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GOODBYE CRULLER WORLD, the second book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series by Ginger Bolton is a sweet read and will have you craving donuts throughout the entire book! I was captivated by the pun-y title and the inviting cover design pulled me into the story. An ex- 911 dispatcher, protagonist Emily Westhill owns the Deputy Donut Café with her father-in-law. This duo has a touching, heart-felt relationship that adds an emotional undercurrent to the story, especially since they lost a son and a husband to a tragic death. The charming donut shop setting provides the perfect gathering place for law enforcement and emergency response personnel and allows Emily access to information when she gets involved in murder investigations. The author’s strong descriptive voice makes you feel like you’re right there with Emily and I could almost smell and taste the donuts in the shop!

Deputy Donut is hired to cater donuts for the wedding of Jenn, owner of Dressed to Kill which is one of the neighboring shops to Emily’s. It doesn’t take long for conflict to erupt between the bride and her half-sister over the upcoming nuptials and once Emily meets the groom, she understands why. When the groom is poisoned and dies after eating some of the donuts she provides at the reception, Emily knows she must get involved and clear both her business’ reputation and prove the bride’s innocence. It doesn’t help that the bride invited an ex-boyfriend to the wedding and seemed to have had second thoughts about getting married. Since my own cousin is a wedding planner, I loved the details the author provides about the reception from the food, to the over-the-top décor, to the special touches the bride requests. Ms. Bolton provides plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing and enough twists and turns until the threads of the plots are woven together into a satisfying conclusion.

Since you’ll be drooling over the yummy treats Deputy Donut serves to its customers, Ms. Bolton generously provides a couple recipes at the back of the book. She has allowed me to share her recipe for Black-and-Whites Donuts with a Crème filling. I loved that these donuts are baked, not fried, and are reminiscent of everyone’s favorite chocolate sandwich cookie. While there might be a lot of steps to the recipe, it’s not difficult and Ms. Bolton writes clear, concise directions. The resulting treat is decadently rich and while my husband isn’t a huge fan of chocolate, he gobbled these up in record time! I made a few in a mini-donut baker (that my granddaughter had talked me into purchasing years ago and I think I’ve used once, lol) and I thought they were even delicious with some confectioners’ sugar dusted on top instead of filling them. Either way, these Black-and-Whites Baked Donuts are sure to please everyone! 

Amazon Synopsis

Named after her beloved tabby, Deputy Donut, Emily Westhill’s donut shop in small-town Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is doing so well, she’s expanding into catering weddings. But a killer is about to crash the reception . . .
 
Normally, Emily’s eyes tend to glaze over when prospective brides go on about their wedding plans. But when the owner of the clothing shop, Dressed to Kill, asks Emily to design a donut wall for her reception, she’s immediately sweet on the idea. With the help of her father-in-law and business partner—the former police chief of Fallingbrook—she hangs the treats from dowels on the wall so guests can help themselves.
 
But that night, when the groom ends up on the floor with signs of poisoning, Emily suspects someone has tampered with her treats. When the groom dies, there’s no way to sugarcoat it: she’s got a murder on her hands. Despite a list of suspects as long as the guest list, Emily vows to find out who created the killer confection to save her shop’s reputation and keep the bride out of handcuffs. She’ll have to move fast . . . before the poisoner takes a powder.

A special thanks to Ginger Bolton for providing a winner with a print copy of GOODBYE CRULLER WORLD. Contest ends Sunday, September 9, 2018 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!)  

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Black-and-Whites Baked Donuts

These little gems are baked, not fried, and they're very rich and sweet.

Ingredients

Donuts

• Melted butter or unflavored coconut oil
• 1/3 cup black Dutch process (alkalized) cocoa powder, pressed through a sieve to break up clumps
• 7/8 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 5/8 cup light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 3/8 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) melted butter or vegetable oil

Vanilla Filling

• 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons refined (non-virgin) coconut oil, softened*
• 2 teaspoons hot water (Try mixing the hot water with the coconut oil to soften it.)

Instructions

Donuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly brush melted butter or unflavored coconut oil in the cups of a regular-sized donut pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. 

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla, vinegar, and melted butter or vegetable oil.  Don't worry if the vinegar curdles the milk and melted butter.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until blended.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling them about 3/4 full.

6. Bake the donuts for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Do not overbake.

7. Remove the donuts from the oven, allow to cool a few minutes, invert cooling rack over pan, and turn pan and cooling rack together right side up. If the donuts do not fall out of the pan, loosen the edges carefully with a narrow silicone spatula and try again.

8. Let donuts cool. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice donuts in half horizontally so that you have two circles from each donut.

Vanilla Filling

1. Place ingredients in a bowl and beat until combined. Filling will be stiff, but it rolls out well at room temperature.

2. Recipe can be doubled. Excess can be stored in refrigerator.

Assembling the donuts

1. Form vanilla filling into a ball.

2. Using a rolling pin, roll filling between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch.

3. Using a donut cutter, cut out rings of filling.

4. Slide a thin spatula underneath rings and gently place them on the flat side of the donut half that was on top in the oven.

5. Make a "sandwich" by gently pressing the other slice on top. Serve rounded side up.

6. This makes six regular-sized donuts. These are so rich that you might prefer to make them as mini-donuts. If using a mini-donut pan, bake for about 7 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake. 

