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THE ENEMY YOU GNOCCHI, the third book in the Italian Chef Mysteries by Catherine Bruns, continues the story of Italian chef, Tessa Esposito, with a temptingly delicious read. From the start, the author’s strong descriptive voice brings the reader right into the thick of things, with the sights, sounds, aromas, and tastes of Tessa’s cooking evoking the holiday season. Ms. Bruns has also taken care to create memorable characters that complement each other on the pages, as well as change and grow over the course of the series. Especially enjoyable are Tessa and her cousin/best friend, Gabby. Their repartee adds a sense of family and closeness, which allows the reader to feel like they’re getting to know them on a deeper level. While this book can be read as a standalone, starting from the beginning builds an appreciation for how the characters’ personalities and lives move forward.
With a tightly plotted mystery of finding out who would have wanted to kill Santa during the town’s Festival of Lights, including Tessa herself, I was kept glued to the pages. There were clues to keep me on my toes and suspects aplenty that kept me guessing, unsuccessfully I should add. The surprising and suspenseful reveal had me on the edge of my seat until I’d read the very last page. This drool-worthy mystery is a great way to usher in the holiday season while munching on cookies and sipping hot cocoa!
With so many mouthwatering dishes and desserts mentioned throughout the story, it was a pleasure finding several recipes at the back of the book. I also had the honor of creating the recipe for Gingerbread Pizzelles, a holiday twist on the quintessential Italian cookie. While a pizzelle iron is preferable for cooking these lacy cookies, you can use a skillet instead. Either way, the warming spices and sugary goodness will make your kitchen smell like Christmas!
Amazon Synopsis
It’s Christmas time in Harvest Park, so grab your cocoa and sleuthing snow boots for a Christmas cozy mystery sure to sleigh!
It’s the deadliest thyme of the year…
With snow dusting the ground and sauce sizzling on the stove, local chef Tessa Esposito is ready to serve up some holiday cheer. And with the annual Festival of Lights underway, it seems nothing can dim her spirits. Not even Mario Russo, the newest scrooge in town whose espresso bar has been quickly disrupting businesses and stealing customers from Harvest Park’s favorite coffeehouse.
But when Mario is discovered at the festival’s opening, face down in a Santa suit, Tessa realizes the bah humbug runs deeper than she could have imagined. And when one of her dearest friends is implicated in the crime, she must make a list of Mario’s enemies, check them twice, and discover the cold-blooded killer. Especially before they can sleigh again.
A special thanks to Poison Pen Press for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of THE ENEMY YOU GNOCCHI. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends November 7, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Recipe makes approximately 50 3-1/4" pizzelle. Quantities may be different depending on the size of your iron.
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting cookies
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, coconut oil, and vanilla until smooth.
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Whisk in the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Once incorporated stir in the all-purpose flour.
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Heat pizzelle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. Spray or brush the iron with high temperature cooking spray or vegetable oil.
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Once pizzelle iron is hot, drop batter by tablespoon into the center of each cookie well. Close iron and bake until cookies are golden brown in color.
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Transfer hot cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
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If desired, dust cookies with confectioners' sugar.
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These are best served within a day of making. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week but the cookies will soften over time.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“Do you have a favorite dish you prepare for Christmas or holiday celebration?” Lefse with butter and grape jam/jelly or with butter and sugar is one of life’s necessities!
I love to make peanut butter blossoms for Christmas.
Omgosh, do pizzelles remind me of my mother(she passed Dec 22 , 2017). She used to make them all the time when I was growing up. I remember her getting out the pizzelle iron and watching her pour the batter and shutting the iron and then pretty soon……a big, flat cookie with a pretty pattern! So yummy too! Thank you for the wonderful trip down memory lane.
I really dont have a favorite dish just for Christmas/holidays or a favorite tradition. But I do really enjoy candlelight service on Christmas Eve at church.
I LOVE the cover of the book and it sounds like a great read!
I have a recipe for a cranberry relish that I received from a friend that is very yummy! Thanks for the chance!
I always make gingerbread cookies for Christmas. I can’t seem to master cut out cookies, so they are rolled into a ball, dipped in coarse sugar and baked. Still just as yummy. Thank you for the chance.
What I cook for the holidays varies from year to year.
I make a cranberry orange nut cake every Christmas. I got the recipe from a neighbor when I was a teenager. It’s always a big hit.
I make Spritz Cookies with my cookie press and I also make a Broccoli & Cheese Casserole. Thanks for your great generosity.
