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MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF, the second book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries by Darci Hannah, is another stellar addition to a yummy series! From the scrumptious and inviting cover, to the heart-felt and tender dedication and acknowledgements, to the enchanting Christmas theme, to the delectable Christmas cookie bake-off event, I didn’t want to put the book down until I’d read the very last word. Infused with the spirit of Christmas and a hint of a lighthouse ghost resident, Ms. Hannah brings the magical holiday season to life. With a strong descriptive voice, the reader will feel like they are experiencing the town festivities and the cookie bake-off right alongside protagonist, Lindsey Bakewell, owner of the Beacon Bakeshop in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. With humor sprinkled throughout, Lindsey and her comedic sidekick, Kennedy, provide entertaining repartee which made me feel like I’d like to be a part of their circle of friends. Other supporting characters are just as well-developed and I like that relationships are progressing and changing with each book.

Despite Christmas cheer taking over the town, someone is intent on playing Scrooge and ruining the festivities for everyone. Could it be the egotistical celebrity chef brought into town to judge the cookie competition? Or could one of the contestants be behind the theft of Lindsey’s signature cookies? When a judge is found dead, beneath mistletoe and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s cookies, fingers point at Lindsey being the culprit. I greatly enjoyed that Lindsey isn’t a lone ranger in trying to solve the murder. Assisting Lindsey is her ex-special forces boyfriend, Rory, her best friend, Kennedy, her parents, and a mysterious elderly woman who swept into town to help Lindsey and her bakeshop. Clues were sprinkled around like cookie crumbs and there were several viable suspects to keep the reader guessing. Twists and turns kept me on my toes yet it was still a surprise at the final reveal. With a heartwarming ending, I’ll be savoring this story throughout the holiday season.

With a Cookie Bake-Off mentioned in the title you can be sure that there are cookies galore mentioned throughout the book. And trust me, there are so many swoon-worthy cookies! Many thanks to Ms. Hannah for indulging the reader by including several Christmas cookie recipes at the back of the book, including one no-bake cookie. With so many choices it was hard to decide on trying just one cookie recipe, but, in the end, I decided on Lindsey’s Signature Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies first. While sandwich cookies are more work than typical cookies, the ending result is pure perfection! A bit crunchy on the edges and soft (and sweet) on the inside, these cookies have a pleasing texture. The unique combination of lemon and ginger is heavenly and a refreshing change from chocolate and heavily spiced Christmas cookies. And while the recipe says the cookies will last one month in the refrigerator, these were so delicious they barely lasted three days in my household. These will become a go-to cookie for special occasions for certain!

Amazon Synopsis

Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe . . .

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . .

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

A special thanks to Darci Hannah for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, October 10, 2021 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!)

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Lindsey's Signature Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies

Makes 40 1-1/2-inch sandwich cookies

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from fresh lemon)
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

For the filling:

• 1-1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

For the dough:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F), place rack in the middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, butter, molasses, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes, until butter mixture is soft and light.

3. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cream. Mix until a nice dough is formed.

4. Using a teaspoon, scoop rounded portions, dividing dough roughly into 40 equal portions. Cut each portion in half and roll between your hands until smooth. The dough balls will look tiny, but they will spread as they bake.

5. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 1-1/2 inch spaces between each.

6. Bake until cookies are golden brown and firm around the edges, about 7 - 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

For the filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice, lemon extract, and salt. Beat until soft and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If frosting is too soft, add additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

2. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch pastry tip. (If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a gallon-sized zip-lock bag and cut one of the bottom corners off, enough to make a 1/2-inch hole.)

3. Since the cookies will be slightly different sizes, match them up in pairs as best as you can. Flip one of the cookies over, pipe a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center, and sandwich with the matching cookie.

4. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

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HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER is a compilation of three cozy mystery novellas by three terrific authors: Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. If you haven’t yet read any books by these authors, this Halloween trilogy is a great way to try them out. And if you’re already a fan, you’ll love catching up with favorite characters via these quick vignettes. Despite the shortened length of each story, the authors do a marvelous job of setting the stage, capturing the essence of Halloween with spooky atmospheres, and creating a murder for the heroines to solve. The short books are well-plotted with a quick pace, yet the stories never feel rushed.

