Chicken with Honey and Molasses Sauce

LUCY BURDETTE: As you know by now, I'm on a desperate search for low-salt/sodium recipes that are TASTY! This chicken was originally found in Cooking Light and marketed as drumsticks for kids. I changed the drumsticks to thighs, eliminated the salt, upped the garlic and added scallions, and served it to adults. It's pretty sweet--next time I might cut back on the honey just a bit, and increase the mustard. (In fact, if you're worried about the sodium in the Dijon mustard, use Grey Poupon Savory Honey Mustard, only 5 mg of sodium per teaspoon!)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon or honey mustard 

1 tablespoon molasses

3 cloves of garlic, minced

handful of scallions, chopped 

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients. Saute the garlic and scallions in a skillet with the oil, then add the chicken thighs. Saute until brown on both sides.

Add honey mixture to pan, turning chicken to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken every 5 minutes.  

Take the cover off and raise the heat so the sauce reduces a bit. Serve with brown rice or noodles and a green vegetable. 

One nice thing about this recipe--it's not labor intensive, and you could make ahead and then warm it up. Meanwhile, you can head off to the New Year's Eve day dachshund parade! As Tonka and I love to do. Well, I love it, Tonka tolerates...this is me with my character, Steve Torrence. Yes, that's a giant hot dog on my head...

And how could you forget...

KILLER TAKEOUT is coming next April, but available for pre-order today!

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Easy cheese platter ideas from author @AveryAames

Featured: smoked Gouda, sharp white Cheddar,
and sharp orange Cheddar.

From Daryl aka Avery:

HAPPY ALMOST NEW YEAR!!!! Will you be partying? Going out of having people in? No matter what, you want easy, don't you? Think buffet. Think finger food. And say cheese!  [I'm in cheese mood right now. I've got a new Cheese Shop Mystery #7 FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE to be released in 4 weeks. Count 'em. 4!] So cheese is on my mind.

The ease of a cheese platter is something so wonderful. All it takes is your own creativity, a great plate, some good cheese.

Think variety when you're putting together a cheese platter. Variety of color (orange, white, yellow, red rims).  Variety of texture (creamy, hard, hole-y, gritty). Variety of shapes (round, square, triangles, cubes).

And then think what you want the accompaniment to be: sweet, savory, salty. 

There is NO right or wrong. 

If you have a cheese monger to go to, great. Ask her for advice. If you don't, go to the store and pick with your eyes. Choose what appeals to you. 

By the way, do not be a cheese snob. Let's face it, sometimes budget is an issue. There are some great Cheddars, Swiss, and Monterey Jack cheeses that are extremely reasonable in price. 

If you want to, add a label or two to your cheeses, but it's not necessary so long as you remember what they are. However, make sure, if you do have guests, that you taste the cheeses first so you can tell them what each cheese tastes like.  

And - this is just from me - remember to consider your gluten-free guests. They can probably eat the cheese, but not the crackers (unless you have gluten-free), so I like to keep them separate. (*see topmost photo)

If you have lactose-intolerant friends, do your best to have other choices for their snacks, but hard cheeses are usually "good" for an intolerant person, in limited amounts.

And get this, there are even vegan cheeses! I've not tried any (sorry to say) but I hear popular brands include: Cheezly, Daiya, Teese, and Tofutti. 

Whatever you do, enjoy. Have a glass of wine (or champagne or water, both of which go with all cheese) and savor the delight!!

Yes, that's chocolate paired with cheese!

Also, remember, you can always find other appetizers and platters I've shared on MLK on my website: APPETIZERS.

Savor the mystery and say cheese!

Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames

Tasty ~ Zesty ~ Dangerous!

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Check out our website.

FUDGING THE BOOKS, the 4th Cookbook Nook Mystery, is HERE!  Click to order.

New in February

FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE

Click to order.

Cranberry Baked Brie Puff Pastry Bites

Readers often ask us where we get the recipes for our books. The answer is "anywhere and everywhere," including, occasionally, Facebook. This one popped up in my news feed in early December, and it seemed to fit the flavors of the season. “Fun foods,” as Mr. Right and I call them.

