Cinnamon and Sugar

Peanut Butter Fudge Cakes

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ANTIQUE AUCTION’S ARE MURDER, is the seventh book in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries and once again, Libby Klein proves why this series continues to reign as one of my all-time favorites. With humor galore, thanks to one-liner zingers, comical situations, and screwball characters (both human and feline alike), I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire read. Protagonist, Poppy McAllister, owns the Butterfly House B & B with her Aunt Ginny, a zany senior citizen with a posse of elderly ladies bent on mischief. Resident housecat, Figaro, seems to have his own set of feline groupies fawning over him, and he steals each scene he inhabits. With a clever plot that weaves in boxloads of kohlrabi, a narcoleptic sunburned chambermaid, a vampire hunting kit, a creepy wooden troll talisman, vanishing wine, and a hidden body stuck into the very armoire Poppy wants to purchase, the book kept me turning page after page. Ms. Klein’s descriptive voice—think pun after pun—had me in stitches and had me clearly envisioning each scene.

While there are humorous scenes aplenty, the author doesn’t forget that this is supposed to be a murder mystery. The fast-paced plot of investigating the death of an antique dealer’s son is expertly interwoven into the story with plenty of opportunities for Poppy to suss out clues. Assisting her (or perhaps hindering her) is Aunt Ginny and the gals, along with Poppy’s former high school nemesis turned town cop, Amber. A sharp armchair detective might figure out the culprit but, in all honesty, I just want to sit back and enjoy the entertaining ride without taxing myself. As the reveal came into view, all the clues fell into place with a “of course” moment. As with previous books in this series, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Poppy and the gang next!

Running a B & B and providing her beau with gluten-free goodies for his coffee shop, Poppy has numerous scrumptious-sounding treats mentioned throughout the book. Ms. Klein offers several gluten-free recipes at the back of the book for the reader to try out. Even if you don’t have to eat gluten-free, regular all-purpose flour can be substituted in each recipe. With the story taking place in the middle of summer, Poppy is determined to create recipes that mimic the flavors of boardwalk sweets. I couldn’t help drool over the description of Peanut Butter Fudge Cakes (cupcakes). While there are several steps involved from making the cupcakes to making the peanut butter fudge/filling to the fudgy frosting, the results are out of this world and will have you dreaming of boardwalk treats and warm summer breezes.

Amazon Synopsis

It’s peak summer season at the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, with tourists fluttering in and out and wreaking enough havoc to rival a Jersey Shore hurricane. Also back in town is Courtney Whipple and his family of antique dealers for the annual Cold Spring Village antique show. Courtney’s son Auggie has a unique piece he believes will fetch them a fortune if he can get it authenticated in time—a piece rival dealer Grover Prickle insists was stolen from his store.

Poppy and her Aunt Ginny attend the auction, hoping to bid on an armoire for the B&B, and discover a veritable armory for sale—everything from ancient blades and nineteenth century guns to such potential killing devices as knitting needles and a blacksmith hammer. Strangely, they don’t see either Auggie or Grover—or the mysterious item they both claim to own. Then during the auction, a body falls out of the very armoire Poppy was hoping to acquire, stabbed through the heart. Now, surrounded by competitive dealers and makeshift weapons, she must find out who turned the auction house into a slaughterhouse . . .

A special thanks to Libby Klein for providing a winner with a print copy of ANTIQUE AUCTIONS ARE MURDER. Contest ends February 27, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. 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!)

Peanut Butter Fudge Cakes

Yield 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1-1/4 cups gluten-free flour blend
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (if not included in your flour blend)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup canola oil (or neutral oil of choice)
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk

Peanut Butter Fudge / Filling

2 sticks butter, divided and softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
16 ounces confectioners' sugar *See Notes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

To add later for Frosting:

1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) after positioning the rack in center of oven.
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with papers.
In a medium-bowl, combine gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if it is not already in your flour blend), salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In another medium bowl combine oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute until fluffy.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and combine until it starts to come together. Then add the milk. Combine thoroughly.
Spoon batter evenly into paper liners or a greased muffin tin.
Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool for 15 minutes on the counter, then remove to a storage container with a lid resting on the top--but not snapped tight to let cool completely. This will keep them moist.

