Cinnamon and Sugar

Sugar High Pie

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MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD, the sixth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron, is a fun Halloween-themed romp through the bayou! From the darling cover to the opening sentence to the very last paragraph, Ms. Bryon is a captivating storyteller. Her strong descriptive voice brings the narrative to life and immerses the reader into the spirit of the holiday. However, protagonist Maggie Crozat isn’t a fan of all that Halloween entails which leads to humor and mayhem. Nevertheless, she conjures up a “Pelican’s Spooky Past” package for both her family-owned and locally-owned plantation B & Bs to attract guests, since the state of Louisiana proudly bills itself as the most haunted in America. Her family’s theme for guests is “Food and Crafts” which is my kind of Halloween event… nothing spooky for me!

In addition to the Spooky Past package, the Crozat Plantation B & B is opening up their new spa. The lovely descriptions capture the relaxing theme of the setting and lulls the reader into a sense of wellbeing… until a rougarou starts harassing guests. A cross between a werewolf and vampire, the rougarou is seen by multiple guests at multiple B & Bs which sends guests packing and cancelling reservations. It’s devastating for the already hard-hit family-owned businesses. I love how the author interjects a spooky Bayou legend into the mystery, intertwining it with a murder, which adds to the theme of Halloween. On top of worrying about the monster and a murder, Maggie has a wedding to plan while being blindsided with greedy distant relatives who have descended upon the Crozat plantation. Poor Maggie can’t catch a break because things go from bad to worse with every chapter. Ms. Byron builds the tension in the story with each passing page until I could not put the book down until I finished the very last word!

Maggie’s mom, Ninette, is the chef for the Crozat B & B, and serves plenty of mouthwatering dishes to their guests. Ms. Bryon includes several recipes at the back of the book and the recipe for Sugar High Pie caught my eye. As the author puts it, it’s like a candy bar inside a pie! With a base similar to pecan pie, the addition of chocolate, raisins, and coconut raises the scrumptious level to the stratosphere! It’s definitely rich and plenty sweet and a little goes a long way, but your taste buds will be highly gratified with the sugar high they receive from this Sugar High Pie!

Amazon Synopsis

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October–and Halloween–approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.

Five local plantation B&Bs host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.

When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play–and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican’s spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.

A special thanks to Ellen Byron for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Sugar High Pie

Ellen Byron: Sometimes one recipe begets another. I was making the Pecan Coconut Pie Bars from the recipe in A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING, my fourth Cajun Country Mystery, when inspiration struck. What if I took a frozen pie crust, made the pecan base, and threw in a bunch of stuff with the pecans? Thus Sugar High Pie was born.

The name comes from the fact that in addition to that basic pecan base, the ingredients in this dessert include dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coconut, and raisins. When you think about it, it's like a candy bar inside a pie.

While you're welcome to follow the recipe below and enjoy the ensuing deliciousness, feel free to experiment. Add a half cup of chopped dates or dried cherries. Or both. Just make sure you share the recipe with all of us!

Ingredients

1 unbaked 8- or 9-inch pie crust, frozen or your favorite recipe
1 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup milk chocolate bits
1/2 cup dark chocolate bits
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
Cream brown sugar and butter until well blended.
Beat in egg and egg whites, one at a time.
Stir in bourbon, salt, and corn syrup.
Add pecans, chocolate, raisins, and coconut, one ingredient at a time. Stir to blend well.
Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until middle sets or a knife inserted in the pie comes out clean.

Serves 6 - 8.

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

Gift Card and Book #Giveaway

I have so much news to share today that I’m going to skip the recipe… but I promise I’ll be sharing a few Halloween recipes soon from Cake Popped Off!

SPRINKLES OF SUSPICION has been awarded the Gold Medal
in the Readers’ Favorite Book Award contest!