And of course, a recipe is doubly appealing if I’ve already got all the ingredients on hand! It seems to have originated on a website called WellPlated.com Another variation is sauteed mushrooms and onions with herbs and cheese. More fun foods to come!

The original recipe called for 1-1/2" rounds, and I dutifully cut out the first few with a red plastic cookie cutter from my childhood baking set. (Isn’t that miniature rolling pin adorable? No, I did not use it!) We quickly realized that 2" rounds would work better. And you get two bites from each one! You can scrape up the dough trimmings into a ball and roll them out again, though you’ll probably only get one chance at that before the dough gets too hard to work.

The cranberry filling is very similar to cranberries you might cook for a turkey dinner, so this would be a great use for leftovers. We also think a fig or apricot jam would be super yummy!

These would be great with other fun foods for New Year’s Eve, or any festive occasion. Or tonight.

Cranberry Baked Brie Puff Pastry Bites

For the Cranberry Filling

1 cup fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Puff Pastry 

2 10x10-inch sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
4 ounces Brie cheese, cubed, including rind

Prepare the cranberry sauce: Combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the cranberries break down and thicken. Let cool.

Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, gently roll the pastry into an 12-inch square. Use a 2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut circles out of the pastry, leaving as little space as possible between each circle. (Each sheet will yield about 40 rounds.)

Beat the egg in a small bowl, then use a pastry brush to lightly brush egg on one side of each round. Scoop 1/4 teaspoon cranberry sauce on half the rounds, and add a small piece of Brie.

Top each cranberry-Brie round with a plain round, brushed egg side down. Carefully press to seal, then crimp the edges with a fork. Prick the top of each pastry with a fork to allow air to escape. Repeat with second pastry sheet.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pastry on the prepared sheet and brush lightly with egg. Bake for 18 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To freeze (optional): Assembled but unbaked puff pastry bites can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and frozen; omit the exterior egg wash. Once frozen, remove the bites from the baking sheet and place in an airtight bag. When you’re ready to bake the bites, brush egg wash on the tops. To bake, thaw in the refrigerator or bake from frozen. If baking frozen, add 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time. They won't be as puffy as if baked when made---the pastry will be more like pie crust---but they're still yummy. Pastry puffs may also be fully baked, then frozen, and warmed, briefly, by microwave.

Murder heats up Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the second  Spice Shop mystery from the national bestselling author of Assault and Pepper.


Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. The president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model and avid bird-watcher.

Connect with her on her website or on Facebook.

Broccoli Gratin

I was lucky to have two Christmas celebrations this year. We realized at the last minute that we had ignored veggies altogether for our celebration on Friday. So I needed a quick dish that was a little bit indulgent. I happened to have some very nice broccoli in the fridge and exactly one cup of leftover shredded sharp cheddar from some scones I had made.

When I found Food Network's Broccoli Gratin, I knew I had just the right thing. What I liked about this recipe is that the cheese doesn't have to be melted into the sauce. I switched it up a little bit, though. The original recipe calls for topping it with breadcrumbs cooked in butter. I was in a hurry, with a bunch of other dishes to prepare, so I mixed Panko with Parmesan instead. The Parmesan gave it a very salty flavor but it went over well. The baking time was a bit shorter than in the recipe for me, so keep an eye on that.

Bake it in a pretty oven to table dish and you have a healthy veggie, loaded with cheesiness.

Broccoli Gratin

from Food Network

1/4 cup unsalted butter + butter for greasing the dish
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
pinch of nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper
8 cups (roughly 4 heads) broccoli
1 cup shredded or grated sharp Cheddar
1/4 cup Panko
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Steam the broccoli. Preheat oven to 450. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the milk, salt, and nutmeg, whisk well and bring to a boil. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add pepper.

Pour the broccoli into the baking dish and sprinkle with half of the shredded cheddar. Pour the sauce over top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar. Mix the Panko with the Parmesan and sprinkle over top.

