S'mores Ice Cream Cake #recipe #giveaway Kim Davis

 

KIM DAVIS: Summer seems to call for desserts that cool you off, although there's something nostalgic about roasting marshmallows over a bonfire and making s'mores with family and friends. Growing up we always had homemade ice cream so I thought it would be fun to combine the two desserts and thus I set to work to create a S'mores Ice Cream Cake. 

First off, I knew I didn't want to take the time to make homemade ice cream. That special treat is best eaten all on it's own (at least in my opinion), but if you have the time, by all means use your favorite ice cream recipes. Also, it was right around Father's Day that I got to work on creating this recipe so I wanted to make it dairy-free so my husband could indulge. Thankfully, there are a lot of great dairy-free ice creams on the market now that are every bit as good as regular ice cream (okay, almost as good, lol). I couldn't find plain vanilla or plain chocolate dairy-free ice cream, so ended up with "extras" mixed in. It definitely added some extra texture and flavor and everyone enjoyed it. 

Next I didn't want to have to toast individual marshmallows for the topping and found that jarred marshmallow fluff toasts just fine. If you don't have a kitchen torch, no worries, the untoasted fluff tastes yummy! And while everyone raved over this sweet treat, I was happy that I could make it a few days in advance, even toasting it and returning to the freezer on the serving platter until ready to serve. 

Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out how to enter for a chance to win a copy of
Framed and Frosted! Contest is open to everyone.

S’mores Ice Cream Cake

 

Ingredients
 
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (plus additional 1/3 cup for garnishing if desired)
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or substitute with dairy-free margarine)
1 pint chocolate-based ice cream, slightly softened (or substitute with dairy-free ice cream)
1 pint vanilla-based ice cream, slightly softened (or substitute with dairy-free ice cream)
1/4 cup chocolate fudge syrup
1 jar marshmallow fluff

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang (or sling) to help remove the ice cream cake for serving.

Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to the prepared baking sheet and stir to combine.

Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and stir. 

Spread the crumbs evenly over the parchment paper and bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crumbs are golden brown. Immediately remove the pan from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow the crumbs to cool completely.

1) Press 1 cup of the cooled graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the loaf pan. 

2) Top with the chocolate ice cream, spreading it in an even layer. 

3) Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the ice cream. 

4) Top with the vanilla ice cream. 

5) Spread the chocolate fudge syrup evenly over the top. Place the filled loaf pan in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight before topping with marshmallow fluff.

Use the parchment overhang to remove the ice cream cake from the loaf pan. Working quickly, remove the parchment paper and place the ice cream cake on a serving platter. Scatter extra graham cracker crumbs on the platter if desired. 

Swirl the marshmallow fluff over the top of the ice cream cake. 

Using a kitchen blowtorch, toast the marshmallow fluff. Keep a close watch since it can quickly burn. 

Slice the cake and serve immediately. If you want to make the ice cream cake ahead of time, once you toast the marshmallow fluff, return the cake to the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and cover loosely with plastic wrap, then return to the freezer. Once ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to soften before slicing and serving. 

Note

An oven broiler won’t work to toast the fluff since the ice cream will melt too quickly. It will still taste delicious without toasting the fluff if you don’t have a blowtorch.

 💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

I'm celebrating my new release today!

While this isn't a cozy mystery, I'm celebrating the release today for my middle grade fantasy book, The Secret of Cherry Hill Orchard, the second book in The Board Game Chronicles! Suitable for ages 7 to 11. If you have kids or grandkids who needs to do some reading over the summer, please check it out. It's free on Kindle Unlimited, and ebook and print versions available on Amazon. Print is available on Barnes and Noble as well.

What it's about: 

Eleven-year-old Amber Addison is supposed to be in charge. But babysitting her little sister, Ava, and Ava’s cranky best friend, Harper, is hard enough before a board game magically comes to life. One minute, the girls are playing Cherry Hill Orchard. The next, a tiny cherry token swells to an impossible size, scoops them up, spins them silly, and drops them into a real orchard bursting with ripe cherries and plenty of trouble.

There, a family of enormous talking cats begs for their help. Sneaky dogs are stealing the harvest and trying to drive the cats from their home. The cats promise to lead Amber, Ava, and Harper to their queen, who may know how to send them back, but only if the girls can save the orchard first.

To get home, Amber will have to outsmart the dogs, keep her sister safe, and figure out whether Harper is really as impossible as she seems. Because in Cherry Hill Orchard, friendship may be the best magic of all.