My Christmas traditions are pumpkin cheese cake and baklava ~
My mom and I always make my grandma’s sand tart cookies for Christmas.
Our one standard is grandma’s recipe for a green bean dish, the rest of the dishes usually vary. We usually make cookies and candies around the holidays too.
Cranberry jello salad is a favorite dish . Also pumpkin pie. This year I am thinking of trying a dish we have never had.
I enjoy looking up recipes for different dishes.
We make delicious Oatmeal Raisin Pecan cookies.
I always makea lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner. I make it earlier and just have to reheated , makes for an easy evening before a busy day.
I make cranberry muffins that I have been making since high school.
I’ve made a cranberry orange pie the past few years.
The Enemy You Gnocchi sounds like a great story! I enjoy making my pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving and Rum Balls for Christmas!
Jam cake, my great, great grandmother’s recipe.
Gingerbread cookies, Pumpkin pie and Cranberry Christmas cake.
Oh yes we make my grandmas spritz cookie recipe that she made for years and I would always eat the first pan out of the oven. They are small and so good a butter cookie. Last year we forgot the almond extract and had passed out the cookies to the neighborhood and they tasted like rocks horrible bland tasting and hubby was laughing almost harder than I,
Pink fluff salad
I make my mother’s recipe for nut bread.
Christmas breakfast we have cinnamon rolls…it’s tradition! For dessert I make the same thing my mom always made. Jello and ice cream whipped together and refrigerated…so good, like a fluffy mousse.
beef vindaloo
Potato dumplings with gravy, a Czech dish
I don’t, but my friend makes the best chocolate pecan pie that she only makes for Christmas. Thank you for this chance!
We usually make a German dinner with pork schnitzel and spaetze.
I usually making the pies (apple, cherry, pumpkin, banana pudding) and deviled eggs for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Thank you for the chance.
twice baked stuffed potatoes
Broccoli salad
One of my favorite bdoshes is my mom’s dressing that she makes for Thanksgiving.
I always make Vanilla Butter Sugar Cookies with frosting with my 2 daughters every Christmas.
We always have Italian for Christmas Eve and then Christmas dinner is always turkey and stuffing with all the sides. Thank you for the giveaway!
My mother and I baked butter cookies in the shapes of trees and bells.
We make a variety of cookies from year to year.It is a group of friends and my daughter and everyone gets cookies from one another. We have great shortbread cookies, macaroon,gingersnaps,peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip,Andes mint and pecan sandies.
I make a rum cake every year before Christmas. Been doing that a longgggg time.
No I don’ t bake for Christmas but my husband does the baking in the family .
I make sweet potato pie with marshmallows!
Sweet potato pie with marshmallows!
Such a fantastic picture. Golly, yes I am re calling some very long ago memories of these. I must be the very last one on this earth left in the family. My goodness. We did So so much for holidays?
These were beautiful. This Book COVER magnificent
That Nutcracker- WOW absolutely gorgeousness
It sounds simple. But, they always want my deviled eggs and homemade chocolate chip cookies for Christmas.?
It has to be stuffing with linguica in it! My family is Portuguese and they just love it!
Green bean casserole
Cheesecakes and deviled eggs. Both are requested by my niece.
My family loves to have lasagna for our holiday meal. This doesn’t forgo the ham, deviled eggs, or oher iems we might include. For desert it’s usually an assortment of Christmas cookies.
My sister and I usually make our grandmother’s Date Nut Pinwheel Cookies together. But I have moved recently and will miss making these cookies together.
I love the holidays! I make everything but my favorite is the butternut squash that is full of brown sugar and butter! ? Yum!! thanks for this chance!!
We make oyster dressing as a side dish to go with our turkey. Thanks for the chance!
I change up my holiday menu every year with dishes from different countries. This year will be a traditional British feast!
This is another amazing recipe from you Kim! I have to have Christmas Sugar Cookies for the holiday every year. We roll the dough cut the cookies out in fun holiday shapes and then bake and ice them. They’re as addicting as potato chips for me and my family love them as well. Thank you!
My husband and I make sugar cookies with our Christmas cookie cutters and then we decorate them afterwards.
My family always asks me to make green bean casserole
My favorite Holiday dish is my Mac n Cheese. Also, my ham.
Thank you for sharing. My aunt used to make these cookies at the holidays. Her oldest son passed away this morning. Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories. I really love the cover. I enjoy reading cozy mysteries. God bless you.
We make a variety of Christmas cookies and I always make scalloped corn.