Each author brings their individual styles and strengths to their novella, from Leslie Meier tackling social issues, to the humor and wit imbued by Lee Hollis, to the strong character development and descriptive voice embraced by Barbara Ross. Each of their strengths has a hand in creating stories that captured my attention and kept me glued to the pages all the while adhering to the theme of the title. Another aspect I enjoy about the annual cozy mystery novella trilogy published by Kensington, is that each story is short enough to finish in one evening without feeling the need to stay up half the night to find out the conclusion. Of course, if you have time on your hands, you’ll want to gobble up the entire book all at once while munching on trick-or-treat goodies!

Barbara Ross and Lee Hollis are known for adding tempting recipes to their books, and Halloween Party Murder is no exception. With several tempting Halloween treats mentioned on the pages, be prepared to be hungry and be sure to check out the Halloween-themed recipes included. Barbara Ross includes a recipe for Vee’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies, which sounded intriguing because you don’t have to roll out the dough to cutout pumpkin shapes. Instead, these cookies are shaped free-form (or patted within the confines of a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter like I did). You can easily swap out all-purpose flour for the gluten-free blend called for. Full of flavor, these cookies are pumpkiny and spicy, chocolately and cakey, yet moist with a crunch from the walnuts added. Your ghouls and goblins will thank you for this yummy treat!

Amazon Synopsis

Small town traditions are celebrated throughout Maine during the holiday season. But when it comes to Halloween, some people are more than willing to reap a harvest of murder . . .
 
HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Tinker’s Cove newest residents Ty and Heather Moon turn their Victorian home into a haunted house to raise funds for charity. But the Halloween fun turns to horrific fright when Heather overdoses on tainted drugs—and Ty finds himself accused of murder. Digging deep into the story, journalist Lucy Stone uncovers some sinister secrets in the Moons’ past linked to a conspiracy in her hometown . . .

DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN PARTY MONSTER by LEE HOLLIS
Everyone attending Island Times Food and Cocktail columnist Hayley Powell’s Halloween bash is dressed as their favorite movie monster from the Bride of Frankenstein and Jaws to Chucky and Pennywise the clown. But when partygoers stumble upon Boris Candy’s bludgeoned costumed corpse, it falls to Hayley to discover who among her guests wanted to stop the man from clowning around permanently . . .

SCARED OFF by BARBARA ROSS
Three teenage girls having a sleepover on Halloween night get spooked when high schoolers crash the house for a party. But no one expected to find a crasher like Mrs. Zelisko, the elderly third floor tenant, dead in the backyard—dressed in a sheet like a ghost. With her niece traumatized, Julia Snowden must uncover who among the uninvited guests was responsible for devising such a murderous trick . . .

A special thanks to Barbara Ross for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Thursday, September 9 , 2021 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!)

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Vee's Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

In the story, Vee Snugg makes her traditional pumpkin cookies gluten-free in an attempt to entice Sergent Tom Flynn. In reality, you can make them either way. Vee's recipe is a twist on the one that used to appear on the Libby pumpkin can. Lots of people make versions of these cookies, but I think Vee's are particularly delicious.

Full of flavor, these cookies are pumpkiny, and spicy, chocolately and cakey, yet moist with a crunch from the walnuts added.

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour (or standard all-purpose flour)
• 2-1/3 cup old-fashioned oats (if gluten-free is necessary, make certain to use gf oats)
• 1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3-1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cup sugar
• 1-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (15-ounce) can of pure pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 1-3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1-3/4 cup chocolate chips
• Decorator icing (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy.

4. Add pumpkin, eggs, and extract. Mix well.

5. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Add nuts and chocolate chips.

6. Drop 1/4 cup dough onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Spread into a pumpkin shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Continue until all dough is used.

7. Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until firm and golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to wire racks.

8. Decorate with icing when cool, if desired. Vee uses orange icing to outline the pumpkin ribs and green icing for the stem and leaves.

Makes approximately 40 cookies.

