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I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard or seen anything online about the release of BURGLARS & BLINTZES, the second book in the Moorehaven Mystery series by Morgan C. Talbot. From the lack of fanfare, you might think that this unassuming new release is one to overlook. However, the peaceful, calming cover is hiding a treasure trove of an adventurous cozy mystery and I was glued to the pages! In fact, I couldn’t tear myself away from the flow of the story to take notes for my review. I wanted to read without interruption and without thought of what I wanted to say in my review. Ms. Talbot writes a rollicking tale of an ancient treasure; a cold case haunting her great-uncle; a tsunami; and a writers’ bed and breakfast retreat! The plot and sub-plots combine to create a page turning mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.
With the help of her great-uncle, protagonist Pippa Winterbourne owns and runs the Moorehaven Bed & Breakfast, which only accepts reservations from working authors. The entertaining characters are well-developed, including the various writers in residence. I enjoyed seeing the way the guests must learn to overlook differences and work together to assist Pippa in solving both a cold case and a current day murder. Except Pippa isn’t sure who she can trust aside from her uncle. The story flows at a fast pace and the exciting conclusion wraps up the various threads creatively… making me count down the days until the next book is available!
The Moorehaven B & B serves blintzes to the guests several times throughout the book and you’ll be craving them while reading. Thankfully, Ms. Talbot includes a recipe for Moorehaven’s Mouthwatering Blintzes which includes a cheese filling and a fresh berry sauce. I loved that the components are quickly mixed up using a blender and when put together, create a memorable breakfast or brunch for family and friends!
Amazon Synopsis
Moorehaven is swarming with guests during summer’s last hurrah, and Pippa has her hands full at the mystery-author B&B. When her gossip-group connections inform her that a local construction project has unearthed a skeleton with a pocketful of Spanish gold, the news spreads, and treasure hunters flood the beaches. But the skeleton has a more recent connection to the area than anyone suspected, unearthing a shameful secret that hits far too close to home.
A marine salvage team rolls into town, seeking the rest of the treasure. When they hire Pippa’s boyfriend, Lake, to be their pilot, the team’s pretty spelunker quickly stakes a claim, rousing Pippa’s jealousy. But Pippa’s been playing tug-of-war over Lake ever since his ex-wife, Mallory Tavish, became the new acting chief of police.
When a killer’s strike brings tragedy to Moorehaven’s door, Pippa must rally her friends, family, and mystery-writing guests to catch the murderer before she loses someone she can’t live without and all the warmth of summer dies with one last gasp.
A special thanks to Morgan C. Talbot for providing a winner with an e-book copy of BURGLARS & BLINTZES. Contest ends Sunday, August 26, 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!)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup small-curd cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup fresh marionberries or blackberries
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- Grapeseed oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling
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Make all ingredients at least a couple of hours beforehand to allow them to rest. The batter in particular benefits from resting a couple of hours or overnight. The crepes can also be made ahead of time, after the batter rests, and refrigerated.
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Add the ingredients to a blender in the order they are listed. Cover and blend until batter is smooth. Let batter rest at least two hours.
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Combine ingredients in blender until smooth. Cover and let rest in refrigerator, up to a day ahead of time.
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In a medium saucepan, combine marionberries, blueberries, strawberries, and sugar. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until berries soften, about 2 minutes.
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Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender, or use a blender then pour mixture through a fine strainer to remove all the seeds.
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If desired, set aside 1/4 cup of sauce to add to filling, the way Penelope likes it.
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Fold raspberries into the remaining sauce. Cover and refrigerate.
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Heat an 8-inch skillet or crepe griddle over medium-high heat. Coat lightly with a small amount of grapeseed oil, which tolerates high heat well. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet or onto griddle and immediately rotate pan or smooth batter across griddle to coat hot surface in a thin layer. Cook approximately 1 minute or until surface loses its sheen. Do not flip to cook other side. Stack to cool, or use immediately.
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To fill each blintz, flip crepe over so the browned side is up. Add ~3 tablespoons of filling to the lower middle. Fold the lower edge up, then the top down over it, then fold in the two sides. The un-browned side should be outward and ready for frying.
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Place blintz in a skillet or griddle set over medium-high heat, folded side down, for about 1 minute, then flip to cook the top.
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Transfer to a plate and spoon berry sauce on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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Thawed frozen fruit may be substituted for fresh.
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For a crisp, raw-fruit topping for whole or chopped fruit, mix fruit with honey or sugar in a bowl and simply spoon atop your blintz. Moore thought it was most excellent on warm summer mornings.
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Any fruit may be substituted for the berries, really. Blintz toppings are virtually limitless.
