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BAKE, BATTER, AND ROLL is the thirteenth book in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries by Catherine Bruns. One of the many things I enjoy about this series is that you can always depend on a story that features close-knit family and friends, laugh-out-loud humor, a puzzling murder to solve, and delicious cookies. This newest release did not disappoint! Protagonist Sally Muccio is busy juggling her toddler daughter and her handsome husband, and preparing for a reality TV show being filmed in her bakery, Sally’s Samples, on top of running her business. I couldn’t help but laugh at the TV show’s name, Senior Moments. And the setup gets even better as I discovered it’s an over 65 dating show with Sally’s nemesis, Mrs. Gavelli, being one of the contestants. Thrown into the reality TV mix for good measure is Sally’s grandmother, Rosa, and her bakery assistant, Dodie. If you’ve been keeping up with this series, you’ll immediately see the potential for humor. If you’re new to the series, then rest assured, you can easily read this as a standalone, but if you love great character development, you might want to start at the beginning. Ms. Bruns’ strong descriptive voice brings the setting, the characters, and each situation to life on the pages.
Naturally, something goes terribly wrong once the taping of the show is over and Sally stumbles across the body of the show’s host, Smiley Jones. How did he get back into her bakery after hours? And why did they have to use her rolling pin? With another murder at her shop and business all but dead, Sally and her BFF, Josie, start asking questions and digging into the victim’s past. At stake, too, is Nicoletta and her grandmother’s free trip to Italy. Besides needing to find the killer, Sally feels like her grandmother is hiding something important. With twists to keep you guessing, this well-plotted mystery kept me turning pages late into the night. And with the surprising reveal at the very end, I’m waiting on pins and needles for the next book to be written!
Running a bakery with so many delicious treats will have you craving cookies. There are several recipes at the back of the book to try out, which I suggest you do, so you’ll have something to munch on while you read. I had the honor of creating and providing the recipe for Champagne Crème Sandwich Cookies for the book. Starting with a boxed cake mix, these soft-style cookies are flavored with champagne or sparkling wine. Once the cookies are cooled, a layer of champagne-flavored buttercream is piped between two cookies to create a sandwich. With sparkling white and gold sprinkles, these cookies will wow your guests and add a festive touch to your dessert table.
Amazon Synopsis
Full time baker and part time sleuth Sally Muccio has witnessed many bizarre events during her lifetime. But one thing that she never expected to see was her sensible grandmother on a dating show.
Senior Moments, the popular reality TV dating show featuring the aged sixty-five and older, has come to Colwestern, New York, giving the mature community a chance to find their soulmate. In an attempt to keep peace with the cranky and cantankerous Nicoletta Gavelli, Sal’s Grandma Rosa agrees to become a contestant along with Mrs. Gavelli on the TV show. But things take an even weirder turn when the show’s host, Smiley Jones, is found dead in Sal’s bakery, beaten to death with her rolling pin.
The last thing Sal wants, or needs is to get involved in another murder, but she soon discovers that Smiley Jones’s life wasn’t all champagne and cookies. From an estranged wife with dollar signs blinding her vision to a dressing room full of debts, Smiley had many issues to keep him from grinning. Between the calamitous contestants, the stacks of suspects, and the danger mounting, Sal is worried this is one Hollywood production without a happy ending. Can Sal find his killer before she winds up battered as well?
A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing a print copy of BAKE, BATTER, AND ROLL Contest ends October 4, 2023 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!)
Makes approximately 18 - 20 sandwich cookies
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 (5.1 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup champagne (or substitute prosecco or sparkling wine)
- Gold sprinkles and coarse white sparkling sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 - 3 tablespoons champagne (prosecco or sparkling wine)
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Add the cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, melted butter, and champagne to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
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Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Roll the cookie dough into equal-sized balls, about 1-1/2 to 2-inches in diameter. Depending on the size of the balls, you should have 36 - 40 cookies.
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Combine equal parts of gold sprinkles with the coarse white sparkling sugar (start with 3 tablespoons each) in a shallow, wide bowl, or dinner plate. Add more sprinkles as needed.
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Press the top of each cookie dough ball into the sprinkles and place, sprinkle side up, on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten the tops of the cookies.
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Bake cookies for 8 - 10 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking. Cookies should be slightly golden brown on the edges.
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Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling with the buttercream.
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Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 2 -3 minutes until creamy. Turn the mixer to low and add the confectioners' sugar, half a cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
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Add in the vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons champagne. Beat on medium-high for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. If buttercream appears too thick, add in additional champagne, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
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Place the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
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Match up two cookies, according to equal sizes as best as possible. Pipe swirls of buttercream on the bottom of one cookie. Gently press the second cookie (bottom side facing the buttercream) into the filling. Repeat with remaining cookie pairs.
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Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Omgosh, those cookies look so pretty and sound delicious! The book cover is one of the cutest I’ve seen! What a great way to decorate a cake for the birthday of a movie lover! Sounds like a great read too!
Deliciousness, as usual. Not only do you introduce us to cozy authors’ new books, but you give us visually stunning recipes that are easy to recreate, and don’t disappoint, even if the intended baker is not that great 🙂 Thank you so much for all the efforts you make to present us with a wonderful way to start our day, Kim!! Thank you to Catherine for writing another winner, and for offering us a chance to win it!!!
This recipe sounds good I hope I Win
This recipes looks both yummy and fun! I know what I’ll be making as one of our sweet treats for New Year’s Eve. Here’s to winning a copy, cheers!
Incredible looking recipe🎉 Showed beloved husband who adores creme cookies. They can be a fun addition to the Holiday treat table. Thank you so much for sharing. We will be attempting tomorrow if all goes well.
Fabulous book cover And Title! Sr Moments – love this😂😅😂 I have many luckily we can laugh at them. The book 📚 sounds fun.
Here’s to Rafflecopter
Can’t wait to read it.
Those cookies look and sound delicious!
Love the wonderful book cover too!!! Thank you for the chance to win your wonderful giveaway!!!🥰