Recipes Archives - Page 62 of 111

Moorehaven’s Mouthwatering Blintzes

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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!)

Moorehaven's Mouthwatering Blintzes

Ingredients

Crepes

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

Filling

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

Berry Sauce

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

Other ingredients

Grapeseed oil for frying
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

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.

To prepare crepes:

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.

To prepare filling:

Combine ingredients in blender until smooth. Cover and let rest in refrigerator, up to a day ahead of time.

To prepare berry sauce:

In a medium saucepan, combine marionberries, blueberries, strawberries, and sugar. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until berries soften, about 2 minutes.
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.
If desired, set aside 1/4 cup of sauce to add to filling, the way Penelope likes it.
Fold raspberries into the remaining sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

To make blintzes:

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.
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.
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.
Transfer to a plate and spoon berry sauce on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tips:

Thawed frozen fruit may be substituted for fresh.
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.
Any fruit may be substituted for the berries, really. Blintz toppings are virtually limitless.
Want to add cinnamon? Nutmeg? Peppermint? Coconut? Sugar sprinkles? Go for it!
For open-ended blintzes, fry both sides of the crepe. Add filling and roll it up, then add topping.
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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Casino Caramel Royal Cupcakes

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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!)

Casino Caramel Royal Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

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

Salted Caramel Icing

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

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat brown sugar, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk (or buttermilk) together.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are all incorporated.
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.

Salted Caramel Icing

Beat butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, salt, and powdered sugar together until smooth.
Frost cupcakes once they are cool.
Use salted caramel chocolate candies for decoration, if desired.

Notes

Makes 18 - 24 cupcakes

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Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

I’m celebrating both my one-year book-iversary for A GAME OF DECEIT and my birthday by giving away a $20 Amazon gift card and a print copy of my book! Plus A GAME OF DECEIT e-book is on sale for only $0.99 at: https://www.amazon.com/A Game-Deceit

I am grateful to all of you who have been so encouraging to me both as a writer and a blogger this past year!

I’m also sharing my recipe from A GAME OF DECEIT for Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze. I’ve been making this cake for years and it’s always been a hit with it’s supremely moist crumb and refreshing, lemony flavor. Best of all, since it relies on a boxed mix, it’s easy to throw together so you can get out of the kitchen in a timely manner and have plenty of time to celebrate any special occasion!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant lemon pudding mix
Zest from 1 lemon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sherry (or whole milk)
4 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or more as needed)

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Heavily grease a bundt pan with vegetable shortening (not butter) and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
In a large bowl whisk the cake mix and instant pudding mix together.
Add the lemon zest, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs and sherry (or milk).
Using an electric mixer (either handheld or stand), beat until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the poppy seeds.
Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 40 - 50 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs clinging is fine.
Allow to cool in the pan 10 minutes before inverting cake onto a serving platter.
Allow to cool completely before drizzling with glaze.

Glaze

Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to drizzle, add lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Drizzle glaze over completely cooled cake.
Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.

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Amazon Synopsis

A father’s disappearance never solved, a mother’s secret taken to the grave, a daughter deceived…

Kathryn Landry thinks her life is just about perfect. She is the owner of a successful interior designer business in Newport Beach, California, and she has an attentive, supportive husband. But her world comes crashing down when her husband, Neil Landry, vanishes without a trace… in a situation almost identical to the disappearance of her father twenty years before.

With her father’s disappearance still a mystery, Kathryn is skeptical that the detective assigned to her case will be able to find her husband. Determined to uncover the truth, Kathryn is plunged into a world of politics, high-priced call girls and wealth. As she begins to search for her husband, a decades-old secret her mother took to the grave threatens to destroy all she holds dear. Caught up in a web of betrayals and deceit, and not knowing who to trust, Kathryn must find a way to survive as she discovers the past has a way of repeating itself.