Peanut Butter Fudge

*See notes below
In a microwave-proof glass bowl (or over a double boiler), melt together 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, 16 ounces confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Heat for another minute if necessary, to melt some more. Stir to see where you are on getting the ingredients to make a smooth, silky mixture.
When completely melted together and smooth, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and combine well. Set aside to cool.

Turn the fudge into filling

When the fudge is cool, using a hand mixer, beat it with a another stick of butter. This will whip it up to a peanut butter filling.
Note: You won't use all of this to fill the cupcakes. You'll end up with at least half of it left over to finish with the cocoa and cream for frosting.
With a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out a little hole in the top of each cupcake.
Fill a pastry bag with about 1/4 cup of the peanut butter filling. Fill each hole with peanut butter filling.

Turn the filling into frosting

Add 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa to the leftover peanut butter filling. Whip it with your mixer into frosting, adding just enough of the 1/4 cup of cream to get it the right consistency. You may not need all of it.
When the frosting has whipped up light and fluffy, add to a clean pastry bag and pipe onto the tops of the cupcakes. Alternatively, you could just spread it over the cupcakes with a knife if you aren't trying to be fancy.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes:

When making the peanut butter fudge, it turned out dry and crumbly for me. I emailed back and forth with Libby about it and we determined it could be the lack of humidity where I live vs. high humidity where she lives. I remade it with the following changes:
Melt the peanut butter, butter, and salt together then beat in 1 cup of confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add an additional cup of confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. If mixture is very soft, continue adding in confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup at a time until mixture is stiff, but still smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla then proceed with recipe as written above.
I made the peanut butter fudge an additional time following my instructions above. Instead of turning it into filling and frosting, I patted it into a rectangle and refrigerated until firm. I then melted a 1/4 cup chocolate chips and spread over the top. Once the chocolate set, I cut into squares. The candy (as well as the cupcakes) received rave reviews!

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yankerdoodles

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BATTER OFF DEAD is the tenth book in the Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day. While this can be read as a standalone, I’ve found it to be a delightful journey following protagonist Robbie Jordan’s character development over the course of the series. And Ms. Day has done an outstanding job in keeping the characters fresh and appealing. In this new release, Robbie is newly married and settling into life with her husband, Abe. I enjoyed getting to see more interaction between the couple this time around. Another core character, whose backstory has been mysterious thus far, is police lieutenant Buck Bird. I was happy to see him take more of a co-starring role in Batter Off Dead, and find out more about his life and his family. The author does an admirable job in weaving Buck’s past into the current day mystery. Set in the small town of South Lick, Indiana, Ms. Day captures the colloquialisms of the residents giving the reader a feel for the area. Her strong descriptive voice helps the reader feel like they’re right alongside Robbie, from friends gathering together, to the wicked heat, to the delicious food served at Robbie’s café.

With a murder set against the backdrop of exploding fireworks, a senior citizen is murdered right amongst her friends. Buck’s blind father sat right next to the victim, who was killed in the same manner as Buck’s mother when he was a kid. Could someone be targeting the seniors? Does someone have a vendetta against Buck’s family? Robbie delves into asking questions and trying to bring comfort to Buck as the past is dredged up. One of the things I like about the Country Store mysteries is that Robbie is a working woman with a strong work ethic. While she gets involved in investigating, her café takes center stage and she doesn’t shirk her duties or her customers. As a result, Robbie is often frazzled by the end of the day but it gives the story a realistic feel. As she finds threads to the clues she seeks, it becomes apparent that the past is connected to the current day murder. Robbie’s tenacious quest for answers and for justice lead to a suspenseful and heart wrenching reveal. But rest assured, Ms. Day leaves the reader with a warm feeling as she hints at what might be in store for Robbie in future books.

