Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake, gluten-free, from author @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl aka Avery:

As a girl, I ate at Blum’s Café with my grandmother and sisters. It was our day out, buying party dresses and then going for “tea.” The restaurant was pink and situated in the Stanford Shopping Center back when there were just a few shops and not a hard-to-navigate oversized mall! Man, is it big now!

I remember how good this cake was, and I made it years ago with a recipe passed on to me by my grandmother, but that recipe has vanished! Oh, my.  So I browsed the Internet looking for the recipe when I stumbled on a Martha Stewart recipe.

Now, I didn’t make her cake. She made a bundt cake and I promise you, the Blum’s cake was not a bundt cake. It was layered. I recall 4 layers. I decided for 2 layers, and if I'd had more time, I would have made the cake itself from scratch.

Instead, I used a gluten-free Betty Crocker yellow cake mix. 

The magic is in the whipped cream frosting and the candy that pops in your mouth.

So here are those recipes. So easy!

Make the candy first. It has to cool for 30 minutes, and you'll have lots left over for snacking.

Coffee Crunch Candy

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ cup strong brewed coffee (I used espresso)

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon baking soda, sifted

Directions:

Line a 15 x 9 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, coffee, and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil.  Cook over medium heat to just below the hard-crack stage (310 degrees on a candy thermometer.) NOTE: I put this mixture into too large a pot and had to hold the candy thermometer, so do use only a 4-quart saucepan! This takes about 10-12 minutes to get to 310 degrees. (I stirred often.)

Remove from heat for 10 seconds and then sprinkle the baking soda evenly over the sugar syrup.  Whisk until combined. This will foam up and turn light brown.  Pour immediately onto the parchment paper and spread out so it’s bubbly-flat.

In thirty minutes, tap the candy with a wooden spoon to crack into small bits.

COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¼ cup strong brewed coffee (I used espresso)

3 tablespoons refined sugar

In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Do NOT overwhip or it’ll turn into butter.  Add coffee and sugar and beaet to combine. Use immediately.

[I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE! 

BUT YOU ALL KNOW WHAT WHIPPED CREAM LOOKS LIKE!]

TO CONSTRUCT CAKE

I made one 8” layer (per gluten-free mix instructions) and sliced the yellow cake in half.  I believe a regular mix using regular flower would yield 2 8”-inch rounds.

Mound half the whipped cream on the lower half (leaving an inch from the edge).  Top with the other cake and frost with the rest of the frosting, on top only.  Now mound about half of the candy on top.

If desired, you can put candy in the interior, as well. I think it would be delicious. I reserved some of the candy. I’m now going to try to make Blum’s Coffee Crunch ice cream. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

IF I WERE TO MAKE THIS AGAIN,
I WOULD ADD CANDY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAKE, TOO. THERE'S PLENTY.

This recipe would make darling cupcakes. Make the white or yellow cake. Top with whipped cream and coffee crunch. Perfect for a tea.

Savor the mystery!

Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames

Tasty ~ Zesty ~ Dangerous!

*

Friend Daryl and Avery on Facebook

Follow Daryl on Twitter

Follow Avery on Twitter

Follow both of us on Pinterest

Plus check out my website.

GRILLING THE SUBJECT, the 5th Cookbook Nook Mystery, is out!

The Wild West Extravaganza has come to Crystal Cove.

Click here to order.

FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE, the 7th Cheese Shop Mystery is out!

Finally there's going to be a cheese festival in Providence!

Click to order.

GIRL ON THE RUN, a stand-alone suspense is out!

When a fairytale fantasy night becomes a nightmare, 

Chessa Paxton must run for her life...but will the truth set her free? 

Click to order

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Bowls

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: We love squash—summer squash like zucchini, crookneck, and patty pan, or the heartier winter squash like acorn, butternut, and kabocha. Spaghetti squash may be our very favorite, a winter squash named for its strand-like flesh. Roast a cut winter squash, serve with butter, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of Parmesan for a simple, yummy side dish. Of course, they make fabulous soups, like this Gingered Pumpkin Apple Soup I shared a year ago.

But squash play well with others, too. This recipe combines veggies, beans, and cheese, making it a complete protein for vegetarians. It's also gluten-free. The combination is terrifically pretty. The cilantro-averse—you know who you are—can substitute parsley without losing the color.