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With a 5-star review, Trudi LoPreto, Reviewer for Readers’ Favorite says: “Author Kim Davis created characters that are real and likable, at least most of them. Emory makes a great heroine and it was impossible not to hope for her innocence to be proven. If you love cozy mysteries, murder stories, and a great plot, then Sprinkles of Suspicion is a must-read.”

To celebrate, I’m giving away winner’s choice of either print or an e-book copy of SPRINKLES OF SUSPICION plus a $10 Amazon gift card. Please use the Rafflecopter below. Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, print is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Saturday, September 12, 2020.

I’m also celebrating by offering everyone the opportunity to preorder CAKE POPPED OFF at a special discounted price of only $0.99. If you’ve already preordered (and thank you!), you will automatically be given the sale price.

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Some of the early reviews for CAKE POPPED OFF!

“This book has all the qualities of a top notch cozy mystery. The characters were entertaining and the whodunit was well written and certainly kept me guessing.” – Karen Kenyon, Reviewer

“Another great book in the series and I highly recommend Cake Popped Off!” – Kim Heniadis, Reviewer

“The mystery is top-notch and had me popping from one suspect to another only to have my suspicions lead to dead ends. Surprise after surprise had me enjoying the plot moves and startling revelations!” – Linda Langford, Chatting About Cozies

“CAKE POPPED OFF is an exciting, page turning whodunit that I recommend to anyone that loves cozy mysteries or just an excellent entertaining book.” – Kay Garrett, Reviewer

“As cozy mysteries go, this is one of the best I have read. The characters are engaging and the plot line interesting. Totally loved it.” – Sandra B., Netgalley Reviewer

“Cake Popped Off might be even better than its predecessor in the series. Full of characterization, scandal, and mouth-watering recipes, this book is perfect for lovers of cozy mysteries.” – Virge B., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

“This book is a fun romp…even better than the first! Ms. Davis pens an intriguing cast of characters and infuses the plot with plenty of humor along with intrigue.” – Amary C., Netgalley Reviewer

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Thanks to everyone for being a part of my journey as both an author and a blogger!

Buy A Friend a Book Day!

Five books = Five Winners! To celebrate Buy A Friend A Book Day I’m giving away five books as shown in the photo below. Please use the Rafflecopter below and be sure to comment about which book you’d like to receive. Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, contest is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Saturday, September 5, 2020.

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THERE’S A MURDER AFOOT by Vicki Delany

Gemma Doyle and her friends travel to London for a Sherlock Holmes convention–but will Gemma’s father take the fall for a felonious forger’s fatality?

The 6th of January is Sherlock Holmes’s birthday, and lucky for Gemma Doyle, January is also the slowest time of the year at both the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. It’s a good time for Gemma and her friends to travel to England for a Holmes Convention. For Gemma, the trip provides an opportunity to visit her parents, Jayne Wilson is excited about seeing all the sites London has to offer, and Ryan Ashburton just wants to spend some time with Gemma. But the trip is immediately derailed when Gemma’s father Henry recognizes his brother-in-law Randolph Denhaugh, who disappeared more than thirty years ago on the night he stole a valuable painting from his own parents.

Henry, a retired detective with Scotland Yard, has been keeping tabs on the man’s career as a forger of Old Masters and he warns Randy to stay away from his family. It’s up to Gemma, with the help of her friends, to plunge into the “lowest and vilest alleys” of London to save her father from prison.

JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS by Ginger Bolton

It is a truth universally acknowledged—cops and donuts go together. Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Café, owned and operated by detective’s widow Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, the retired police chief of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Named after Emily’s adored and adorable tabby, the donut shop is a favorite among cops, firemen, and EMTs, as well as tourists and townspeople. So when Fallingbrook needs donuts for their Fourth of July picnic, Emily’s shop gets deputized.

