.
It is imperative that your bowls, spoons, spatulas, beaters and any thing else that comes in contact royal icing is grease free. I use Dawn Liquid Dish soap on these items because I know it will remove any trace of residual grease.
Cover the icing bowl with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap in between working with royal icing. It dries out quickly.
For longer storage, royal icing can be stored in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

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Aloha Mix-up Cookies

I am very happy to be helping Catherine Bruns celebrate her new release, DEATH OF THE KONA MAN, while I’m visiting the Big Island of Hawaii and the Kona area this week!

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Set in a tropical paradise, DEATH OF THE KONA MAN is the exciting tenth addition to the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series (written by various authors) and the second contribution by Catherine Bruns. The author captures the spirit of Hawaii accurately… the sun, the sand, the food… her descriptions will make you feel like you’re visiting the warm, tropical island while reading! Protagonist, Carrie Jorgenson, is a likeable and somewhat sympathetic character. A recent transplant from Vermont, Carrie has had a very difficult childhood and as a result, she is often filled with self-doubts and low self-esteem. To balance that, the author has connected Carrie romantically with her boss, Keanu Church, whose parents own the Loco Moco Café where they work. Keanu is an optimist and he is everything a girl could want in a boyfriend: caring, pretty hot, supportive, and generous with his time, compliments, and money. He allows Carrie to discover who she is and what she wants out of life, creating a caring environment for her to grow as a person.

The murder mystery surrounding who would want to kill Randolph Cremshaw, renowned food critic, is well plotted. Carrie is a suspect because she served him coffee and food from the café. Is someone setting her up or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Randolph was known as the Kona Man because he drank up to 10 cups of Kona coffee a day… and no other coffee would do. In fact, he was quite obnoxious about his coffee and heaven help anyone who served him something sub-par. However, from personal experience while visiting some of the coffee plantations in Kona, I have to agree that Kona coffee is pretty special! (You can see a few photos that I took while learning how to roast coffee beans this week, at the bottom of the page.) The conclusion and wrap up of the story holds some unforeseen surprises which will have the reader turning pages faster and faster while hoping that Catherine’s next release in this series comes sooner than later!

I had the pleasure of creating the recipe for Aloha Mix-Up Cookies for DEATH OF THE KONA MAN. Aloha Mix-up Cookies starts with a sweet brown sugar cookie dough base and adds an assortment of Hawaiian treats, such as macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, crunchy coconut, and creamy white chocolate to tantalize your taste buds! The best part is that you can mix and match the add-ins to suit your family and friends’ tastes and share the aloha spirit!

Amazon Synopsis

Carrie Jorgenson is living the dream in Hawaii. She has a steady job as a waitress at the Loco Moco Café, a hot new love interest in her manager, and the curtain’s about to rise on her role in a local theater production. But when she’s asked to deliver food to a guest at the Aloha Lagoon resort—who then drops dead!—her dreams quickly become the stuff of nightmares.

World renowned food critic Randolph Cremshaw has no shortage of enemies. He’s rude, patronizing, and famous for his one-star reviews. After the coffee Carrie delivers is discovered to have been poisoned, she and the café quickly rise to the top of the suspects list. A jealous co-worker, thefts at the restaurant, and a performance that threatens to blow up in Carrie’s face only make things worse. With an already full plate, Carrie is also forced into making a decision that may change everything for her. But this all pales in comparison when she comes face to face with Randolph’s killer and what might be the final curtain call…of her life.

A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing one winner the choice of either print or an e-book copy of DEATH OF THE KONA MAN for one lucky winner! Contest ends Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and print copy is restricted to U.S. residents only. 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!)

SALE

For a very short time, DEATH OF THE KONA MAN will be on sale for $2.99! Don’t miss out on this special introductory price. (You can click on the book cover above to visit Amazon.)

Aloha Mix-Up Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups 14.4 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix-ins (use as much or as little as you wish)

3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Don't preheat the oven yet as the dough needs to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Using a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the flour all at once and pulse the mixer to keep flour from flying. Once mostly combined, increase speed and mix until flour is completely incorporated. Resist the urge to over-mix. (If using a hand-held electric mixer, you will need to add the flour in increments.)

Mix-ins

You can either stir the white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and coconut into the dough or mix-and-match. You can create several combinations of cookies by dividing the dough between four separate bowls and mix some of the white chocolate chips with macadamia nuts into one, pineapple and coconut into another, pineapple and macadamia nuts in the third, and using all four mix-in ingredients in the last portion. Or create your own combinations.

