Cinnamon and Sugar

Josie’s Genettis

I love stories that are centered around bakeries and especially bakeries that specialize in cookies! The Cookie Monster from Sesame Street has always been my favorite character too. 🙂 When I had the opportunity to read and review TASTES LIKE MURDER, the first book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series by Catherine Bruns, I jumped at the chance. I knew I would find a good read and some terrific cookie recipes!

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Synopsis

Sally Muccio has moved back to Colwestern, New York to get away from her cheating ex-husband, Colin, who still lives in Florida. She opens her dream bakery, Sally’s Samples, and hires her best friend, Josie, as the baker. To set her bakery apart from other businesses, Sally offers a free fortune cookie with any purchase. Her offering attracts many clients including her high school nemisis who grew up to be the woman who stole Colin away from her: Amanda Gregorio. Beautiful and wealthy, Amanda is still nasty to Sally and those around her, including her own cousin. Sally would like to kick Amanda out of the bakery, but Amanda threatens to create bad publicity and close down Sally’s Samples if she doesn’t serve her.

Not long after closing her shop for the night, Sally finds Amanda dead on the front porch of the bakery, her partially eaten cookies still in the box. The rumor mill of the small town goes into overdrive and most people believe Sally killed Amanda, not that they blame her. But business at the bakery drops off and Sally can barely afford to stay open. She decides she must prove her innocence and find the real killer in order to keep her dream bakery operating. When her main suspect is murdered after eating her cookies she realizes the murderer has set her up to take the fall and she must solve the case or lose all that she holds dear.

My Review

TASTES LIKE MURDER is a clever start to a terrific series! I love how the fortune cookies had messages that seemed tailored for the recipient and gives a glimpse into the characters through the messages. Sally is not only caught up in trying to prove her innocence and keep her business afloat, but she is learning to come to terms with a failed marriage. She has a lot of self doubts and issues which makes her seem more relatable to me. She has been given room to grow, to learn to let go of the past and move forward. Sally’s parents, along with Josie, are such fun characters, providing plenty of laughs and entertainment, while her Italian grandmother, Rosa, provides wisdom and stability. The plot was well paced and provided plenty of red herrings. I thought I knew who the culprit was but then a twist was thrown in that kept me guessing along with Sally.

Of course a bakery must have baked goods and Catherine has kindly allowed me to share her recipe for Josie’s Genettis. These soft, cake-like traditional Italian cookies are fun to make and kids will enjoy helping roll thin logs of dough and shaping them into beehives. Topped with a super easy frosting and colorful nonpareils, these cookies are tasty and festive! My niece, Nicole, was visiting me for a couple weeks this summer and we made these cookies together. Thanks for all your help in the kitchen, Nicole!

A very special thank you to Catherine Bruns for providing the winner with a choice of either a print copy or e-book copy of TASTES LIKE MURDER. Print copy limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Monday, August 22, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Josie’s Genettis

Ingredients

Cookies

6 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon anise extract*
4 cups flour

Frosting

1/2 cup Confectioners’ sugar
Water
Nonpareils

Instructions

Cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk together eggs, and then add vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, and anise extract to the mixture.

Stir together and then add the flour by small amounts until mixture is no longer sticky.

Roll out into a rope and then break out into six-inch long sections that should be about the thickness of a pinky finger.

Wrap coils upward like a beehive and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the bottom is golden.

Cool on a wire cooling rack.

Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container to be frosted at a later time.

Frosting

Mix 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar with a few drops of water. Keep adding a few drops at a time until it is the desired consistency.

If glaze is too runny, just add more sugar.

After spreading the glaze over the tops of the cookies, sprinkle nonpareils before the glaze sets.

Makes approximately three dozen cookies.

Tips

* Our family isn’t a fan of anise flavoring so I substituted lemon extract. Vanilla would be another good substitute option.

The dough should feel a bit tacky and not overly dry. If you add too much flour and your cookies are on the dry side, allow them to set overnight after applying the frosting and they will moisten up.

When making the beehive shape, roll one end of the 6-inch piece thinner than the other end. Use the thicker side as the base and wrap the thinner side up for the beehive.

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Coming October 11, 2016, the next book in the Cookies & Chance series, BURNED TO A CRISP by Catherine Bruns!

