Kim, Author at Cinnamon and Sugar

Apple Kootchy-Kootchy-Koo Kuchen

The second book in the adorable Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series by Laura Bradford, SILENCE OF THE FLANS is a solid, entertaining addition! Winnie Johnson is an engaging protagonist with a smart sense of humor and witty dialog. I love her interaction with her elderly friends who are more like family to her. One of the fun things about this series is the absolutely creative, whimsical names for desserts that Winnie bakes and delivers! The author enlisted the help of a couple of people to come up with the names in this book and I think it would be so much fun to see the variety they created before narrowing it down to a few. I am not a pun creative type of person which makes me appreciate and admire those who can.

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Winnie has a heart of gold: taking in a cat that hates her (which provides some comedy) along with helping out a troubled college student, whose grandmother is dying. Even though she’s warned about the girl, she still feels like she needs to do her best to help. Winnie says, “How much trouble can 1 college girl really cause?” and from there the story takes off with a bang when another college girl drops dead after eating Winnie’s Fade to Blackberry Crisp. Becoming a suspect with her dessert the cause of the poisoning, Winnie’s business comes to a standstill. Winnie’s tenacious determination to keep her business going and prove to the town that she’s innocent propels her into tracking down the real killer. Besides being a fun, entertaining read the mystery had a good flow and I enjoyed seeing her find new suspects and then rethinking old suspects which made it believable. The reveal wrapped up the plot and subplots with a satisfactory conclusion and made me anxious to find out what happens next!

With all the adorable, pun-filled dessert names floating around the book, I am grateful that Laura provides several recipes for the reader to drool over! She has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Apple Kootchy-Kootchy-Koo Kuchen with you. I’ve never had Kuchen before and was impressed with the yummy pastry crust, rich custard filling, and tart apples. There is just enough cinnamon to delicately flavor it without overwhelming or detracting from the overall flavor. I really like that it bakes up into a large casserole dish and serves a lot of people. Perfect for breakfast, a coffee break, or warmed up with ice cream for dessert…any way you serve it, your friends and family will thank you!

Amazon Synopsis

Baker Winnie Johnson does her best work when the heat is on. As owner of the Emergency Dessert Squad, she has a deft touch in the kitchen and a soft spot for lost causes. So when her business professor beau, Jay Morgan, expresses misgivings over having to fail one of his fourth-year students, Winnie cooks up a sweet solution.

She’ll offer an extra credit opportunity in exchange for a little help with her growing business. But when her protégé’s first dessert delivery poisons a student journalist, the publicity threatens to burn Winnie’s business to a crisp. Now the entrepreneur-turned-detective must uncover the ingredients behind a recipe for murder before she crumbles under pressure…

A special thanks to Laura Bradford for providing a signed copy of SILENCE OF THE FLANS for one lucky winner! Contest ends Friday, March 10, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST, and limited 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!)

Apple Kootchy-Kootchy-Koo Kuchen

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling

4 Granny Smith apples (peeled, and cut into 6 - 8 wedges each**)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons flour
1 8-ounce container sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Crust

Combine all the crust ingredients in a bowl to form a dough.
Pat gently into a 13 x 9-inch pan, lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Filling

Arrange the apple wedges across top of the crust.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs.
Blend in sugar, salt, cinnamon, flour, and sour cream.
Pour over fruit topped crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until filling is set.
Top with whipped cream if desired. Koochy-Koochy-Koo Kuchen is great served warm with ice cream.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

My Note

**My taste testers indicated they preferred the apples sliced thinner, which I'll try next time.

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Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

I had the pleasure of being able to read an early copy of PEKOE MOST POISON, the eighteenth book in the Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs! For some unexplained reason, that I seriously need to remedy, this is the first book of this series that I’ve read…and I found I’ve been missing out! The good news is I won’t be short of pleasurable reading for a long time while I catch up.