But a twisted killer has found another use for Emily’s treats. At the picnic, a firecracker is hidden in a stack of raspberry-filled donuts and aimed at the unwitting queen of the festivities. When it explodes, she is killed. Having her jelly donuts involved puts Emily in a sticky situation, and when a shady shutterbug tries to frame her with incriminating photos, she finds herself in quite a jam. To preserve her freedom and her shop’s reputation, Emily needs to solve this case—before the fuse-lighting felon goes off again …

THE MURDER OF MARY RUSSELL by Laurie R. King

Mary Russell is used to dark secrets—her own, and those of her famous partner and husband, Sherlock Holmes. Trust is a thing slowly given, but over the course of a decade together, the two have forged an indissoluble bond.

And what of the other person to whom Mary Russell has opened her heart: the couple’s longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson? Russell’s faith and affection are suddenly shattered when a man arrives on the doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Hudson’s son.

What Samuel Hudson tells Russell cannot possibly be true, yet she believes him—as surely as she believes the threat of the gun in his hand. In a devastating instant, everything changes. And when the scene is discovered—a pool of blood on the floor, the smell of gunpowder in the air—the most shocking revelation of all is that the grim clues point directly to Clara Hudson. Or rather to Clarissa, the woman she was before Baker Street.

The key to Russell’s sacrifice lies in Mrs. Hudson’s past. To uncover the truth, a frantic Sherlock Holmes must put aside his anguish and push deep into his housekeeper’s secrets—to a time before her disguise was assumed, before her crimes were buried away. There is death here, and murder, and trust betrayed. And nothing will ever be the same.

KEY LIME PIE MURDER by Joanne Fluke

It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen. Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she’s also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician’s assistant for her business partner’s husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters.

With so much on her plate, it’s no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night. After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping–only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie. But who would want to kill Willa and why?

Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa’s killer will get rattled and make a mistake. If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very well be her last. . .

BLACKBERRY BURIAL by Sharon Farrow

Between a booming art scene and elaborate Independence Day festivities, July in lakeshore Oriole Point, Michigan, is always a blast. Especially when an explosive murder case crashes the fun . . .

As owner of The Berry Basket, Marlee Jacob has learned a thing or two about surviving the summer tourist season in Oriole Point. So she gladly agrees to help run the annual road rally in honor of the local Blackberry Art School’s centenary celebration. While alumni arrive from around the country, Marlee hopes the expansive Sanderling farm will make an appropriate starting point for the race—despite rumors that the land is cursed . . .

But when Marlee surveys the property, she stumbles upon a long-dead body hidden in the bramble. It’s a horrifying mystery to everyone except her baker, who’s convinced the skeletal remains belong to a former student who had gone missing twenty years earlier. As the Fourth of July activities heat up, Marlee must rush to catch an elusive murderer—before the next ‘blackberry victim’ is ripe for the picking!

Scare-It Cake Donuts

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BOSTON SCREAM MURDER, the fourth book in the Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton, is another terrific addition to a truly delicious series. With a fun title and a Halloween-worthy cover to draw the reader in, Ms. Bolton delivers entertainment along with humorous puns throughout the entire book. Protagonist, young widow Emily Westhill, is one of those delightful characters that I enjoy spending time with. She’s smart, hardworking, and has a caring side that extends not only to her family and friends, but is shown to anyone who walks through her Deputy Donut shop. I love how she works alongside with her father-in-law, who just happens to be the retired chief of police. Not only does she manage to have a congenial work relationship, but she’s remained very close to her in-laws even after the death of her husband. The author has developed numerous memorable characters throughout this series and I especially enjoy the fun names assigned to the groups of people who hang out at the donut shop. “Retired Men” and “Knitpickers” are favorites of mine and it’s been delightful to see these two distinct senior groups interact and become part of the story.

Despite Halloween being the theme of the book, it was a fun change to find that the murder mystery happens to center around a birthday party being thrown by the 70-year-old birthday boy himself. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of Halloween ambience woven into the tale throughout. The author does an admirable job of entwining a possible cold case, a long-lost love, and a jealous, jilted boyfriend. With lots of suspects, Emily must separate the tricksters from the treaters while dishing out donuts. The protagonist takes a few chances with her own safety that had me cringing but once she finds evidence or a possible clue, she’s quick to turn it over to the police right away. The clues were expertly plotted throughout and I’ll admit, I didn’t figure it out because I fell for every misdirection. All in all, this newest addition is a bewitching read and I can’t wait for the next book to release.

