Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Jam Pinwheels #bookgiveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  At last, a recipe using puff pastry that actually uses the whole box, and doesn’t leave you with one sheet to lose in the freezer. (Those sheets do freeze nicely, but they don’t fit well in zippered bags, and they get lost behind other goodies far too easily!)

While I’m stroking some pet peeves, may I tee off for a moment on recipes that don’t give you a list of ingredients up front, but make you pick them out of the instructions? I realize magazines often do that to save space and create a cute layout, but how often do you miss an ingredient?

And let’s not even talk about recipes that say “scoop” without saying how much, or bake until golden brown, without giving you an idea how long that might take.

This recipe makes 18 pinwheels, which may tempt you to use just one sheet of puff pastry and make nine. Except that it calls for 8 ounces of cream cheese, which comes in 8 and 3 ounce packages. Sigh. So make eighteen and share. Or have a party.

Use any jam or jelly you like. I used unsweetened apricot jam from a friend’s orchard in half the pinwheels; Mr. Right was skeptical, but the cream cheese mixture was sweet enough to make it yummy. On the other half, we used local huckleberry preserves, and are still drooling. (We are huckleberry hounds.) You'll see that a few will spring apart, despite your best efforts to pinch the pastry together. Eat those first. (On close inspection of the nameless magazine where I found the original recipe, I see that a few of theirs sprung open, too. So there.)

Now that I’ve fixed the flaws in this recipe, I can tell you these pinwheels are yummy, easy, and pretty. What more can a girl ask for? (Diamonds, a convertible, a spot on the NY Times bestseller list? A personal chef? Take your pick!)

To celebrate the release on October 4 of KILLING THYME, the 3d Seattle Spice Shop Mystery, I’m giving away TWO signed copies of the 2d installment, GUILTY AS CINNAMON. Leave a comment below to enter. 





Congratulations to Peg Cochran on today's release of NO FARM, NO FOUL, first in the Farmer's Daughter series, and Cleo Coyle, on the paperback release of DEAD TO THE LAST DROP, the fifteenth Coffeehouse Mystery!   






Jam Pinwheels

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
about 6 tablespoons jam or jelly
1 egg, lightly beaten



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out the puff pastry. Cut each sheet into 9 squares, cutting down the fold lines and then across. Cut 1" slits in from each corner, leaving the center of the square intact. Place squares on baking sheets, lightly sprayed or lined with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.



Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.


Scoop about 1 tablespoon into the center of each pastry square. Make an indent in the cream cheese, with a spoon dipped in flour. Top with 1 teaspoon jam or jelly. Fold the 4 corners into the center and tug on them slightly to pinch them together. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.





Bake 12-15 minutes, until puffy and golden brown.

Enjoy!


Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of GUILTY AS CINNAMON, the 2d book in the Seattle Spice Shop Mysteries. TWO winners will be chosen on Thurs, Sept 8. 

From the cover of KILLING THYME. coming October 4 and available for pre-order now: 

At Seattle Spice in the Pike Place Market, owner Pepper Reece is savoring her business success, but soon finds her plans disrupted by a killer…

Pepper Reece’s to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she’s got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a dash of fun. 

While browsing in the artists’ stalls, Pepper and Lena drool over stunning pottery made by a Market newcomer. But when Lena recognizes the potter, Bonnie Clay, as an old friend who disappeared years ago, the afternoon turns sour. To Pepper’s surprise, Bonnie seems intimately connected to her family’s past. When Bonnie is murdered only days later, Pepper is determined to uncover the truth. 

But when Pepper roots out long-buried secrets, will she be digging her own grave?


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.

Swing by my website  and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebookwhere I often share news of new books and giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

54 comments:

  1. I would love to win love making pinwheels!!!! They aren't hard to fix!!!!

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  2. I would love to win love making pinwheels!!!! They aren't hard to fix!!!!

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  3. This recipe sounds soooo good I am going to have to make some mama2bulls@gmail.com

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  4. The recipe sounds delicious! Donamaekutska7@gmail.com I really want to read that book!

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  5. Sounds delicious! Thank you for listing the ingredients! I would love to win a copy!
    angelhwk68@yahoo.com

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  6. And I discovered this morning that they keep well. Overnight, anyway -- I'm away from home for a couple of days, and I don't expect to find any left when I get back!

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  7. Love the recipe and would LOVE book. Want to get the rest of the series. Thanks for a chance to win. ninaatmyhouse@yahoo.com

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  8. Love the recipe and would LOVE book. Want to get the rest of the series. Thanks for a chance to win. ninaatmyhouse@yahoo.com

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  9. I've never tried using puff pastry but it looks so yummy and these look so easy! Maybe one last hurrah before school starts!?! Thanks for the chance to win too.
    Awilcox1182@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Amanda, puff pastry is easy to use! Pepperidge Farm makes a box with two sheets, and includes other yummy recipes on the box. Cheese twists, spinach rollups, baked stuffed brie -- all easy and yummy!

