Cinnamon and Sugar

Seared Pork Chops with Apricot Brandy Sauce

I am so pleased to be able to introduce you to debut author, Leslie Karst, who is celebrating the release of her brand new book this week, DYING FOR A TASTE! I met Leslie at Left Coast Crime in Phoenix (I am SO glad I decided to attend) and after talking a bit about her book I knew I needed to read it sooner rather than later… and it exceeded my expectations!

Sally Solari, former attorney, is helping run her father’s old-school Italian restaurant after her mother passed away. The long-time multi-generational family restaurant sits at the end of a wharf in Santa Cruz, California with spectacular views of Monterrey Bay. Sally would rather be in the kitchen learning to be a chef instead of managing the business side of things, but her father doesn’t think women belong in the kitchen. Sally’s Aunt Letta rebelled against the tradition, left the family business, and started her own restaurant, Gauguin. Aunt Letta has been mostly estranged from her family for many long years, but Sally connected to her and considers herself close to her aunt.

It comes as a heartbreaking shock when Aunt Letta is found stabbed to death with Sous Chef Javier’s personal knife. The police are almost certain Javier is the killer….he had an unrequited love for his boss….and his arrest is imminent. Sally is certain of Javier’s innocence, even with incriminating evidence mounting, and she decides she needs to find the truth. As she starts asking questions and digging into her aunt’s past, she finds her aunt had been hiding long buried secrets that maybe should have been left hidden, especially when the killer sets their eyes on her.

There were so many things to love about this fast-paced debut mystery! A tightly woven plot with memorable characters parading across the pages kept me turning pages and left me feeling regret when I had to put the book down to attend to other responsibilities. But what I truly loved about DYING FOR A TASTE is not only was it an entertaining read, Leslie gives it a voice of social consciousness. She deftly weaves social issues and prejudices into the plot that is thought provoking without being heavy handed. It’s refreshing to come across a book that can combine both entertainment and realism while tackling the issues relevant to our society today. Well done, Leslie! I truly look forward to your next book!

Leslie, like her protagonist Sally, was an attorney before going to cooking school. She has some amazing recipes in DYING FOR A TASTE and has allowed me to share Seared Pork Chops with Apricot Brandy Sauce, which is one of the dishes Aunt Letta served at Gauguin. I’ll be honest, cooking meat that is the center of attention scares me. I’m a competent baker and good with veggies, chicken, and fish but I’m very insecure when it comes to showcasing pork or beef on the plate. However, I decided to be challenged and try this recipe…and I think my photos and the video at the bottom of the page speak for the end results 🙂 Leslie’s instructions were easy to follow and not time-consuming, resulting in succulent, flavorful pork chops that are covered with a gorgeous jewel-toned pan sauce that is company worthy! But, since the dish cooks so quickly it will earn a regular rotation in my weekday meals too. The apricot brandy sauce would be incredible on chicken or fish as well, making it very versatile. Thank you, Leslie, for allowing me to share your exquisite dish and for building my culinary confidence!

A special thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing a hardcover copy to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest is open to U.S. residents only and ends Monday, April 18, 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!)

Seared Pork Chops with Apricot Brandy Sauce

This is a classic à la minute hot line dish, where a piece of meat is seared and then the pan it was cooked in is deglazed with liquid to dissolve all those luscious caramelized bits left behind. Once you’ve done all your prep work (chopping, coating meat with spices), it only takes about fifteen minutes to fry the chops and make the sauce.

Ingredients

6 ounces dried apricots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup brandy
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 thick-cut pork chops, excess fat around edges removed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large red onion, sliced (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup beef or chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Place the sliced apricots in a bowl and pour the brandy over the fruit to let them soak. The longer they soak the better – two hours minimum, but first thing in the morning or even overnight would be best.

Mix the cumin, ginger, black pepper, and salt together in a small bowl and then coat the chops on each side with this dry marinade.