“…Davis deftly keeps readers as up in the air as Kathryn throughout this well-crafted tale. An impressive thriller by an author worth following.” – Kirkus Reviews

“In A Game of Deceit author K. A. Davis offers up a taut, edge-of-your-seat suspense novel that will make you lock the doors, close the blinds, and wonder who you can truly trust. Don’t miss this great debut from Ms. Davis.” – Paige Shelton, New York Times Bestselling author of the Farmers’ Market, Country Cooking School, Dangerous Type, and Scottish Bookshop mysteries.

“In A Game of Deceit, K. A. Davis has crafted an emotional suspense with a taut, satisfying ending that should delight any fan of Mary Higgins Clark.” – Daryl Wood Gerber, Agatha Award-winning author of the Cookbook Nook, French Bistro Mysteries, and Cheese Shop Mysteries, and the stand-alone suspense novels, GIRL ON THE RUN and DAY OF SECRETS.

“Sly, sexy and spellbinding, A Game of Deceit grabs you in the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until its breathtaking finish. Debut author K. A. Davis creates a riveting tale of betrayal, family, suspense and murder.” – Jenny Kales, author of The Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series.

“A Game of Deceit is a marvelous read packed with action, suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t put it down!” – Catherine Bruns, USA Today Best Selling Author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries.

Mojito Cake

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DEATH ON THE MENU, the long-anticipated eighth book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette, lived up to my expectations and even surpassed them! I am a huge fan of history and different cultures, so when I found out that Ms. Burdette combined a cozy mystery with an influence of the relations between the U.S. and Cuba, I knew I needed to read it. Never heavy-handed or dreary, the author brings the Cuban culture and food to life in her setting. I appreciated the way she explored the land-mined affairs between two countries, who are barely 90 miles apart, by creating social situations for the dignitaries and politicians to interact with. She effectively interjects the protagonist, Hayley Snow, into the mix by having her mother cater the events. When things go oh so wrong, Hayley is there to step up and help her mother and friends out. I could see the scenes, smell and taste the food, and feel the danger through the descriptive language used.

I also greatly enjoyed the bits and pieces of history woven in on the life and legend of Ernest Hemingway, which adds to the flavor of the Key West tropical setting. Ms. Burdette uses Hemingway’s Nobel Prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, which is discovered stolen from its case. This is the catalyst that starts the plot off and from there, murder and intriguing subplots are woven in and my interest was captured from the beginning to the very last page. Hayley is a marvelous protagonist. Her personality and self-esteem has grown tremendously from the beginning of this series and I feel like she’s finally come into her own. Her relationship with her feisty octogenarian roommate is adorable and the interaction between these two strong females lights up the pages. I am so excited that this series is continuing and can’t wait to read the next installment!

With all the delectable Cuban foods mentioned on the pages, you’ll be drooling by the time you get to the end of the story. Fortunately, the author includes several recipes at the back of the book and I want to try them all. In the end I decided to try the Mojito Cake recipe first, since I was visiting family to celebrate my aunt’s 90th birthday and wanted to take a special dessert. The combination of lime and mint is amazing and will definitely have you thinking of mojitos on a hot summer day! A note: if you’re not a fan of mint at all (like a couple of my family members), leave it out. The lime-laden cake will still be delicious. I loved the lightness of the whipped cream frosting instead of the typical heavy, sugary frosting generally used. The whipped cream really allowed the refreshing flavors to shine through while being super easy to make. Garnished with fresh limes and mint, the elegance of this cake belies the ease of making it!

Amazon Synopsis

When a killer strikes just before flan time, beloved food critic Hayley Snow is forced to sniff out the killer before someone else bites the dust.

Hayley Snow, fiery food critic for Key Zest magazine, has just landed a ticket to one of the most prestigious events in Key West: a high-brow three-day conference at the Harry Truman Little White House. Even though she’ll be working the event helping her mother’s fledgling catering business, there’s plenty of spicy gossip to go around. But just before her mother’s decadent flan is put to the test, Key West’s most prized possession, Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is discovered stolen from its case.

