I so enjoy being introduced to new authors who write culinary cozy mysteries, especially when it’s a series. Recently I had the chance to read BAKED TO DEATH, A Cookies & Chance Mystery, by Catherine Bruns.
Sally Muccio owns Sally’s Samples, a bakery in Colwestern, New York. She’s only been in business five months after moving from Florida back to her hometown to get away from her cheating ex-husband, Colin. She hired her best friend, Josie Sullivan, as the baker and reconnected with her high school love, Mike Donovan. The bakery is doing extremely well (and so is her romance) when Sally and Josie are invited to participate as contestants for Cookie Crusades, a reality baking competition in Orlando, Florida. With the grand prize $20,000 and the business it will bring to the bakery, Sally can’t pass up the chance to compete.
One of the perks that sets her bakery apart from others is she offers a free, home-made fortune cookie to every customer. A cookie breaks and she reads a strange fortune just before her ex-husband walks into her bakery telling her he should own 50% of her business. He’s got a shady attorney ready to sue, even though she opened the business after their divorce. Sally tries to shake it off and goes out with Mike, Josie and her husband to celebrate Josie’s birthday but the celebration is interrupted when Colin attacks her in the ladies’ room. Mike comes to her rescue and threatens to kill Colin if he ever comes near Sally again. Colin manages to slice Mike’s arm with a knife and escape, which enrages Mike even more.
The next morning the police show up and arrest Mike for the shooting murder of Colin, after finding his fingerprints in Colin’s motel room. Sally knows Mike went out in the middle of the night but he told her he was walking his dog. To make matters worse she finds he hid a gun in his bedroom but she’s sure he’s still innocent. Sally’s grandmother helps provide the funds to pay for bail so Mike doesn’t have to sit in jail. When he goes on the run, Sally’s love and her belief in his innocence is put to the ultimate test. Determined to find the truth, she leaves for Florida with Josie to participate in Cookie Crusades and look into Colin’s life after her divorce. Sally finds numerous people who wanted Colin dead and worries that they may be turning their sights on her. Can she find the real killer before it’s too late or will Mike take the fall?
Not only is BAKED TO DEATH an exciting, fast-paced story, there’s also a sweet romance about letting the past go and learning to hope for a better future. I loved the characters that Catherine has surrounding Sally, from her supportive, strong grandmother to her fun loving, romantic parents who end up mostly embarrassing Sally, her sister and Josie…and gave me a few giggles over their antics. I look forward to reading more in this series!
Catherine also includes several recipes at the back of the book and has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for Josie’s Jelly Cookies which Sally and Josie make during their competition. With your favorite flavor of jam or jelly nestled in a cup of buttery, tender shortbread, these cookies are elegant and beautiful with the jeweled tones. I love to make homemade jam which was the perfect accompaniment to these delicious cookies and have included links at the bottom of the page for my jam recipes along with a quick video tutorial on these easy to mix up jelly cookies.
A very special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing giveaways of both a print copy and an e-book of BAKED TO DEATH for readers to win! (Non-U.S. residence will be awarded an e-book.) Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe for a chance to win and be sure to comment whether you prefer a print copy or an e-book. Contest ends Monday, March 14, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Josie’s Jelly Cookies
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
Jam – Strawberry, Raspberry, Grape, your choice. (Can be seeded or unseeded.)**
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Fahrenheit.
Cream butter, sugar, yolks, and vanilla together.
Sift flour and mix into the wet mixture.
Shape cookies in hand to make a ball about the size of a tablespoon, and press thumb firmly into the center.
Fill imprint with favorite jam.
Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheet for about 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. (My oven took about 15 minutes to bake the cookies.)
Let cool on the cookie sheet – the jelly especially will be very hot!
Makes about two dozen generous-sized cookies.
**If you’d like to make your own jam, here is a list of jams I’ve made and shared on my blog. Click on the links below to view the recipe.