Just when things appear to be going well for baker and sometime sleuth, Sally Muccio, life turns up the heat again.

It’s summertime, and the living is easy for the Muccio clan. Sal’s wedding to her beloved fiancé is rapidly approaching, Mom’s won a beauty contest, and sister Gianna is now a licensed public defender. But when the bakery Sal’s worked so hard for goes up in smoke—along with her dreams!—she’s not sure how much more she can stand. Even worse, the man found dead in the bakery’s back room is none other than Gianna’s latest client, Bernardo Napoli.

The dough really hits the fan for Sal and Josie when they’re forced to temporarily relocate their bakery to the crazy Muccio home. Trouble is quickly stirred up as the best friend team must now contend with Sal’s father and his new mortuary business “undertakings,” a middle aged mother parading around customers in bikinis, and an Italian family hell bent on revenge. For Sal, several questions demand answers. Where has Gianna disappeared to? What role did she play in Bernardo’s death? What secret is Sal’s fiancé hiding from her? Sal is determined to find answers…before she gets burned once again!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gouda and Harvest Vegetable Chowder

While I have read Victoria Hamilton’s Vintage Kitchen Mystery series and the Teapot Collector Mysteries (under her pseudonym, Amanda Cooper) somehow I haven’t gotten around to trying the books in her Merry Muffin Mystery series. True, I have a couple of the books in that series loaded on my Kindle, but… just not enough time in the day to read everything I plan on reading… Fortunately, that changed when I picked up MUCH ADO ABOUT MUFFIN, the fourth book in the Merry Muffin Mysteries! I am so glad I did make time and will go back and catch up with the preceding three books!

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Synopsis

Merry Wynter has been in Spain for two months, making peace with her dying former mother-in-law. Lulled into a sense of complacency by her in-laws’ luxurious lifestyle, Merry loses touch with her friends back in Autumn Vale. When circumstances pull her out of her torpor and she returns to her inherited castle, Wynter Castle, she finds things have fallen apart in her absence.

One of her good friends is barely talking to her and seems to be under the sway of a cult. Another friend is isolating herself from her new husband and won’t confide in Merry. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Virgil Grace, is barely speaking to her. And to top things off, a melodramatic opera diva, Roma Toscano, has moved into the castle. When Merry and Virgil’s mom find the postmistress stabbed to death, Roma is suspected of murder.

While Merry may not like Roma very much, she’s pretty certain Roma is innocent. The postmistress, Minny, had made several enemies, including Merry herself. Despite the bad feelings between them, Merry wants to find the killer and provide justice for Minny. But her questions around town are hitting close to home and someone tries to kill Merry. Can she rescue her friendships and relationship with Virgil and find justice or will a killer put an end to her meddling once and for all?

My Review

Since I started with the fourth book on the series, I felt like I had some catching up to do to figure out the characters and how they related to the protagonist, Merry. There was backstory from previous books that would have helped, but by about one third of the way into the book, the author filled in what I needed to know and made the book more enjoyable. In addition to a tightly written mystery with several suspects that kept me guessing, Victoria Hamilton weaves the theme of home into the story. Merry’s heart isn’t sure where home is when the book starts out, but she finally realizes Autumn Vale is where she belongs. The love for family, friends, and family history pulls her in and allows her to create a home where she wants to stay and allow her heart to mend.

Merry loves to cook and bake for her family, friends, and also provides muffins for several of Autumn Vale’s establishments. The author includes a couple of muffin recipes at the back of the book…both sound absolutely delicious and perfect for upcoming fall weather. Victoria Hamilton also gave me her recipe for Gouda and Harvest Vegetable Chowder from BRAN NEW DEATH, the first book in the Merry Muffin Mysteries, to share with you. I loved how the chowder uses pureed cauliflower to help thicken it, instead of relying on heavy cream or lots of flour and butter. Easy to make and full of vegetables, this Gouda and Harvest Vegetable Chowder uses nutty, buttery Gouda cheese for flavoring and will become a healthy family favorite! Thanks, Victoria, for sharing your nourishing chowder recipe with us!

A very special thank you to Victoria Hamilton for providing an autographed copy of MUCH ADO ABOUT MUFFIN. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only and ends Monday, August 15, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Gouda and Harvest Vegetable Chowder

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups cauliflower, broken into small florets
2 cups broccoli, broken into very small florets
1 cup grated carrot
3 cups good quality or homemade chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup shredded Gouda; you can substitute a different cheese if you like. Cheddar works well!
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft.