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Theodosia Browning owns the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Her very good friend, sixty-plus-year-old Drayton Conneley, is her tea sommelier and sidekick. They make a great team and I enjoyed their friendly banter and the way they interacted and cared for each other. Drayton invites Theodosia to attend a ‘Rat Tea’ at the Calhoun Mansion. I found the historical tidbits the author includes on why Charleston society holds Rat Teas, complete with the waitstaff wearing rat costumes, to be intriguing and a bit creepy. She gives the reader a glimpse into a genteel tea party…until the story starts off with a bang and the host drops dead right in front of Theodosia, murdered by poison. The plot continues at a fast pace and I was kept both entertained and guessing as clues were placed throughout the story.

Drayton is ‘blackmailed’ by the widow, who threatens to withhold a large financial grant for his Heritage Society, unless he convinces Theodosia to find the real killer. Theodosia is miffed about the widow using ‘blackmail’ but realizes that she is inherently curious and would be asking questions anyway. I liked that the protagonist is a fix it type of person. When anyone has a problem, they come to her for help in finding resolutions to their sticky issues. She provides assistance from the generosity of her heart and not for financial gain. Theodosia is a very caring person yet manages to retain a sassy attitude. I chuckled out loud as she calls a disagreeable publicist the “Wicked Witch of the West on a nuclear-powered broomstick”! Laura paints vivid pictures using words to describe people and scenes, making the reader feel like they are right there.

Indigo Tea Shop serves all sorts of delectable treats and tea. Fortunately, Laura Childs includes many recipes and tea party tips at the back of the book. She has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies. I’ve eaten these cookies numerous times before but I have never made them myself! They are much easier to make than I thought they would be and the combination of peanut butter and chocolate are a long time favorite. The cookie itself is slightly crispy on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside. This recipe is definitely a keeper in my household!

Amazon Synopsis

In the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, Theodosia Browning attends a “Rat Tea,” where the mice will play…at murder.

When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston’s most prominent hostesses, to a “Rat Tea,” she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health.

But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen’s entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat.

The distraught Doreen soon engages Theo to pursue a discreet inquiry into who might have murdered her husband. As Theo and her tea sommelier review the guest list for suspects, they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse…

A very special thank you to Laura Childs for providing a signed hardcover copy of PEKOE MOST POISON for one lucky winner! Contest ends Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST, and limited 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!)

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature*
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups flour
Milk chocolate or Hershey's Kisses

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Add egg and beat well.
Stir in peanut butter, baking soda, and flour until well mixed.
Using a spoon, form mixture into small balls, then roll in granulated sugar.
Bake for approximately 8 - 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and quickly place a piece of milk chocolate in the center of each cookie (chunk of milk chocolate or Hershey's Kiss).
Let cool and serve.
Yields 12 to 15 cookies, depending on size.

Tips

*If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to dough.
If dough is too sticky to work with, refrigerate for 30 minutes before forming into balls.

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Conchas

It’s a great pleasure to be a part of the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour presenting KNEADED TO DEATH, the first book in the Bread Shop Mystery series, by Winnie Archer! When I first saw the cover and the title I knew I had to read it. After all, learning to bake bread was the very first thing my grandmother taught me to make (along with several cousins) when I was about seven-years-old. My mother made all of our bread while I was growing up and once I was out on my own, I never developed a taste for mass- produced grocery store bread. So I started making my own bread too. I wish I could have found a bakery, such as Yeast of Eden, to purchase fresh, hearty bread and take classes instead of trying to develop my baking skills on my own way back when!

In addition to having a theme that I’m endeared to, KNEADED TO DEATH has an emotional connection that pulled me in. The protagonist, Ivy Culpepper, returned to her hometown of Santa Sofia, located on California’s central coast after her mother was killed in a hit-and-run accident. The culprit was never caught. Even after six months Ivy is still floundering amidst her grief. The author includes a poignant line which I found touching for any daughter who has lost their mother, especially at a young age. “Grief has to run its course. I knew this, but the reality was that I’d never not feel the emptiness inside.”

Ivy signs up for bread baking classes at Yeast of Eden, and connects with the elderly owner, Olaya Solis, who becomes a friend and mentor. When one of the class participants is found murdered in the parking lot of the bakery, Ivy decides she needs to help clear her new friend’s name and find the real killer. As she starts asking questions, she finds many suspects. The author does a nice job of kneading the characters into subplots and then rolling them together in the end for a tasty, tempting read. Ms. Archer also sets the stage for subsequent books with the introduction of elderly Penny Branford, who is a wonderful sidekick in Ivy’s sleuthing efforts. I look forward to the next installment in this series!