Baking

Place the bowls of dough in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop tablespoon-sized rounds of dough onto the sheet.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie starts turning lightly golden. Rotate baking sheet half way through baking.
Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes 6 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Tip

If you refrigerate the dough longer than 30 minutes, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to make scooping easier.

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I had the pleasure of taking a coffee plantation tour and learning how they roast their Kona coffee beans! It was fascinating and the smell was absolutely incredible!

Coffee “cherries” are ripe when they turn bright red. The bean is contained inside the fruit.

Once the bean has been extracted they are washed and dried and look green.

The green coffee beans are roasted at around 400 degeees (F) in a large drum for 20 – 25 minutes, until they turn a chocolate brown. When they are released from the drum there is lots of aromatic smoke.

The beans are cooled with a stirring machine that also blows cool air through the bottom of the tub.

100 pound sacks are waiting to be distributed. Wish I had some room in my suitcase!

Pittsburgh Pretzel Salad

I’m happy to be celebrating the new release, A ROOM WITH A BREW, by Joyce Tremel with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours! This third book in the Brewing Trouble series finds Max O’Hara, owner of the Allegheny Brew House in Pittsburgh, getting ready to host her first Oktoberfest celebration. The author manages to combine an exciting blend of cold war intrigue, oompah bands, tasty brews, a discovered priceless masterpiece, and murder.

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Max’s friend, Candy, a seventy-something old cupcake bakery owner, has had minor roles in the previous two books but in A ROOM WITH A BREW, she takes center stage. I’ve always been curious about Candy, but she’s always held her secrets close. This time, though Candy’s story is finally told and while I won’t provide any spoilers, she certainly has quite the tale to tell and kept me entertained! There are plenty of memorable supporting characters surrounding Max and as with Candy, I’m now curious about their own stories.

I enjoyed the Pittsburghese expressions that are included, which adds to the authenticity of the location. For example, N’at is short for “and all that”. Fortunately for us Pittsburgh novices, the author provides translations. Aside from the memorable characters and the fun location, A ROOM WITH A BREW provides a well-plotted mystery with plenty of intrigue and suspects to keep the reader turning pages. Several subplots are woven into the story, adding to the enjoyment of this well-crafted tale!

While reading this new book, it was hard to not get thirsty for a brew or hungry for a delectable dish. Ms. Tremel provides several recipes in the back of the book to keep your hunger at bay but unfortunately, you’re on your own for imbibing. Back in my late teens and early twenties I had a recipe similar to the Pittsburgh Pretzel Salad recipe included in the book. Somewhere in my many moves in my younger days, I lost the recipe so was delighted to try it again. It didn’t disappoint and brought back many nostalgic memories from so many years ago. The crunchy saltiness of pretzels complements the creamy sweet tanginess of cream cheese. Juicy strawberries liven up strawberry jello for an appealing red layer, while additional whipped topping garnishes this cool, refreshing treat. I’m very happy to be able to share this fun dish with my own granddaughters.

Amazon Synopsis

It’s Oktoberfest in Pittsburgh, and brewpub owner Maxine “Max” O’Hara is prepping for a busy month at the Allegheny Brew House. To create the perfect atmosphere for the boozy celebration, Max hires an oompah band. But when one of the members from the band turns up dead, it’s up to Max to solve the murder before the festivities are ruined.

Adding to the brewing trouble, Candy, Max’s friend, is acting suspicious… Secrets from her past are fermenting under the surface, and Max must uncover the truth to prove her friend’s innocence. To make matters worse, Jake’s snooty ex-fiancée shows up in town for an art gallery opening, and she’ll be nothing but a barrel of trouble for Max.

A special thank you to Joyce Tremel for providing 3 paperback copies 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 October 15, 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!)

Pittsburgh Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar

Filling (Middle Layer)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 8-ounce container whipped topping

Top Layer

2 3-ounce boxes strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions

Bottom Layer

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
Mix all the ingredients and press into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Completely cool.

Filling (Middle Layer)

Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
Fold in whipped topping then spread over cooled pretzel mixture.
Chill for 30 minutes or until Jell-O for the top layer is thickened.