Now if you’re like me, I always start by reading the acknowledgements at the beginning of the book. Imagine my surprise and delight to find my name and blog mentioned for a tip I provided (many months ago and promptly forgot I had done so) for one of the recipes. And of course I’ve prepared and shared three other donut recipes from previous books… all utterly delicious! Ms. Bolton continues that tradition with another two donut recipes at the back of the book. I’ve included links for those recipes at the bottom.

I couldn’t help but be drawn to her recipe for Scare-It Cake Donuts — a riff on Carrot Cake! Filled with warm, autumn spices and a generous portion of grated carrots to keep them extra moist, these donuts are a treat for all ghouls and goblins! My granddaughter made them for this blog post (she’s at that age where she needs almost no input from me in the kitchen now!) including the frosting and decorating. I was grateful that these donuts are baked and not deep-fried since I would have been worried about her safety. It also gave us a chance to pull out her mini donut maker that she convinced me to purchase for her over ten years ago… and that we’ve used only once, lol! It still works and created fun-sized donuts to pop into our mouths along with regular-sized donuts we baked in the oven. Either way, Scare-It Cake Donuts are a tasty treat!

Amazon Synopsis

Halloween in the small town of Fallowbrook, Wisconsin, is the perfect season for Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill to unmask a killer.

October 31st is just around the corner and Emily Westhill’s Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he’s ordered three dozen, with twice the fudge icing, for his 70th birthday—a special event in more ways than one. It’s to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned.

But the next day, when Emily arrives with her scrumptious screamers, she stumbles upon Rich’s corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash—just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators, and his last will and testament suspiciously left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallowbrook to go out screaming.

A special thanks to Ginger Bolton for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of BOSTON SCREAM MURDER! Giveaway is limited to U.S. and Canadian residents. Contest ends August 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Scare-It Cake Donuts

These are baked, using a donut pan.

Ingredients

For the donuts:

1 egg
1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1-1/4 cup finely grated carrots

For the orange cream cheese frosting:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Orange food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Up to 1 more tablespoon orange zest (optional)

Instructions

For the donuts:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Beat the egg in a large bowl. Beat in the juice, butter, orange zest, and sugar.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Mix until blended.
Stir in the grated carrots.
Spoon the mixture into donut pan, filling each ring.
Bake for 9 - 11 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.

For the orange cream cheese frosting:

Cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
Stir in the orange zest and orange juice.
Beat in 1 cup sugar. Beat in more sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting holds it's shape.
Stir in the orange food coloring, if using, until desired shade is reached.
Spread the frosting on the cooled donuts.
Decorate with sprinkles or orange zest if desired.

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

Donut recipes featured in the Deputy Donut Mysteries

Jelly-Filled Donuts: https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/jelly-filled-donuts

Black-and-Whites Baked Donuts: https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/baked-donuts/

Cranberry-Orange-Walnut Fritters: https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/cranberry-orange-walnut-fritters/

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

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THREE TREATS TOO MANY is the third book in the Sarah Blair Mystery series by Debra H. Goldstein. While I read the first in this series, somehow I missed the second book. However, the author does a fine job of giving just enough backstory to keep the reader from feeling lost without slowing down the plot. It was also just enough to make me want to go back and catch up and enjoy the character growth of the protagonist, Sarah Blair, from the first book, and catch up on the teasers of what happened. I also found that the author has found her stride in the unfolding of the mystery. The plot was well-paced and kept my attention as clues were dispersed. The inclusion of a community “motorcycle gang”, who are charity-driven and bound together by their enjoyment of hitting the open road, was an unexpected and delightful surprise. The author’s attention to detail gives the theme an air of authenticity and adds an unusual line of characters for cozy mysteries.

