Cinnamon and Sugar

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

I love learning that a brand new cozy mystery series is coming and I was not disappointed when I read TO HELVETICA AND BACK by Paige Shelton, the first book in her brand new A Dangerous Type Mystery series.

Clare Henry helps her grandfather, Chester, run his almost fifty-five-year-old shop, The Rescued Word, in Star City, Utah. They repair typewriters, restore books and manuscripts along with selling wonderful stationery and pens. After one of Chester’s long-time customers brings in an old black Underwood No. 5 typewriter for repair, a strange man dressed in leather enters their shop, angrily demanding they sell it to him immediately. He disappears when the police are called and when Clare examines the ancient typewriter, she finds strange numbers and letters scratched into the key bars. When “leather man” is found murdered behind their shop the very next morning, Clare wonders if it had something to do with the old typewriter.

The police officer who shows up to take a report and secure the scene is none other than Clare’s cheating ex-boyfriend who just happens to be the brother of her very best friend, Jodi, who is also a police officer. Clare doesn’t have an alibi since she worked half the night and then fell asleep at her desk and it doesn’t take long for her ex, Creighton, to become suspicious that she might have something to do with the crime. In amongst all the upheaval a new arrival to town, geologist Seth Cassidy, manages to turn Clare’s head and she finds herself on a date. Sean has an idea about what the numbers and letters on the typewriter bar keys may be but when Jodi investigates his past, finds that he’s had a brush with the law and Clare worries that he may be behind the crime.

As Clare begins asking questions around town she finds that many people are hiding secrets, including her own grandfather. Jodi helps her as much as she can which leads them to seeking answers from a goat relocating motorcycle gang and a crusty old newspaper reporter. When Clare’s photograph shows up on the murdered man’s camera, she decides she has to find the killer quickly before she or someone in her family becomes the next victim.

There was so much to love from the very beginning of the book! From The Rescued Word being a place I could literally spend hours browsing in to the tidbits of information on old typewriters and how to repair them to the well developed characters that could become friends to the twists and turns in a well plotted mystery. Paige Shelton has written a wonderful start to her new series that will make it difficult to patiently wait for her next book!

Even though TO HELVETICA AND BACK does not have recipes, there are certainly plenty of delicious food mentioned. After all, heroines have to eat too! One of the desserts that Clare shares with her family and friends is Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding from Tony’s Italian Ristorante and Bistro. Paige has graciously allowed me to share my own version of Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding along with my review and I hope that Clare would have enjoyed my recipe as much as Tony’s! I have provided a short video tutorial at the bottom of this page, on how to make this creamy dessert.

Paige has also very generously provided an autographed copy of TO HELVETICA AND BACK to one lucky winner!!! Please leave a comment below to be entered. Contest ends Monday, January 18, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. 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!) and will have 5 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups whole milk
1-1/2 cups + 1/3 cup half & half, divided
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips (I used Nestle’s brand), divided
1/2 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (and a few extras for garnish if desired)
6 eggs
1/2 loaf (8 ounces) stale or lightly toasted French bread*, cut into cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly spritz a 9″x9″ square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the bread cubes into the dish and sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips over the bread.

Heat the whole milk, granulated sugar and 1-1/2 cups of the half & half in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, just until the mixture starts to bubble around the edges. Temperature should reach 185 to 190 degrees F. Do not allow to boil!

Remove from heat and stir in 6 ounces of the white chocolate chips until melted. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl.

Slowly add the melted white chocolate mixture to the eggs, whisking continuously to incorporate. Don’t try to add the eggs to the hot mixture, otherwise the eggs may curdle.

Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and press the bread down until it soaks up most of the liquid.

Cover the pan with foil and bake 1 hour.

Remove the foil and continue to bake another 15 – 20 minutes, until bread pudding is set and golden brown.

The pudding will puff up as it bakes but deflates when taken out of the oven.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Just before serving, heat the remaining 1/3 cup half & half in a small sauce pan just until it begins to bubble around the edges.

Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 6 ounces white chocolate until melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour over the bread pudding, garnish with additional mini chocolate chips if desired and serve!

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Tips

* Stale or lightly toasted bread soaks up the liquid much more readily than fresh bread. You can leave your bread sitting out on a baking sheet overnight before baking this dish. Alternatively, cut the bread into cubes and place on a baking sheet and allow to dry out in the oven on the lowest setting possible, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9″x 13″ casserole dish.