Add the cauliflower and 3 cups chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes.

Puree the cauliflower and onion mixture until smooth.

Add the broccoli florets and grated carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Slowly whisk 1 cup of the milk into the flour. Whisk until completely smooth.

Add the flour mixture and an additional cup of milk to the chowder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.

Remove pan from heat and add 1-1/2 cups Gouda (or cheese of your choice) and stir until melted.

For serving, sprinkle with additional cheese and buttered croutons if desired.

Enjoy the Bacon Cheddar muffins from BRAN NEW DEATH with the chowder, or plain cheddar muffins! Mmmm!

Tips

If your cheese is fairly soft before grating it, place in the freezer while prepping the vegetables for the chowder. Firm, cold cheese will grate much easier.

If leftover chowder is too thick, add additional chicken broth when reheating until desired consistency is reached.

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Victoria Sponge Cake

I’m always very happy when I hear that author H.Y. Hanna is coming out with a new release in her Oxford Tearoom Mystery series! I can always count on a great read and a tearoom worthy recipe that can be made at home. TILL DEATH DO US TART is the fourth book and every bit as enjoyable as the earlier releases!

Synopsis

Gemma Rose owns The Little Stables Tearoom in Meadow-on-Smythe, near Oxford. Her relationship with CID Devlin O’Connor is progressing nicely but she’s chafing with the need for independence, instead of living under her parents’ roof. Her mother, in particular, is driving her crazy…she’s against Gemma dating Devlin; she’s entered Gemma’s adorable tabby, Meuseli, in a purebred cat show, even though Meuseli is a “moggie”; and then her mother has taken up with the four Old Biddies who fancy themselves to be private investigators.

While attending the cat show with her mother, one of the other contestants, Dame Clare Eccleston, drops dead after eating her daughter’s Victoria Sponge Cake. Her ancient doctor rules it a heart attack and the police accept the diagnosis. The Old Biddies and Gemma’s mother are certain Dame Eccleston was poisoned, but Gemma is sure the cake was okay since she ate a piece as well. Undeterred, the Old Biddies start investigating and before Gemma knows it, she’s asking questions and finding some of the answers don’t add up. Can she convince Devlin to take the accusations seriously or will her suspicions drive a wedge between them? Can she find justice for the victim, even though she finds out Dame Eccleston was an obnoxious tyrant?

My Review

TILL DEATH DO US TART is a charming book on so many levels! I adore the cover with the cute kitty, Meuseli, and the story itself takes you into the quaintness of a small English village. I felt like this book gave you a more personal glimpse of who Gemma Rose is and how she’s developed and changed by her interaction with friends, family, and customers as well by the murders she keeps getting pulled in to. Gemma’s strong sense of justice is forefront in this book, despite the fact that the murdered woman was an unlovely woman who terrorized so many people around her. This satisfying mystery had plenty of suspects to keep me guessing until the end and the conclusion came as surprise.

The author also provides an insider’s look at a traditional English fête and village. She paints such a beautiful picture using words that I felt like I could be one of the many tourists wondering around, taking in the scenes, scents, and tastes offered. And Gemma’s tearoom provides all sorts of delectable, mouthwatering treats that make me want to visit and linger over a pot of tea. H.Y. Hanna shares her traditional Victoria Sponge Cake recipe in her book and I was thrilled when she asked me to give it a try! Victoria Sponge Cake is a delicately flavored and textured cake layered with strawberry jam bursting with the flavor of summer and rich whipped cream. Instead of the usual sweet, sticky frosting, the top is dusted with confectioners’ sugar and garnished with fresh strawberries. A light, perfect dessert for an afternoon tea! Disclaimer: Most Victoria Sponge Cakes do not have so much jam oozing from the sides… my granddaughter helped me with this cake and got carried away by the jar of strawberry jam… however, the cake was absolutely delicious! Thank you, H.Y. Hanna, for allowing me to share your recipe!