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  10. Jam Pinwheels with coffee...oh, what a delightful treat. Thank you for hosting a great giveaway, too.
    kat8762@aol.com

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  11. I am so making these for the next potluck, I might even give proper credit for them. Yum!

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  12. I am so making these for the next potluck, I might even give proper credit for them. Yum!

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  13. The book and pinwheel recipe sound fabulous! EMS591@aol.com

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  14. They look delicious and I appreciate using all of the puff pastry! :) Thanks for the chance to win!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. Thanks for the giveaway and thanks for the detailed instructions and pictures. I find it really helps to be able to visualize the steps. Can't wait to make these. Sure to be a hit!

    Bec
    Rlewis11797 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  16. Oh, thank you for this wonderful recipe and yes, I would love to win a copy of the 2nd Spice Shop mystery. Thank you for the chance!

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  17. Lovely recipe, Leslie! I love recipes with puff pastry and will try this soon. I appreciated the tips too.

    Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Hugs,
    MJ/VA

    Hugs. MJ

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  18. Thanks for this great giveaway and delectable recipe. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. Wonderful recipe. So enticing. Many thanks for the giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  20. I'm going to try that pinwheel recipe! I'd also love to win a book.

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  21. Good to see so many puff pastry fans -- and Spice Shop Mystery fans, too!

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  22. Those pinwheels look like they are hard to make---but the recipe sounds so easy! Thanks for the contest.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. So I should rename this recipe "Fool your friends pinwheels"!

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  23. A pot of tea, a plate of these pinwheels, and your book to read.
    Heaven'!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  24. Great review thank you
    Penney penneyw(at)sbcglobal.net

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  25. Love the spice shop mysteries. Not only is the story line great, I enjoy learning about spices too! dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

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  26. I agree with you about recipes that are vague. They drive me crazy. But, then I just pass them up. I don't have the patience to figure them out. Your pinwheels look/sound delicious. I think I'd prefer the huckleberry ones. Thanks for the recipe and the chance to win a book, too. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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    1. I know what you mean -- I usually skip those, too. But these just drew me, for some reason, and I'm glad they did!

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  27. recipe looks good. Thanks for the opportunity.

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  28. Sounds like a fun book! Parkeremma2003 at yahoo dot com

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  29. Book and recipe both look really good. The pinwheels are right up my daughter and son's alley. Think I will do them this weekend. Thanks for the recipe and a chance at the book. Della at deepotter@peoplepc.com

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  30. Oh my goodness. This looks absolutely wonderful. What a delightful read this book must be. scoobyvicki57@gmail.com

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  31. Thanks for the book giveaway and the recipe. The only thing better than making them is eating them and winning. vernagass@gmail.com

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  32. Looking forward to the new release. And the pinwheels look great, maybe I can talk my granddaughter into making them. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie@gmail.com

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    1. Oh, funny -- what's better than having a grandmother who bakes? A grand DAUGHTER who bakes!

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  33. Looks like an easy recipe.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  34. These look so much better than cronuts! I would love to win a copy of Guilty as Cinnamon -- thanks so much for the giveaway! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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  35. The pinwheels look yummy!! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of your book. chettysmom@yahoo.com

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  36. The recipe looks fabulous and so does the giveaway. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. elainehroberson@gmail.com

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  37. So nice to hear from so many of you -- I expect to hear about lots of puff pastry pinwheel experiments this next weekend!

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  38. I can't wait to try and make these. I think I might make a chocolate filling for them, yum. utaker555@gmail.com

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    1. That would be pretty wonderful, although you'll need to keep it solid enough that it doesn't drizzle all over the place!

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  39. These look delish! Thanks for the chance to win :)
    zukeeper.geo@yahoo.com

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  40. Great recipe. I have never worked with puff pastry, but maybe I will try with this recipe. Thanks for the great giveaway.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  41. Anything made with puff pastry is great, isn't it? It is one of my favorite quick pastries to bake. How wonderful it would be to be the lucky one chosen for a copy of Guilty As Cinnamon. I really enjoyed your previous spice shop book and want to congratulate you on this release. Thank you for the recipe. Cynthia B
    ceblain(AT)tmlponline(DOT)net

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  42. Who doesn't love dessert! =) I'll have to try this recipe too. I received your book yesterday, thank you again.

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  43. What could be better than sitting down with a good mystery, a cup of hot coffee or tea, and delicious pinwheels.

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  44. Oh, yum! I've never used puff pastry - is it too late to try at 75?? Love your books.

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

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  45. Waiting to hear back from the winners before making the announcement...

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  46. thank you for the chance to win recipe looks delicious debbiesherwood50@gmail.com

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