Running the Country Store Café, Robbie serves up all types of mouthwatering dishes to her customers. Even Robbie contracts out the baking of café desserts to her good friend, Phil, she knows they are delicious and well-received by everyone. I was intrigued by Ms. Day’s recipe included at the back of the book for Yankerdoodles and even more interested upon learning that the cookie recipe belonged to the author’s Hoosier sister, Barbara Bergendorf. Basically snickerdoodles, the addition of colorful, patriotic sprinkles earns them the name of Yankerdoodles. With the addition of brown sugar to provide a deeper flavor, these soft, childhood favorite cookies will bring back wonderful memories and create new memories with your own family.

Amazon Synopsis

Robbie and her new husband Abe O’Neill are enjoying a summer evening in the park with fellow townsfolk excited for some Friday night fireworks. In attendance are senior residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living including Roy Bird, father to South Lick’s very own Police Lieutenant Buck Bird. Despite his blindness, Roy is a member of his group home’s knitting circle, spending quality time with some lovely ladies.

But when the lightshow ends, one of the knitters who sat with Roy is found dead, a puncture wound in her neck. The poor woman’s death echoes that of Buck’s mother and Roy’s wife—an unsolved homicide. To help find the killer, Robbie’s going to have to untangle the knotty relationships deep in the victim’s past . . .

A special thanks to Maddie Day for providing a winner with a print copy of BATTER OFF DEAD. Contest ends February 23, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. 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!)

Yankerdoodles

Robbie serves these delicious cookies at the Fourth of July get-together before the book opens and then Phil brings in another batch. This recipe was adapted with permission from the author's Hoosier sister, Barbara Bergendorf, who sells her popular snickerdoodle cookies in the greater Lafayette area. (Please contact Maddie via her website if you want to find out where to purchase these treats.)

Ingredients

1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
Cinnamon and sugar
Red and blue sprinkles

Instructions

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
Mix soda and salt into the flour, then add the flour mixture at a low speed until blended.
Chill dough for thirty to sixty minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Form spoonfuls of dough into one-inch-diameter balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mix.
Flatten with a fork and add blue and red sprinkles.
Bake at 350 degrees (F) about 10 minutes or until just barely tan.
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ube Crinkles

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Today I’m joining Berkley’s blog tour celebrating the February 8th release of HOMICIDE AND HALO-HALO, the second book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series by Mia Manansala. I just loved the first book and had high expectations for this second book… and boy did Ms. Manansala deliver! In fact, I think this one is even better! The story reflects the sentiments of the author’s heartfelt note about her personal struggle with the pandemic and everything that has ensued. It was clearly evident that the protagonist, Lila Macapagal, shared her creator’s same state of mind. There is an undercurrent of her emotional struggles from not only events that have happened to her over the course of her life, but also the PTSD triggered by a murder in book one. This brought a feeling of genuineness to the story and an authentic relatability as Lila tries to avoid facing her issues by working hard and staying constantly busy. I admire the author for tackling serious issues such as emotional and mental health, along with harassment and others, in her book, yet still delivers an entertaining whodunit.

Lila and her supporting characters—friends and family alike—are well developed, each with their own unique characteristics. I appreciate the peek into the lives of Lila’s close-knit Filipino family from their banter, and dare I say meddling, to their amazing food-centric world. Ms. Manansala’s descriptions of the meals shared and served at her aunt’s restaurant are all mouthwatering.

With a plot centered around the local beauty pageant, I expected the usual vapid beauty queens vying for the crown with swimsuit and evening gown struts down the runway. Instead, I loved seeing an updated version based on what matters in life: intelligence and giving back to the community, along with celebrating strong, empowered women. The author uses the backdrop of those who want to keep the pageant status quo and those who want to be forward thinking, for the murder. With a strong plot, the suspects mount when the head judge is murdered. Lila, as one of the judges, starts asking questions and uncovers some unpleasant facts about the victim. Ms. Manansala dishes up clues while whetting your appetite to find out what happens next with each page… and has me anxiously waiting for the next book in the series!