Heat a large, heavy duty skillet over medium-high heat and then add the oil.

Once the oil is shimmering, place the pork chops gently in the pan. (Do not crowd the chops; cook them in separate pans or in two batches if necessary.)

Fry until golden brown and then turn. Continue cooking until the chops are done to your liking (Gauguin serves them still a little pink in the center).

Remove chops to a large plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Dump the sliced onions into the pork chop skillet and saute over medium heat in the oil left in the pan, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn.

When the onions start to brown, add the apricots (saving the brandy they’ve been soaking in for later) and continue to cook until the apricots start to brown.

Add the brandy and chicken stock to the pan and continue to cook for another two minutes.

Add the butter and stir into the sauce once melted.

Plate up the chops and spoon the onions, apricots, and sauce on top.

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Sadie’s Lemon Summer Surprise

I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few of the books in Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap Mystery series over the last couple of years. When MURDER ON WHEELS came out in February, I added it to my to-read-pile, but after seeing some of the other book blogger reviews, I knew I wanted to read it sooner than later. Lynn mixes just the right amount of small town charm with a cleverly crafted plot in her latest cozy mystery. Added in is a pinch of geocaching with it’s gluten-free baking president hiding stolen recipes and a cast of characters to round out the menu.

Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More in South Cove, California, seems to have trouble find her more often than not. Her best friend’s boyfriend is becoming a geocaching enthusiast and drags Jill and her boyfriend, Detective Greg King, along for an afternoon search. There they meet Kacey, the young president of the Coastal Geocache Club, who recently reunited with her estranged husband, Dustin Austin. The problem is that Dustin recently dumped Sadie, one of Jill’s good friends, to go back to his wife. Sadie’s heart was broken, especially when Austin stole some of her treasured recipes from her business, Pies on the Fly, before leaving her.

Kacey and Austin are planning on opening up a gluten-free dessert food truck in the very same truck that Jill had planned on purchasing before Austin “stole” it out from beneath her. There’s lots of bad feelings going around and then Kacey is found dead on the beach. She was highly allergic to gluten and it appears that someone slipped her a deadly dose. Could it have been Austin, who had made her sick in the past? Or could it be Sadie looking for revenge over the young woman stealing both her recipes and her lover? Jill is certain Sadie is an innocent victim but the police suspect otherwise, so Jill starts asking questions.

On top of trying to clear her friend’s name, Jill is also having best friend troubles and Amy is no longer speaking to her. Her aunt’s love life is more active than her own and Jill is caught in the middle of the conflict between the two men vying for her aunt’s affections. When one of Kacey’s friends gives Jill a cryptic message and later that day is pushed off a cliff while geocaching, Jill knows she’d better find the culprit before the murderer comes after her.

While Murder On Wheels does not have any recipes included, Sadie is quite the baker, providing treats to sell at Coffee, Books, and More. One of the desserts she likes to make is her Lemon Summer Surprise and Lynn Cahoon has graciously allowed me to share that recipe with you. A delicately flavored lemon cheesecake-style pie, Sadie’s Lemon Summer Surprise is super quick to whip up (especially if you buy a pre-made graham cracker crust!) and isn’t fussy like traditional cheesecakes. Basically dump the ingredients in a bowl, mix them until creamy, then pour into a crust and bake. I worried about the cracking that can occur on regular cheesecakes, but this baked up beautifully with no special care! I took the liberty of adding gluten-free substitutions to the recipe, probably similar to what Kacey would have done for her food truck. I have also included a short video tutorial on how to make Sadie’s Lemon Summer Surprise at the bottom of the page, along with a sneak peek at Lynn’s next release debuting June 7th!

A huge thank you to Lynn Cahoon for providing an e-book copy of MURDER ON WHEELS to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Thursday, April 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!)