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Hunter’s Scattershot Pecan Bread

Elizabeth Lee has written another wonderful installment with her third book in the Nut House Mystery series, NUTS AND BURIED! In addition to terrific pecan recipes, such as Hunter’s Scattershot Pecan Bread which she has graciously allowed me to share on my blog, Elizabeth provides a well plotted double mystery in this book.

With her degree in plant biology and bio-engineering, Lindy Blanchard is working hard to develop a strain of pecan trees that are drought resistant to benefit not only her family’s pecan ranch but all the other farmers in Texas pecan country. She’d rather stay at home and work with her trees than attend the costume ball being held to introduce Eugene Wheatley’s new bride, Jeannie, to the Riverville elite. She’s also peeved that her “friend”, Deputy Hunter Austen, was not invited. While Lindy’s family may not be wealthy like the Wheatley’s, her family holds a place of respect within the community and her grandmother, Miss Amelia, lays down the law: Lindy must attend.

Lindy, wearing a controversial costume depicting the first woman ever hanged in Texas, decides the new Mrs. Wheatley is a sweet, naive young woman, and may not be so bad after all, compared to Eugene’s snooty sister, Elizabeth. As the newly married couple make the rounds, Eugene announces he is going to his gun room to prepare his gun collection for viewing. Not long after he leaves, a gunshot is heard and Eugene is found murdered.

It doesn’t take long for Elizabeth to accuse the new bride and her family of murdering Eugene, since they’re from the wrong side of the tracks. It doesn’t help that Jeannie’s brother has just been released from prison and her estranged mother has been gossiping about coming into money. Lindy is fairly certain that sweet Jeannie couldn’t have had a hand in murdering her new husband. As Elizabeth begins making life extremely miserable for the bride, Lindy hides her with the 80-something-year-old Chauncey twins, way out in the country.

Miss Amelia has a very inquisitive mind and begins suspecting that Eugene’s first wife’s death may have been anything but an unfortunate hunting accident. What are the chances that both of them would be shot in the back with a high powered rifle? Lindy drags Hunter into helping her investigate the long-ago accident along with helping Miss Amelia find Eugene’s murderer and clear the grieving bride’s name.

I enjoyed how the author provides lots of colorful Texan characters and especially loved the feisty Chauncey twins! Elizabeth also has allowed Lindy and Hunter’s relationship to grow, along with some bumps along the way, which provides a welcomed subplot with romance in this cozy mystery. I’ve heard that the author is currently immersed in writing and I am greatly looking forward to her next release!

A huge thank you to Elizabeth for providing an autographed copy of NUTS AND BURIED to one lucky winner!

Please comment below to be entered. Contest ends Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. 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!) and will have 5 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

And thank you to both Elizabeth and Patty Sumpter, her Culinary Consultant, for allowing me to share their very delicious pecan bread recipe! I have included a short video tutorial below on how to whip up this quick bread.

Hunter’s Scattershot Pecan Bread

Ingredients

Bread

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Garrison’s Bourbon* (you can omit but increase vanilla to 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans

*I couldn’t find Garrison’s Bourbon so substituted quality Kentucky Bourbon

Glaze

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup (1 ounce) chopped pecans

Instructions

Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine all the remaining ingredients (sugar through vanilla), except the pecans, in a large bowl.

Beat at medium speed, scraping often, until well mixed.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating until moistened.

Stir in 1 cup pecans.

Spoon batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan

Bake for 60 – 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Glaze

Combine the brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil (3 – 4 minutes.)

Spoon glaze over warm loaf and sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped pecans.

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Tips

Sometimes you will see photos of my butter cut into cubes versus the whole stick. It’s because I forgot to allow my butter to come to room temperature for the recipe. Cutting into cubes will hasten the softening process while you collect and measure the remaining ingredients.
Use a bamboo skewer to check the doneness of the bread since it will reach through the entire loaf.

