Cinnamon and Sugar

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

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DEATH OF A BLUEBERRY TART, the twelfth book in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries by Lee Hollis, is one of my favorites in the series so far! The protagonist, Hayley, is settling into her new marriage with Bruce. If you’ve followed the series, you know that Hayley and Bruce have always had a contentious working relationship before they got together, so this newest release is a fun look at how they’re managing. It brings to light how effective the author is at developing the characters over the course of the series. And while this book can be read as a standalone, starting from the beginning builds on the admiration for the protagonist and her supporting characters. Death of a Blueberry Tart also includes Hayley and her best friends, Mona and Liddy’s mothers as central figures to the plot. This provides plenty of opportunities for some humor as the zany dynamics between mothers and daughters plays out on the pages, especially between Hayley and her mother, Sheila. Plus it gives the reader an opportunity to see Hayley through a different set of eyes and find out a little more about her life growing up.

When Sheila’s high school nemesis is found murdered, she becomes the number one suspect. She and her old high school friends immediately jump into investigator roles because if Hayley could solve cases in the past, then so could they. I greatly enjoyed how the author played the older generation of women against Hayley and her friends as each group tries to solve the case. With well-plotted clues and an additional murder thrown in to make the reader second guess themselves, the author wraps up the story with a rousing ending worthy of Helen Reddy’s song, I am Woman!

Another aspect of this series that I truly love is Hayley’s food and cocktail columns that she writes for the Island Times. It’s a charming break in the story and always includes yummy recipes. In this newest release I’ll have to admit I want to try every single recipe but after great deliberation, I finally decided to make the Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread first. It didn’t disappoint! Loaded with plump, fresh blueberries and tangy cream cheese, this bread is supremely moist and flavorful. I love how the recipe makes two loaves – or in my case, I made 1 regular-sized loaf and 3 mini-loaves to share* – so there’s plenty to go around. I added a powdered sugar drizzle to dress up the bread, but even without, Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread is a yummy sweet treat!

*I made the recipe long before the shelter at home started. This bread is a sweet, comforting treat and should store well in the refrigerator for several days for you and your family to enjoy.

Amazon Synopsis

It may not be front page news, but Island Times food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell and crime reporter Bruce Linney are now happily married. Before they can set sail on their honeymoon cruise, however, Hayley’s mom, Sheila, pays an impromptu visit—and promptly becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

The victim is Sheila’s old high school rival, Cassie Lemon-Hogg, known for her homemade blueberry pies and her home-wrecking flirtations. As Hayley teams up with her BFFs Liddy and Mona to clear her mother’s name, Sheila reunites with Liddy’s mom Celeste and Mona’s mom Jane for their own amateur sleuthing. The race is on between the moms and the daughters to find out who served this blueberry tart her just desserts . . .

A special thanks to Lee Hollis for providing 3 print giveaway copies of DEATH OF A BLUEBERRY TART! Contest ends Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

Ingredients

2 cups fresh blueberries
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).
In a mixing bowl, toss the blueberries with 2 tablespoons flour, then set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each egg.
In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix it into the wet batter until combined. Fold in your blueberries with a spatula.
Pour the batter into two greased 9 x 5-inch bread pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let rest for ten minutes, then flip the bread out onto a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

This is always a wonderful treat in the morning with a good cup of piping-hot coffee.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes:

For an optional drizzle to add over the bread, whisk together until smooth, 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 - 3 teaspoons milk or cream. Drizzle over the tops of the cooled bread and allow to set for 30 minutes before serving.

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Scottish Bannocks

I’m delighted to welcome Paige Shelton to my blog to celebrate her new release, THE STOLEN LETTER! Thanks for visiting with us, Paige, and thanks for your yummy recipe and book giveaway!

I always crave Scottish food around the time a new Scottish Bookshop Mystery is about to publish. Well, not really. What I crave is the fried fish and chips we found at a Grassmarket takeaway when we visited Scotland. They were so good. The other things we tried, like haggis, don’t really come to mind. But that fish and chips; yum!

In researching other Scottish foods I thought I might like, I found bannocks.

From Wikipedia: a bannock is a variety of flat quick bread or any large, round article baked or cooked from grain. A bannock is usually cut into sections before serving. (Cinnamon & Sugar’s Note: we really liked these split in half like an English muffin and toasted! The traditional way is delicious too.)