Sadie’s Lemon Summer Surprise

Ingredients

Filling

2 8-ounce packages softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (if necessary, make sure your vanilla is gluten-free)
1- 1/2 tablespoons flour (or use your favorite gluten-free flour + 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum)
2 eggs, room temperature
A couple drops yellow food color (if you want it really yellow)

1 Graham Cracker Crust (pre-made such as Keebler, or make your own like Sadie would)

Crust

2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs (Use gluten-free graham cracker crumbs if desired. My favorite brand is Kinnikinnick.)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Crust

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together.

Pat into a spring-form pan or a deep dish pie plate. Set aside.

Filling

Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and pour into your crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Cool and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

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A sneak peak at Lynn’s soon-to-be released book, TEA CUPS AND CARNAGE! Available June 7, 2016!

The quaint coastal town of South Cove, California, is all abuzz about the opening of a new specialty shop, Tea Hee. But as Coffee, Books, and More owner Jill Gardner is about to find out, there’s nothing cozy about murder . . .

Shop owner Kathi Corbin says she came to South Cove to get away from her estranged family. But is she telling the truth? And did a sinister someone from her past follow her to South Cove? When a woman claiming to be Kathi’s sister starts making waves and a dead body is found in a local motel, Jill must step in to clear Kathi’s name–without getting herself in hot water.

Toss Across Sweet Potato Chip Dog Treats

About 1-1/2 years ago, before I started blogging, I attended the Bouchercon conference in Long Beach, CA (my first mystery conference ever) and met Sparkle Abbey (aka Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter) at a luncheon. As fate would have it, they had an extra seat available at their table and I joined them. I didn’t know who they were when I sat down, but as I chatted with these VERY NICE ladies I become increasingly interested in their books and immediately downloaded one when I went home that night.

Fast forward a few months…I started blogging (not really knowing what I was doing or where I was going) and wanted to share my review of the Sparkle Abbey book I had read. I personally didn’t have any pet treat recipes up my sleeve so I gathered up my courage and contacted these VERY NICE ladies and asked if I could share their recipe. I was expecting a brush off, or a “heck no” response….instead my request was met with enthusiasm! And the rest is, as they say, history. I’ve found the authors I’ve connected with through my blog to be genuinely nice people, who readily support each other and their fans! So thank you, Sparkle Abbey, for helping me make my blog what it is today!

Recently, Sparkle Abbey released their eighth book in The Pampered Pets Mystery series, RAIDERS OF THE LOST BARK! Don’t you just love the title?!?! This time the story takes place from the viewpoint of Melinda Sue Langston, former Texan beauty queen, but she’d rather you call her Mel. Mel is the owner of Bow Wow Boutique in Laguna Beach, California. Feisty 80-something-year-old, Betty Fox, is her assistant at the shop and is nagging her to attend the Five Paws-Up Laguna Beach Animal Reserve League fundraiser. While Mel doesn’t have anything against the charity, the fundraiser is glamping for a week in the Laguna Hills wilds. Plus there’s the issue of the chef for the event, blackmailer Addison Rae, hired only because she forced Mel to recommend her for the job. Mel would rather not be around Addison all week long.

Addison threatens Mel into attending and before she knows it, Betty Fox is driving them down the freeway in a tricked-out motorhome, worthy of any glamping trip. Mel’s only interest in tagging along is to be able to retrieve her mother’s ill-advised love letters to Addison’s father, and hopefully save her own father from heartache in finding out about his wife’s affair. Instead of getting the letters from Addison, the blackmailer demands one more “favor” before she hands them over. Mel blows up and their fight is witnessed by many of the other campers. Later, Addison is found murdered in the spa, the letters missing, and Mel has no alibi since she was waiting out on the hiking trail for the blackmailer. A suspect in the murder, Mel must contend with the Laguna Hills detectives who aren’t very appreciative of her offer to help find the real killer. Betty joins her in snooping around and asking questions, but the more they talk to people the more they realize Mel wasn’t the only one being blackmailed. When another murder takes place, Mel and Betty realize they had better find the killer before one of them becomes the next victim.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST BARK was such a fun read! I loved Betty Fox as Mel’s sidekick…she’s a hoot and provided plenty of laugh out loud moments! There were other quirky characters that added to the book’s entertainment, while the mystery plot had plenty of suspects and was nicely interwoven with relationship subplots. The on-going fight between Mel and her cousin, Caro, over their grandmother’s gaudy brooch adds additional humor along with the issue of what will happen between Mel and her on-again, off-again, fiancé, Grey Donovan, who comes back to town. Even though this is the eighth book in the series, it’s easily read as a stand-alone. I greatly look forward to the next installment in The Pampered Pets Mystery series!

