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BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER, the second book in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series by Meg Macy is the most adorable cozy mystery out there! Combining a teddy bear factory, and a Cran-beary Tea Party celebrating Octobear Fest while mixing in a close-knit family and a rekindled romance provides Ms. Macy with a delightful hit in this newest release! The beary-fun puns add humor and wit while the Silver Bear Shop and Factory provides a unique setting in the small Michigan town. Sasha Silverman is a likeable protagonist and I enjoyed seeing her interact not only with her family but also with people that she didn’t care for… like her sleazy ex-husband, Flynn, and her high school nemesis. Flynn seems to be cozying up to Sasha’s mom and the reader has to wonder just what it is he is trying to accomplish. The subplots bring an added complexity to the story while the author has allowed Sasha to mature and grow in the face of adversity. The murder of her ex’s girlfriend brings out numerous suspects, including Sasha’s cousin along with her ex-husband and I was kept guessing until the final suspenseful reveal. I loved the first adorable book and I was more than delighted with this second installment in the series!

While the book does not contain recipes there are so many adorable bear-themed treats on Pinterest. The author sent me a photo of Panda Macarons and I almost swooned over their cuteness… and decided I really had to try them out! Even though there are so many ways to flavor macarons, I sometimes prefer something simplistic that allows the filling flavor it shine, especially since I had already decided I wanted a subtle white chocolate filling. But simple and subtle definitely don’t mean boring! The crunch of the almond-flavored macaron is complemented by the sweet, rich creaminess of the white chocolate ganache which provides a hint of vanilla. If you feel you need a burst of flavor, by all means substitute semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for the white chocolate in the ganache. Either way, kids of all ages will be happy to eat these Panda Macarons!   

Check out the free macaron piping guide I’ve included at the bottom of the page as a pdf download.  

Amazon Synopsis

Silver Bear Shop and Factory manager Sasha Silverman is cozying up to the fall season by hosting Silver Hollow’s Cranbeary Tea Party, the opening event of the village’s Oktobear Fest—a too-cute celebration themed around teddy bears. She barely has a moment to agonize over the return of her former high school rival, Holly Parker, whose new toy and bookstore in town could spell big trouble for the Silver Bear Shop and her cousin’s small bookstore . . .
 
But when Sasha discovers Holly’s shop assistant dead with a knife plunged in her body, the unpleasant woman suddenly looks like a real backstabber. So does Sasha’s ex-husband, rumored to have rekindled the fiery extramarital affair he once had with the victim. Now, before a gruesome homicide case takes the fun out of both the Fest and her personal life, Sasha must identify the true culprit from a daunting suspect list—or risk becoming as lifeless as one of her stuffed bears . . .

A special thanks to Meg Macy for providing a winner with a print copy of BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER! Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Wednesday, May 30, 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!)  

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Panda Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache Filling

It is important that you weigh the ingredients to obtain good results. 

Ingredients

Macarons

• 200 grams confectioners' sugar (1-1/2 cups + 1-1/2 tablespoons)
• 110 grams almond meal (1 cup)
• 90 grams egg whites, room temperature (from 3 eggs)
• 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
• Pinch cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon white food color (optional)
• Black food coloring

White Chocolate Ganache

• 254 grams premium white chocolate chips (1-1/2 cups)*
• 90 ml heavy cream (6 tablespoons)
• Pink petal dust (optional)

Instructions

Macarons

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the almond meal and confectioners' sugar until it becomes a fine powder, about 30 pulses. Sift the almond meal mixture into a large bowl. If small chunks of almond remain in the sifter, process the chunks in the food processor and sift back into bowl. Set aside.

2. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a standing mixer. Whip the eggs with the whip attachment on medium-low speed. Once soft peaks start appearing (2 – 3 minutes) add the cream of tartar and then slowly sprinkle the granulated sugar onto the egg whites while the mixer is still running. Increase speed to medium high and whip until stiff peaks appear. 

3. Using a spatula, fold in the white food coloring (if using) and about 1/3 of the almond and sugar mixture until combined. Fold in another third of the almond mixture until combined, then repeat with remaining almond meal mixture and fold until batter is fully mixed. Batter should easily drop from the spatula but shouldn't be runny. Be cautious to not overmix though.

4. Remove 1/3 cup of the batter and place into a small bowl. Add black food coloring, a little at a time and thoroughly mix until desired shade is reached. Place into a piping bag fitted with a size 3 round tip. I like to use a coupler so I can change out tips if needed, such as using a size 2 tip to pipe the mouth of the panda.

