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A PINCH OF MURDER is the second book in the newly revised and re-released Frosted Love Cozy Mystery series by Summer Prescott. The protagonist, Missy Gladstone, is a cupcake bakery owner and is heading to Las Vegas for a national bake-off contest. Missy is a sweet, kind woman who has poured her life into her bakery. You can’t help but like her and cheer her accomplishments, despite how her long-ago nemesis makes her feel about her talents when Missy runs into her in Vegas. When she’s accused of murdering her nemesis and the police seem determined to pin the crime on her, Missy reaches out to Detective Chas Beckett from her hometown. He quickly rushes to town to help Missy out and I enjoyed their budding friendship and the reader hopes that perhaps romance will blossom between the two.
The plot flowed with enough suspects to keep me interested and the threads of the clues were wrapped up at the exciting conclusion. This is a quick read and while it is not a complex story, it’s entertaining with room for the characters to grow and develop in future installments.
With the re-release, Ms. Prescott has included a delectable recipe for Casino Caramel Royale Cupcakes. Dark brown sugar brings caramel notes to both the cupcakes and the frosting. My taste testers enjoyed the cupcakes, which were moist and substantial. The frosting was extremely tasty but (and maybe it was my error) no matter how long I beat it, the brown sugar was still a bit grainy. However, the majority of my tasters really enjoyed it and it didn’t keep anyone from gobbling these up. I appreciated the ease of mixing up the cupcakes and they baked up beautifully providing a delicious base for the frosting. I did add some extra powdered sugar to make a stiffer frosting since I knew the cupcakes would be sitting out in summer’s heat. They held up quite nicely and were an elegant addition to the picnic table.
Amazon Synopsis
Cupcake baker, Missy Gladstone, decided to leave her cozy little hometown in LaChance, Louisiana, for the bright lights of Vegas, to compete in a national cupcake bake-off with a Grand Prize of $50,000.00. The prize money would go a long way toward Missy’s dreams of expansion, and a trip to Vegas would provide the busy gal with a much-needed vacation, making the trip seem like a win/win.
Dismayed to encounter a former hometown rival in attendance, Missy soon learns that there were ulterior motives attached to her invitation to the event. A sticky proposal pits the two of them against one another again, and Missy stands to lose more than the competition if she doesn’t make some very tough choices.
Alone, far from home, and suspected of murder, Missy reaches out to the only ally who might be able to help her – the dashing Detective Chas Beckett.
A special thanks to Summer Prescott for providing a winner with an e-book copy of A PINCH OF MURDER. Contest ends Sunday, August 19, 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!)
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk (or buttermilk)
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
- Additional pinch of salt as needed
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Beat brown sugar, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk (or buttermilk) together.
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Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
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Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are all incorporated.
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Pour batter to fill 2/3 of the cupcake liner. Bake cupcakes for 15 - 17 minutes and check with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cupcakes are done.
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Beat butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, salt, and powdered sugar together until smooth.
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Frost cupcakes once they are cool.
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Use salted caramel chocolate candies for decoration, if desired.
Makes 18 - 24 cupcakes
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I have never been in a baking competition, but my dad’s Sunday school always had one for the men at their class party.
no, I’ve never entered a baking contest.
I have never been in a baking contest
I don’t have the finesse to enter a baking contest. My family doesn’t really care how my baking turns out as long as it
tastes good. Thanks for the info provided on your blog.
Heck no! I don’t want to ever feel bad about the desserts I make, I eat them or give them away. Lol. My favorite line at home is, “Don’t you judge me!” I use that all the time…usually when I’m going for a 4th piece of cake or tunneling through the center where the cream filling is, but I wouldn’t want to feel less than fantastic about my baked goods…Lol.
I have not. I don’t have the confidence or skills. My baked goods are tasty but rarely look close to the professional photo. There have been times my kids asked me if I was certain I followed directions though they admitted it was tasty. I have one smart aleck who said if there was ever an ugly but tasty baking contest, I would easily take a prize. Lol. *Shrugs* Ugliness has never stopped them from devouring anything.
Yes, I had to decorate half of a round cake and I made it into the Man in the Moon. I won the San Jose Mercury Cake Decorating Contest
My husband is the baker in the family. He won a newspaper baking contest once and makes a delicious Scandinavian Almond Cake. In fact, they call him directly from church now and ask him for baked goods for receptions!
No, I haven’t entered any baking competitions, but I like watching them on TV.
Nope, never.
No I haven’t. I don’t think I’m a good enough baker although I do love to bake!
Yes, when I was about 11 or 12 I entered a baking contest at the library for kids. I won! I don’t remember if it was first or second place. I think my mother helped a lot. They put all the recipes in a little booklet. I won a paperback book and maybe something else. I baked a Red Devil’s Food Cake.
That’s awesome!
definitely want to read these books…but I only read real books that I can hold in my hand…don’t do Ebooks or kindle
No I never entered a baking contest. Thank you for a chance to win a e-book copy of A Pinch Of Murder.
I’ve never been in a baking competition.
No, I’ve never entered a baking contest, that would be a sure fire way for me to burn something, LOL. Thank you for the recipe and congrats on your release!
I love to bake, but I don’t think I could ever enter a baking contest. Have you seen some of things they come up with on the baking contest the show on Food Network.
A baking contest would be fun!
I’ve never been in a baking contest.
Looks like an interesting book – Thanks for the chance to win.
I’ve never entered a baking contest, but bet I’d enjoy being a judge for one.
I haven’t entered a baking contest. I would lose.
I’ve been in a jigsaw puzzle contest, but not a baking competition!
No, I don’t believe I have ever entered a baking contest.
Our County Free Fairs have a baking category or two. I have occasionally thought about entering something, but that was years ago and I never did.
One a small prize in Pillsbury bake off years ago
I have never been in a baking contest. thanks for the chance.
I’ve never entered a baking or cooking contest–never even considered it. I love watching the competitions on Food Network, though.
No I have never entered a baking contest
No I haven’t ever enter a baking contest. I do love to watch cooking contests on the food channel when I can.
Never entered a baking contest. My skills are not that great lol