Top Layer

Combine Jell-O with boiling water. Stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Add strawberries.
Chill until partially thickened, then spread over top of cream cheese mixture.
Refrigerate overnight or until firm.
If desired, top with additional whipped topping and sprinkle with crushed or broken pretzel pieces.

Tip

You can make half the recipe and use an 8x8-inch square casserole dish. The half recipe ingredients are listed in the video.

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October 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 14 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 15 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

I was provided a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hoppy Cupcakes

I am so excited to be helping Ellie Alexander celebrate the release of DEATH ON TAP, the first book in her brand new Sloan Krause Mystery series! All I can say is, oh my, what an opening line… I loved it!! Sloan has a unique voice, a bit edgy at times and is often humorous. Being raised in the foster system has given her the feeling of being an outsider and maybe not quite fitting in. With the collapse of Sloan’s marriage, even though her mother-in-law and father-in-law are the only parents she’s ever had, she still feels like she doesn’t belong in the family any longer. At times her doubt about her self-worth to the family made me feel emotional and once or twice I got a bit teary. Sloan is the type of protagonist the reader wants to cheer for. I also liked that she is also a mom to a teenaged son. This gives added dimension to her character along with unique challenges to working full-time and trying to solve a crime.

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The town of Leavenworth is a quaint Bavarian-themed setting, perfect for the backdrop of murder by drowning in a brew tank. When suspicion falls on both Sloan’s cheating husband and her new boss, she realizes she needs to find some answers that will clear them both. Okay, she may have considered letting her husband take the blame, but for the sake of their son, decided he needed to be proven innocent. The murder mystery is woven around the theme of beer and I enjoyed the bits and pieces provided about the brewing process. I loved some of the very clever names the author provides for the various brews and wish I could sample some of Sloan’s concoctions! DEATH ON TAP is strong on character development and letting the reader get to know the town and area. I think it’s a good set up for future books in the series. There is also a mystery thread pertaining to Sloan’s life before the foster system that I believe will run through the subsequent books and I look forward to reading future books in this series!

While the book doesn’t contain recipes there are many dishes mentioned that use a variety of beers. Fortunately for us, Ellie loves to create in the kitchen and she came up with a recipe for Hoppy Cupcakes! With the unexpected addition of citrus IPA, these moist orange and lime flavored cupcakes are topped with decadent cream cheese frosting… which is one of the best frostings I’ve ever had! The cupcakes are delicious and my husband’s golf buddies devoured them, but across the board it was the frosting that stole the show. The next time I make Hoppy Cupcakes I might just add some additional powdered sugar to the frosting along with a tablespoon of the citrus IPA to add a bit more hoppy flavor. Either way, these were a hit!

Amazon Synopsis

When Sloan Krause walks in on her husband, Mac, screwing the barmaid, she gives him the boot. Sloan has spent her life in Leavenworth, Washington becoming an expert in brewing craft beer, and she doesn’t have time to be held back by her soon-to-be ex-husband. She decides to strike out on her own, breaking away from the Krause family brewery, and goes to work for Nitro, the hip new nano-brewery in the Bavarian-themed town. Nitro’s owner, brewmaster Garrett Strong, has the brew-world abuzz with his newest recipe, “Pucker-Up IPA.” This place is the new cool place in town, and Mac can’t help but be green with envy at their success.

But just as Sloan is settling in to her new gig, she finds one of Nitro’s competitors dead in the fermenting tub, clutching the secret recipe for the IPA. When Mac, is arrested, Sloan knows that her ex might be a cheater, but a murderer? No way. Danger is brewing in Beervaria and suddenly Sloan is on the case.

Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, I have a hardcover copy of DEATH ON TAP for one lucky winner! Contest ends Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Hoppy Cupcakes

Recipe yields 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients

Hoppy Cupcakes:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla
One orange—grate peel into batter and squeeze in a tablespoon of juice. Reserve remaining juice for frosting
1/2 cup citrus IPA
1/4 cup sour cream

Citrus cream cheese frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon each freshly squeezed orange and lime juice
1 teaspoon each orange and lime zest
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Hoppy Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add eggs, beating after each addition then add the vanilla and zest.
Combine sour cream and beer and alternatively add this mixture and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture with the mixer on low speed, starting and ending with the flour.
Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
When cupcakes are done, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with toothpicks or a fork and brush some beer on each while still warm.

Citrus cream cheese frosting:

Cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the citrus juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined.
Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.
Load frosting in a piping bag fit with a large star tip and pipe cupcake tops once cooled.