A very special thank you to H.Y. Hanna for providing the winner’s choice of a print copy or an e-book copy of TILL DEATH DO US TART. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Victoria Sponge Cake

The most important thing to remember about the ingredients is to have the same weight of butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour as the eggs. So it would be best to weigh the eggs first (in their shells) and then to measure out the butter, sugar and flour accordingly. In the recipe below, I have assumed the eggs to be around 50g each but please check your own eggs and adjust accordingly.

Since the U.S. generally does not bake by weighing the ingredients, the U.S. measurements are listed below with the grams included in brackets. Be aware that results may vary since the recipe will not be as accurate as weighing the ingredients.

The other key is to have all ingredients at room temperature, especially the eggs—this will help to prevent the mixture from splitting / curdling.

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

4 large eggs of approximately 50g each, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (plus some extra for greasing the cake tins)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (200g caster) superfine sugar
1-3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (200g) self-rising flour (use the spoon and level method to measure)
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk (to loosen batter if necessary)

Filling

1 cup (250ml) heavy whipping cream
1 jar of good quality strawberry jam

Garnish

Fresh strawberries
Icing sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). (180C / 160 C fan / gas mark 4)

Add the butter and superfine sugar to a bowl (or mixer) and combine thoroughly taking your time. Keep mixing until the mixture is smooth and creamy and you cannot feel any of the sugar granules.

Do not rush this step—even if it takes five minutes—as it is the key to making your sponge cake light and fluffy. The longer you can mix the butter and sugar, the better your cake will be.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl and then add it to your butter and sugar mixture a little bit at a time, making sure to mix thoroughly after each addition before adding more.

Again, take the time to cream the mixture as much as possible—the smoother it is, the better the texture of the cake will be.

Finally add in the vanilla extract and mix well.

Sift the flour, along with the baking powder and salt, into the mixture, then fold very gently to combine, using a figure of 8 motion. This keeps as much air in the mixture as possible. (If using a mixer, keep it on the lowest, gentlest setting.) You must not overwork the batter otherwise the cake will come out tough and dense.

Keep mixing gently until the batter is smooth and passes the “dollop test”, i.e. when you lift some of it up with the spatula, it falls easily off in a dollop.

If it sticks to the spatula and is too dry, add a bit of milk to loosen it and mix gently again. Be careful not to add too much milk as you don’t want the batter to be runny.

Get two 8-inch round cake tins and lightly grease the insides, then lay a circle of parchment paper on the bottom.

Divide the batter evenly between the two tins, using the spatula to smooth the tops until they are flat. (Don’t worry if they are not perfectly even—they will melt and even out in the oven.)

Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until the cakes are golden and have risen nicely. To check that they’re done, slide a sharp knife or skewer into the center and it should come out clean. The cake will also spring back when gently pressed and the edges should be shrinking slightly away from the sides of the tin.

Take the cakes out and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then remove from the tins. Peel off the parchment paper and cool on a wire rack, flat side down.

* It is important to allow the cakes to cool completely otherwise it will cause the cream in the filling to melt and will ruin the cake.

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling by whipping the cream until it forms soft peaks.

Take the “uglier” cake and use that as your base. Spread the top with a generous portion of strawberry jam.

Follow with a layer of fresh whipped cream, using a spatula to carefully spread it over the jam.

Finally, place the second cake gently on top to form the “sandwich”.

* Variation: some people may also like to include fresh sliced strawberries in the filling, between the jam and the cream.

Garnish the top of the cake with the fresh strawberries and then dust everything with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Tip

Weigh the batter as you divide between the cake tins to have equally even cakes.

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FREE DOWNLOAD FROM H.Y. HANNA!

Be sure to check out H.Y. Hanna’s just released prequel to the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries, ALL-BUTTER SHORTDEAD! Free for a limited time on Amazon! You can download at:

Amazon: http://www.hyhanna.com/butter-amazon

Amazon UK: http://www.hyhanna.com/butter-amazonuk

Gemma ditches her high-flying job and returns to Oxford to follow her dream: opening a traditional English tearoom serving warm buttery scones with jam and clotted cream… Only problem is–murder is the first thing on the menu and Gemma is the key suspect! And the only people Gemma can turn to for help are four nosy old ladies from her local Cotswolds village – not to mention a cheeky little tabby cat named Muesli. Who was the mysterious woman Gemma met on the flight back from Australia and why was she murdered? Now Gemma must find the killer, solve the mystery and clear her name if she’s to have her cake–and serve it too.