My goal, when looking for something to make, is always to simplify. I found a variety of bannock recipes – some cooked in the oven, some on the stovetop, and some fried. I simplified. I chose to use a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. These bannocks are biscuit-y. Some recipes I found were of the same texture, but some weren’t. I don’t know if you’d find my exact recipe anywhere in Scotland, but I do think it’s yummy.

A special thanks to Paige Shelton for providing a hardcover copy of THE STOLEN LETTER. Contest ends Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Scottish Bannocks

From Wikipedia: a bannock is a variety of flat quick bread or any large, round article baked or cooked from grain. A bannock is usually cut into sections before serving.

Ingredients

Cast iron skillet
Oil for the skillet (I use olive oil)
Pastry blender/cutter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (or lard)
1/2 cup raisins
About 3/4 cup water. (I use tap water.)

Instructions

Oil the bottom and sides of the skillet and place over a low flame. This is a low and slow cook so as to make sure the inside cooks well and the outside doesn’t burn.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the vegetable shortening (or lard), until the mixture is an even, crumbled consistency.
Mix in the raisins.
Mix in the water. For me it’s about 3/4 cups, but I have tried 1/2 a cup and one full cup and those worked okay too, just changing the density slightly.
Bring the dough together and knead for a bit. About five to ten times. Be careful to not overwork the dough.
Divide the dough into six balls. Smash them down with a spatula so you have six small pancake-looking things. (about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick)
With the heat still on low, place three bannocks in the skillet to cook on one side, and then flip to the other side to cook. Again, the goal is to cook the insides without burning the outsides, so use your best judgement, but, for me, it’s about ten minutes per side.
Remove from heat and serve right away, but they’re good when cooled too. Repeat with the other three.
Serve with butter, honey, jam. Again, these are biscuit-y and work with the same sorts of yummy toppings that you’d put on any biscuit.
Enjoy!

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My Review

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THE STOLEN LETTER is the fifth book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series by Paige Shelton. In this newest release, I love how the tragic historical figure of Mary, Queen of Scots, is woven into a current day murder mystery. It is obvious that the author did considerable research on the beheaded queen, yet the way the information is presented is anything but a dry history lesson. I was captivated with how she uses Mary Stewart, a woman claiming reincarnation of the long-ago queen, intertwined with her doppelganger, protagonist Delaney Nichols. Ms. Shelton often includes a slight mystical element to her stories yet keeps them firmly in the “whodunit” cozy mystery category. As the layers of the story unfolds, the author’s deft skill weaves historical events into her clues, while providing intrigue with each turn of the page. A surprising Agatha Christie-style reveal wrapped the plot and subplots together into one rewarding read.

Another thing I love about this series is the setting, which is as charming as they come. Delaney works in the mysterious, yet inviting bookshop, The Cracked Spine, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Ms. Shelton’s strong descriptive voice brings life to the locations and the reader can see the ancient castle and cobbled walkways, feel the cold, damp rain, hear the brogue of the locals, and smell the time-worn books and treasures that clutter the bookshop. She also creates memorable characters that invite the reader to spend time with them. Delaney is a caring individual and, in the short year she’s been in Edinburgh, has made her co-workers and the elderly people she rents from, into a tightknit family. I’ve also enjoyed seeing her relationship with Scottish pub owner, Tom Shannon, progress throughout the series, and now that they are married, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them both. THE STOLEN LETTER combines everything I enjoy about a cozy mystery making this another fascinating addition to one of my favorite series!

Amazon Synopsis

Delaney Nichols is confident she’s doing what she loves—case in point, just one day after returning from her fabulous European honeymoon, she’s eager to get back to the Cracked Spine, the bookstore where she works. But as she disembarks her bus and hurries toward the shop she and another woman collide, sending a stack of books the woman is carrying to the ground.

Delaney’s hapless victim’s name is Mary, and the two women can’t help but notice that they bear an uncanny resemblance to one another. According to Mary, they both also look like the long-beheaded Mary Queen of Scots. Even stranger, Mary believes she is the reincarnation of the Scottish queen. But peculiar as Delaney’s doppelganger is, she doesn’t have time to dwell on it: on her arrival to the bookshop, she learns the Edinburgh city council wants to close the Cracked Spine, citing code violations, and she’s determined to stop them.