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MURDER IN A TEACUP, the second book in the Tea By the Sea Mysteries by Vicki Delany, is a charming and inviting addition to the series.  The protagonist, Lily Roberts, is up to her elbows in baking scones and other delectable treats for her tearoom during the busy Cape Cod summer season. The author does an admirable job in making her workday realistic – it’s nonstop with not a lot of time for sleuthing – but yet she manages to find snippets of time to ask questions and find answers. Joining the core cast of characters is Lily’s grandmother, Rose, who owns the B & B next to the tearoom. I’m happy that Rose’s personality shifted from mostly abrasive to simply feisty in this new book. I found her antics enjoyable and her zest for helping in the murder investigation made the scenes fun. Lily’s sidekick and best friend, aspiring author, Bernie, is a hoot. Her very humorous approach to trying to write a novel as each scene unfolded during Murder in a Teacup, kept me chuckling.

With a bickering family staying at the B & B for a reunion to contend with, Lily and her grandmother have their hands full. When one of the guests is poisoned during tea served by Lily, she and her grandmother are left scrambling to find out who did it after the police shut down the tearoom. Ms. Delany writes a tight plot with enough suspects to keep the reader guessing and enough intrigue to keep the reader turning pages. As the story unfolded, I was entertained and delighted with each passing scene and had a difficult time putting the book down to tend to other responsibilities. With a surprising reveal, Ms. Delany has proven once again, to be an expert storyteller!

You’ll be absolutely drooling over all the delicious goodies Lily serves at her tearoom. The author has thoughtfully provided several recipes at the back of the book. I couldn’t help but want to try her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies even though they are typically pretty standard. But after making several of the author’s recipes in the past, I knew these would be different… and I was right! Chockfull of just the right amount of chips, these cookies are soft and slightly cakelike… and they stay soft. The recipe makes extra large cookies but only about a dozen, which is a nice amount for a small family or to share with a couple of friends. If you need more, the recipe can easily be doubled.

Amazon Synopsis

Lily has her work cut out for her when a visit from her grandmother Rose’s dear friend, Sandra McHenry, turns into an unexpected—and unpleasant—McHenry family reunion. The squabbling boils over and soon Tea by the Sea’s serene afternoon service resembles the proverbial tempest in a teapot. Somehow, Lily and her tearoom survive the storm, and Sandra’s bickering brethren finally retreat to Rose’s B&B. But later that evening, a member of their party—curmudgeonly Ed French—dies from an apparent poisoning and suddenly Tea by the Sea is both scene and suspect in a murder investigation!

Mercifully, none of the other guests fall ill. They all ate the same food, but Ed always insisted on bringing his own special blend of herbal teas. So it seems, amid the whining and dining, someone snuck up to one of Lily’s cherished teapots and fatally spiked Ed’s bespoke brew, but who? Was it Ed’s long-estranged sister-in-law? Did teenage troublemaker Tyler take a prank too far? Or perhaps the family’s feuds have been steeping for longer than anyone realizes? It’s up to Lily, Rose, and their friends to get to the bottom of the poisoned pot and bag the real culprit behind the kettle murder plot.

A special thanks to Vicki Delany for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of MURDER IN A TEACUP! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Wednesday, August 4, 2021 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!)

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Vicki's Chocolate Chip Cookies

You don't normally find chocolate chip cookies as part of the afternoon tea sweets selection, but Lily makes these for the children's tea. This recipes makes a very soft and chewy cookie.

Makes approximately 12 large cookies. The recipe can easily be doubled if you need more.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Microwave butter until just barely melted. It should be almost entirely liquid.

3. Using stand mixer or electric beater, beat butter with white and brown sugars until creamy. Add vanilla and the egg; beat on low until incorporated, 10 - 15 seconds. (If you beat the egg too long, the cookies will be stiff.)

4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle (right at the stage between "wet" dough and "dry" dough).

5. Add the chocolate chips and incorporate with your hands.

6. Roll the dough into 12 large balls (or 9 for HUGE cookies) and place on a cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 9 - 11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. (DON'T OVERBAKE: This is essential for keeping the cookies soft. Take them out even if they look like they're not done yet. They'll be pale and puffy.)

8. Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes or so. They will sink down and turn into a dense, buttery, soft cookie. They will stay soft for several days if kept in an airtight container.