This PREQUEL to the OXFORD TEAROOM MYSTERIES includes BONUS CHAPTERS FROM “A SCONE TO DIE FOR” (BOOK 1). It is slightly shorter than the rest of the series – which are all full length novels – and can be read as a standalone, before or after any other book in the series.

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Kevin’s Key Lime Bars

I was excited when I was offered the chance to review DEATH AT THE DAY LILY CAFE, the second book in the Rosalie Hart Mystery series, by Wendy Sand Eckel. I had not read the first book…but definitely plan to. However, this second book is easily read as a standalone and I had no problems getting to know the characters or figuring out the references from the first book.

Synopsis

After being blindsided by a divorce, Rosalie Hart moved to the small town of Cardigan and into an inherited 200-year-old farm house. She settles in and opens the Day Lily Cafe, serving fresh, organic food, some of it supplied from her own farm being managed by Tyler. Within minutes of her grand opening, one of her friends, Doris Bird, rushes in and begs Rosalie to help clear her sister, Lori, of murder. Lori’s husband of 31 years, Carl, has been shot to death and the local sheriff is determined to prove Lori guilty.

Rosalie feels obligated to Doris because of her past help, plus Rosalie doesn’t like how the sheriff is bullying Lori. As she begins asking questions around town, she finds Lori has secrets from her past that are better off left hidden. Lori’s husband was also keeping secrets and the more she searches for answers the more people she finds had motives for murdering Carl. Can she piece the puzzle together before the sheriff convicts Lori and still keep her inaugural cafe running? Or will the killer set their sights on her and her family before she solves the crime?

My Review

DEATH AT THE DAY LILY CAFE was a good mystery with a great protagonist. Rosalie Hart, in her forties, decides to grow and better herself instead of wallowing in self-pity after an unforeseen divorce. The book delves into relationships: between parents and children and between spouses, and Rosalie provides plenty of introspection. The author seemed to genuinely portray Rosalie’s relationship with her college-aged daughter and the difficulties of wanting to hang on but knowing you must let go and let them make their own decisions. It added to the appeal of the book and made Rosalie seem relatable.

Wendy also provides some humorous moments to break the tension. I loved some of the scenes between Rosalie and her want-to-be love interest, Tyler, and one scene in particular had me laughing out loud. The friends she has surrounding her also brought entertainment and thought-provoking enrichment to the story. The mystery itself had me guessing right along with Rosalie, as she sifted through all the suspects that paraded across the pages and the book had a satisfying conclusion.

Of course it wouldn’t be a cafe if there wasn’t food and the author provides plenty of mouthwatering descriptions and recipes! Since my eleven-year-old granddaughter, Emory, and her cousin, Alex, were spending the day with me recently, they voted to try Kevin’s Key Lime Bars. The recipe was easy enough for them to follow and make with minimal input from me. Kevin’s Key Lime Bars combines tart key lime filling with a flaky shortbread crust to create a dessert that will make you feel like you’re in the tropics and was the perfect dish to start the summer off with. Thank you to Wendy and Minotaur Books for allowing me to share the recipe with you!

A very special thank you to Minotaur Books for providing a hardcover copy of DEATH AT THE DAY LILY CAFE! (U.S. residents only.) Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Monday, August 8, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Kevin’s Key Lime Bars

Ingredients

Crust

6 tablespoons chilled butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 organic egg yolk (save the egg white for the filling)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
1 cup flour

Filling

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour, packed
4 organic egg whites
Juice from 3 to 5 key limes (enough to make 6 tablespoons of juice)
Powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Crust

Blend the butter, sugar, and salt on low speed in a mixer until creamy.

Add the yolk and vanilla, and blend until combined.

Add the flour and mix again.

Spread into an 8″ x 8″ baking dish and tamp down with your fingers and the palm of your hand until it is evenly spread and firm.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until starting to brown a little around the edges.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Filling

Whisk flour and sugar together.

Add egg whites and lime juice and whisk for another minute or two.

Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

If filling isn’t quite set, refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Sift the powdered sugar over the cooled filling and slice into squares.

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Barbecue Muffins

The brand new release, GRILLING THE SUBJECT, the fifth book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber, is the perfect summer-themed book and I am so happy to have the chance to help Daryl celebrate on her release day!