5. Place the remaining batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used a size 10). Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper, making 1-inch to 1-1/2-inch circles. (You can do this free hand or have a template placed beneath the parchment paper.) Leave 1 – 2 inches between the cookie circles to allow for spreading.

6. Using the black batter, pipe the panda face details: eyes, nose, and ears on half the macarons. On the remaining macarons, pipe a round tail. If desired, switch to a smaller round tip and pipe mouth details.

7. Once baking sheets have been filled, firmly tap the sheets on the counter 2 times to release any air bubbles in the batter. Let the cookie shells rest on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes, until the tops feel dry. They should NOT feel sticky or tacky. This will prevent the tops from cracking when baked.

8. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees (F) and position the rack in the lower third of the oven.

9. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 – 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. 

   They will be done if the cookie lifts fairly easy from the parchment. If it sticks or separates from the bottom, cook a minute or two longer.

10. Remove baking sheet from oven and allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from parchment paper.
    

White Chocolate Ganache

1. Combine the white chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Heat in the microwave, on full power, for 1 minute. Remove and whisk until melted and smooth. If needed return bowl to microwave and heat an additional 15 seconds, being very careful to not overheat. 

3. Once melted, place the bowl in the refrigerator until it cools. Stir often until it becomes a spreadable consistency that won't drip off the macaron. If the ganache is too firm, reheat in the microwave for 5 seconds and rewhisk. If it becomes too thin, re-chill until spreadable.  

4. Place the ganache in a piping bag fitted with wide, round tip.

Putting it together

1. Match up the cookie shells into face and tail pairs. Pipe a layer of white chocolate ganache onto the bottom side of one cookie and then add the top cookie, creating a “sandwich”. Press the cookies together to spread the ganache to the edges. If desired, brush pink petal dust onto the cheeks of the panda macarons. 
   

2. Immediately serve. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days. 

Tips

1. Use blanched almond meal for lighter-colored macarons.

2. I didn't stir my batter long enough so it was too thick as I piped it. The batter should easily drip from the spatula. It resulted in having to bake the macarons longer than necessary which made them extra crunchy instead of slightly chewy. My husband actually preferred them this way! 

3. *Feel free to substitute semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for the white chocolate.

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Click here for the free pdf template to use beneath parchment paper: Macaron piping template

I’m delighted to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour by sharing my review and a recipe from a brand new book in a brand new series! CAKE & PUNISHMENT by Maymee Bell (aka Tonya Kappes) is the first book in the Southern Cake Baker Mystery series and one not to be missed! Filled with Southern charm and sayings, the characters bring the Kentucky region to life for the reader. The protagonist, Sophia Cummings, is a talented pastry chef taking a short leave from her prestigious position at a Manhattan, New York restaurant after catching her boyfriend in a compromising position with the maître d’. Returning home to Rumford, Kentucky to stay with her folks, Sophia finds herself volunteering to make the wedding cake for one of her old high school friends. I love how the author integrates cake baking and decorating tips into the story and the descriptions of her gorgeous confections are drool-worthy. Bitsy, Sophia’s mother, is as southern as they come and adds appeal to the story. Many of the scenes are centered at the Rumsford Country Club and when the head chef is found murdered right before Sophia shows up to start on the cakes, she gets involved. Some might call her nosy but she pays close attention to details and finds that people like to talk to her. The author provides many suspects to keep the reader guessing while for the most part, the pacing of the story was good. The final reveal felt a bit rushed or maybe I just didn’t want this enticing story to end.

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Not only did Sophia bake the wedding cake for her friend, she pitched in to work in the country club’s kitchen after the chef was murdered. She also baked yummy treats for her friends and family throughout the book and I was constantly drooling. Fortunately Ms. Bell provides several mouthwatering recipes at the back of the book and I want to try them all! But having to settle for one to share, I chose the Red Velvet Crunchies which Sophia made numerous times during the story. The base is a chocolate red velvet with a generous amount of chocolate chips added to the dough and then additional chocolate chips pressed into the tops as soon as the cookies are done baking. To be honest, I’ve never made red velvet anything so was quite alarmed when the batter turned SO red when I mixed it… I thought I’d done something terribly wrong. But, once the cookies baked, they turned a delicious chocolate brown with a red tint instead of looking like they were straight out of a horror show. The warm, gooey chocolate cookies were a huge hit when served with an ice cold glass of milk. I found these to be a wonderful variation on everyone’s favorite chocolate chip cookies!