Slow-Cooker Hearty Irish Lamb Stew

I love having a warming bowl of stew for cold winter weather meals and one of our new favorites is Hearty Irish Lamb Stew. Besides being nourishing with lots of veggies and protein, stew easily reheats well so I can make a pot ahead of time and have a quick dinner on hand as needed. Another thing I love about stews is that they are flexible….you can adapt to what you like and what you have on hand. For example, if you prefer beef versus lamb, by all means substitute a chuck roast. Or add turnips instead of potatoes, parsnips instead of carrots, skip the peas and add chopped spinach. You get the picture…

I also love anything you can cook in the slow-cooker. Some prep work and then it’s hands off cooking for hours. However, so many meat stew recipes I’ve tried in the past all call for flouring and browning the meat in copious amounts of oil. Added calories, lots of added time browning in batches and then the added mess of cleaning up the grease that pops all over. I was a bit skeptical when I saw a tip for browning the aromatics with tomato paste instead of the meat, but it actually works! And adding a bit of umami rich soy sauce also pumps up the meaty flavor without the hassle of browning. My family gifted me with a slow-cooker for Christmas one year that includes a browning feature….love, love, love it! If you don’t having a browning feature, use a skillet. Yes, it is one more dish to do, but you won’t have flour strung out all over the counter from tossing the meat, nor will you have grease popping all over your cook top that takes an hour to clean up.

This recipe makes quite a lot of stew so I like to freeze extras in 2-cup increments, sealed tightly in freezer safe Ziplock bags. Great to have on hand for quick lunches or when I don’t have time to cook dinner. My tip: Freeze them flat on a cookie sheet first and then they’ll stack easily without taking up so much space in the freezer for storing. An added bonus is that they will defrost a bit quicker too.

Slow-Cooker Hearty Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 onions, diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
Pepper to taste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 12-ounce bottle beer (or substitute extra beef broth)
1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3-1/2 to 4 pounds boneless leg of lamb
1-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1-1/4 pounds carrots, divided*
2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard

Instructions

Trim excess fat and silver skin from the leg of lamb then chop into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the meat along with a few grinds of pepper and set aside.

Chop the Yukon Gold potatoes into small pieces.

Peel the carrots and chop into 1-inch sized chunks.

Set aside half of the carrots (approximately), then combine the potatoes with the remaining carrots.

Drizzle the potato and carrot mixture with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then wrap tightly in foil. Set aside.

Potatoes and half the carrots are wrapped in foil and cooked on top
of the stew to help maintain their shape and keep them from
disintegrating. The remaining carrots are cooked into the stew to
add body and a sweetness to the broth as they break down.

If you have a browning feature on your slow-cooker, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the base. Otherwise heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onions, reserved carrots, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Cook until onions are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir the flour into the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the beef broth into the onion mixture, vigorously stirring to keep the flour from getting lumpy.

If using a skillet, transfer to the slow-cooker. If browning in the slow-cooker, change the setting to slow-cooker, low heat.

Add the beer, soy sauce and garlic to the onion mixture and stir to combine.

Nestle the lamb pieces into the stew broth mixture, then lay the foil packet on top.

Cover and cook until the lamb is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

When the lamb is tender, remove the foil packet and carefully open. Be cautious with the steam that will escape! Transfer the potatoes and carrots back to the slow-cooker, along with any juices remaining in the foil packet.

Stir in the peas and Dijon mustard and allow to sit about five minutes to heat the peas thoroughly.

Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Serve with Beth’s Irish Soda Bread!

*Another blooper alert…I thought I had 2 pounds of carrots in my produce drawer but when it came time to make the stew I found I had 1 pound only…thus my photos reflect the use of baby carrots mixed with the potatoes in the foil packet instead of chopped carrots.

Beth’s Irish Soda Bread

A LIKELY STORY by Jenn McKinlay is another one of those series I haven’t read up until now! Sure, I’ve read several of Jenn’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery series and even shared her Orange Dreamsicle Cupcake recipe from BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF, but some how had overlooked her Library Lover’s Mystery series. And I have been missing out! A LIKELY STORY is the sixth book in her series (I have some catching up to do!) but is easily read as a stand-alone. I immediately jumped in and felt like I knew who the characters were and what was going on. Lindsay Norris is Briar Creek’s Public Library Director. Lindsay is not your typical “older” shushing librarian, but instead is young and has brought numerous changes to the library to bring appeal to both young and old alike. One of the programs she has instituted is delivering books to some of the patrons living on the Thumb Islands, an archipelago dotting the coast of Connecticut.

She sets out to deliver some books to reclusive elderly brothers, Stewart and Peter Rosen, who live alone on Star Island. The water taxi boat captain is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Sully, who she’d like to get back together with if she knew it would work out this time. When they reach the island, Stewart isn’t in his usual spot to receive the library books. His brother, Peter, is wheelchair bound, so after waiting awhile and still no Stewart, Lindsay and Sully decide they should make sure the elderly men are okay. After navigating the booby-trapped house – the hermits take their privacy seriously – they stumble upon the body of Peter Rosen, shot to death…and Stewart is missing.