Synopsis

Crystal Cove is hosting a Wild West Extravaganza and Jenna Hart, owner of The Cookbook Nook, is caught up in the theme. Her shop is promoting all sorts of barbecue related cookbooks while her friend Katie, chef at The Nook Cafe, is creating a variety of barbecue goodies to share with their patrons. Jenna’s life seems to be perfect: her shop is successful, her relationship with Rhett is progressing, and she’s surrounded by a loving father and aunt along with wonderful friends.

But why is Jenna feeling like she’s being watched? Why is she feeling so jumpy? When one of her father’s neighbor’s Sylvia Gump, is found murdered, Jenna’s life starts a downward spiral. Her gentle father, Cary, had a very verbal argument with Sylvia and was overheard threatening her. Now he’s the main suspect in the murder and Jenna feels like she must clear his name. Only he doesn’t want her help and distances himself from her. Undeterred, Jenna starts asking questions around town anyway and finds there were many reasons many people would have wanted Sylvia dead. A “ghost” from Jenna’s past shows up and her relationship with Rhett is put to the ultimate test. Can she unravel the tangled murder suspects and clear her father’s name while resolving her own issues of the heart? Or will she lasso up a sticky mess that will result in losing everything she holds dear, including her own life?

My Review

I always enjoy a visit to Crystal Cove and especially a visit to The Cookbook Nook. However, GRILLING THE SUBJECT is probably my favorite in the series! I loved the theme of the Wild West Extravaganza and how the author wove western themed activities, cookbooks, and food into the story. The town, and especially The Cookbook Nook, is charming and invites the reader to visit and linger.

But it’s more than just a charming setting, GRILLING THE SUBJECT is about family connection and loyalty. When Jenna’s past comes calling she has choices to make. She learns to grow and accept support by those she holds dear, even when she fears the worst. While this book can be read as a standalone, it answers questions that have been woven throughout the four previous books. Answers I’ve been wanting to know and Daryl supplies them in a worthy manner.

And then there’s the food which makes this a mouthwatering book! So many delicious recipes are included along with so many references to dishes and cookbooks…I want to try them all. I plan on checking out some of the amazing cookbook titles mentioned by Daryl too, and add to my own cookbook collection. Thanks to Daryl for allowing me to share her Barbecue Muffins recipe with you. Fluffy homemade biscuit dough is pressed into muffin cups then stuffed full of tangy barbecue-sauce laced beef and topped with flavorful cheddar cheese. A fun hand-held dish that is perfect as an appetizer or a main dish. I made the Barbecue Muffins in both a regular-sized muffin tin and made a few mini-muffin sized ones to snack on. I especially loved the ease of making the biscuit dough, which is very similar to the refrigerated biscuit dough you can purchase (and yes, you can use that dough too). I will be making these biscuits for other dishes I prepare as well…definitely a keeper!

A very special thank you to Daryl Wood Gerber for providing an autographed copy of GRILLING THE SUBJECT! (U.S. residents only.) Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Thursday, August 4, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Barbecue Muffins

From Katie: These aren’t really muffins. They’re biscuits stuffed with goodness, but because they’re baked in muffin pans, and that kind of cooking is all the rage, I decided to call them muffins. They are hearty enough for a meal. Enjoy! By the way, you can go the simple route and use Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits in the can, or you can make the biscuits from scratch. I have included a gluten-free substitution as well.

Makes 10 muffins

Ingredients

Muffins

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute 2-1/2 cups gluten-free flour mixed with 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Filling

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup (4 ounces) cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Muffins (or use Pillsbury refrigerated biscuit dough)

In a pastry blender, mix the flour (or gluten-free substitution), baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like the size of peas.

Now add the milk and cider vinegar. The mixture will quickly form a dough.

Remove the dough and divide into 10 equal portions.

Set out a piece of parchment paper and, using a rolling pin, flatten each dough portion into a 5-inch circle. Note: I like to fold the parchment over the dough so it won’t stick to the rolling pin.

OR: roll the dough out and cut with round cookie cutters. Extra large cutters for regular muffin tins and medium-small for mini-muffins.

(If you are using Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits, pull them apart into 10 portions.)

Press each portion into a greased muffin cup, pressing down on the bottom and up the sides to form a “cup” and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Filling

In a skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is no longer pink, stirring it and breaking it up into little chunks as it cooks.