As you read through this delightful cozy, you are going to be drooling over the delectable descriptions of the breads being made at Yeast of Eden. Fortunately Ms. Archer includes recipes at the back of the book and the publisher has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Conchas. Conchas are a well-known Mexican pastry, named for the shell patterned topping adorning each sweet bun. I’ve eaten Conchas purchased at small markets several times growing up but they always seemed a bit dry and not that tasty. There truly is a difference between fresh bread vs. mass market bread and this recipe showcases what is appealing about this traditional Mexican treat. The rolls are soft and rich tasting with a hint of sweetness. I especially loved the cinnamon-flavored topping for the added flavor.

I mixed and kneaded the dough using my stand mixer, which made it a breeze to make and resulted in light, airy bread. However, had I read the book before baking the Conchas, I would have kneaded the dough by hand simply because the author writes so poetically about how the art of baking bread speaks to your soul. Kneading by hand would have connected me to all the times I kneaded dough with my grandmother and my mother, both who have been gone many, many years. It’s also a reminder to me to not get so busy with the task at hand that I don’t take a few extra moments to fully enjoy what I’m doing.

Amazon Synopsis

Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .

But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car. Even more devastating, the prime suspect is Olaya Solis herself. Doubting the woman could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove her innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before—or someone else could be toast!

A very special thank you to Winnie Archer for providing 3 print copies of KNEADED TO DEATH! 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 March 12, 2017 and is limited to U.S. and Canada residents only. Winners 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!)

Conchas

Yield: 12 Conchas

Ingredients

Dough

3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
Nonstick cooking spray for greasing the cookie sheet

Cinnamon and Vanilla Topping

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup salted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Dough

Prepare the conchas dough by dissolving the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl.
Add the milk, sugar, butter, egg, and salt.
Next, stir in 2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth.
Add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough is easy to handle and forms a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Alternately, you can use the dough hook on a standing mixer.)
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, and then turn it so that the greased side is up.
Cover the bowl, place it in a warm place, and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours. You'll know the dough is ready if an indentation remains after you press on it.

Topping

While the conchas dough is rising, prepare the topping. Beat together the sugar and butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
Stir in the flour and mix until a dough with the consistency of a thick paste forms.
Divide the topping dough into 2 equal portions.
Mix the cinnamon into the first portion and the vanilla extract into the second portion.
Divide each portion of topping dough into 6 equal pieces, and then pat each piece into a 3-inch circle. Set the circles aside.

Preparing Conchas for baking

Grease a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Punch the conchas dough down and divide it into 12 equal pieces.
Shape the pieces into balls and place the balls on the prepared cookie sheet.
Place 1 topping circle on each ball of conchas dough, shaping the circle so that it fits over the ball.
Make about 5 cuts across each topping circle to create a shell pattern.
Cover the dough balls and let them rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
When 15 minutes of rising remain, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).
Bake the conchas for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack and store completely cooled conchas in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

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Tour Participants

February 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
February 27 – Books,Dreams,Life
February 28 – Sleuth Cafe
February 28 – The Book’s the Thing
March 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews
March 1 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder
March 1 – Bookworm Mom
March 2 – Reading Is My SuperPower
March 2 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews
March 3 – Melina’s Book Blog
March 3 – Rainy Day Reviews
March 4 – Shelley’s Book Case
March 4 – Island Confidential
March 5 – Laura’s Interests
March 5 – Bibliophile Reviews
March 6 – Valerie’s Musings
March 6 – Book Babble
March 7 – Community Bookstop
March 8 – Brooke Blogs
March 8 – A Holland Reads
March 9 – StoreyBook Reviews
March 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy
March 10 – Becky’s Bookcase
March 10 – Readeropolis
March 11 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews
March 11 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews
March 12 – Moonlight Rendezvous

I received a copy of this book and willingly provided a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding

Last November I highlighted the second book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron even though I had not read the first book (which was sitting on my Kindle, somehow lost among the hundreds of books I seem to have collected). So I decided I should catch up and read PLANTATION SHUDDERS, and boy, am I glad I did! This debut cozy transports the reader to the bayou town of Pelican, Louisiana with the residents’ local customs, colloquialisms, and manners. I enjoyed the bits and pieces of history on the Cajun and Creole families that were woven into the book. Maggie Crozat is a smart and sassy protagonist while her Grand-Mère adds charming humor and a provides a wonderful sounding board for her granddaughter. I enjoyed the close-knit family life Maggie is fortunate to have. There’s a depth of emotion that is felt as you read about their tribulations and joys, both personal and in running their family plantation mansion turned bed-and-breakfast, throughout the story.