The outer skins that allow winter squash to store well can be tricky to cut. The original source for this recipe—which I have changed quite a bit—suggests microwaving the squash for 5 minutes to soften it, but I have not tried that.

We ate one bowl each—one half of the squash, stuffed—as our dinner, but each half could be cut in half again and served with chicken as a side dish.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Bowls

1 large spaghetti squash
olive or vegetable oil
½ chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1-2 jalapenos, cored and sliced (optional)
1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (if frozen, place in a colander and rinse with hot water to defrost)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper
½ cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet or baking dish with foil.

Wash the squash and slice off the stem at the top. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and loose pulp with a spoon. Oil the cut edges of each half and place, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Roast about 45 minutes, until the inside of the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion 3-5 minutes, until softened, and add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and tomato. Saute lightly, 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the beans, corn, cilantro or parsley, cumin, salt and pepper, and mix well. Remove from heat.

When the squash is done cooking, allow it to cool for a few minutes before handling. Turn the oven to broil. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the spaghetti-like strands and add them to the vegetable mixture, being careful not to pierce the skin. Mix the strands into the vegetable mixture, then spoon into the squash bowls.

Divide the salsa between the bowls and sprinkle with the cheese. Broil about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

Serves 2-4.

From the cover of KILLING THYME (October 2016, in paperback, e-book, and audio---large print coming soon!): 

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. after Bonnie is murdered only days later, Pepper is determined to uncover the truth. 

But as 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 2015-16 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 Facebook, where I often share news of new books and giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

Pumpkin Banana Trifle

We like to eat bananas every day. But sometimes we forget. Recently, my mom handed me six beautiful bananas that she was ready to throw out. Okay, they weren't so beautiful. They had been in the fridge for a full week, so the peels were miserably discolored. But I did my very own test a few years ago to find out where to store bananas. The fridge won hands down. The peels look ucky, but the bananas inside lasted far longer than the ones stored at room temperature. 

I was not going to throw out those bananas! But how could I use them up? Now, if there's one thing my mother loves (our dear Lucy, too), it's whipped cream. So I combined some favorites and made sort of a cross between banana pudding and trifle.

I wanted to bring in flavors of the season and had pumpkin cake in mind, so I used Peg Cochran's recipe for a pumpkin roll. The cake part was exactly what I needed. The only thing I did differently was use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar on the towel when I turned it out of the pan. I made our favorite chocolate pudding, but you could easily use vanilla, or butterscotch if you prefer. Then all I needed was whipped cream and the bananas.

I'll admit I was working fast and didn't take quite as much time as I should have to make this pretty. Honestly, I didn't anticipate posting it here. But we all liked it so much that I decided to share it!

Pumpkin Cake
by Peg Cochran

3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Powdered sugar (I used granulated sugar)

Beat egg yolks for five minutes, gradually incorporating pumpkin and sugar.  Sift together dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture.
Line a jelly roll pan (10 x 15) with parchment paper.  I find it "sticks" better if you spray the pan with PAM even though that means you'll have to wash it.  I also spray the parchment paper with PAM which I guess makes me a "belt AND suspenders" type of person.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  It will be thin compared to a cake. That's how it's supposed to be.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes but check after about 12 minutes.  You don't want it to be too dry or it won't roll.  It should be "spongy."  

Sift powdered sugar all over a clean linen dish towel.  The sugar will prevent the cake from sticking.  Invert the cake onto the prepared dish towel (sometimes it helps to have a second pair of hands for this.) Peel off parchment paper. Let cool.

Chocolate Pudding

3 cups 2% milk
scant 3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup powdered chocolate
1/3 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 - 3 tablespoons butter

1. Pour the milk into the Pyrex measuring cup.

2. Combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in the pot. Whisk together and get rid of any lumps. Use the whisk like spoon, it’s just more efficient in breaking up the lumps.

3. Pour the cold milk into the pot and whisk until blended. (Note that you still haven't turned on the stove!)

4. Turn the burner to medium high and bring to a gentle boil, using the whisk as a spoon and stirring. You may need to turn down the heat when it begins to bubble. Cook so it gently bubbles, stirring with the whisk for one minute. It will thicken.