Amazon Synopsis

In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder. 

Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not there a minute before she’s charmed into making her high school friend Charlotte’s wedding cake. The kitchen at the Rumford Country Club seems perfect until Chef Emile’s body is discovered, sprawled near the stove, a cast iron skillet on the floor close by. 

With one look at the shiny, new frying pan, Sophia knows it’s not Emile’s. She offers her knowledge to Sheriff Carter and her talents to Evelyn, the manager, who needs an interim chef. The mood in the country club is grim: Emile’s peppery personality had burned members and staff alike. Sophia wonders which one of them burned him? 

A special thanks to Tonya Kappes for providing one winner with an Amazon Kindle tablet! Contest ends Friday, May 11, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The contest is administered by Tonya Kappes and the winner will be announced on this page as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

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Red Velvet Crunchies

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring, liquid or gel (might might need more, depending on how red you want your cookies)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup for after baking to stick on top for decorations

Instructions

Do not preheat the oven because the dough has to be chilled for one hour.

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Use a mixer to beat the butter on high speed until creamy. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and creamy. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined. 

3. Turn mixer off to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Add more food coloring if you'd like the dough to be brighter red, which I do. I eyeball this. On low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky. 

4. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. It has to be chilled.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

6. Put parchment paper on two baking sheets and set aside so they are ready for you to place dough on once you've rolled it into balls.

7. Scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball.

8. Place nine balls on each baking sheet. Bake each batch for 10 - 11 minutes. The cookies may only spread slightly because the center will be nice and moist. If you want to press down the warm cookie, you can, and it will make crinkles on top. I stick a few chocolate chips on top and in the crinkles for decoration only.

9. Keep the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

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Tour Participants

April 25 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 25 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 26 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
April 26 – Bibliophile Reviews –  REVIEW
April 27 – The Book Diva’s Reads –  CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 27 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
April 28 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – REVIEW
April 28 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 29 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
April 30 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 30 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
May 1 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 2 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
May 2 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 3 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
May 3 – Valerie’s Musings – GUEST POST
May 4 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
May 4 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 5 – Varietats – REVIEW
May 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW
May 7 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
May 8 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 8 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – RECIPE POST
May 9 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GUEST POST
May 10 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW, GUEST POST
May 10 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW
May 11 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, RECIPE POST
May 11 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am so happy to have Paige Shelton on my blog today to share an amazing shortbread recipe and celebrate her upcoming release, LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES, with you! Be sure to check out her giveaway below the recipe, too!  

 * * * * * * * * * * 

Of course, shortbread direct from Scotland is the best shortbread in the world. Except for your grandmother’s. No one can beat your grandmother’s anything. Having said that, I do love shortbread. Known by a number of different names in the UK, I was first introduced to these cookies as Empire Biscuits. They are addictive. So, no matter if you call them Imperial Biscuits, Double Biscuits, German Biscuits, Linzer Biscuit, or Empire Biscuits, they are delicious. And pretty easy to make. If you’re craving something sweet, these are the way to go. Also, if you’d just like a yummy recipe for shortbread, this one is good.

I found a tip somewhere on the Internet, and I have really enjoyed what this ingredient does to shortbread. Bird’s Custard Powder.

Instead of 4 cups of the flour, I use 3 cups flour, and one cup of the custard powder. If you don’t want to track down some Bird’s, just use 4 cups flour. I ordered mine from Walmart.com. This recipe should yield about 24 sandwich cookies (more might be possible if you make small, thin cookies), but I make my cookies bigger than the normal “biscuit” size, so I only get about 18.

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Empire Biscuits

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 2 to 2-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Bird’s Custard Powder (or substitute with flour)

For the filling and topping:

• 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 12 or more maraschino cherries

For the icing:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the biscuits:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour and custard powder until well blended. Start with 2 cups butter. Add more if you can’t keep the dough together enough to roll it out. It takes some work and some getting used to. If your dough seems too sticky, add a bit more flour at a time until it can be rolled out. 

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Sandwich one teaspoon of preserves between two cookies. Repeat until all cookies are used, or all jam is gone, and remaining cookies must be sacrificed to the baker for all her hard work.