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The murder mystery is unique in that first, one of the guests, a cranky, elderly man, drops dead in the middle of the Crozat’s cocktail hour. Unfortunately, within minutes the man’s wife drops dead too. The author creates scenes with tension and a diverse set of characters, each realistically contributing to the list of suspects. Maggie has strong motivation for finding the killer. Pelican’s Chief of Police would love to see Grand-Mère take the fall for the murder since his family has had 150 years of enmity with the Crozats. He will do almost anything to see them fail. The murder investigation also places a huge financial burden on the Crozat family, who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. The ending culminates with a suspenseful reveal that will have the reader wanting more!

Ellen also shares a few recipes at the back of the book, all which sound divine. She has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding, especially fitting for celebrating Mardi Gras! While PLANTATION SHUDDERS does not take place during Mardi Gras, the story does center around the town celebrating Fete L’ete, an event which honors the end of summer. This decadent dessert includes both bourbon and pecans which have a natural affinity for each other and is a fitting end to any special occasion!

Amazon Synopsis

It’s the end of the summer and Prodigal Daughter Maggie Crozat has returned home to her family’s plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast in Louisiana. The Crozats have an inn full of guests for the local food festival–elderly honeymooners, the Cajun Cuties, a mysterious stranger from Texas, a couple of hipster lovebirds, and a trio of Georgia frat boys. But when the elderly couple keels over dead within minutes of each other–one from very unnatural causes– Maggie and the others suddenly become suspects in a murder.

With the help of Bo Durand, the town’s handsome new detective, Maggie must investigate to clear her name while holding the family business together at the same time. And the deeper she digs, the more she wonders: are all of the guests really there for a vacation or do they have ulterior motives? Decades-old secrets and stunning revelations abound in Ellen Byron’s charming cozy debut, Plantation Shudders.

A special thank you to Ellen Byron for providing a signed copy of PLANTATION SHUDDERS and some awesome swag for one lucky winner! Contest ends Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST, and limited 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!)

Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Bread pudding is one of those fun dishes that's easy to adapt to anyone's taste. Lia jazzes hers up with bourbon and that other Louisiana staple, pecans. Laissiz les bons temps rouler!

Ingredients

4-1/2 cups lightly packed bite-size croissant pieces (about 4 croissants)
1 cup chopped pecans
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup bourbon, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Dry bread uncovered at room temperature for 12 hours (or dry the bread in a 250-degree (F) oven for one hour.)
Butter an 8 x 8-inch baking dish
Arrange the bread in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the pecans over the bread, making sure they're evenly dispersed.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, 1/3 cup bourbon, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.
Pour mixture slowly and evenly over the bread.
Cream the butter with the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of bourbon, then dot the pudding with the mixture.
(Note: you can chill the pudding, covered, for anywhere from an hour to a day before baking, but this is optional.)
Bake the pudding in the middle of the oven until it's slightly puffed and golden, and the middle has set - approximately 40 minutes.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese-filled Muffins with Streusel Topping

I was delighted to have the chance to read an early copy of FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT, the second book in the Cat Latimer Mystery series, by Lynn Cahoon. I love the location and premise of this series: a bed-and-breakfast writers’ retreat tucked away in the mountains of Aspen Hills, Colorado. Cat Latimer is owner and hostess of the retreat with her good friend, Shauna Mary, providing delicious meals and snacks. Cat is also an author and runs the writing retreats to earn money so that she can write full time. Except that with her demanding guests, an unforeseen murder investigation, and one of her young, sweet guests a suspect, she doesn’t have much time on her hands. I admired that even though Cat is an introvert, she pushes herself to spend time socializing with her guests and takes it upon herself to help clear the romance writer’s name. After moving back to Aspen Hills, Cat has also reconnected with her old flame, Seth. She’s struggling to move forward in their relationship due to the uncertainty surrounding her ex-husband’s death…who, by the way, bequeathed the huge house to her. The author allows us glimpses of Cat’s emotions that make her seem real and builds a connection to her.