Bake 20 minutes or until it bubbles.

So good for us!

Easy white sauce.

1/2 of the cheese goes on the broccoli, then top with sauce.

Add remaining cheese.

Welcome Paige Shelton!

A very warm welcome to our friend, Paige Shelton. Paige is the author of the Farmer's Market Mysteries and the Country Cooking School Mysteries. She's kicking off 2016 with a brand new series - A Dangerous Type Mysteries!

Don't miss Paige's giveaway of a copy. Leave a comment with your email address to enter!

Thanks for letting me stop by today, Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! I love this site.

When I started thinking about a fun recipe to tie in with the release of the first Dangerous Type mystery, I remembered some cookies one of my bosses used to bring to work. She called them A to Z cookies. The idea is simple: a bunch of different ingredients are thrown together to create one delicious cookie. I’ve heard them called Kitchen Sink cookies too. Come to find out, they weren’t as simple as I thought.

I looked up my old boss, but at some point she moved and I couldn’t find her on Facebook. I set out to explore the great and wild Internet and found some interesting combinations. The first one I tried tasted so much like nutmeg that it felt more like a holiday cookie that just a cookie-cookie. The second one I tried was, despite all the ingredients, boring. Finally, I found something from Martha Stewart that I ended up liking. I make a few small changes to the original recipe, but Martha was unquestionably the inspiration for the following recipe.

 

A to Z Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups oats
¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup toffee bits (if you use the toffee bits mixed with chocolate, use fewer chocolate chips)
¾ cup chocolate chips (1/2 cup if you use the toffee bits with chocolate)
¾ cup dried cranberries or craisins.
¾ cup roughly chopped pecans
¾ cup broken salted pretzel sticks. I broke them each in about three parts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

Side note: I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer and I truly love it, I really do, but my hand mixer is my favorite by far. I think it’s because it’s what my grandmother and mother used. Feel free to use your stand mixer, but I used my hand one.

In a medium bowl cream together the butter and both sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended. Stir in vanilla.

In another medium bowl whisk together (I like whisking so much more than sifting) flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until well combined. Add the oats, coconut, toffee, chocolate, cranberries, pecans, and pretzels. Using a plastic spatula, stir and cut the ingredients together. Watch for gatherings of like ingredients and separate them. Martha says to use the mixer for this part, but I liked the plastic spatula better.

Using a big spoon or a 2-inch scoop, drop batter onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press tops down with your fingers to flatten a little bit. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Since there are so many ingredients in these, I like to make them a little bigger than your typical cookie. Also, watch so the edges they don’t get too brown. I found that the 10 minute mark is perfect for my oven because the butter flavor came through better when the edges were just a little brown.
Makes about 3 to 3 ½ dozen.

Good luck and happy eating and reading!

Paige

PAIGE SHELTON had a nomadic childhood as her father's job as a football coach took the family to seven different towns before she was even twelve years old. After college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, she moved to Salt Lake City where she thought she'd only stay a couple years, but she fell in love with the mountains and a great guy who became her husband. After many decades in Utah, she and her family recently moved to Arizona.

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win a copy of TO HELVETICA AND BACK!

Two two ingredient desserts for you!

AN EASY IDEA FROM VICTORIA ABBOTT aka Victoria and MJ Maffini

It’s here!  Our favorite day: Boxing Day, December 26^th, is an official holiday in Canada (unless you work in retail and then, you have our sympathy, because it’s like Black Friday).

We intend to relax, reflect, read and enjoy life.  We have a fridge full of food, chocolate gingerbread cake to enjoy, and people we love to spend time with.  We may go for a walk or we may stay and just veg.  We have company, so for sure everyone will feel like a sweet and refreshing treat.  The cooks are taking the day off, so here are our two two-ingredient recipes choices for instant desserts/snacks. These have both been tested on guests, so we feel confident. If you’re in a mood to take things easy, give yourself a break and whip up either one in seconds, then go back to relaxing!   Remember, you heard it here first.