But when Mary’s husband dies in a car explosion—and Delaney learns he was the very member of city council who proposed that the city take a closer look at the bookshop’s construction—she starts to wonder if her meeting with Mary wasn’t an accident. Edinburgh has become as filled with intrigue and deception as any European court, and Delaney is determined to get to the bottom of this royal mystery.

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Bear Claws

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MURDER AT THE TAFFY SHOP, the second book in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries by Maddie Day is another welcomed addition to a heartwarming series! Starting with the inviting cover that evokes the fun seaside tourist setting in Cape Cod, this newest release weaves together colorful characters with a well-plotted mystery to make this an engrossing read. The protagonist, Mac (Mackenzie) Almeida, owns a bicycle shop, working alongside her brother. Living just down the street is her minister father and her professional astrologer mother, along with her darling niece and feisty grandmother. Ms. Day has created strong family dynamics for this group and I love their realistic, sweet interaction. Mac’s adorable African Gray Parrot, Belle, steals each scene she’s in while providing many chuckles to lighten the book. There is clever dialog to keep the humor flowing in those scenes. Mac is also dating Tim, the owner of Greta’s Grains. I truly appreciate the lack of a love triangle in this series, yet the author still manages to portray the relationship as a work in progress, allowing the characters to develop and grow. It’s a welcome breath of fresh air that brings a sense of calmness from the core group’s relationships instead of edgy conflict.

The author saves the conflict for where it really matters: the victim and the suspects. While the victim might have been a harsh, uncaring person, this is one of the few times I’ve seen the author go out of her way to highlight the good qualities the victim had, that the townspeople overlooked. This was meaningful to me because I like to believe that good can be found in just about everyone if we take a moment to look beneath the crusty exterior of that person and give them a chance. Despite that, the victim still died and there were plenty of suspects who didn’t want to give her a second chance. The twists and turns that unfolded as Mac started asking questions kept me guessing and a truly clever reveal had me reading faster and faster. With a sweet wrap-up, I was left feeling highly satisfied and looking forward to the next book in this series!

There are so many yummy mentions of food throughout the book and thankfully Ms. Day has provided several recipes at the back of the book. I was intrigued with her recipe for Bear Claws, a flaky pastry encasing a sweet nut filling. I appreciated that the author gives the reader the opportunity to take a shortcut by using pre-made puff pastry instead of struggling with making the time-consuming homemade dough. As much as I bake, I’ve always been intimidated with making puff pastry from scratch. If you’re adventurous, Ms. Day provides a well-written recipe and detailed instructions for making your own puff pastry but for this blog post, I opted to go with the pre-made variety. This makes the recipe quite doable for breakfast or a brunch gathering instead of spending half the day in the kitchen. I also liked that Ms. Day used pecans vs. the typical almonds found in Bear Claws. With a sprinkle of sugar and nuts on top of the pastries this yummy, crunchy treat will be appreciated by all!

Barnes and Noble Synopsis

Cape Cod bicycle shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her mystery book club find a certain accusation of murder quite the stretch . . .

When your mother is an astrologist and your dad is a minister, you learn to keep an open mind. Which is just what Mac loves to do—exercise her mind by puzzling out fictional clues in the mystery novels she reads and discusses with her Cozy Capers Book Group.

But now Mac’s friend Gin has found herself in a sticky situation. After wealthy genealogist Beverly Ruchart is found dead outside Gin’s taffy shop, the candy maker becomes a person of interest. When it’s revealed that Beverly was poisoned the night Gin brought a box of taffy to a dinner party at Beverly’s house, she’s bumped to the top of the suspects list. It’s up to Mac and her Cozy Capers crime solvers to unwrap this real-life mystery. But this time they might have bitten off more than they can chew . . .

A special thanks to Maddie Day for providing a print giveaway copy of MURDER AT THE TAFFY SHOP. Contest ends Thursday, April 2, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Bear Claws

Tim’s alteration of the standard bear claw is better than the original. Tim’s version has cinnamon and ground pecans throughout, and chopped pecans and sugar on top. You can make the yeasted dough yourself, or use puff pastry if you don’t feel confident to make the dough.