With the Chief of Police, Emma Plewicki, out of commission with a broken leg sustained in the Rosen’s booby-trapped house, Lindsay decides she must try to find the missing Stewart who is the prime suspect in his brother’s murder. Feeling that elderly Stewart couldn’t be the killer and worried he may be the next victim, spurs her on towards asking questions and digging into family secrets long buried and hidden on the isolated islands.

Jenn McKinlay weaves her characters into the setting in a wonderful way that draws you in and makes you sorry when the story ends. I loved her addition of Lindsay’s friends, especially Beth, along with the Crafternoon group, which provides an outlet for sharing books, crafts, delicious recipes and the support of friendship. Jenn shares a craft, a reader’s guide and a couple recipes at the back of her book, and has allowed me to share Beth’s Irish Soda Bread with you.

While I’ve seen a lot of Irish Soda Bread recipes, this is the first time I’ve made it. Plump raisins and savory caraway seeds are encased in an easy buttermilk dough that relies on baking soda and baking powder for rising instead of yeast. Toasted with a bit of butter, Beth’s Irish Soda Bread is the perfect accompaniment to breakfast, a teatime snack or with some hearty Irish Lamb Stew….which I’ll share my recipe with you on Friday. Be sure to check back for my secret to making rich, meaty stew without the hassle of flouring and browning the meat!

Thank you to Jenn McKinlay, for allowing me to share Beth’s Irish Soda Bread! I gave some to friends who agreed this recipe was a home-run! I have also included a short video tutorial below on how to make the bread.

As a bonus for my readers I am giving away one hardback copy of A LIKELY STORY by Jenn McKinlay. Please leave a comment below to be entered. Contest ends Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. 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!) and will have 5 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Beth’s Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder (= 1-1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened (this is 1/4 cup**)
1-1/4 cups buttermilk, shaken well
1 large egg
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Butter and flour a large baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together the first six ingredients (flour thru butter). You can use a food processor to pulse the ingredients together quickly, or use a pastry/dough blender.

Mix buttermilk and egg in a separate bowl then add to flour mixture until dough is moistened but still lumpy.

Add the raisins and caraway seeds to the dough and knead on a well-floured surface about 8 times to form a soft and less sticky dough.

Pat into 6-inch round dome on baking sheet.

Cut a 1/2-inch-deep X on top of the loaf with a sharp knife, then brush the loaf with melted butter.

Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Transfer loaf to rack to cool completely.

Serves 8.

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** Blooper Alert!!! I typed the recipe as the author wrote it (I proof pretty closely before I start cooking) but when it came time to actually make the Irish Soda Bread, I MISREAD the recipe both the times that I made it. I used a 1/2 CUP of butter vs. the 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) it should have been and didn’t realize until I began editing the video and adding the ingredient captions. The bread was still delicious but now I know why it spread out more than I thought it should 🙂 Had I had a couple days extra time to remake the recipe I would have…but trust me, this is a delicious bread even with my mistake!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Ultimate Fluffy Buttercream

Ever since our little rescue grandpuppy, Piper, came into our lives ten months ago I have viewed food a bit differently. Piper is a swiper (seriously!) and we have to keep an eye out on her and make sure that she doesn’t find access to dangerous foods such as chocolate and raisins. (We WON’T talk about my calls to her vet during the time she stayed with us for a few weeks!) When I started reading MURDER MOST HOWL by Krista Davis, I was exceedingly happy to see that not only did the author provide delicious recipes for us humans, she included recipes for our furry friends. One of the dessert recipes Krista provided that could be eaten by both us and a few bites shared with Piper (sans frosting) was her Gingerbread Cupcakes.

Needless to say when I told my granddaughter, Emory, about this recipe it was the first thing we had to make over her holiday break from school. The gingerbread cupcakes are moist and super flavorful thanks to the generous addition of spices and brown sugar. It also mixes up quickly and can be topped with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar or your favorite frosting. I’ve included our favorite vanilla frosting recipe (Em nixed my idea of a cinnamon frosting…and I think she was right…the gingerbread cupcakes were perfect with her choice!) which mixes up super light and fluffy. Best of all it can be made a few days in advance or even frozen for up to 3 months to have on hand as needed. And Piper the Swiper’s response to these cupcakes? She gobbled up her mini cupcake and begged for more! Of course we were mindful of her health and made her wait another day to get another bite or two more. Emory also shared her cupcakes with several of her friends and their furry pets.