The murder mystery surrounding the vegan sous chef of Sarah’s nemesis, Jane, was well-thought out. When Sarah’s good friend is accused of murder, she gets involved despite numerous people telling her not to. Clues were sprinkled about for a sharp reader to follow with some twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. While the ending was a bit quick, it was still suspenseful and I turned the pages faster and faster until I found out what happened. Ms. Goldstein does a great job of wrapping up the loose threads of the plot and subplots, and has me looking forward to the next book in the series!

There are plenty of mouthwatering treats and dishes served throughout the story. I was intrigued with the food that the vegan sous chef serves and was delighted to find that there is a vegan recipe included at the back of the book, along with other recipes. While some people might have preconceived ideas of what vegan is, I’ve found it’s every bit as good as traditionally prepared dishes (well… unless you have a craving for a steak). Since my husband is allergic to dairy products, I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try. And since I need to eat gluten-free, I was especially intrigued by the recipe for Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins since they’re both vegan and gluten-free. While actually healthy for you, these muffins were still quite delicious and delightfully moist. Even if you don’t have dietary restrictions, Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins are a treat for breakfast or a guilt-free snack. And if you do have restrictions, then these are the perfect way to indulge without fearing the consequences.

Amazon Synopsis

When a romantic rival opens a competing restaurant in small-town Wheaton, Alabama, Sarah Blair discovers murder is the specialty of the house . . .

For someone whose greatest culinary skill is ordering takeout, Sarah never expected to be co-owner of a restaurant. Even her Siamese cat, RahRah, seems to be looking at her differently. But while Sarah and her twin sister, Chef Emily, are tangled up in red tape waiting for the building inspector to get around to them, an attention-stealing new establishment—run by none other than Sarah’s late ex-husband’s mistress, Jane—is having its grand opening across the street.

Jane’s new sous chef, Riley Miller, is the talk of Wheaton with her delicious vegan specialties. When Riley is found dead outside the restaurant with Sarah’s friend, Jacob, kneeling over her, the former line cook—whose infatuation with Riley was no secret—becomes the prime suspect. Now Sarah must turn up the heat on the real culprit, who has no reservations about committing cold-blooded murder . . .

A special thanks to Debra H. Goldstein for providing one lucky winner with their choice of either a print copy or an ebook copy of THREE TREATS TOO MANY! Print giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

Makes 9 muffins

Ingredients

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups oat flour oats, ground in a blender
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (plus extra for topping, optional)
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup mashed banana (use either 1 large or 2 small bananas)
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (or sub 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/4 cup maple syrup
Pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
Combine the flaxseed meal and water. Set the mixture aside to gel while preparing the remaining ingredients. (This makes a flax egg which is the vegan substitute for an egg.)
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining dry ingredients together (minus vanilla extract).
In a separate bowl, beat the pumpkin, milk, banana, and syrup together. Whisk in the wet flaxseed mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir to completely combine. Note: The batter will be thick but soft. It can still be stirred.
Fill each cup 3/4 of the way full. Add water to the 3 empty muffin holders. If desired, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with pumpkin seeds and quinoa flakes.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for 23 - 25 minutes. You should be able to insert a cake tester and have it come out clean.
Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

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Mini Rhubarb Pies

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I’m excited to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour presenting BEHIND THE FRAME, the second book in the Shepherd Sisters Mystery series by Tracy Gardner. Published by Hallmark Publishing, this entertaining cozy mystery has all the ingredients that you would expect from Hallmark. Well-developed characters that have charming personalities, close family relationships in which they can rely on each other, a sweet love interest, and a charming setting. Protagonist, Savanna Shepherd is an art expert turned elementary art teacher and I enjoyed the details the author interjected into the story about planned art projects with her cute students. I also appreciated that Savanna couldn’t drop everything and leave her students to go sleuthing. Instead she devoted her time to her students and sleuthed around the school schedule, at least until school let out for the summer. This brought a realistic quality to the book. Sharing the spotlight with the protagonist, Savanna, are her two sisters, Sydney and Skyler. I’ll admit I had a bit of trouble keeping the “S” names straight at times of which sister was which, but it wasn’t too much of a distraction. Again the author interjects a dose of reality between the three girls with their squabbles and gentle teasing. It made them seem completely relatable and brought to mind my own childhood growing up with two sisters.