Unsavory suspicions point to Gabriel, a family friend and one of the new busboys working the event, who mysteriously goes missing moments later. Anxious to clear his name, Gabriel’s family enlists Hayley to help find him, but right as they begin their search, his body is found stabbed to death in the storeroom.

Hayley has no shortage of suspects to interrogate and very little time before the killer adds another victim to the menu in national bestselling author Lucy Burdette’s delectable eighth Key West Food Critic mystery, Death on the Menu.

A special thanks to Lucy Burdette for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of DEATH ON THE MENU. Contest ends Monday, August 13, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Mojito Cake

In this eighth Key West mystery, Hayley and her mother, Janet, are catering a Key West/Havana conference at the Truman Little White House. This is the dessert they serve for the final dinner. The basis of this recipe came from a cookbook called Cuba! - Recipes and Stories from the Cuban Kitchen. I love lime cake and yellow cake and whipped cream, so you can imagine that this recipe was irresistible. I know Mojitos require rum, and yet I am not a big fan of alcohol-flavored desserts. So I chose to leave the rum extract out of the cake, and instead, add a teaspoon of rum. This gives it a little soupçon of flavor without overwhelming the cake. I also reduced the salt in the batter and the rum in the frosting. You can adjust the rum upward to a tablespoon if you choose.

Ingredients

For the Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder (low-sodium works fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon rum

For the Lime Mint Syrup

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

For the Frosting

2 cups heavy whipping cream*
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon dark rum
Thin slices of lime, or lime zest, or mint leaves, for decorations

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Prepare two 8- or 9-inch cake pans by buttering them and lining with parchment paper. Butter the paper too.
Mix the dry ingredients for the cake together and set this aside.
In your KitchenAid stand mixer, food processor, or with an electric beater, beat the butter well with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract, the lime zest, and the rum. Fold in the dry ingredients. Don't overmix. Stir in the milk.
Divide the batter into the two prepared pans and bake about 30 minutes for the 9-inch pans or about 40 minutes for the 8-inch pans, until the cakes spring back when touches. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then remove them from the pans and cool completely.

For the Lime Mint Syrup

Heat the sugar and water in a small pan until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in the mint leaves. Let them steep for 10 minutes, then strain them out and stir in the lime juice. Paint this glaze onto each layer of cake with a pastry brush.

For the Frosting

Whip the cream and sugar until stiff, and stir in the rum. Dollop half of the whipped cream onto the first layer. Place the second layer on top and spread the remainder of the cream over that. Decorate with thin slices of lime or mint leaves as desired.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes

If desired, split each cake round in half for four layers. To fill the layers with whipped cream and completely cover the cake, increase heavy cream to 3 cups and powdered sugar to 1/4 cup. If you prefer a sweeter frosting, increase the powdered sugar up to 1/2 cup.

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Sugar Cream Pie

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DEATH OVER EASY, the fifth book in the Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day is an entertaining read which immerses the reader in a Bluegrass music festival set in Southern Indiana. The author captures the setting perfectly from the colloquialisms spouted by the locals to the descriptions of the town and the open country surrounding the area. The protagonist, Robbie Jordan, is an admirable character. Not only is she a successful restaurant owner and chef, but she’s more than proficient in carpentry and creating crossword puzzles! I love that she remodeled the floor above her restaurant to create a bed & breakfast. The incoming guests bring added character to the story and provides ample material for twists and turns to the central plot. I truly enjoyed getting to know Robbie’s father and his wife, who are visiting from Italy. It’s a joy seeing her get to know them and create a deeper bond after finally finding out who her father was.