I can’t say enough about the food descriptions… I was hungry throughout and want to try every single recipe included in the back of both the books. I’m reprising the recipe from the first book in the series, Ube Crinkles. First off, the color of the cookies is gorgeous! None of my local markets carried ube (halaya) jam, but I managed to score some Okinawan purple sweet potatoes from a Japanese market, so I decided to use that and make the jam myself. Click here for the recipe: HALAYA. While a bit time consuming, I loved the final results and could easily eat the jam by the spoonful. There are all sorts of recipes on Pinterest that call for ube jam as well! Once the cookies were cooled, the mild, cakey texture paired well with a cup of tea, and the coating of powdered sugar added some extra sweetness. Ube Crinkles are delicious as they are unique and provide a welcome splash of color on cookie platters!

Amazon Synopsis

Things are heating up for Lila Macapagal. Not in her love life, which she insists on keeping nonexistent despite the attention of two very eligible bachelors. Or her professional life, since she can’t bring herself to open her new café after the unpleasantness that occurred a few months ago at her aunt’s Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. No, things are heating up quite literally, since summer, her least favorite season, has just started.

To add to her feelings of sticky unease, Lila’s little town of Shady Palms has resurrected the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won many years ago—a fact that serves as a wedge between Lila and her cousin slash rival, Bernadette. But when the head judge of the pageant is murdered and Bernadette becomes the main suspect, the two must put aside their differences and solve the case—because it looks like one of them might be next.

Lila's Ube Crinkles

Ube has a subtle, delicate flavor - think mild sweet potato with vanilla overtones. This simple, chewy cookie that Lila created allows that flavor (and lovely color) to shine.

Yield: 3-1/2 dozen cookies, using a medium-sized (2-3/4") scoop

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar (white granulated sugar is fine, but the brown sugar adds a little something special)
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups ube jam (halaya)
1 tablespoon ube flavoring (I used the McCormick Ube Flavor)
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk all the dry ingredients in a bowl - flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cream together butter and sugar, using a mixer, until well combined. Add the eggs in, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add in ube jam and flavoring and mix at high speed until fully incorporated. Once the mixture is a lovely, uniform violet color, turn the speed down to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight. Do not skip this step as the dough is very sticky and hard to work with while warm.
Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls (or scoop with a spoon and shape into roughly 2-3/4" sized balls) and coat with powdered sugar.
Bake on lined cookie sheets at 350 degrees (F) for 10 minutes or until firm around the edges and slightly underdone in the center (but not doughy). Enjoy!

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Many thanks to Berkley for providing me with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beth’s Homemade Gingersnap Cookies

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I’m delighted to be participating in the Great Escapes Book Tours introducing A DASH OF DEATH! This first book in the brand-new Cocktails and Catering Mystery series by Michelle Hillen Klump is off to a good start. With a unique twist in the culinary cozy mystery genre, protagonist, ex-reporter Samantha Warren, concocts homemade cocktail bitters, a delightful addition to a deliciously entertaining story. There are mouthwatering descriptions and cocktails mentioned throughout to make the reader feel warm and comforted as the well-plotted mystery unfolds. I enjoyed the set up with Samantha roped into working at a historical homes tour event on what should have been the evening of her wedding. Jilted by her fiancé only three weeks earlier, on top of losing her newspaper journalist position nine months before that, Samantha has a lot of life changes to overcome. She’s a sympathetic character given all that she’s had to endure. Then things go from bad to worse when someone becomes ill and then dies after consuming one of her cocktails at the event. Ms. Klump writes with a descriptive voice that makes the action and details come to life. I could hear the ice clattering in the cocktail shakers, smell the tang of lemon peels, and taste the sweet bite of cherry mixed with gin.