I’ve included video tutorials below for both the gingerbread cupcakes and the fluffy buttercream frosting. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Emory for making both the cupcakes and the buttercream frosting for my post…and for her beloved Piper and special friends!

MURDER MOST HOWL is the the third book in Krista Davis’s Paws & Claws mystery series but the first one I’ve had the chance to read. I found I’ve been missing out on a charming series that features both humans and their pets. Holly Miller runs the Sugar Mill Inn with her grandmother, in Wagtail, Virginia. Don’t you just love the town’s name?! The town is open equally to pets along with their owners, in shops, restaurants and anywhere people like to frequent. Holly is left in charge of the inn while her grandmother takes a well-deserved vacation. Together with her friend, Val, they have organized and are hosting a murder mystery weekend called Murder Most Howl in the town. They are also introducing an “If the Dog Fits” program that allows her Inn guests to bond with rescue dogs during their stay with the hopes that they will give the dogs a new home.

As the guests arrive and get settled, a blizzard begins to blow but the participants of the murder mystery game don’t seem to mind, even with the electrical issues the Inn seems to be experiencing. Holly, at first, has quite a few self-doubts about running the inn without her grandmother around, but as she takes control of the various situations that arise, her self-confidence grows. When Holly’s dog finds a dead body sitting on a snowy bench close to her inn, Holly finds herself plunged into trying to find the killer while trying to dissuade her guests from thinking it was part of her mystery weekend game. To complicate matters, someone has left half-truth clues about various townsfolk and game participants which spreads vicious gossip about each other. Could one of those misaligned be the killer or is the killer behind spreading the gossip? It’s up to Holly to find out before there’s another victim all the while proving she’s capable of running Sugar Mill Inn on her own.

I truly enjoyed this charming book. It’s full of great characters and their personable pets while at the same time providing twists and turns with Holly trying to solve a murder. Krista provides plenty of believable red herrings that had me convinced I had figured it out only to find out at the end I was wrong…which made the book all the more enjoyable. Even though I started with the third book in the series it was easily read as a stand-alone and I look forward to going back and reading the first two!

A special thank you to Krista Davis for allowing me to share her yummy Gingerbread Cupcakes recipe along with her generosity in providing an autographed copy of MURDER MOST HOWL to one lucky winner! Please leave a comment below to be entered. Contest ends Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. 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!) and will have 5 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

For people, though dogs may have a bite or two of unfrosted cupcake. Makes 12 to 14 regular sized cupcakes.

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup molasses

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. We used a combination of mini cupcakes (for Piper) and regular-sized cupcakes.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Cream the sugar with the butter for about 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs.

Mix the water with the molasses and add in thirds, alternating with the flour mixture. Beat well.

Fill cupcake liners one-half full.

For regular-sized cupcakes, bake 16 to 20 minutes. For mini-sized cupcakes, bake 10 – 12 minutes.

Cool on a rack then dust with powder sugar or frost with your favorite frosting. We used my Ultimate Fluffy Buttercream Frosting recipe, which I’ve included below.

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Ultimate Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups (11.1 ounces) confectioners’ sugar – no need to sift
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup boiling water
1/3 cup (2.7 ounces) unsalted butter, slightly chilled and cut into cubes
3/4 cup (4.5 ounces) vegetable shortening (hi-ratio is best for lightest, fluffiest frosting)

Instructions

Place confectioners’ sugar, salt and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer.

Add the boiling water and beat with the wire whisk attachment (or beater blade) on medium speed until the mixture returns to room temperature. This can take 5 – 10 minutes depending on the weather.

Slowly add the cubed butter and mix to incorporate.

Add the vegetable shortening and beat until incorporated.

Increase the mixer’s speed to high and whip 10 minutes.

Frost cupcakes as desired.

This frosting can be made ahead of time and even frozen. To reuse, allow to come to room temperature then re-whip for a couple of minutes before using.

Lucy’s Scarlett O’Hara Cupcakes

While I may be all about cookies around Christmas time, their casual presentation don’t always fit into an elegant scheme for special occasions. Enter the cupcake: it can be “dressed” up or down depending on requirements yet still provides ease of serving. Everyone can help themselves and depending on the gathering, napkins or plates with forks are all that is necessary for the diners.