When it’s discovered that the murder victim, Pia Bianchi, grew up in the small Italian town where Robbie’s father and step-mother are from, an added layer of emotional tension develops for the characters. The local police are suspicious of foreigners and makes them focus on Robbie’s family. It doesn’t help that Robbie’s talented boyfriend, Abe, was seen having a loud disagreement with Pia at the music festival right before they were supposed to perform together. The author provides compelling reasons for Robbie to get involved in solving the mystery. I truly enjoyed the way Ms. Day weaves the setting, the main plot and several subplots together into one cohesive story. The heart-stopping finale had me turning pages faster and faster until I was finally able to give a sigh of contentment as I read the last word.

Robbie cooks up some amazing dishes at Pans ‘N Pancakes and I love that Ms. Day provides several recipes at the back of the book. A side note: one of the breakfast specials Robbie serves is fried mush. That one scene had me flashing back to childhood, suddenly remembering that was a dish my mother served to us while I was a kid! I haven’t had it since my early childhood and while the recipe isn’t included in the book, I will definitely be tracking down a version to try for myself and take a taste down memory lane. One of the recipes Ms. Day does share is Sugar Cream Pie, as supplied from Hoosiers Max and Jane Carter. Sometimes simple is best and this pie proves the point. Simple ingredients combine into a creamy, delectable dessert that provides both comfort and indulgence. A rich dairy custard with a sprinkling of warm cinnamon sits atop pastry. The chilled pie is refreshing yet deeply satisfying and will make the recipients think of home-cooked meals and sitting around grandma’s kitchen.

Amazon Synopsis

Restaurateur Robbie Jordan is ready for the boost in business a local music festival brings to South Lick, Indiana, but the beloved event strikes a sour note when one of the musicians is murdered . . .

June’s annual Brown County Bluegrass Festival at the Bill Monroe Music Park in neighboring Beanblossom is always a hit for Robbie’s country store and café, Pans ‘N Pancakes. This year, Robbie is even more excited, because she’s launching a new bed and breakfast above her shop. A few festival musicians will be among Robbie’s first guests, along with her father, Roberto, and his wife, Maria. But the celebration is cut short when a performer is found choked to death by a banjo string. Now all the banjo players are featured in a different kind of lineup. To clear their names, Robbie must pair up with an unexpected partner to pick at the clues and find the plucky killer before he can conduct an encore performance . . .

A special thanks to Maddie Day for providing a winner with a print copy of DEATH OVER EASY. Contest ends Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Sugar Cream Pie

A Hoosier favorite, this recipe is kindly shared by Jane Carter. Robbie makes the pies for her restaurant customers.

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1 scant cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon
1 pre-baked and cooled pie crust

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter, sugar, and cornstarch, stirring to dissolve.
Add milk, half-and-half, salt, and vanilla. Cook until thick, stirring constantly.
Pour into prepared crust and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Chill at least two hours before serving.

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S’mores Tartlets

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I love the premise for the plot of S’MORE MURDERS, the fifth book in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series by Maya Corrigan! Who can resist a re-creation of the last dinner served on the doomed Titanic? Throw in a murder mystery game for the invited guests to participate in aboard a luxurious yacht and it sounds like an ideal evening. Protagonist Val Deniston was given an offer she couldn’t refuse (although she’d have liked to) by the yacht’s owner, Otto Warbeck, to prepare the ten-course dinner for his guests that he has meticulously researched. Needing help to make the dinner a success, she drags her granddad, Don Myer, and her best friend, Bethany, to the yacht to help out. Instead of a fun-filled evening, Val is greeted by a group that doesn’t like each other. The author weaves together an unlikely group of a chicken industry lobbyist, an animal’s right activist, an older ex-wife and a new young wife along with a Titanic enthusiast. When the host disappears from the boat during dinner, Val has a real-life mystery on her hands and soon finds out that the dinner party mystery could have been based on an unsolved murder from long ago.