Given it was her cocktail that might have killed the guest, Samantha becomes a suspect. It doesn’t take long for the victim’s ex-wife to serve her with a lawsuit. With a background in reporting for the newspaper, Samantha knows she needs to start digging into who had motive and means to commit murder and does so in a more energetic way than the usual amateur sleuth. But the results pay off and she ends up with several possibilities with the hope that the police will focus on them instead. As she uncovers secrets, Samantha joins forces with an unlikely partner which provides some twists and turns. With an edge-of-your-seat reveal that I didn’t see coming, the author wraps up the threads of the story and subplots neatly. There’s a hint at new beginnings for Samantha and I look forward to seeing what’s coming next!

Between bitters, cocktails, and yummy food mentioned throughout, be prepared to be both hungry and thirsty as you read. Ms. Klump has kindly included several recipes at the back of the book. Not only are there cocktail recipes, but she’s included a recipe for Beth’s Homemade Gingersnap Cookies. With plenty of warming spices to make taste buds sing, these gingersnap cookies are crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle… perfection! And as my granddaughter put it, downright dangerous if there’s an unattended plate of these sitting on the counter!

Amazon Synopsis

Bad news for Samantha Warren: The plucky Houston, Texas, reporter lost her job and her fiancé in rapid succession. But Sam has a way of making lemonade out of the bitterest of lemons. At a meeting of the local historical-homes council, she serves up the homemade bitters that she made as gifts for her wedding party. She intends to use that as her “in” to become an in-demand party mixologist. But the party’s over for one of the council members, who keels over dead soon after he sips the bereft bride’s bitter brew.

It turns out that the victim, Mark, was poisoned—his drink spiked with oleander. Since Sam mixed the drink that Mark imbibed right before his demise, she finds herself at the front of the suspect line. Now, she’ll have to use all of her reporter’s wisdom and wiles to clear her name.

Who could have wanted Mark dead? His wife, Gabby? His girlfriend, Darcy? Someone who wanted his seat on the council? Or another citizen of this sweet Texas town that holds some seedy secrets?

Job hunting, building her mixology business, and fending off late-night phone calls from her nearly betrothed don’t leave much time for sleuthing. But if Sam can’t “pour” over the clues to find the killer, it may soon be last call for her.

A special thanks to Michelle Hillen Klump for providing one winner with a print Copy of A Dash of Death (A Cocktails and Catering Mystery) as well as A Berg & Hauck’s Bitters Kit! Contest ends February 21, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. Contest is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour and the winner will be announced on this page and notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Beth’s Homemade Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
Cinnamon sugar for rolling (3 tablespoons white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
With a mixer, blend together butter and shortening for one to two minutes or until creamy.
Add sugars and continue mixing. Beat in egg and molasses until well incorporated.
Gradually add the flour mixture in three parts to the butter mixture, until a soft dough forms.
Roll dough into 1-inch-diameter balls and coat them in cinnamon sugar before placing them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until tops of cookies are slightly crinkled.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 8 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
February 8 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 9 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
February 9 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
February 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST
February 10 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
February 11 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
February 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
February 12 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 13 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
February 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
February 14 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW
February 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
February 15 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
February 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 16 – Nellie’s Book Nook – REVIEW, GUEST POST
February 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 17 – Diane Reviews Books – SPOTLIGHT
February 18 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 18 – Dear Reader – REVIEW
February 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
February 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
February 21 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
February 21 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#giveaway Celebrating Cinnamon & Sugar’s 7th Year Blogiversary

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the many, many wonderful authors and their fans who have
made my blog a success! I truly appreciate the generosity of these talented authors who share
their books and delicious recipes with the cozy mystery community.
Readers and authors alike have inspired me
to write my own books and dream up tasty treats to share!

Thank you to all of you for being a part of my journey!!!

To celebrate my 7th Blogiversary, I’m giving away
five $10 Amazon Gift Cards!