As usual, Sparkle Abbey provides a couple pet treat recipes with their book. While Caro is a cook, Mel isn’t so much, but she is able to easily make these one-ingredient Toss Across Sweet Potato Chip Dog Treats that were served to the dogs during a fun game at the glamping fundraising trip. The low and slow baking of the rounds of sweet potatoes produce a chewy, concentrated sweet flavored treat that my grandpuppy, Piper, loved! I also enjoyed eating a few myself, with a bit of flaky sea salt sprinkled on my pieces.

Thank you, Sparkle Abbey, for allowing me to share another recipe from your very delightful books!

A very special thank you to Sparkle Abbey for providing one lucky winner a choice of either an e-book or a print copy of RAIDERS OF THE LOST BARK! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Non-U.S. residents will be awarded an e-book copy. 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!)

Toss Across Sweet Potato Chip Dog Treats

These are easy-peasy homemade treats your dog will love. They’re so quick and simple, even Mel likes to make them for Missy.

You’ll need:

3 large sweet potatoes
Baking Sheet
Cooling rack

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Scrub those sweet potatoes. No need to peel.

Cut the potatoes into 1/3″ slices, no smaller than 1/4″.

Keep in mind, the thinner the slice, the shorter the cooking time.

Place sliced potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for almost 3 hours. Turn over after 1-1/2 hours.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

Depending on thickness, this could take 30 minutes to 1 hour. As the treats cool, they will harden.

For desired chewiness: Baking 3 hours creates a soft chewy dog treat. If your pooch prefers crunchy treats, bake for an additional 20 – 30 minutes.

Storing

Remember, these are preservative-free and should be refrigerated for no longer than 1 week. You can freeze them for up to 1 month.

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Maple Pecan Squares

I had the pleasure of meeting Eva Gates (aka Vicki Delaney) at the Left Coast Crime conference in Phoenix in February. I was a bit embarrassed to admit, though, that I had never read any of her books. I had good intentions of doing so and had some of her books on my massive Amazon wish list over the last couple of years…but somehow they got lost in the shuffle and never purchased. Well let me tell you, I have sorely been missing out on the Lighthouse Library Mystery series and I have some catching up to do! Eva graciously provided me with a copy of READING UP A STORM, her newest release and the third book in the series. I was captivated from the very first sentence, “It was a dark and stormy night….” While a cliche, the author made me chuckle with her very next sentence and then proceeded to pull me in for a terrific read.

Lucy Richardson is the Assistant Librarian at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, ten miles outside Nags Head in the Outer Banks region. She’s only been there a few months, after leaving Boston and a breakup behind, and now resides in the cozy living quarters at the top of the lighthouse (which sounds totally awesome to me!). After wrapping up a surprise tenth work anniversary party for her boss, Bertie James, everyone heads home as a storm blows in. Lucy goes upstairs to her quarters and sees small lights waving from a beach that should be deserted. To make matters more eerie, a small motorboat is heading for the lights and towards certain destruction. Lucy calls the Coast Guard who end up rescuing Will Williamson and his much younger girlfriend, Marlene, just before the boat crashes onto shore.