As the town gears up to host the Art in the Park festival, spearheaded by Savanna, a vandal seems to be targeting the venue. Could someone be trying to sabotage the event? And when a murderer targets one of the committee members and one of Savanna’s friends is a suspect, she can’t help but get involved. She not only wants to clear her friend’s name but also needs to save the festival which will bring much needed business to the townspeople. As she ask questions around town, she discovers the victim wasn’t what he seemed. There were plenty of suspects to keep me guessing and the clues sprinkled throughout made the unfolding of the mystery entertaining as I tried to follow the twists and turns. With a satisfying conclusion which wrapped up the threads of the plot and subplots, this character-driven cozy mystery has me looking forward to reading additional books by Ms. Gardner.

Savanna’s family has a long-standing tradition of gathering together for a weekly meal, taking turns to prepare a feast. There are plenty of delicious dishes mentioned, including individual rhubarb pies for dessert. I was happy to see that the author includes a recipe for the mini rhubarb pies at the back of the book. Rhubarb pie is one of my husband’s favorite pies and brings very special memories of his mother making them each time we traveled from California to Illinois to visit her. While an entire pie is great for a large family, it’s not great for only 1 or 2 people. The book’s recipe calls for making 4 pies, but it was quite easy to halve the recipe and make 2 pies, which is the perfect amount during this era that limits spending time with friends and large family gatherings. The ease of pre-made pie crust made this quick to make and the lattice pie crust topping made the dessert feel extra special. Juicy and sweet/tart, the pretty and delicious pink rhubarb filling and flaky crust made me wish I’d made the 4 pies after all!

Amazon Synopsis

When art in the park
leads to murder in the dark,
the Shepherd sisters
have another crime to solve.

Savanna Shepherd, an art expert turned elementary art teacher, is planning the Art in the Park festival for her hometown of Carson. But apparently, someone isn’t happy that Carson got to host the event: the beloved statue in the park is destroyed. Not long after, Savanna finds the dead body of one of the people on the planning committee.

Savanna and her sisters are convinced that the arrested murder suspect didn’t do it, despite strong evidence to the contrary. With the help of Dr. Aidan Gallager, Savanna’s new romantic interest, they uncover hidden resentments and intrigue. Several people in Carson had a motive for the murder. Can they find out which one of them is behind the framing of an innocent person?

A special thanks to Tracy Gardner for providing one lucky winner with a $20 Amazon gift card. Contest ends August 18, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST, and is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. 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!)

Mini Rhubarb Pies

Bubbling with rosy rhubarb and scented with orange, these mini pies are an indulgent treat that makes everyone feel like the guest of honor. Cooking in individual pie dishes is a beautiful way to skip the tricky task of gracefully serving a pie, piece by piece. Frozen rhubarb is a great option when you’re making a pie and rhubarb is out of season. While it is in season, though, you’ll want to take advantage of its abundant ruby stalks and pile it high in every pie. Top each pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you want to really send your guests over the edge.

Ingredients

4 10-inch pie crusts, refrigerated, unbaked
8 cups fresh rhubarb cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
From each pie crust, cut a small circle to fit as the bottom crust in each of four 5.5’pie plates. Cut long strips out of remaining pie dough about 1/2 an inch in width.
Chill both while preparing filling.
In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, flour, cardamom, nutmeg, orange zest and juice. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
Fill each pie dish with filling, mounding each one full. Using chilled strips, criss-cross them over each pie making a lattice pattern. Trim excess dough from sides of pies and then crimp the edges together.
Brush outsides of pies with beaten egg. Bake 50 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling. Let cool and serve.