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Want to add cinnamon? Nutmeg? Peppermint? Coconut? Sugar sprinkles? Go for it!
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For open-ended blintzes, fry both sides of the crepe. Add filling and roll it up, then add topping.
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For those interested in a less sugary experience, 3 tablespoons agave syrup may be substituted for each quarter cup of sugar. Agave has a much lower glycemic index than granulated sugar.
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I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I don’t have a favorite breakfast recipe, but these blintzes look delish 🙂
My favorite breakfast recipe is for oatmeal pancakes. These blintzes look pretty amazing, though!
Thank you so, so much for the unique way you review. Your videos are such a delight! You’re welcome to visit Moorehaven anytime and mess around in its kitchen.
A ham & cheese omelet is my favorite breakfast.
I grew up with a Mom who cooked and baked just about everything you could name. I have two younger sisters and we all love to cook and bake and everyone seems to really enjoy our cooking which makes us all very pleased.
I could eat home baked bread every day. I love to make it and enjoy the great baking aromas of cinnamon breads or Swedish Cardamon bread especially.
We have quite a few overnight or weeklong guests and everyone of them has loved my Baked Puffed Pancakes. They are like a giant open popover and can be eaten with just fresh squeezed lemon juice and confectioners sugar on top or filled with fruit, especially fresh berries, or topping made from cooked sweetened berries and sauce. In apple season I serve these with sauteed apples in butter and cinnamon and nutmeg sauce as the topping. The toppings are almost endless and I usually have at least three types of toppings available. If someone has enough 9 inch cast iron frying pans, you can bake four at a time which would be one half of a pancake for 8 servings but most people can eat the entire pancake if you aren’t serving other options.
I also love to make baked breakfast “casseroles”. These are usually prepared at night and kept in the refrigerator overnight to meld the ingredients and baked in the morning. They are combinations of bread slices or cubes of hearty bread soaked with seasoned beaten eggs, half and half or cream and lots of cheese with the addition of sausage or ham or bacon etc. as well as regular or green onions, chives, etc. Once baked and cut into squares or wedges it’s a complete and hearty breakfast with your favorite breakfast potato served along side or with mixed fruit salad. .
There are many sweet breakfast treats that I really enjoy too like sour cream cinnamon walnut coffee cake. The list goes on and on when you like to cook/bake and eat that’s for sure.
I can’t wait to read this book. I like to find new (to me) authors and start with their first in the series so that you can be up to date quickly as I’m a “sequence” reader.
Thanks for the wonderful blog post as always, Kim!.
Cynthia
Yes, I love to make muffins and I have a favorite recipe ever. It’s a basic recipe but I always add different fruits to it and it turns out so yummy!
Egg and ham and cheese omelette
One of my dad’s favorite breakfast orders was blintzes with fruit topping. Thanks for sharing the book and the recipe.
No, I do not have a favorite breakfast recipe.
I don’t have a favorite breakfast recipe. thank you for a chance to win a e-book copy of Burglars & Blintzes.
I’m not a big on breakfast, so I don’t have a favorite breakfast recipe.
Eggs Benedict and its many variations.
I like to add some William and Sonoma Apple Caramel pancake mix to my plain pancakes. Lasts longer and the pancakes are yummy. Thanks for the chance. Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
Yes I love a quiche with eggs and cheese and tomatoes for Breakfast. I made two for an event and everyone cleaned it down to the last crumb. Thank you for a chance at an ebook.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
My favorite breakfast is French toast. But the blintzes look deelish!
I don’t have a favorite recipe but, I do like french toast or waffles on occasion.
I have never made these before but I saved the recipe and will make them for my 5 year old granddaughters this weekend!
No favorite breakfast recipe.
Of course, I no longer do the cooking at my house, hubby does. I like when he does his mother’s pancakes, or a western or other fillings omlets. And occasionally he will do a coffee cake.
bisuits and gravy
I do have a mean french toast recipe that my kids will eat every single time, BUT it is not healthy at all so I don’t make it very often….but it is Yummy! =)
No favorite recipe, but I do love pancakes.
My favorite breakfast recipe is anything someone else fixes so I don’t have to cook lol. If I cook, I guess my home made pancakes.
No favorite recipe because I am not really a breakfast person…..with that said, I do love a good homemade fluffy waffle with fruit!
My breakfast specialty is an omelet.
I like french toast. I like to make it with different types of bread for a change. Yum. The blintzes look good but a bit more difficult for me. I only make easy recipes.
I sleep late so it’s actually lunchtime before I eat anything, the blintzes would be a real treat. I’m bookmarking this one. I might make them for my parents when I move back to SC to be closer to them.