Rose Petal Jam (this is my granddaughter’s favorite jam!)
If you subscribe to receive my post via email, you will need to visit my website to view video.
I prefer print books.
I love reading culinary mysteries, and this author is new to me. Thanks for the chance to win!
This would be a great book to add to my cozy challenge list. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. I am a cookie monster, so this series really appeals to me.
I prefer e-books, but like both.
I am able to read ebooks now, but still prefer print. The cookies look delicious, I make something similar at the holidays. Thanks for the chance to win!
I love print books although I do have a Kindle. The feel of the paper and also being able to mark areas that I
particularly enjoyed is nice. Thanks for the opportunity to enter your giveaway.
I love both. Digital is great, often less expensive, can have hundreds with no need for a place to store them, extra bells and whistles to find passages, and with my eyesight I can fiddle with the color and size to make it easier to read. Print is great, too. I love the smell and feel of a new book, no need to plug it in and recharge, if lost, I don’t risk identity theft, and special signed copies are fun. Digital or print? I like them both!
Wish there were less twitter things as can;t do that,,I do only print due to a disease called RSD throughout body started in right hand so it hardly at all . Thank you for the wonderful giveaway of a print book and would love to review on a few sites and those cookies look so darned good when my hubby is in a good mood I will ask him to make them.
I love Catherine Bruns’ books! I prefer reading e-books. Thank you fore this chance!
I read just eBooks now. So much easier than hauling around all those heavy books so I didn’t run it of reading material. I still like to get the paperback. I now collect autographed pie and they are protected and saved as precious memories.
I collect autographed copies of paperbacks, but don’t read them.
Thank you for allowing me to enter for a print copy!
I have taken to reading ebooks because I can change the font on them. It is much easier on my eyes to have larger fonts.
Looks like great cozy mystery. I prefer printed books.
Sounds like a great book filled with wonderful characters and lots of fun. Thanks for the chance to read it.
Great recipe! Yes, I read e-books but I love the smell and feel of a print book in my hands. Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win!
I like e books I can hide them from my hubby better
Thanks for the chance! I have no preference ebook or print copy will work for me! I will definitely be trying out these cookies!
I love my Kindle and real bookstoo!
I would love the book!
I prefer paperback books.
I prefer reading print books. I do use an eReader once in a while, but I find it makes my eyes dry out and get tired. This book sounds amazing, will be adding to my TBR list.
I prefer print books. This sounds like a fun series. Thanks for the giveaway.
Prefer print. Paper backs mainly. They don’t take up as much room has hardcover
I’d love to win a print copy! (And the cookies look very tempting.)
Those cookies look fabulous!
Jelly cookies are one of my favorites! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!
There’s nothing like a print book…the feel…the smell…well, you’ve got the idea. Thank you for the give-a-way & a chance to win!
I prefer a printed book. There’s just something special about holding a book you’re reading, but I’d take an e-book. Thank you! Want to try the cookie recipe.
I prefer print books, as I don’t own an eReader.
Love paperback books, but since I have run out of room to keep them I only buy for Kindle now.
I prefer print books, but read ebooks as well.
I wish rafflecopter weren’t so twitter-centric.
I love books. However, I like print books best (don’t tell my digital books though). I never have to recharge the print books.
Sounds like a yummy recipe and a great book!
I would love to win this book! I prefer e-books but any book is fine! Thanx for the opportunity to enter
Thanks for a chance to win a real book,lol. The cookies sound good.
I read both. I prefer print because I pass them on to a friend who works at a local hospital, after being thoroughly read by me. Of course, she and her friends read some of the books before they reach the patients.
loving print, liking ebooks 😀
does not matter as long as it is nice and cozy 😉
Cookies do look good. Would prefer to read book in print but do have Kindle and Nook.
I still prefer print books. There’s just something about that paper and ink!
Connie
cps1950(at)gmail (dot)com
I have to have an actual book sometimes.. But ebooks r cool;I have an ereader as well