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DEATH ON THE NIGHT OF LOST LIZARDS is the third book in the Hungarian Tea House Mysteries by Julia Buckley. This series just keeps getting better and better and I couldn’t put this book down. The author does an admirable job in setting the scene with plenty of holiday ambiance and Hungarian language, food, and folklore. While this is a mystery, I truly enjoyed getting to learn snippets of Hungarian myths and legends that the protagonist, Hana Keller, introduces throughout the story. Combined with the psychic abilities Hana is discovering and her tea leaf reading Grandmother, the book became magical and I didn’t want to stop reading until I’d devoured the entire story. I also loved the delightful descriptions of the unique tea set gifted to Hana by a beloved uncle, even if I’m not a fan of lizards.

The author uses the rare tea set, with the twin lizard handles, as a backdrop to the mystery. She showcases how the design evokes the theme of having two choices for every decision a person faces in their life and the duality that lives in each of us. She effectively intertwines this theme with the mystery of who killed a local college professor. I also admired how Hana’s relationship with her detective boyfriend, Erik, is progressing, and how he appreciates her intelligence and insights into the crime. As the clues unfold – it helps that a large group of suspects hold a memorial service for the victim at Hana’s family’s tea house – the sharp reader can follow along with Hana in narrowing in on the killer. But truthfully, this is such a beautifully written book, I wanted to sit back and enjoy it all without distraction, and as the conclusion wrapped up, I longed to be able to read the next book in the series right away!

Running the tea house with her mother and grandmother, there are all sorts of amazing Hungarian dishes mentioned with mouthwatering details! The author provides a few recipes at the back of the book for readers to try at home. With a theme of Christmas central to this book, I just had to try Juliana’s Christmas Mézeskalács, which are basically Hungarian honey gingerbread cookies. These are much softer gingerbread cutout cookies than I’m used to, but they’re delicious nonetheless. I loved the unique addition of honey and the spices made the cookies comforting. After a search on Pinterest, I tried to mimic the decorative Hungarian designs piped onto the cookies. Festive and delicious, these cookies will make holiday cookie platters appear elegant and enticing!

Amazon Synopsis

Along with her mother and grandmother, Hana Keller has achieved renown serving tea and cakes with a European flair, but when a local professor is killed, she uncovers a serving of suspects instead…

Hana Keller is getting ready for a lovely holiday season. When she receives a rare tea set as a birthday gift, she decides to host a tea at her apartment for her closest friends. During the cozy get-together, one of Hana’s friends gets word that a murderer is on the loose. Hana soon learns that the victim was Sandor Balog, a professor of Hungarian Studies at the local college.

With her growing psychic ability, Hana senses that she is going to be pulled into the investigation of the professor’s death somehow. With her sexy boyfriend Erik on the case, Hana finds the Tea House steeped in suspects. She studies the smiling faces celebrating the season, but the real killer is good at hiding the truth and putting Hana in the hot seat….

A special thanks to Berkley Publishing for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of DEATH ON THE NIGHT OF LOST LIZARDS! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, June 20, 2021 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!)

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Juliana's Christmas Mézeskalács

Boldog ünnepeket!! Boldog Karácsonyt! (Merry Christmas!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2-1/2 cups flour (15.5 ounces - pack the flour into the measuring cup)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. To start, melt the butter and honey in a small pot.

2. Eventually mix in both kinds of sugar, but don't boil. Let the mixture cool before moving to step 4.

3. In a bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

4. After cooling butter, honey, and sugar, beat the eggs and add them in.

5. Add the ingredients in your pot to the dry ingredients.

6. Mix dough well. If need be, divide into pieces for easier storage.

7. Seal in plastic or foil and refrigerate chunks of dough overnight.

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

9. Taking one chunk at a time, roll out your dough on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters of your choosing.

10. Place cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate cutouts for 10 minutes before baking.

11. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for about 8 - 10 minutes.

12. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating.

13. Now the magic begins! It is time to decorate the Mézeskalács. Perhaps check Pinterest or other baking sites for some patterns you can paint or pipe (with frosting) onto your cookies to make them look truly like the traditional Hungarian treats.

14. Make sure to take pictures of your works of art before people eat them!

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