When I came across the recipe for Lucy’s Scarlett O’Hara Cupcakes in Lucy Burdette’s book, DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS, I knew I needed to try it out. Lucy, as you may recall from earlier this year, shared her grandmother’s one-bowl chocolate cake recipe with my blog. It was a huge hit and the cupcakes sounded equally delicious. Lucy created a red velvet cupcake but put a twist to the quintessential cream cheese frosting by beating in fresh raspberries. Not only does it elevate the taste to sublime – tart, fruity raspberries compliment the tangy cream cheese along with the hint of chocolate in the cupcakes – but the gorgeous color provides that touch of elegance.

I’ve included a video tutorial on how to make these luscious cupcakes at the end of the post.

In addition to providing several wonderful sounding recipes in DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS, Lucy Burdette writes a cozy mystery set at Christmas time, that keeps you guessing until the end. Hayley Snow is a food critic for style magazine, Key Zest, in Key West, Florida. Trouble is brewing at her office when Ava, one of the co-owners, decides Hayley should be fired. Usually Hayley can rely on Wally, her boss and love interest, to run interference for her, but he’s distancing himself both from her and the job to care for his sick mother. Then there’s the matter of Hayley’s mother deciding to winter in Key West. Not that she doesn’t love her mother, it’s just that distance is a good thing.

When Hayley lands an interview with a soon-to-be-opened new restaurant in town by a female “celebrity” chef from New York, she thinks her luck is turning around. But Chef Edel is more interested in Hayley finding out who’s sabotaging her kitchen and when the chef’s ex-husband is found murdered on the property, the chef becomes the main suspect. Hayley is inquisitive by nature and it doesn’t take long for her to start asking questions to try to clear the chef’s name.

I love how Lucy’s writing makes you feel like you’re in Key West with all their warm weather Christmas festivities, from the lighted boat parade, a town parade (and I especially loved Key Zest’s golf cart float: a giant Key Lime pie pulled by reindeer!) to a Dachshund parade on New Years Day. Lucy also lets the characters grow and develop as the series continues which makes all her books enjoyable. I eagerly look forward to her next book!

A special thank you to Lucy Burdette for allowing me to share her very decadent Scarlett O’Hara cupcake recipe with my readers! It’s the perfect treat for any special occasion or holiday or a “just because” day! Sending best wishes to everyone for a very Merry Christmas!

As a bonus for my readers I am giving away one copy of DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS by Lucy Burdette. Please leave a comment below to be entered. Contest ends Wednesday, December 23, 2015 at 11:59 pm PST. If winner lives outside the U.S., a Kindle version will be offered. 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!) and will have 5 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Lucy’s Scarlett O’Hara Cupcakes

Author’s note: Ever since reading Elinor Lipman’s novel, The View from Penthouse B, I’ve had the urge to bake Scarlett O’Hara cupcakes, like one of her characters did. But what exactly is a Scarlett O’Hara cupcake? A red velvet base seemed like a shoo-in. But what kind of icing would show Scarlett’s sass? Ginger? Peach? Chocolate ganache? Lemon? Cinnamon? Jalapeno? I settled on a raspberry cream cheese frosting. These may not be authentic, but they taste wonderful and they are showstoppers, too.

Cupcake Ingredients

2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring (one 1-ounce bottle)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks)
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

Frosting Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar – see my “tip” below
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
About 40 raspberries

To make the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 20 to 22 cupcake liners in two cupcake pans.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large glass measuring cup, make a buttermilk mixture by adding the vinegar to the milk. Let it sit for about ten minutes.

Whisk the buttermilk with the vanilla and eggs.

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa with the food coloring until they form a smooth paste.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Add half the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds.

Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk mixture, and the other half of the flour mixture.

Add the cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Do not overbeat.

Distribute the batter into the cupcake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

Beat in the sugar and then the vanilla.

Add the salt.

Set aside the 20 best raspberries and beat the remainder into the frosting.

Beat the frosting for several minutes to allow the raspberries to completely break down which will create a smoother frosting.

Frost the cupcakes and decorate each with a raspberry.

Refrigerate the cupcakes if you aren’t serving them right away.

Tip

I ended up adding an extra cup or two of confectioners’ sugar since my raspberries were super juicy and I didn’t dry them well enough after washing. The frosting was still so delicious, especially since my family likes their frosting on the very sweet side! After beating the butter, cream cheese and sugar together, add the raspberries a few at a time and check the consistency before adding more. If you want a darker pink, add extra confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, alternating with adding a few raspberries to the frosting until you reach the desired shade and the desired consistency.
If you are piping the frosting onto the cupcakes you will want the consistency to be stiff which means extra confectioners’ sugar.

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