The next day Will and Marlene attend a book club meeting that Lucy is moderating. One of her new friends, Stephanie, is also attending. Stephanie is a newcomer to Nags Head as well, moving to town to tend to her mother who was severely injured when a drunk driver hit her. Later that night a tipsy Stephanie confronts her mother about revealing who her father was, with Lucy there as a witness. It turns out Will Williamson is the cad who got Stephanie’s high-school-aged mother pregnant and then dumped her and left town with his wife and son, never once providing any type of child support. Now Will is back in town, a wealthy man with a trophy girlfriend on his arm.

The following morning Lucy walks through the marsh with her friend, and the town’s police officer, Butch Greenblatt, when they come across the stabbed body of Will Williamson in an abandoned boat. It doesn’t take long for the police to set their sights on Stephanie as the killer when it comes out that Will was her deadbeat dad and she doesn’t have an alibi. But the town rumor mill is also throwing their up-for-reelection mayor, Dr. Connor McNeil, into the pool of suspects. Lucy knows that neither of them could be guilty of such a heinous crime and she knows she’s going to have to find the real killer before her friends lose everything they hold dear.

Aside from the fabulous location, location, location of READING UP A STORM, Eva Gates provides a compelling plot with plenty of twists and turns and suspects to keep you wanting to turn the pages. Lucy is surrounded by people who care about her and by people who try her patience which adds to the humanization of the characters. There’s also a bit of romance that could develop between Lucy and Connor or Lucy and Butch… no spoilers here, but I will say that Eva won’t keep you hanging book after book after book… While there are not any recipes included with the book, Lucy’s cousin, Josie, is a talented baker and brings all the goodies to the surprise party and the book club events. The dessert that she most often provides is Maple Pecan Squares (or tarts if you want to be fancy). Eva kindly provided the recipe for me to share and they were an enormous hit with my taste testers as they are with Lucy and Josie’s friends! I’ve also included a short video tutorial on how to make these delectable cookie bars that feature gooey maple filling surrounding crunchy, buttery pecans on top of a pecan based shortbread crust.

I look forward to catching up with the first two books in this series AND look forward to the next book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series…but in case you haven’t heard, several publishers are ending their contracts with numerous cozy mystery authors. Eva Gates has heard that the Lighthouse Library Mystery series may not be renewed if the sales don’t meet up with the publisher’s expectations. Click on the link for very cute blog posts from Mary at mjbreviewers on Six Ways to Support Authors and Six More Ways to Support Authors.

A very special thank you to Eva Gates for providing an autographed copy of READING UP A STORM to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Monday, April 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only. 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!)

Maple Pecan Squares

As featured in Reading up a Storm by Eva Gates

Makes 36 squares

Ingredients

Base
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

Pecan Layer
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1-3/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)

Grease and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides.

Base

Pulse flour, brown sugar, pecans, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a food processor to combine.

Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly.

Press mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, until it just browns around the edges.

Allow to cool while you prepare the pecan layer.

Pecan Layer

Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and egg until smooth.

Stir in chopped pecans and pour over shortbread base.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges. The middle may not look like it’s entirely set but don’t worry, it will firm up as it cools.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

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If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

I received an ARC from the author and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own.

Ida’s Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

I’ve been waiting several months in anticipation of the next installment in the Georgia Peach Mystery series…and it’s finally here! It was a joy to read REST IN PEACH by Susan Furlong and catch up with Nola Mae Harper and her family. To begin with, each chapter starts with a Debutante rule, some are funny or quirky, but to quote Nola Mae’s mama, “Debutante rules help you become the best person you can be which is the secret to a happy life.” This part of the book adds to the Southern charm of the setting and I can hear their slow, honeyed drawl even in the midst of, gasp, murder!