Ingredients

Bear Claws

2 cups pecans ground, plus 1 cup roughly chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Yeasted dough (recipe below) or 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash

Yeasted Dough

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm 2% or whole milk (110° to 115°)
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour

Butter Mixture for Dough::

2 tablespoons unbleached white flour, divided
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

Instructions

Bear Claws

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix together the nuts, eggs, and sugar until they are well-combined.
Roll half the yeasted dough or one sheet thawed puff pastry into an 8 x 16-inch rectangle (give or take) and make eight (4-inch) squares.
Apply egg wash to the top of each square.
Plop about 2 tablespoons of filling onto each square and form it into a log on the bottom end.
Roll the bottom about 1/3 of the way to the top and then fold the top down to meet it. Press gently to seal.
Make four diagonal slits into the bear claw-in-progress.
Pinch to form the traditional shape with cuts spreading apart. Brush the egg wash on the top and sprinkle with roughly chopped pecans and with sugar. Repeat with the other half of the dough or a second sheet of puff pastry. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned.
Slide the parchment paper and claws from the baking sheet onto a wire rack. Serve warm with coffee or mimosas.

Yeasted Dough

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Stir in sugar, salt, and egg and mix well. Add the flour all at once, stirring until mixed. Set aside.
For butter mixture, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour on a work surface; place butter on surface and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Press and roll out with a rolling pin. Scrape butter from rolling pin and continue to work the butter until it forms a smooth mass without any hard lumps. Knead in remaining flour, working quickly to keep butter cold.
Place butter mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a small rectangle. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap; roll into a 9x6-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for twenty minutes.
Turn dough onto a floured work surface; roll into a 14x10-inch rectangle, with a 10-inch side toward the bottom. Unwrap butter mixture; place on dough 1 inch above bottom edge and 1/2 inch from each side edge. Fold top half of dough over butter and pinch edges to seal.
Turn dough a quarter turn to the right; sprinkle lightly with additional flour. Lightly roll into a 16x8-inch rectangle. Fold bottom third of rectangle up and top third down, as when folding a business letter, making a 5-1/2x8-inch rectangle (this is called one turn). Rotate dough a quarter turn to the right. Lightly roll into a 16x8-inch rectangle and again fold into thirds, finishing the second turn. Repeat rotating, rolling and folding two more times for a total of four times. Cut in half, wrap loosely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for thirty minutes or up to overnight before making the Bear Claws.

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Ginger-Cardamom Tea Cookies

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I’m thrilled to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours introducing LAVENDER BLUE MURDER, the twenty-first book in The Tea Shop Mysteries. This newest release is another entertaining addition to an endearing series by Laura Childs. You can always count on Ms. Childs to start her stories off with a bang, and in this newest release, it is quite a literal bang! I love the descriptive settings the author evokes, from a proper English shooting party being hosted by a local plantation, to the quaint, genteel Southern city of Charleston, to the charming Indigo Tea Shop. The reader is immediately immersed into both the atmosphere and the mystery. There is non-stop action, whether protagonist, Theodosia Browning, is hosting a themed tea party at her shop, or involved in zany antics as she tries to solve the murder of the plantation owner. With plenty of clues and suspects provided, the book progressed quickly, making it difficult to set it down for any length of time

Along with a fast-paced story, Ms. Child’s creates memorable characters. While Theodosia may be a Southern genteel woman, she’s also a force of nature to be reckoned with. Her sidekick, elderly tea sommelier Drayton Conneley, provides a calming influence on her while creating the perfect tea blend for the guests who come through Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia and Drayton have a sweet relationship and I admire the respect they show for each other, no matter what kind of scrapes they find themselves in. We don’t see much of Theodosia’s detective fiancé in this book and I hope he has a greater presence in the next story.

Not only does the Indigo Tea Shop host themed tea party events, but each one has plenty of delicious dishes to match the theme. I appreciate that Ms. Childs includes recipes at the back of the book, along with numerous tea party tips to help plan your own. I practically drooled over the recipe for Ginger-Cardamom Tea Cookies and couldn’t wait to make these shortbread-style cookies infused with English Breakfast Tea! The spices provide plenty of warm flavor while the tea gives a little kick in the specks that dot the sandy-textured cookie. White chocolate chips give a burst of creamy sweetness to each bite. These are a delicious cookies to serve for a late morning tea break or at a more formal afternoon tea. I melted some white chocolate and drizzled over the tops of each cookie to “dress” them up.

Amazon Synopsis

Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.

But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor’s lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.

His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.

As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald’s daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she’s made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.