When done, drain and pat with paper towels to remove the excess fat.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and chili powder.

Add the mixture to the cooked beef and mix well.

Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, divide the mixture among the dough-lined muffin cups.

Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons shredded cheese.

Bake for 13 to 18 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese lightly browned.

From Katie, a postscript:
By the way, I made a major mistake when I first created the biscuit portion of this recipe. I incorrectly made the milk mixture 1-3/4 cups. Oops! Well, guess what? The mixture started to really rise, and since i don’t like to throw things away, I spooned the dough into popover cups just to see how they would turn out, filling the cups halfway. Ta-da! Perfect “popover” biscuits! I baked them at 400 degrees (F) for 15 minutes. They cam out incredibly flaky. Yield: 6 to 10 biscuits.

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Monarch Muffins

GONE WITH THE WOOL, by Betty Hechtman, is the fourth book in her Yarn Retreat Mystery series but the first one I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Since I began writing my blog I’ve mostly gravitated towards culinary cozies. Even though I don’t knit or crochet (I tried when I was in my early teens but didn’t have the patience to sit still), I was drawn to the cover art and title of GONE WITH THE WOOL. I was even more delighted when I found Betty includes a recipe along with her knitting and crochet patterns at the back of her book.

Synopsis

Casey Feldstein inherited a Cadbury by the Sea house and yarn retreat business after her aunt was killed in a hit and run accident. She moved from Chicago to claim her inheritance but her parents, both doctors, are unhappy with her underachieving life, as they see it. But Casey seems to be settling into Cadbury by the Sea and has organized another yarn retreat centered around the town’s Monarch Butterfly Celebration along with baking goodies for several of the town’s businesses. Things are going well until she has a run-in with three-time Butterfly Queen winner turned judge and town busybody, Rosalie Hardcastle.

Rosalie tells the town that Casey’s muffins made some of the star football players sick, resulting in the team losing their homecoming game. The town takes their football extremely serious and they stop buying Casey’s baked goods, putting her livelihood in jeopardy. Then Rosalie disqualifies Casey’s almost boyfriend’s younger sister, Chloe, from the Butterfly Queen competition. Not long after, Rosalie is found stabbed to death during the Blessing of the Butterflies service and fingers point towards Casey and Chloe. The Lieutenant in charge of the investigation is determined that one of them is guilty so Casey starts asking questions, looking for the real killer so she can clear their names. As she delves into the townspeople’s secrets she finds numerous others had reasons to want Rosalie dead and she must figure it out before the celebration ends or the murderer might just fly away.

My Review

GONE WITH THE WOOL has an underlying subplot involving the town’s founding family that has me intrigued and wanting to read from the beginning of the series. This fourth book is still easily read as a standalone and I had no problems getting to know the characters and how they related. The mystery flowed with plenty of suspects that kept me guessing (wrongly!) until the end. I enjoyed the bits and pieces about the Monarch butterflies wintering in Cadbury by the Sea, which never detracted from the pace. And even though I am not a knitter, the knitting scenes held charm and didn’t overwhelm the story. It was fun to know that Casey isn’t a knitter either…but she’s trying to learn. Fortunately, Casey has a good support system around her to help with both her knitting and her yarn retreats when she’s busy chasing down killers. The scenes with Casey’s ex-boyfriend and his overbearing parents provided humor and had me laughing out loud, which added to the enjoyment of the book. GONE WITH THE WOOL is a wonderful read and I look forward to catching up on the series and reading the next installment!

If you are a knitter and/or a crocheter, you’ll enjoy the projects included with the book. While Casey is a beginner at knitting she is an accomplished baker. Betty includes a Monarch Muffin recipe that Casey created to celebrate the Monarch Butterfly Festival. These moist pumpkin muffins are sweetened with brown sugar and flavored with cinnamon. Crunchy, rich walnuts add texture while optional pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top carry the pumpkin theme. Thank you, Betty, for allowing me to share these delicious breakfast treats!

A very special thank you to Betty Hechtman for providing an autographed copy of GONE WITH THE WOOL! (U.S. residents only.) Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Friday, July 29, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Monarch Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free double acting baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
3/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup melted salted butter
1/4 cup spiced (or plain) pumpkin seeds (optional)