5. Remove from heat temporarily.

6. Break the egg into the same Pyrex cup and whisk with the small whisk (or a fork).

Drop a tiny amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg and whisk immediately to temper it. Add a little bit more and whisk. (This is so the egg won’t seize up and cook when it’s added to the warm liquid.)

7. Add the egg to the milk mixture and whisk in.

8. Bring to a gentle boil again and let cook for one minute, stirring the whole time.

9. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and the butter.

10. Cover with waxed paper while it cools so it won't form a skin.

11. Cool, but use in the trifle before fully set.


Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
scant 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the cream until it just begins to take shape. Add the powdered sugar and beat in. Add the vanilla and beat until it barely holds a shape and will still spread easily.

Assembly

5 - 6 bananas, sliced

Start with a layer of cake on the bottom. It doesn't have to be perfect. Top with a little pudding and lay banana slices on top. Add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat. It doesn't really matter what order they are in, but I ended with a layer of whipped cream, which I spread to the edges.

Like banana pudding, the banana slices won't be quite as bright white the next day or two, but it's still yummy!

Who hasn't read The Diva Wraps It Up?

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here and on Wednesday, I'll pick a winner!

Turkey-Dinner-in-a-Braid by guest author Ellen Byron #giveaway

We're delighted to welcome today's guest, Ellen Byron to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen . You may already know her from her exciting debut mystery, Planatation Shudders and its many award nominations. The second in the series, Body on the Bayou is now available. And, she has some exciting news about a giveaway. Read on...and welcome, Ellen! 

Tired of turning Thanksgiving leftovers into an endless parade of dry sandwiches? I know I am. That’s why I created a recipe that transforms all that stuffing and turkey bits  into a delicious dish. 

Because my series is called The Cajun Country Mysteries, I usually focus on Cajun and Creole recipes in my books. But as a public service to post-Turkey-Day kitchens everywhere, I made an exception and included the following recipe in Body on the Bayou, the second book in my series. 

Today I get to share it with the wonderful readers at mysterloverskitchen.com, and since the holidays are coming up, I’m also doing a very special, first-time-ever giveaway featuring a paperback edition of my first Cajun Country Mystery, Plantation Shudders, a hardcover edition of Body on the Bayou, and some really fun swag. Just be sure to post a comment before noon tomorrow to enter the draw. Happy happy, joy joy!

Ingredients:

2 crescent roll packages (or use the new crescent roll dough packages instead)

2 cups turkey chopped

1 cup chopped broccoli, peas, or string beans

1 cup diced potatoes (optional)

1 cup stuffing

2 teaspoons gravy

½ cup cranberry sauce

½ cup mayonnaise

1 egg white, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons French-fried onions (the kind you use in a green bean casserole)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the turkey, gravy, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce together in a medium bowl.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhand on each side. 

Open and unroll the crescent roll doughs one at a time. Arrange the first dough horizontally across the width of the pan toward the top, then place the second one below it, and seal them both together either with a rolling pin or clean fingers.

Cut the long sides of the dough into strips about 3” deep and 1 ½” wide. Important: you want to leave around 6” in the center for the filling, so adjust the strips accordingly.

Spoon the turkey mixture evenly over the middle section of dough. On top of the turkey, layer the stuffing, potatoes (if you choose to use them), and your green vegetable.

To braid the dough, lift the first two strips across from each other so that they meet in the center, twist each strip once, and then lay them both down on the filling. (You may have to pull or pinch the dough a bit to stretch it.) Continue to do this until you’ve twisted all the strips. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect. Tuck the ends of the braid up to seal it on both ends. Brush the braid with the egg white, and sprinkle with the French-fried onions. 

Bake 20-30 minutes, until a deep golden brown.

You can either serve it on the cookie tray, or lift up both sides of the parchment paper to gently move the braid onto a serving dish.

Serves 8-10.

Ellen's debut novel, Plantation Shudders, made the USA Today Bestsellers list, and was nominated for Agatha, Lefty, and Daphne awards. The second book in her Cajun Country Mystery Series, Body on the Bayou, offers “everything a cozy reader could want,” according to Publishers Weekly, while the Library Journal says, “Diane Mott ­Davidson and Lou Jane Temple fans will line up for this series.” A TV veteran, Ellen has written for many hit sitcoms, including Wings and Just Shoot Me.