 

Irish-Italian Pick Me Up

Okay you may prefer to call this what it is:  a scoop of your favorite gelato flavor with a splash of whiskey.  We used the Irish spelling because we chose Jameson.  We picked chocolate gelato with chocolate chips. It’s great with vanilla or cappuccino too.   We also tried  Kahlua and gelato.  We prefer the contrast of the sweet and the smoky zing of the whiskey.  However, the Kahlua was a hit with some.  

 

Scoop gelato into pretty glass or ramekin.  

 

Splash with a teaspoon or two of whiskey. 

 

 Or a teaspoon or two of Kahlua. You will be a hero.

You could also try this::

Greco-Canadian Surprise

This one knocked MJ’s socks off when her friend Kathy served it to a group of friends.  

Simply spoon Greek yogurt into a dish (about a half cup). Swirl two to three teaspoons of maple syrup on top to make an attractive pattern.  So simple, but the whole is MUCH greater than the sum of its parts.  We have become hooked on this.  You can see that we've run through a lot of maple syrup.  Of course, there's more in the cupboard.

Enjoy the desserts. Enjoy your day.  Put your feet up! 

 Rest, relax and read.  But leave room and time for a quick dessert.

We hope you enjoy the time between Christmas and New Year's. We hope you don't work too hard and that you have lots of great stuff to eat and wonderful cozy books to read. 

 

Hugs from Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini aka Victoria Abbott, author of THE BOOK COLLECTOR MYSTERIES.

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Merry Christmas from all of us at Mystery Lovers Kitchen!

What are your favorite all-time Christmas decorations?  

What foods are you enjoying this Christmas?

DARYL AKA AVERY: Personally I love my tree. That's the most important thing when it comes to decorations. All the rest matters, but I really love the tree. The lights. The scent. The memories that hang upon it. I also love my collection of David Frye Christmas "sculptures."  They're so playful.





And for dessert? I love a yule log (see my gluten-free yule log recipe here) and I love, love, love something cheesy - like a good cheese platter or a cheesecake.

* * * 

LUCY BURDETTE: My favorite Christmas decoration is the stocking my aunt knit for me when I was probably 4. Not sure you can tell, but Santa's beard is fuzzy:). (My childhood nickname was Bobbie. The other one I made for John when we were first married--not nearly as nice!)

As for what to serve, I'm throwing my hands up! We're having a big crowd and no one wants to spend a day in Key West cooking, so I'm making stuffed shells (red and green!), salad and good bread and lots of cookies.

Merry Christmas everyone!

* * *

SHEILA CONNOLLY: I have a lot of ornaments that have survived countless moves, kids' sticky fingers, dogs and cats, but some of my favorites my grandmother bought in New York City, at a florist shop on Park Avenue called Irene Hayes (now Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe LeMoult, founded in 1865 and yes, they're still in business, serving high-end customers!). The ornaments are opulent and still gorgeous, at more than a half-century old. Each year I bring them out reverently (as does my sister, since we shared the collection) and give them a place of honor on our tree.  Four generations!

Food? When I was growing up, for some reason that no one ever explained to me our traditional dessert was chocolate steamed pudding, which I presented on Mystery Lovers Kitchen all the way back in 2011. It has a wonderful flavor but it's still light, after a big Christmas dinner!

* * * 

PEG COCHRAN:  I have a lot of "favorite" ornaments! My late husband and I collected ornaments on our trips--from China, Bermuda, Portugal, Hong Kong, England, St. Thomas, etc.  I also have handmade ornaments from my late mother-in-law--a stuffed heart for each girl with "Baby's First Christmas" on the front and their birth date on the back.  One of my all-time favorites is actually one I bought myself--it's hand-crafted in copper by a local artist from Cape Cod and is a weather vane with a mermaid on top. It symbolizes all the wonderful vacations I've had there--one of my favorite places on earth.  Another favorite is a pair of Steuben crystal pine cones that were given to me to give to my girls by their godfather.  Steuben, and that great store on Fifth Avenue, are no longer sadly.  I will give these to my girls for their trees as soon as I can bear to part with them!