Nola is busy preparing to open her shop, Peachy Keen, which will sell Harper Farm’s Peach products. She, along with help from Cade McKenna, are renovating a space adjacent to Red’s Diner, owned by her very good friend, Ginny. It’s Debutante season and Ginny’s daughter, Emily, is excited her dress is being delivered for the Cotillion ball. However, when the dresses arrive at the boutique, it’s discovered that Ginny’s dress was ordered for both Ginny and the Peach Queen, and only one showed up. The Peach Queen’s mother, Vivien Crenshaw, grabs the dress and lays claim to it. Ginny blows up at the snobbery she is throwing at Emily, and tells the rich, arrogant woman she will get her due.

The next day Vivien is found stabbed to death with a pair of scissors, the fought-over debutante gown clutched in her hands. Many women saw and heard Ginny’s altercation with the dead woman so Sheriff Maudy Payne takes Ginny in for questioning and considers her the main suspect. Ginny won’t provide the name of her alibi since she wasn’t home with her husband or her daughter and Nola begins to worry about the secret her friend is trying to hide. Ginny begs Nola to help find the real killer when evidence appears that will frame her and she worries it will ruin her daughter’s Debutante season. Half the town believe Ginny is guilty so Nola starts talking to people, asking questions about Vivien. It becomes apparent that the murdered woman had made a lot of enemies, including the sweet little old lady who played the organ at church. When the minister’s wife is attacked Nola knows she needs to step up her investigation before another person loses their life. From hunting down a centuries-old buried secret to tea at the Congressman’s mansion to stirring pots of peach preserves, Nola has her hands full in her latest adventure.

The author does a marvelous job in making her characters come to life in the small Georgia town but still weaves a tight plot in this cozy mystery that kept me turning pages late into the night. I loved how Nola is close to her family, especially her mama, and loyal to her friends no matter what. The romantic tension between Nola and Cade adds just the right amount of spice to the story without being distracting. Of course I can’t forget to mention the peach-themed recipes Susan includes at the back of her book…yum! She’s allowed me to share Ida’s Peach Cobbler Cupcakes and they were a hit with my friends and family (these make a big batch so there’s plenty to pass around). The Peach Cobbler Cupcakes start with a boxed mix but with her simple, unexpected add-ins, they taste like you slaved in the kitchen for hours making them from scratch. My eleven-year-old granddaughter, Emory, made this by herself with minimal instructions from me…another plus 🙂 I’ve included a quick video tutorial at the bottom of the page.

Thank you, Susan, for letting me share your delicious recipe!

A very special thanks to Susan Furlong for providing an autographed copy of REST IN PEACH to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Ida’s Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

Yields 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix plus ingredients as listed on package
1/2 cup applesauce
1 15-ounce can diced peaches in heavy syrup*
1 teaspoon cinnamon

*I could only find peach chunks so I diced into smaller pieces before using

Frosting

1/2 cup (4 ounces / 1 stick butter) softened
1/3 cup diced peaches
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Cupcakes

Reserve 1/3 cup of the diced peaches and set aside for the frosting.

In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix ingredients according to the package instructions.

Add 1/2 cup of applesauce, the remaining peaches with syrup, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well.

Line a cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers and fill each approximately 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until baked through. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out mostly clean, with few crumbs attached.

Frosting

Using a mixer, blend 1 stick of softened butter, 1/3 cup of diced peaches, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until creamy.

Slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar, mixing as you add.

Mix on high until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. If frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Frost the cupcakes once they are cool.

Leftover cupcakes (if there are any!) are best if stored in the refrigerator.

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I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own.

“Skinny” Cream of Asparagus Soup

I am so pleased to be a part of the Escape with Dollycas’ Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours today showcasing A CLUE IN THE STEW by Connie Archer! In addition to a wonderful series with a cleverly crafted plot, the author includes several delicious recipes that are served at her fictitious soup shop, By the Spoonful, in Snowflake, Vermont, which is owned by Lucky Jamieson and her spunky grandfather, Jack.

