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JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS is the third book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton and is another great addition to a charming series! What could be better than a fun, loveable protagonist, an adorable cat, and a donut shop owned by Emily, a former 9-1-1 dispatcher and her father-in-law, formerly the Chief of Police? Needless to say, it’s the favorite hangout for police officers and emergency responders, along with the senior citizens’ group, the Knitpickers. Ms. Bolton crams her book full of memorable characters while weaving a tight tale of death by donuts and firecrackers during a 4th of July extravaganza. There were twists and turns that kept me turning pages and a subplot that kept me guessing how it was related to the central murder of the festival queen. I liked that Emily wasn’t an in-your-face type of amateur sleuth. Instead, she hunted down answers by sweetening up her intended targets with donuts and smiles.

Ms. Bolton’s strong descriptive voice paints a vivid picture of the settings, from the donut shop, to the cool vintage car Emily drives (love the donut on top!) to the wilderness area that hosts an exciting, edge-of-your-seat reveal. She expertly weaves each scene into the other, creating a seamless story. While JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS can be read as a standalone, I’ve enjoyed watching the characters develop and grow, especially Emily. The widow of the town’s detective, Emily has struggled to get over her grief, even after several years. It’s been heartwarming to see her blossom with her close friendship with her deceased husband’s friend (who’s also a detective) and hope that a romance might develop for her. It gives the book an emotional level without detracting from the mystery.

There are several mentions of yummy donuts and treats in the book that it was hard to not drool. The author provides two donut recipes at the back of the book and the Jelly-Filled Donuts sounded fantastic. Plus I loved the tie-in with the title of the book. My first attempt flopped and when I examined the recipe and did a little research, realized a couple steps had been overlooked in the advance copy I had used for the recipe. I remade the donuts with what I thought was missing and they turned out great. (I used my updated recipe below.) These are a little denser than typical bakery donuts (most likely from the larger amount of sugar) but every bit as delicious. They still tasted good even leftover after a couple of days so I didn’t mind the large batch it produced, and my husband and granddaughters loved having them for breakfast and snacks for more than one day.

Amazon Synopsis

When a firecracker becomes a murder weapon, Emily Westhill pursues a killer with a short fuse …
 
It is a truth universally acknowledged—cops and donuts go together. Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Café, owned and operated by detective’s widow Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, the retired police chief of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Named after Emily’s adored and adorable tabby, the donut shop is a favorite among cops, firemen, and EMTs, as well as tourists and townspeople. So when Fallingbrook needs donuts for their Fourth of July picnic, Emily’s shop gets deputized.
 
But a twisted killer has found another use for Emily’s treats. At the picnic, a firecracker is hidden in a stack of raspberry-filled donuts and aimed at the unwitting queen of the festivities. When it explodes, she is killed. Having her jelly donuts involved puts Emily in a sticky situation, and when a shady shutterbug tries to frame her with incriminating photos, she finds herself in quite a jam. To preserve her freedom and her shop’s reputation, Emily needs to solve this case—before the fuse-lighting felon goes off again …

A special thanks to Ginger Bolton for providing one winner with a print copy of JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS. Contest ends Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. 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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Jelly-Filled Donuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water, 102 - 105 degrees, divided
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (yes, this is a lot!)
• 1 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon
• 3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg (or 2 egg whites) room temperature
• Vegetable oil with a smoke point of 400 degrees or higher (or follow your deep fryer's instruction manual)
• Jelly in flavors of your choice
• Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. In your mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine 2 tablespoons warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Add the butter, salt, and the egg to the yeast mixture. Stir with the dough hook. Add 2 cups of the flour and stir until incorporated with the dough hook. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead with the dough hook. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup additional flour and knead until thoroughly incorporated. If the dough is still too sticky, carefully add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue kneading with the dough hook until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, is satiny, doesn't stick to your fingers, and doesn't keep its shape when pinched. It should still feel slightly sticky. Too much flour will make the donuts tough.

3. Cover the dough with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap and place in a warm area. Allow dough to double in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

4. Punch down dough and divide in half. For each half, roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cut rounds from the dough with a round cookie cutter, cutting pieces as close together as possible, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Don't reuse the dough scraps.)

5. Allow to rest for 30 - 60 minutes until donuts are puffy.

6. Heat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees (F). Fry the donuts turning when dark golden, about 1 - 2 minutes per side. Lift from oil and allow to drain.

7. When cool, use a paring knife or skewer to make a small hole in one side of each donut and create a small cavity inside. Then use a piping bag fitted with a small tip, a turkey baster, or a pastry syringe to fill the cavity with the jelly of your choice. Note: Jams or thick spreads will clog the nozzle.

8. If desired, sift confectioners' sugar over the tops.

Party Fun - Fill Your Own Donuts

1. Feeling brave? Let party guests fill their own donuts! Fry the donuts ahead of time and remove the hot oil from the vicinity. (This is crucial for children's parties.) Set out a variety of jellies. Let each guest inject whichever flavor (or combination) they like into their donut or donuts.