A special thanks to Laura Childs for providing two giveaway copies of LAVENDER BLUE MURDER. Contest ends March 21, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The contest is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and the winner will be announced on this page as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Ginger-Cardamom Tea Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
Leaves from 1 English Breakfast tea bag
1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
In mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt, and tea.
Add dry mixture to butter mixture and beat on low speed until blended.
Stir in white chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough 1 inch apart, using 2 greased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheets. Flatten balls slightly with a floured glass.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes, switching cookie sheets around halfway through baking.
Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Notes

Yields 36 to 40 cookies.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
March 2 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
March 3 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW
March 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 4 – My Journey Back – REVIEW
March 5 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – GUEST POST
March 5 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
March 6 – I’m All About Books-SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – The Editing Pen – REVIEW
March 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLGHT
March 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 13 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST
March 14 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW
March 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
March 16 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST
March 16 – This Is My Truth Now – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 18 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 19 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW
March 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
March 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

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

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

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EASTER HAIR HUNT, the sixteenth book in the Bad Hair Day Mystery series by Nancy J. Cohen, is the first I’ve read in the series but most definitely will not be the last! I appreciated how the author introduces and portrays the characters so I always felt like I knew who each person was and never felt lost trying to figure them out. Even though I started so late in the series, I found EASTER HAIR HUNT was easily read as a stand-alone. However, the protagonist, Marla Vail, seems to have a rich backstory and character development arc throughout the series and I admire the strong family unit that she’s a part of. I plan on starting with book one and follow along since Marla is an enjoyable character and Ms. Cohen has an easy style of telling a story.

I, for one, greatly enjoy holiday-themed mysteries, and Easter is one that is often overlooked. Ms. Cohen creates plenty of details to incorporate the theme, including a Fabergé egg theft and a dead costumed Easter bunny. I loved all the factoids she wove into the story about Fabergé eggs, bee keeping, and philately (aka stamp collecting). Despite the details, the story moved at a good pace and the mystery was well-plotted. While I guessed which one of the suspects killed the Easter bunny, there were some twists that I didn’t see coming which kept the story entertaining. Given that Marla is seven months pregnant in the book, I appreciated that she did everything possible to not put herself in danger. Her detective husband, Dalton, recognizes her value in finding clues and getting people to talk and treats her like a true partner which made the book all the more enjoyable.

Marla owns the Cut ‘N Dye Hair Salon, is a soon-to-be new mother, is raising a teenaged step-daughter, and assists her husband in solving mysteries. Despite having her hands more than full, she still likes to cook for her family and spending time in the kitchen with her stepdaughter, Brianna. They create a delicious Easter dinner for the family and Ms. Cohen includes several recipes for that meal at the back of the book. They all sound delectable. I decided to try the recipe for Garlic Cheddar Biscuits that Brianna makes for Easter dinner because it’s a dish that a teen can easily make without any supervision…and it just sounded too delicious to pass up. All that is required are a few simple ingredients, a few stirs in a bowl, a short bake and voilà, a savory side that goes perfectly with soup, salad, or as Marla serves them, with a Roast Leg of Lamb.

Amazon Synopsis

Hare today, dead tomorrow… Can a stylish sleuth pull a rabbit out of her hat to solve an Easter murder in this to-dye-for cozy mystery?

When hairstylist Marla Vail attends an Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor, she’s only there to fix hair for a client, Bonnie “Blinky” Morris. But when she’s asked to comb the grounds for leftover goodies, Marla discovers more than just a few dyed eggs. The dead body in the bunny costume is definitely not having a good hare day. And Blinky seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.

When trying to solve a murder, everyone needs a friend who’s all ears. For Marla, that’s her husband, homicide detective Dalton Vail. They make an eggcellent team. Dalton isn’t the kind to leap to conclusions, but with his wife seven months pregnant, and knowing Marla finds crime-solving to be irresistible, he worries about her running off on another hare-raising adventure.

Marla’s peeps are hoping for a happy ending, but she may have found a basketful of trouble this time. Can she crack the case before Blinky becomes the next victim?

A special thanks to Nancy J. Cohen for offering an e-book giveaway copy of EASTER HAIR HUNT. Contest ends Sunday, March 22, 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!)

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups biscuit mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup low fat milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine biscuit mix, shredded cheese, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Stir in milk until moistened.
Drop by the tablespoon onto a greased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes until browned.
Meanwhile, mix together melted butter and garlic powder. Brush over warm biscuits and serve.

Notes

Makes 12 biscuits.