For the icing:

1. In a medium bowl, gradually stir the milk into the confectioners’ sugar until the icing is of a spreadable consistency. Spread on top of the sandwiched cookies. Top each cookie with half a cherry while the icing is till wet. If you’re feeling like a rebel, go ahead and top with something else. Anything you like would work just fine. 

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes:

1. Here is a recipe for making your own custard powder to use: 
   1 cup confectioners' sugar; 
   1/2 cup powdered milk; 
   1/2 cup cornstarch; 
   1 teaspoon vanilla powder (if you don't use, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to shortbread recipe); 
   1 teaspoon salt; 
   Whisk together and then measure out 1 cup to use for shortbread recipe.

2. If you substitute flour for the custard powder, but sure to add 1 teaspoon of salt to the shortbread recipe.

Thanks to Kim for letting me stop by today! See you all in the bookstores.

 A special thanks to Paige Shelton for providing a hardcover copy of LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Wednesday, April 4, 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!) 

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My Review

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I’ve been a fan of the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series by Paige Shelton and was excited to read an advance copy of her third book, LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES. Not only did it meet my high expectations but I think it’s the best book in the series so far! Ms. Shelton captured my attention starting with her Acknowledgments and continuing all the way through to her list of real-life victims at the back of the book. I couldn’t put the book down and devoured it in one sitting while neglecting to pause to even take a single note for my review. I greatly admire the protagonist, Delany, from Kansas in America, as the Scottish people are prone to call her. She has an adventurous spirit, enjoys researching historical books and items, and has a kind, friendly heart to those she meets… even to those who might not seem to deserve her compassion. She is surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters that greatly add to the enjoyment of the story. I adore The Cracked Spine, the delightful bookshop with its mysterious treasures and tomes! It’s a place I could spend days and days exploring and wish it were a real location. It’s also the perfect setting from which to feature Delany getting involved in murder mysteries.

Ms. Shelton weaves an intriguing plot incorporating not only a modern day murder but a murder that spans a decade and several historical murders from the early 1800’s! While the plot lines are intricate, the author writes skillfully so that the reader never feels lost. In fact, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages faster and faster to see how she would tie the seemingly unrelated deaths together. Ms. Shelton deftly brings the threads of the story together in an exciting and very satisfying conclusion that leaves me pleading for the next book to release soon!

Amazon Synopsis

Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at The Cracked Spine in the heart of town. She’s recently befriended a few medical school students after they came into the shop to sell some antique medical tomes. But when one of the students’ friends is found murdered outside in the alley, Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice.

During her investigation, Delaney finds some old scalpels in the bookshop’s warehouse―she finds out that they belonged to a long-dead doctor, whose story might be connected to the present-day murder. It’s all Delaney can do to race to solve this crime before time runs out and she ends up in danger herself.

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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THE UNINVITED CORPSE, the first book in the brand new Food Blogger Mystery series by debut author Debra Sennefelder, was such a fun read for me as a fellow blogger! Protagonist Hope Early writes the blog, “Hope at Home”. I so enjoyed seeing her blogging process along with her ideas for creating recipes. Hope has some baggage that she’s brought back to the small Connecticut town and she’s learning to move past her perceived failures. But trying to settle in “back home” has its own problems and among them, her sister being accused of murdering the real estate agent she’s in competition with. It doesn’t help that Hope was the one to find the body and as she starts asking questions around town, finds that her sister had several reasons to kill the victim. Despite that, Hope is loyal and learns how important it is to take time to connect with her family and friends without having ulterior motives. There is also humor interjected via the character of Hope’s former reality show manager and his ideas he pitches to her for new reality shows. I’ve never been a fan of reality shows aside from Cupcake Wars and the cake challenges on the Food Network and Ms. Sennefelder brings to light what I’ve always envisioned them to really be: contrived contentious situations having nothing to do with reality.

Being the first book in a new series, the author introduces many characters all at once. I’ll admit I had a hard time following who was who at the beginning of the book but once the murder happens the story falls in place and the pace picks up. In addition to Hope’s sister being a viable suspect, Ms. Sennefelder weaves in several other suspects who wanted the abrasive real estate agent dead. The climatic ending brought good resolution to the mystery and wrapped up the subplots nicely.

One of the scenes in the book revolves around Hope creating a blog post for celebrating National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. She develops five recipes for her blog post in the story (and they all sound amazing). Ms. Sennefelder shares two of those chocolate chip cookie recipes at the back of the book plus other delectable sounding treats. I chose to make Hope’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies because these generously-sized cookies are thick and soft with just a bit of chewiness thanks to the addition of a bit of bread flour. While I’ve never met a chocolate chip cookie that I didn’t like, these are perfection!