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I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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NEST EGG, the first book in the Aloha Chicken Mystery series by Josi Avari, is a delightful start to a charming series! Set in Hawaii, protagonist Saffron Skye intends to stay for a few weeks, at most, to settle her deceased uncle’s estate. She plans to then head back to the hectic pace of her east coast life where her OCD is a tremendous help in running a successful event planning business. But the laidback magic of Hawaii starts to grow on her, along with the adorable chickens running around her uncle’s property. From there the reader is treated to a charming story that captured and held my attention for the entire read. I enjoyed watching Saffron unwind and allow herself to get to know the locals and even become good friends with them. The chickens…I didn’t know I could like chickens until I read NEST EGG! Ms. Avari provides personalities for them and they stole the spotlight of each scene they were in. It also gave her opportunities for creating some humorous situations which had me clucking…err…chuckling. 

Along with the mystery of who would want to murder one of her uncle’s womanizing friends (who’s close to 100 years old!) there are also subplot mysteries. Where could the missing local young woman be? Along with the mystery of Saffron’s own father’s abandonment and disappearance when she was very young. Ms. Avari does an effective job of weaving the threads of the plots together and provides several interesting suspects to keep the reader hunting for clues. NEST EGG is an entertaining cozy mystery that captures the magic of Hawaii and makes the reader think about the melting pot of characters long after the last word is written. I look forward to reading each book in this delightful new series!

While there aren’t any recipes included in the book, there are many mentions of island delicacies and treats. One of the things Saffron discovers that she loves to eat in the book are Malasadas.  These are basically yeast donuts filled with rich custard. Ms. Avari was kind enough to share her own recipe with us and they were a huge hit with my family. I liked that the filling can be made ahead of time and the base can be divided and given two different flavors: chocolate and coconut. While chocolate is always a favorite, the coconut brought the tropical flavors of the islands to mind and made you feel like you were there. 

Amazon Synopsis

Saffron Skye has inherited a little piece of Hawaiian paradise. Only it’s filled with the leftovers of her late uncle’s life and overrun with his enormous flock of chickens. When her new friend, the oldest man in town, dies, no one else finds it suspicious. But as the town’s newest poultry keeper Saffron recognizes fowl play when she sees it. 

Saffron is a tetrachromat and can see colors nobody else can see. If only she could do the same with killers. 

To find the culprit–and the victim’s hidden fortune–Saffron will have to look in some surprising places. Even her new flock will lend a wing. 

With scrumptious island food galore and two handsome men vying for her attention, Saffron has to focus, crack a few eggs . . . and crack the case. 

A special thanks to Josi Avari for providing one winner with a print copy of NEST EGG and one winner with an e-book copy of NEST EGG. Contest ends Sunday, July 28, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and print is limited to U.S. 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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Aloha Chicken Mysteries Malasadas

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons yeast, proofed (mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons very warm water, set aside until foamy)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3-3/4 cups flour (+ 1/4 cup for rolling out)

For the filling:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• 2 ounces heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 4 ounces sweetened coconut (or 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract if you don't want the yummy, chewy coconut in filling)

Instructions

For the dough:

1. Beat eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and sugar until foamy.

2. In bread maker, add flour, butter, milk, cream, and yeast. Add egg mixture and set bread maker to dough setting. (You may also mix all in mixer and then knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic, then rise 1 hour in a warm place, but I find the bread maker makes a much smoother, more even dough and the malasadas are much lighter, tastier, and prettier with the bread maker dough setting. Plus, it's easier! A lot of time goes into the frying and filling steps later, so it's good to save your energy when you can!)

3. When mixed, the dough should not be sticky (add a bit of flour if needed), and it shouldn't be too firm or dry. It should be lovely, soft, and smooth, much like a roll dough. (While you're waiting for the dough to rise in the bread machine, it is a good time to make your filling and set it in the fridge to cool.)

4. When dough has risen once, punch down and roll out to about 3/4" thick, then use a 3" biscuit cutter to make flat rounds out of the dough. Place on greased parchment and let rise in warm place until doubled (about one hour).

5. Using tongs, fry in 3" of vegetable oil at 360 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, watching to achieve desired browning. Remove and roll in plain granulated sugar.

For the filling:

1. I use both a coconut and a chocolate custard filling, made from the same batch. Simply cook, then divide in half and add coconut to one and milk chocolate chips to the other, stir each until combined, and cool before placing in a pastry bag for piping into the malasadas.

2. Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a pan. In a bowl, whisk the milk, cream, and yolks. Add the egg mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla, then divide mixture in half.

3. Add coconut (or coconut extract) to one half and chocolate chips to the other half. Mix until combined. Cool in refrigerator until set, then place into pastry bags for filling the malasadas.

4. Poke a chopstick in the side of each malasada and gently move it back and forth to create a void inside the donut but only a small hole on the outside. Pipe the filling into hole to fill the finished donuts (it helps to have them sitting on their sides for this).
   Once they're filled, grab some friends and enjoy an ono treat!

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Photo cred: Josi Avari

Photo cred: Josi Avari