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If you enjoy great food, check out A BAD HAIR DAY COOKBOOK, a collection of recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s cozy mystery series!

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

Azad’s Armenian Sweet Bread (Choereg)

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ON THE LAMB, the fourth book in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series by Tina Kashian, is a delightful read that immerses the reader in the boardwalk culture of Ocean Crest, New Jersey. Ms. Kashian does a fabulous job with her descriptive voice and I felt like I was there experiencing the beachy tourist destination and beautiful ocean views. The protagonist, Lucy Berberian, works as the manager for her family’s Mediterranean restaurant, Kebab Kitchen. I love how close-knit her family is, from her parents (who are trying to ease into semi-retirement) to her sister, Emma, along with her sweet niece and brother-in-law. Their interaction seems realistic and the support between the family members is also extended to the other employees who work at their restaurant. The author also creates many memorable characters that adds to the entertainment of the book, such as Lucy’s new elderly landlady…she’s a hoot…and a Harley-riding biker named Pumpkin.

When her landlady’s nephew is found murdered on the beach during a bonfire event, the local candy shop owner, Melanie, becomes a suspect because of an argument she had with him shortly before his demise. Melanie begs Lucy to find the truth so she begins to ask questions around town. Assisting Lucy is her best friend, Katie. They make a great team and I enjoyed how they not only egg each other on, but then they try to talk sense into each other before getting into danger. This leads to some humorous situations. There were plenty of suspects who hated the dead man and keeps the reader guessing. With an edge-of-your seat reveal, the author kept me turning pages faster and faster until I’d read the very last page.

Not only does Lucy run Kebab Kitchen, but she’s dating the head chef, Azad, and is planning to host her very first family Easter dinner. There are so many mouth-watering mentions of food throughout the book and, luckily for the reader, Ms. Kashian provides a few recipes. I was drawn to the recipe for Azad’s Armenia Sweet Bread, also known as Choereg. This is a rich, buttery yeast bread that I didn’t find too difficult to make, especially if you have a stand mixer to do the kneading for you. The author also suggests inserting chocolate candy squares into the center of the buns before baking, and that addition pushed the yum factor into the stratosphere! This recipe makes a huge batch, making them a delicious addition to any brunch table or special luncheon…or prepare them like Lucy did when she wanted to wow her family at Easter.

Amazon Synopsis

Lucy Berberian is busy preparing her family’s Mediterranean restaurant for Easter on the Jersey Shore—but a batch of sweets is to die for . . .

Bikers are thundering into the seaside town of Ocean Crest for the annual Bikers on the Beach gathering that raises funds for injured veterans. It’s a big boost for the Kebab Kitchen, as well as for local businesses like Melanie Haven’s candy shop. But Melanie is about to find herself in a sticky situation.

When Melanie and Lucy attend a beach bonfire, a local landlord is found dead after apparently choking on a piece of salt water taffy. Melanie, who was known to have a contentious relationship with the victim, is quickly skewered as the prime suspect. But Lucy is determined to prove her friend’s innocence before the real killer coasts free . . .

A special thanks to Tina Kashian for offering two print giveaway copies of ON THE LAMB. Contest ends Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Azad's Armenian Sweet Bread (Choereg)

Ingredients

1/4 ounce package of active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup lukewarm whole milk
7 cups flour
Sesame seeds
3 Hershey chocolate bars (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine yeast, water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and stir until mixture is dissolved. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine three of the eggs, salt, and remaining sugar. Add yeast mixture, butter, and milk. Mix with an electric mixer or by hand until blended.
Add flour, a cup at a time, and mix with a dough hook of an electric mixer or by hand. Knead dough until it is smooth (about 10 minutes).
Cover bowl with a towel and set aside to rise for 2 hours. The dough should double in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Shape dough into small buns. Optional: When shaping dough into small buns, insert two squares of chocolate into the bun, then pinch the bun dough closed until it seals.
Beat remaining egg and brush tops of buns with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 15 minutes until tops of buns are golden brown.
For leftover buns, warm in a toaster oven, oven, or microwave before serving for delicious, warm sweet bread.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes

The author says that there isn't a need to do a second rising after forming the buns. I did, however, allow the buns to rest about 30 minutes before baking because the dough seemed a little dense after forming the bun. This could have been due to the ambient temperature of my kitchen (it was very cold) while if I had made these in the summer, the second rise could have been skipped. Basically the formed buns should be slightly puffy before baking.