For dessert, we love Maida Hatter's Palm Beach Brownies!  Chocolate and peppermint--the perfect mix for Christmas.

* * *

KRISTA DAVIS

Favorite ornament? That's tough. I think I love them all! If I have to pick ones that I particularly cherish, they would be the Christmas items my mother embroidered. My favorite is the Santa advent calendar that hangs on the wall. It's always the first decoration that goes up. A piece of chocolate is tied to each of the dates. Not surprisingly, they have all been consumed in the photo!

Tablecloths and runners are up there with my favorites, too. I am blessed to still have my mom with me, but I cherish these beautiful items she made for me.

We'll be eating our traditional roast goose with German potato dumplings for dinner. It's a once a year treat for us. And it wouldn't be Christmas without our yule log!

 May your Christmas celebration be joyous, full of good food, good friends, and good times!

* * *

VICTORIA ABBOTT aka Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini

We love Christmas and decorating.  Things are a bit different every year.  We always want to incorporate MJ's Mum's silver tray (a wedding gift. We're trying it with candles and roses. 

The big hit this year was chocolate gingerbread cake!  We can't keep it in the house. It's a variation of our chocolate gingerbread loaf from MLK. But on December 26th we'll show you our two no-bake two-ingredient desserts that make life easy.








Because it's a such a dark time of year, we are thrilled with our amaryllis. Last year, they bloomed at the end of January.  This time we're lucky to have that Christmas color. 

We always have bit of fun with pine cones and old ornaments too. 

 No snow, so we're enjoying the greenery outside.

And of course, it's all about the dogs!

Much love to you and yours from the Maffini family!  

Eat, drink and enjoy!  XO  MJ and Victoria

* * *

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Ah, Elfie. He's been my favorite as long as I recall, on a tree full of favorites, and now Mr. Right adores him, too. My mother---who is 90 and no longer puts up a tree---gave me custody of him a few years ago. He's always been shy---no matter how carefully we put him on the tree, he would face backwards. Now that we hang him with a hook rather than using his string loop, we're a little more successful in getting Elfie to face out---but getting a decent picture was a challenge!

This is my first Christmas on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, and with a December release, I've been sharing recipes from the new book rather than family holiday favorites. But on Christmas morning, we'll be eating Omelet Muffins and Christmas Muffins, cranberry pumpkin, though they're already baked and waiting for us!

All the best to you and yours this festive season,
from Mystery Lovers' Kitchen! 

* * *

CLEO COYLE: Because my husband and I dearly love each other—and love telling stories together—we look for little mementos that reflect the themes of every book we write. Lately those mementos have been Christmas miniatures that end up under our little tree. Two of our favorites include the ones pictured…

This little Food Truck reminded us of the “Muffin Muse” Coffee Truck that our amateur sleuth bought for her  shop in our 11^th Coffeehouse Mystery (2012): A Brew to a Kill, possibly the first cozy to feature a food truck war! (Notice the little sign advertising Mocha Cupcakes—adorable.)

Okay, one more...

When Marc and I saw this little piano bar for sale in the Christmas Village display of our local Michael's store, we looked at each other and lunged for the very last one.

Why is this tiny piano bar so important to us? If you’ve read our latest mystery, then you know...

In Dead to the Last Drop, our amateur sleuth befriends a young jazz pianist who frequents the relaxed "Jazz Space" on the second floor of her new Washington coffeehouse. The young woman turns out to be the President's daughter, and the story progresses from there. That's why this miniature will always remind us of writing the book together. 

Just little mementos but they mean the world to us.

As for Christmas dinner, we're having a cozy, little Prime Rib, American-style au jus, and 30-Minute Dinner Rolls, exactly like the meal Clare makes for acting federal agent, Mike Quinn, in Dead to the Last Drop. You can find the recipes in the back of the book or click here to see the illustrated Recipe Guide.

Prime rib from Dead to the Last Drop.
Click here for the Recipe Guide.

May you eat with joy to the world! 

Love  and peace always ~ Cleo and Marc

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

From all of us at...

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen