Sunday, March 20, 2011

Welcome, Guest Author Ellery Adams



A Southern Dessert to Die For!

By Ellery Adams

It is impossible to set a novel in the South without mentioning food in every chapter. I love food! I love its colors, scents, taste, and texture and back when I first began writing A Killer Plot, I knew that by making my heroine the owner of a five-star restaurant, I could describe food to my heart’s content.

In A Deadly Cliché, the second installment in the Books By the Bay mysteries, Olivia considers expanding her epicurean interests by purchasing an old warehouse down by the docks and transforming it into a seafood eatery. Can’t you just picture it? Folks dining al fresco as they gaze out over the tranquil harbor, the starlight reflecting in the calm water and live bluegrass music skimming over the waves like low-flying shorebirds.

The best part about this minor plot addition is that I get to invent an entire menu for the Bayside Crab House. And what’s a boisterous, casual southern eatery without an incredible dessert assortment? So allow me to give you a sneak peak into Olivia’s next investment by providing the recipe for the Bayside Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie.

After you’ve baked these pies (the recipe makes two), why not share the extra treat with a friend? In A Deadly Cliché, Olivia is learning exactly what friendship means. Armed with this powerful weapon, she can survive a major hurricane, thieves, murderers, blackmail, and the possibility that her father—lost at sea over thirty years ago—might still be alive.

Bayside Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

2 (9 inch) pie shells

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup salted butter

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F




2. In a medium saucepancombine sugar, corn syrup, and butter or margarine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.


3. In a large bowl blend eggs, bourbon, and vanilla. Mix well.
Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shells (I use Pillsbury ready-made shells for this pie, but if you’d like to make your own, I recommend this recipe.]





4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes,
or until you spot a lovely golden bark.





Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea.

Her latest release (March 1st) is A Deadly Cliché: A Books By the Bay Mystery. While walking her poodle, Olivia Limoges discovers a dead body buried in the sand. Could it be connected to the bizarre burglaries plaguing Oyster Bay, North Carolina? At every crime scene, the thieves set up odd tableaus: a stick of butter with a knife through it, dolls with silver spoons in their mouths, a deck of cards with a missing queen. Olivia realizes each setup represents a cliché. And who better to decode the cliché clues than her Bayside Book Writers group?”

22 comments:

  1. I'm reading A Deadly Cliche now and am going to print out this recipe to try soon. Now what is this about a pie shop series coming? when?
    Caryn in St.Louis

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  2. I gave up chocolate for Lent. So, I'll have to try this out for Easter

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  3. Okay, this is to die for. How appropriate! Thanks for sharing it, Ellery. I can't wait to try it.

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  4. Ooh... wonderful, Ellery! So tempting I want to gobble the page. I just love Olivia and have A DEADLY CLICHE in my TBR pile... I need to carve out time to read one of these days! I'm suffering withdrawal. Love this recipe, but mostly I love your books!

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  5. How clever of you to give Olivia such a wonderful restaurant! These pies sound great, Ellery. Love using chocolate chips, so easy!

    ~ Krista

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  6. Looking forward to reading more about Olivia's new venture in the next book!

    Great recipe...and so few calories, I'll bet.

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  7. The recipe looks really good. I'm copying it and sending it over to my daughter the baker. She's the one who normally makes the pecan pies for consumption by the family.

    I'm also looking forward to book 3 with baited breath.

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  8. Annette, you gave up chocolate for Lent. Oh, my, what willpower.

    Ellery, love this recipe. I adore pies. You are a girl after my heart!

    ~Avery
    AveryAames.com

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  9. I love this recipe and am really looking forward to Olivia's new restaurant and, of course, to her newest mystery to solve.

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  10. Wonderful recipe and congrats on your new BOOKS BY THE BAY mystery. Sounds like Olivia is running a fantastic place to eat--and solve a puzzling crime or two. :)

    Have a great Sunday, Ellery!
    ~ Cleo

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  11. Ellery glad to see you over here at the kitchen. I loved Olivia and have the new book in my TBR list. This recipe is great thanks for sharing with us. See you over at Cozy Chicks.

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  12. Wow, what a turnout this morning. Pie does the trick! Caryn, Cozy in Texas, Erika, Nora, Babs, and Harbinger (as well as all the gals of MLK), welcome. So glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe and Ellery's books! [I'm pretty sure this morning is family time in the "Adams" family. tee-hee Couldn't wait to write that. Just need that extra D.]

    Enjoy the day.
    ~Avery AveryAames.com

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  13. Hi, all, it turns out Ellery had her move date moved up so she's up to her eyeballs in packing (I learned from a pal). I'm sure she'll check in later today. I know we all understand packing and kids and moving and...

    ~Avery

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  14. I should have added a disclaimer about the amount of calories in this pie, but this is the kind of dessert you should go ahead and eat before the meal. I believe most of my characters would be in favor of eating dessert first. After all, you never know when it will be their last meal!

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  15. I forgot to add how much I enjoy this blog - the food, the books, and the photographs - too wonderful!

    Thanks for having me!

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  16. Caryn,

    The first pie book, Pies and Prejudice, will debut June 2012. Meanwhile I've gained 10 pounds cooking and sampling far too many pies!

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  17. Ellery, I'm a huge fan of "backwards" dinners. That's what I told my son we were having whenever we went for ice cream in the afternoon. He's still a fan of the idea, as am I. :)

    Love the title Pies and Prejudice. Clever!

    ~Avery

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  18. This sounds absolutely amazing, Ellery! Can't wait to try it! :)

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  19. Nice to see you here, Ellery! That pie--oh, my-- has my name all over it!

    Can't wait to try your recipe and also read the latest Olivia!

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  20. If I were going to have one last bite of pie before dying, this would be the one bite I would want. Great recipe, Ellery, and great idea for a new series. Can't wait!

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  21. They look really delicious! Thanks for sharing.

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