Amazon Synopsis

Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing—until she comes face-to-face with a murderer . . .
 
Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention—it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .
 
One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon—who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .

Thanks to Debra Sennefelder for providing a print arc copy of THE UNINVITED CORPSE for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Sunday, April 1, 2018 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!) 

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Hope's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by Hope Early: I know it's wrong to have a favorite cookie. As a food blogger, I shouldn't play favorites with recipes but I can't help myself with these cookies. Loaded with chocolate chips, these buttery, thick, soft chocolate chip cookies are heavenly. You won't want to miss out on these. Seriously.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup bread flour
• 3/4 teapoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) and line cookie sheet pans with silicone baking sheets. (Or line with parchment paper.)

2. Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, about 3 - 4 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed of mixer and then add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well to incorporate into mixture.

3. Beat in vanilla.

4. Whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoon and drop onto prepared pan, 2-inches apart to allow room for spreading. Then drop another scoop (approximately 1-1/2 teaspoons) of dough onto top of each cookie. Press lightly together making sure to not flatten the cookie. 

7. Bake for 9 - 12 minutes, rotating half-way through baking, or until cookies have spread out and the edges are golden, but the center of the cookie still looks soft and just slightly undercooked. Every oven is different, so I like to bake two cookies first to get the timing down correctly and then fill up the next cookie sheet.

8. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Notes

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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It’s a pleasure to be hosting HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE by Tina Kashian with the Great Escapes Blog Tour! This first book in the brand new Kebob Kitchen Mystery series is a delightful insider’s view into a first generation American growing up in the household of immigrant parents and their Mediterranean restaurant in Ocean Crest, New Jersey. Lucy Berberian “escaped” from her upbringing after earning a law degree. While she loves her family she also felt the need to get away from their traditional views, especially on marriage, after her failed relationship with Azad Zakarian while in college. But after losing her job in Philadelphia, she ends up back in her family’s restaurant, put back to work the minute she returns. She’s never been able to tell her parents “no”. It doesn’t take long for Lucy to have a run-in with the new health inspector, who just so happens to be her high school nemesis. When the health inspector dies shortly after eating at the Kebab Kitchen, Lucy’s father begs her to clear their name and save the family business, because “family helps family”.

HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE is a story about coming home and discovering yourself. It’s a story about finding happiness where you least expect it. And a story about accepting your family for who they are and not for who you’d like them to be. I enjoyed learning about the different culture that Lucy grew up in and I loved all the mentions of Armenian and Mediterranean foods! Lucy and her family have good character development and made me want to spend time with them to get to know them better. Lucy’s best friend, Katie, is a worthy side-kick and provides great support. The mystery was well plotted and had a good pace. There were several people who had good reason to want the health inspector dead and the author explores the potential of each suspect. With an exciting finale, each of the threads of the plot and subplots are woven together leaving the reader well satisfied.

The author, Tina Kashian, actually grew up in her family’s Armenian restaurant. She shares several of her family’s recipes at the back of the book, all which sound fabulous. Of course being the cookie type of person I am, I was drawn to Lucy’s White Almond Cookies. These shortbread-style cookies only have 4 ingredients, plus whole almonds for garnishing and are a breeze to mix up. I was lucky enough to have been the recipient of fresh-roasted almonds from one of the staff at my granddaughter’s school (his family owns an almond orchard in Northern California!) and I loved the extra crunch they provided to the cookies. If you wanted to make these “all white”, blanched almonds would be nice too. Don’t miss out on trying these melt-in-your-mouth White Almond Cookies!  

Amazon Synopsis

When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . . .
 
Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.
 
She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect.

A special thanks to Tina Kashian for providing one winner with a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE. Contest ends Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The contest is administered by the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour and the winner will be announced on this page as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

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Lucy's White Almond Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted clarified butter (ghee)
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees (F).