7. Recipe can be doubled.

Notes:

1. *The coconut oil should be warmed until workable, about 80 - 100 degrees (F). If you substitute virgin coconut oil, your filling will have a coconut flavor. Do not substitute liquid coconut oil. 

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I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard or seen anything online about the release of BURGLARS & BLINTZES, the second book in the Moorehaven Mystery series by Morgan C. Talbot. From the lack of fanfare, you might think that this unassuming new release is one to overlook. However, the peaceful, calming cover is hiding a treasure trove of an adventurous cozy mystery and I was glued to the pages! In fact, I couldn’t tear myself away from the flow of the story to take notes for my review. I wanted to read without interruption and without thought of what I wanted to say in my review. Ms. Talbot writes a rollicking tale of an ancient treasure; a cold case haunting her great-uncle; a tsunami; and a writers’ bed and breakfast retreat! The plot and sub-plots combine to create a page turning mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.

With the help of her great-uncle, protagonist Pippa Winterbourne owns and runs the Moorehaven Bed & Breakfast, which only accepts reservations from working authors. The entertaining characters are well-developed, including the various writers in residence. I enjoyed seeing the way the guests must learn to overlook differences and work together to assist Pippa in solving both a cold case and a current day murder. Except Pippa isn’t sure who she can trust aside from her uncle. The story flows at a fast pace and the exciting conclusion wraps up the various threads creatively… making me count down the days until the next book is available!

The Moorehaven B & B serves blintzes to the guests several times throughout the book and you’ll be craving them while reading. Thankfully, Ms. Talbot includes a recipe for Moorehaven’s Mouthwatering Blintzes which includes a cheese filling and a fresh berry sauce. I loved that the components are quickly mixed up using a blender and when put together, create a memorable breakfast or brunch for family and friends!

Amazon Synopsis

Moorehaven is swarming with guests during summer’s last hurrah, and Pippa has her hands full at the mystery-author B&B. When her gossip-group connections inform her that a local construction project has unearthed a skeleton with a pocketful of Spanish gold, the news spreads, and treasure hunters flood the beaches. But the skeleton has a more recent connection to the area than anyone suspected, unearthing a shameful secret that hits far too close to home.

A marine salvage team rolls into town, seeking the rest of the treasure. When they hire Pippa’s boyfriend, Lake, to be their pilot, the team’s pretty spelunker quickly stakes a claim, rousing Pippa’s jealousy. But Pippa’s been playing tug-of-war over Lake ever since his ex-wife, Mallory Tavish, became the new acting chief of police.

When a killer’s strike brings tragedy to Moorehaven’s door, Pippa must rally her friends, family, and mystery-writing guests to catch the murderer before she loses someone she can’t live without and all the warmth of summer dies with one last gasp.

A special thanks to Morgan C. Talbot for providing a winner with an e-book copy of BURGLARS & BLINTZES. Contest ends Sunday, August 26, 2018 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!)  

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Moorehaven's Mouthwatering Blintzes

Ingredients

Crepes

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup small-curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Berry Sauce

• 1/2 cup fresh marionberries or blackberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Other ingredients

• Grapeseed oil for frying
• Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Make all ingredients at least a couple of hours beforehand to allow them to rest. The batter in particular benefits from resting a couple of hours or overnight. The crepes can also be made ahead of time, after the batter rests, and refrigerated. 

To prepare crepes:

1. Add the ingredients to a blender in the order they are listed. Cover and blend until batter is smooth. Let batter rest at least two hours.

To prepare filling:

1. Combine ingredients in blender until smooth. Cover and let rest in refrigerator, up to a day ahead of time.

To prepare berry sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine marionberries, blueberries, strawberries, and sugar. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until berries soften, about 2 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender, or use a blender then pour mixture through a fine strainer to remove all the seeds.

3. If desired, set aside 1/4 cup of sauce to add to filling, the way Penelope likes it.

4. Fold raspberries into the remaining sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

To make blintzes:

1. Heat an 8-inch skillet or crepe griddle over medium-high heat. Coat lightly with a small amount of grapeseed oil, which tolerates high heat well. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet or onto griddle and immediately rotate pan or smooth batter across griddle to coat hot surface in a thin layer. Cook approximately 1 minute or until surface loses its sheen. Do not flip to cook other side. Stack to cool, or use immediately.

2. To fill each blintz, flip crepe over so the browned side is up. Add ~3 tablespoons of filling to the lower middle. Fold the lower edge up, then the top down over it, then fold in the two sides. The un-browned side should be outward and ready for frying. 

3. Place blintz in a skillet or griddle set over medium-high heat, folded side down, for about 1 minute, then flip to cook the top.

4. Transfer to a plate and spoon berry sauce on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Tips:

1. Thawed frozen fruit may be substituted for fresh.

2. For a crisp, raw-fruit topping for whole or chopped fruit, mix fruit with honey or sugar in a bowl and simply spoon atop your blintz. Moore thought it was most excellent on warm summer mornings.

3. Any fruit may be substituted for the berries, really. Blintz toppings are virtually limitless.

4. Want to add cinnamon? Nutmeg? Peppermint? Coconut? Sugar sprinkles? Go for it!

5. For open-ended blintzes, fry both sides of the crepe. Add filling and roll it up, then add topping.

6. For those interested in a less sugary experience, 3 tablespoons agave syrup may be substituted for each quarter cup of sugar. Agave has a much lower glycemic index than granulated sugar.

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

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.