A fun recipe is included

Purchase print, ebook, or read for free on Kindle Unlimited: HERE

Purchase Barnes & Noble print: HERE

Books available at most online retailers

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Apple

 

Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder* Essentials of Death

 

About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

Click here to sign up here for Kim’s newsletter: Newsletter

Connect with Kim: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Bluesky, Bookbub, Goodreads, TikTok, and website

 

G I V E A W A Y   T I M E !!!

I'm giving away a copy of Framed and Frosted!

Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win a copy of Framed and Frosted. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Print is limited to US residents and all others will receive an ebook copy.)

Readers, do you have a favorite summer dessert you make every year?

Guest Peggy Ehrhart #Giveaway #Recipe Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Butter

Peg Cochran: I am thrilled to welcome Peggy Ehrhart as our guest today on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.  The first book in her new series, The Quilt Whisperer Investigates, will be out in September and I can't wait to get my copy of what sounds like a charming cozy read! 

 Please give her a warm welcome.

•  
   

  

  
  

  In September The Quilt Whisperer Investigates, featuring museum curator and quilter, Caroline Platte, will launch my new cozy mystery series. The series takes place in the charming (invented) town of Banburyport, Massachusetts, where the locals gather every morning at Farrow Square Coffee for gossip, cappuccino, and treats from the bakery case. Among the treats described and eaten in The Quilt Whisperer Investigates are Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Butter.

 

 

 

 

Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Butter

 

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

For the muffins:

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup milk

4 tbsp. butter

1 Granny Smith apple

For the cinnamon butter:

4 oz. butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Insert paper liners into the cups of your muffin tin. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. 

 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. 

   

Melt the butter

   

Core, peel, and chop the apple.

 

Add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and then the diced apple.

 

Transfer the batter to your muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full. A large spoon and a rubber spatula make it easier to control the amount that goes into each cup.

   

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

   

To make the cinnamon butter, blend butter, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. A rubber spatula can be helpful.

   

Serve muffins warm with cinnamon butter for spreading.

Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor with a doctorate in Medieval Literature.  

Her Maxx Maxwell mysteries, Sweet Man Is Gone (2008) and Got No Friend Anyhow (2011), were published by Five Star/Gale/Cengage and feature a blues-singer sleuth.

More recently, Peggy has written the Knit & Nibble mysteries for Kensington Books. Book #12, Last Wool and Testament, was released in May, 2025; An Eggy Way to Die appeared in Kensington’s 2026 Easter novella anthology, Easter Egg Murder. In September Peggy will be launching a new cozy series with The Quilt Whisperer Investigates, also from Kensington. 

Peggy herself is an avid crafter, dating from her childhood as a member of the 4-H Club in rural Southern California. She now lives in Leonia, New Jersey.

Visit Peggy at www.PeggyEhrhart.com

   

“Solid character development, a well-crafted plot with history and art pointing the way, and a heartwarming side-story make this a satisfying and enjoyable read.”—FirstClue

“The kickoff to a new series perfect for readers who love crafts and history.”--Kirkus

 GIVEAWAY!

Because The Quilt Whisperer Investigates won’t be out until September, I’m giving away a copy of Book #12 from my Knit & Nibble series, featuring Pamela Paterson, founder and mainstay of the Arborville, New Jersey, knitting club, nicknamed Knit and Nibble.

   

Craft cozies are very popular now. What crafts do you most enjoy featured in craft cozy series? Are there any crafts that you feel are under-represented?  

Leave your comment to be entered to win! 

 

 

 

Simple, Classic Lemonade #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

Back in the 80s, when my children were small, we came up with a recipe for lemonade and wrote it down in a little spiral notebook my mom gave us. The notebook’s cover has a picture of a hungry goat’s face. Inside, the goat is taking a bite out of each page. The page with the recipe has seen better days, not because of goats, but because we’ve had the notebook open to that page for the forty years we’ve been making that lemonade (and keeping track of the notebook). It’s lemonade so delicious that even a goat might like a frosty glass.

 

Simple, Classic Lemonade

Serves 8 to 10

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the directions. 

Ingredients

1 cup sugar (white or brown)

1 1/2 cups lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

6 1/2 cups water

Ice (optional)

Directions

Put the sugar and Lemon juice in a glass or plastic pitcher or bottle. Stir or shake until the sugar dissolves. Add the water and stir or shake again. Chill or sever immediately over ice. 

 

🍋 click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe🍋

 

 

Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

Happy reading! 

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.