2. Combine butter, shortening, and sugar and mix.

3. Add flour and mix well.

4. Take two full teaspoons of dough and roll into a rope, then make a circle and pinch the seam together.

5. Lightly press an almond into the seam. Repeat with the remaining dough.

6. Arrange on cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom. 

7. Transfer cookies from baking sheet to cooling racks to cool.

Notes

Makes about three dozen cookies

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 I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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While the Christmas season is behind us, I had the pleasure of recently reading holiday-themed AS RED AS ANY BLOOD, the sixth book in the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery series by Patrice Greenwood. I had meant to read it shortly after its release during November but somehow festivities and obligations got me far, far behind on my TBR pile. However, this past week I was delighted to revisit Christmas through the book without the stress of my own holiday to-do list. I’ve read the majority of the books in the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery series and am always enthralled with both the characters and the plot. Ellen Rosings is the owner of the Wisteria Tearoom in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love how she channels Miss Manners in a variety of situations and brings back my own memories of reading that particular column years ago. Both the city and the tearoom are fascinating settings with plenty of lore and traditions which I enjoyed learning about in the book. I love the ancient mystery surrounding Ellen’s tearoom and the ghost from the 1800’s that just might be inhabiting the location. The old mystery is a thread that runs throughout the series but each book can be read as a standalone. Ms. Greenwood provides enough bits and pieces of the backstory to give you a sense of what has happened in the past but not too much so that the current story moves at a nice pace.

The current day murders provide plenty of opportunities for Ellen’s character to shine in solving the mysteries. She’s intelligent, thoughtful, and pays close attention to details. Her on again, off again boyfriend, Detective Tony Aragón has a very difficult time with her involvement. Can they work it out without Ellen giving up who she is? There are plenty of viable suspects offered to keep the reader guessing and the conclusion provided a satisfying ending with the plot and subplots woven together into a cohesive story.

The Wisteria Tearoom serves up many scrumptious delights! One of the items they became “famous” for during the Christmas season is New Mexico’s State Cookie: Biscochitos. Ellen’s chef and kitchen staff crank these cookies out by the hundreds daily and still can’t keep up with the demand. Fortunately, Ms. Greenwood has included the recipe at the back of the book so you can try these treats at home. These flaky, anise-flavored cookies are easy to mix up and unlike sugar cookies, don’t require special handling or chilling. You can add the traditional brandy or whisky to the dough but I used orange juice since I knew children would be consuming them. Dipped in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, these are delicious cookies any time of the year! The recipe printed below makes a very generous amount of cookies. I halved the recipe and provided those measurements in the video at the bottom of the page. 

Amazon Review

Yuletide in Santa Fe: biscochitos, farolitos, Las Posadas, music…and murder. Ellen Rosings does not have time for murder investigations. It’s December, and the Wisteria Tearoom is awash in shoppers, cookies, and groups of strange women brought to tea by the eccentric Bird Woman. Alas, Ellen must cope with murder anyway. One of her high school classmates is stabbed to death, and she and her best friend Gina can’t resist the puzzle. Handsome Tony Aragón is on the case, and Ellen is only too happy to assist, but when a second classmate of Ellen’s turns up dead, Tony’s protective instinct kicks in. Much as Ellen agrees, she can’t stay in a cocoon—she’s got a business to run. Is the fact that the victim has recently been to the tearoom merely a coincidence? Could Tony’s gratifying concern for Ellen’s safety inspire him to become her personal bodyguard? And what on earth should she get him for Christmas?

 A special thanks to Patrice Greenwood for providing one winner with their choice of either a print or e-book copy of AS RED AS ANY BLOOD! Contest ends Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and print is 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!) 

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Biscochitos Cookies

This traditional treat, the official state cookie of New Mexico, is a holiday favorite!

Ingredients

• 6 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound lard*
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons whole anise seed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup brandy (or whisky, or juice)

Coating:

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

1. *Lard is traditional, but coconut oil or shortening may be substituted. Butter contains water and will produce a less flaky texture.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, cream lard, sugar, and anise. 

5. Blend in eggs.

6. Alternate adding dry ingredients and brandy. If dough is crumbly, add more liquid a little at a time until it pulls together. Dough will be stiff.

7. Knead a little, then roll out to 1/4-inch thick and cut. (Fleur-de-lis is reportedly the traditional shape, but I never saw one. A friend suspects Bishop Lamy of starting the rumor. Rounds, crescents, and round flowers are more common, but any shape will do.)

8. Bake on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

9. While cookies are baking, mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Cool cookies slightly, then gently coat in cinnamon sugar. I like to lay a cookie on the mixture, cover it over with sugar and press gently, then lift out with a fork, letting excess coating fall back into bowl.

10. Set on a plate or rack to cool completely. Makes about five dozen depending on size of cutters.

Notes

Copyright 2017 by Patrice Greenwood. All rights reserved. Recipe shared with permission granted by the author.

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