Trouble comes finding Lucky when Hilary Stone, a famous national bestselling mystery writer, arrives in town for a book signing and to look for property to buy. The venue that was supposed to host the book signing cancels at the last moment so Lucky is nominated to host the event at By the Spoonful. Short on staff she hires Nanette, a new arrival to town. Nanette is a great waitress but she’s set her eyes on Jack, who is smitten with her but is twice her age. Nanette brashly attempts to change things at the shop trying to gain control, including criticizing Sage, Lucky’s talented chef. Her soup shop is in an uproar and then a stranger is found murdered in the woods near town. The residents are on edge and worry how it might impact Hilary Stone’s interest in purchasing property.

Lucky manages to prepare everything for the book signing and it appears to be a success despite what Hilary Stone’s family seems to think. Hilary’s son, Derek, is derisive while his snobby wife, Sylvia, seems to be hitting the bottle pretty hard and has nothing nice to say about anything. Lucky cleans up after the conclusion of the book signing festivities, and receives a call from the B & B where Hilary is staying. Hilary would like Lucky to deliver some of her soup to her even though it is late. She delivers the soup, wanting to help out her friend who owns the B & B, but then later finds out that Hilary was found murdered shortly after.

What is disturbing is that Hilary was killed using the same technique used in her mystery book and the murdered stranger in the woods was killed similarly. When one of the town’s older residents, Hank, goes missing and several witnesses place him near the scene of Hilary’s murder, the police are sure he’s the culprit. Lucky is certain Hank is innocent and starts asking questions to find the real killer, digging up decades-old long buried secrets in order to find answers. And all the while she must discover what Nanette is up to and keep By the Spoonful from imploding.

There were so many twists and turns in the story along with subplots that I was kept guessing up until the very end! The author does a wonderful job connecting all the pieces with the story coming together in an unexpected way. I enjoyed the development of the characters and how they supported each other, especially when obnoxious Nanette arrives on the scene. I could feel Lucky’s frustration while at the same time trying to be cautious of her grandfather’s feelings. Her relationship with Jack is one of the highlights of her life and not to be taken lightly.

One of the recipes that Sage makes at By the Spoonful and that Connie has so graciously allowed me to share, is her Cream of Asparagus Soup…and I call it “Skinny”. Even though it has no added cream and uses minimal butter, no one will know (except you) that this delicious, rich-tasting soup is actually very healthy and low-cal! This chock-full of veggies soup has a velvety finish and is more filling than you might think. Perfect in a small bowl for a starter or a hearty serving as the main course with plenty of hot, crusty bread. Best of all, it is super easy and quick to make, taking less than 30 minutes from start to finish. I’ve included a very short video tutorial below.

Thank you to Connie Archer for letting me share her delicious recipe and providing a giveaway! Be sure to use the Rafflecopter form, located below the recipe, for a chance to win a great prize! This giveaway is through Great Escapes Book Tours and not Cinnamon & Sugar.

“Skinny” Cream of Asparagus Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

Soup
1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoon butter
2 leeks, green part removed and white part thinly sliced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
4 asparagus tips
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Instructions

Soup

Trim off the thick ends of asparagus and chop stalks into 1-inch thin sections.

Reserve 4 asparagus tips for garnish and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter, add sliced leeks and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add potato and chopped asparagus stalks, and sauté for 5 minutes more.

Add chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, then cover partially and cook about 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Garnish

In the meantime, add water to a small saucepan, bring to a boil and add reserved asparagus tips and lemon juice.

Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes just until tips are tender.

Drain and let cool.

Soup

Purée the soup in a blender in batches, or with a wand, then reheat the soup over low heat.

Garnish each serving with crème fraîche and asparagus tips.

Tips

If you want your soup to be a more vibrant green, toss in a handful or two of fresh spinach right before you purée the soup. It won’t change the flavor but will add fresh color.

If you don’t want to dirty another saucepan or use a lemon for the asparagus garnish, place the asparagus tips on a small, microwave safe plate, sprinkle with water, and microwave on high heat about 20 seconds until tender-crisp. Immediately plunge the tips into iced water to keep them bright green.