Ms. Corrigan has created an intriguing plot that is well-paced with well-developed characters. Her twists and turns that incorporate details from the Titanic captured my imagination and I was pulled into the story, unable to put the book down. As a fan of Agatha Christie, I appreciated the author’s use of the ‘closed room’ style of mystery. The suspects were limited to the dinner guests and the yacht’s captain, but as Val digs deeper, finds they all had reasons to commit a crime. I’ve always enjoyed Val’s granddad, also known as the Codger Cook, because he adds both humor and chances for banter which allows the nature of the characters to be shown. The suspenseful conclusion wraps up the threads of both mysteries in a satisfying way which left me wanting to read more by this author.

The Codger Cook writes a newspaper column that features five-ingredient recipes. Val’s granddad might “borrow” her recipes to write his column but she doesn’t complain. Ms. Corrigan includes several five-ingredient recipes at the back of the book that Granddad would approve of. She also includes the menu of what was actually served at the Titanic’s last dinner along with what Val tweaked to serve aboard the yacht. While s’mores weren’t served aboard the Titanic, the new Mrs. Warbeck insisted that this casual fun-filled dessert be served at the party. The author includes some delightful twists to this yummy campfire classic and I’m sharing her recipe for S’mores Tartlets. I loved that these could be made ahead of time and you don’t have to have an open flame available for toasting the marshmallows. I’ve always been a tad bit disappointed with the old style of s’mores because the graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow ratio always seemed off. These tartlets are perfect and my guests snatched them off the serving platter faster than I thought possible! I tweaked the author’s recipe just a bit, using vegan chocolate chips and vegan margarine for some so that my dairy-intolerant husband could enjoy. They turned out amazing and I liked the ease of using chocolate chips, although they didn’t melt quite as nicely as the chocolate bars. S’mores Tartlets will definitely become a classic summer dessert in my household!

Amazon Synopsis

Managing a fitness club café and collaborating on a cookbook with her grandfather are Val Deniston’s usual specialties, but she’s about to set sail into nearby Chesapeake Bay—straight into a murder case . . .

Since catering themed events is a good way to make extra cash, Val agrees to board the Titanic—or at least cater a re-creation of the doomed journey on a yacht. The owner of the yacht, who collects memorabilia related to the disaster, wants Val to serve the last meal the Titanic passengers ate . . . while his guests play a murder-mystery game. But it is the final feast for one passenger who disappears from the ship. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Now Val has to reel in a killer before s’more murders go down . . .

A special thanks to Maya Corrigan for providing a winner with a print copy of S’MORE MURDER. Contest ends Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

S'mores Tartlets

These treats bake in a mini muffin pan, no campfire or grill needed. They're more buttery than the classic s'mores, and less messy. You're likely to have crumbs instead of gooey marshmallows on your fingers and clothes.

Servings: 24 tartlets

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 milk or dark chocolate candy bars (approx. 1.55 ounces each), divided into rectangles*
12 standard size marshmallows, each cut in half to make two circular pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Combine the crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter and mix until blended.
Lightly grease 24 cups (1-3/4-inch diameter) in a mini muffin pan.
Divide the crumbs among the cups. Press the crumbs down and around the sides with a tart tamper, a spoon, or your fingers.
Bake 6 - 7 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Put one chocolate rectangle** in each cup and top with a marshmallow, cut side down, on top of it. Return pan to the oven for 3 minutes or until the marshmallows are softened. To brown the marshmallows, put the pan under the broiler for a minute.
Cool the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Carefully lift each tartlet from it's cup. Serve warm immediately or serve at room temperature after the tartlets have cooled down.

Tips

*Or substitute 2 - 3 teaspoons mini chocolate chips for the chocolate bars. I found that the tartlets were easier to remove from the pan and stayed intact using the chips.
**I used 2 chocolate rectangles since my mini-muffin pan has a large diameter for each cup.
If marshmallows cool too much making it difficult to remove tartlets from pan, place the pan back into the warm oven for a minute or two to soften edges.
Store leftover marshmallows in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and place in the freezer to keep them fresh.