The main murder plot of discovering who killed local bad boy, Tommy, is also woven around several subplots. The enigma of Cat’s ex-husband’s untimely demise is a mystery that first started in the first book, continues in FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT, and will be continued in the next book. Cat also gets involved in trying to help figure out who is stealing rare books from the town’s college library. Could the tall, dark, and handsome mysterious stranger, who just so happens to know her name, have anything to do with the turmoil surrounding Cat? The author expertly juggles, tangles, and weaves the various threads of the story into one cohesive read that had me turning pages faster and faster!

While the book does not contain recipes, Shauna bakes up many mouth-watering treats for all the writers and you’ll definitely get hungry while reading! I was honored when Lynn asked if I would like to create a recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese-Filled Muffins to go along with the book. I had fun experimenting and came up with this rich, flavorful pumpkin muffin that combines a sweet, yet tangy creamy center with streusel topping adding extra texture and visual appeal. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has!

Amazon Synopsis

Cat Latimer’s Colorado bed-and-breakfast plays host to writers from all over. But murder is distinctly unwelcome . . .

To kick off a winter writing retreat, Cat and her handyman boyfriend, Seth, escort the aspiring authors to a nearby ski resort, hoping some fresh cold air will wake up their creative muses. But instead of hitting the slopes, they hit the bar—and before long, a tipsy romance novelist named Christina is keeping herself warm with a local ski bum who might have neglected to tell her about his upcoming wedding.

Next thing Cat knows, her uncle, the town sheriff, informs her that the young man’s been found dead in a hot tub—and Christina shows up crying and covered in blood. Now, between a murder mystery, the theft of a rare Hemingway edition, and the arrival of a black-clad stranger in snowy Aspen Hills, Cat’s afraid everything’s going downhill . . .

A special thanks to Lynn Cahoon for providing a signed copy of FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT for one lucky winner! (Please be aware that it is an Advanced Readers Copy.) Contest ends Monday, February 27, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST, and limited 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!).

Pumpkin Cream Cheese-filled Muffins with Streusel Topping

Ingredients

Muffins

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk (2% or whole)

Filling

1 cup (8-ounce package) cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly cold

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spritz the liners with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Topping

In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt together. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work in the butter until coarse crumbs appear. Set aside.

Filling

Beat the softened cream cheese together with the sugar and vanilla until creamy and no lumps remain. Set aside.

Muffins

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed, about 1 minute.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in the pumpkin and vanilla until well combined. (It's okay if it looks a bit curdled.)
Add half the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, beating until mostly incorporated.
Stir in the milk and then add remaining flour mixture and mix until well combined.
Fill each muffin cup 1/3 way full with batter.
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling to center of each muffin cup and top with remaining pumpkin batter, filling cup at least 3/4 full.
Add a generous amount of streusel mixture to each muffin.
Bake muffins 18 - 20 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted at the side of the muffin should come out mostly clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Eat within 2 - 3 hours and refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The muffins can also be well-wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

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Salmon with Papaya and Avocado Pico de Gallo

I was happy when A MEASURE OF MURDER, the second book in Sally Solari Mystery series, by Leslie Karst was released earlier this month. I’ve been looking forward to it for several months and I found this to be a nice addition to the series. Leslie combines a clever murder mystery (even the police think it’s a tragic accident) with a tenacious restaurateur, and inspiring music. Sally Solari is a very energetic protagonist…I wish I had half of her energy! But despite how much she’s involved in, Sally finds time for her family and friends while creating new friendships, showing she is a very caring person. The characters surrounding and supporting Sally add to the appeal of the book. The murder plot provides plenty of viable suspects to keep the reader guessing but interspersed in the plot is a lot of detailed information about performing in a choral performance of Mozart’s Requiem. I found it interesting (I enjoy learning new things while reading cozy mysteries) and it inspired me to search out a YouTube video of the piece. I’ve included a link to this classical piece at the bottom of the page for your listening pleasure. The author brings a passion for music and how it speaks to your soul.