Five gift cards = Five winners

Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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Smoky Steals the Bacon

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UP TO NO GOUDA, the first book in the brand-new Grilled Cheese Mystery series by Linda Reilly, is a scrumptious feast for the reader! Ms. Reilly is known for writing captivating cozy mysteries, and this hits the mark on all accounts. With a small-town setting in Vermont, a yummy grilled cheese shop, and a well-paced plot that balances mystery with friendships, I couldn’t put the book down. I’ve long appreciated that the author also creates kind, sweet characters, people you’d like to hang out with on a consistent basis. The protagonist, Carly Hale, is a delightful woman set on making a new life for herself and making her dreams become a reality after the death of her husband. Assisting her in her new grilled cheese eatery is her friend, Suzanne, and an older teen, Grant, who has his sights set on culinary school. I love the comradery of the trio and the care they take with each other.

It’s no wonder that when Suzanne is suspected of murdering Lyle, Carly’s ex-boyfriend, Carly and Grant jump in to clear her name. It doesn’t help matters that Lyle ended Carly’s lease and she has no choice but to close her restaurant and move out within thirty days. Ms. Reilly sets the murder up with strong motives for the suspects, and plenty of townspeople who disliked the victim. The plot was well-paced with some twists I didn’t see coming. I fell for the author’s misdirection several times and was taken by surprise at the suspenseful reveal. And best of all, you can always count on a heartwarming conclusion in Ms. Reilly’s books, making me eager for the chance to visit with Carly and her friends soon!

I’ve always enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches but reading this book made me crave one! The author includes several grilled cheese sandwich recipes at the back of the book and they all sound fantastic. I couldn’t help but be drawn to her recipe for Smoky Steals the Bacon because, well, bacon! What I didn’t expect was to be smitten with the smoked gouda oozing between the slices of bread or the heavenly addition of grilling the bread on top of a layer of grated parmesan cheese. Oh. My. Word. This has become my all-time favorite sandwich and I find myself looking at the clock an hour or two after breakfast, wondering if it’s too early for lunch yet. …checks clock again… okay, it’s close enough to noon and it’s time to go grill up another sandwich or two!

Amazon Synopsis

Back in Balsam Dell to heal after the death of her husband, Carly Hale is finally pursuing her lifelong dream—opening Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. After only five months, business is booming as Vermont vacationers and townspeople alike flock to lunch on her Party Havartis and other grilled cheese concoctions. All but Lyle Bagley, Carly’s one-time high school boyfriend and now town bully who just bought the building that houses her eatery and wants Carly out. After a muenster of a fight, Carly’s forced to put her nose to the rind and find a solution to keep her business afloat.

That is…until Lyle is discovered dead behind the dumpster of Carly’s shop, and one of her employees becomes the prime suspect. In order to save her eatery and prove her friend’s innocence, Carly must sleuth out the killer before she’s the one who gets grilled.

With a delightful cast of characters, an inventive amateur sleuth, and a whole host of cheesy hijinks, Up to No Gouda is the perfect cozy murder mystery to melt into.

A special thanks to Linda Reilly for providing a winner with a print copy of UP TO NO GOUDA. Contest ends February 3, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. 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!)

Smoky Steals the Bacon

This simple recipe produces a grilled cheese that bacon lovers will add to their list of favorites!

Ingredients

Salted butter, softened
2 slices asiago bread
4 - 6 slices thin-sliced smoked gouda
3 - 4 slices crispy cooked bacon
Grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Butter one side of each slice of bread.
On the unbuttered side of one slice, stack half the gouda slices; add the crispy bacon slices and then the remaining gouda. Top with the remaining bread slice, butter side up.
Sprinkle a generous layer of grated parmesan cheese in a cast-iron pan or nonstick skillet.
Place the sandwich on top of the parmesan and grill over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
As you grill, press lightly with a spatula or grill press. Before flipping over to grill the remaining side, remove the sandwich from the pan and sprinkle another layer of parmesan cheese in the skillet. Place the ungrilled side of the sandwich down, on top of the parmesan, and then grill the other side for approximately 3 minutes. The outside should be golden and the cheese thoroughly melted.
Slice in half diagonally and serve with chips, pickles, tomato soup, or whatever else makes your taste buds sing!