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With Sally owning her own restaurant and working in her family’s Italian restaurant, A MEASURE OF MURDER has many mouthwatering mentions of delectable dishes! Fortunately for the reader, Leslie includes several recipes at the back of her book. She has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Grilled Salmon with Papaya and Avocado Pico de Gallo. Rich, buttery salmon is topped with a tropical, slightly spicy, super fresh salsa, and tastes just as delicious as it is lovely to look at! In my opinion, the pico de gallo would be perfect as an appetizer served with tortilla chips and a chilled tropical cocktail as well.

Amazon Synopsis

Sally Solari is busy juggling work at her family’s Italian restaurant, Solari’s, and helping Javier plan the autumn menu for the restaurant she’s just inherited, Gauguin. Complicating this already hectic schedule, Sally joins her ex-boyfriend Eric’s chorus, which is performing a newly discovered version of her favorite composition: the Mozart Requiem. But then, at the first rehearsal, a tenor falls to his death on the church courtyard–and his soprano girlfriend is sure it wasn’t an accident.

Now Sally’s back on another murder case mixed in with a dash of revenge, a pinch of peril, and a suspicious stack of sheet music. And while tensions in the chorus heat up, so does the kitchen at Gauguin–set aflame right as Sally starts getting too close to the truth. Can Sally catch the killer before she’s burnt to a crisp, or will the case grow as cold as yesterday’s leftovers?

In a stew of suspects and restaurateurs, trouble boils over in the second in Leslie Karst’s tasty and tantalizing Sally Solari mystery series, A Measure of Murder.

Thanks to the publisher, I have a print copy of A MEASURE FOR MURDER for one lucky winner! Please be aware this is an advanced readers’ copy. Contest ends Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST, and limited 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!)

Grilled Salmon with Papaya and Avocado Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

Pico de gallo means "rooster's beak" in Spanish and refers to the fact that this is a spicy condiment, i.e., a salsa picante. What differentiates a pico de gallo from other Mexican salsas is that rather than being cooked, it's made from fresh, chopped ingredients.

The traditional pico de gallo is made with tomatoes, onions, chiles, and cilantro, but in many parts of Mexico, the fruit varieties such as this one are also popular. I encourage you to experiment with combinations of fruit and vegetables other than the ones in this recipe, such as pineapple, jicama, cucumber, watermelon, orange, cantaloupe - whatever strikes your fancy.

At Gauguin, we use papaya for this pico de gallo, but a ripe mango can be substituted if no fresh papayas are available. The salsa can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator, but if you make it more than an hour before the meal, wait to cut and add the avocado until shortly before service, lest it turn brown.

Serve this entree with either Spanish rice or traditional Mexican white rice and refried beans - along with warm tortillas to mop up your plates, of course!

Ingredients

Pico de Gallo

1 cup papaya or mango, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup avocado, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 medium red onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 jalapeno pepper (stemmed and seeded) finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (plus 1 extra lime, cut into wedges, for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Salmon

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 salmon steaks (or filets)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Pico de gallo

Place all the pico de gallo ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently (so the avocado and papaya don't get mashed) to mix.
Refrigerate covered until service (see note above about avocado).

Salmon

Mix the garlic with the olive oil in a small bowl, and brush it onto the salmon steaks, then sprinkle them with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Preheat grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grill grate.
Grill salmon for 4 minutes and then carefully flip with a spatula.
Continue cooking until browned on the outside but still moist and slightly pink in the middle (3-6 minutes, depending on thickness of steaks and heat of the grill) and the internal temperature reaches 120 - 125 degrees (F).
Serve each salmon steak with a large scoop or two of pico de gallo (an ice cream scoop full makes for lovely presentation), half on and half off the fish. Garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges.

https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/grilled-salmon/

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

I was inspired by this book to seek out a YouTube video of Mozart’s Requiem. It helped me better visualize some of the scenes and gave me a better appreciation for Sally’s passion!

I received a copy of this book and willingly provided a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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