
A very warm welcome to our old friend, Winnie Archer. What? You've never heard of her? Yes you have. Our buddy Melissa Bourbon is back with a new series about bread! The first book KNEADED TO DEATH comes out on February 28th!
Don't miss Winnie's giveaway. Details at the bottom of the post.
Mysteries are close to my heart. Okay, truthfully, books of any kind are close to my heart, but mysteries, in particular. The mystery can be large or small. It can be the central focus of the story, or play a supporting role. It really doesn’t matter to me the scope of the mystery elements, as long as it’s there in one way, shape, or form.
My love of mysteries started, like most young girls of a certain age--with Nancy Drew. From there I graduated straight to Agatha Christie. I have a distinct memory of going with my mom to our town’s library so she could check out the last Hercule Poirot novel, Curtain. She was crushed that it was to be Poirot’s last, and her love of these book intrigued me enough to start reading them.
I spent almost all of my high school lunches in one classroom or another reading.
Now, I should say that I’m a light-weight when it comes to the intensity of a mystery and I see a clear distinction between mystery and horror. Horror movies and books are not for me. I threw Silence of the Lambs across the room once or twice while reading it, and I covered my eyes during certain parts of Dexter.
But suspense and deduction, those things I love.
So, of course, as my passion for writing grew until it couldn’t be denied, it was no surprise that it manifested itself in the form of mysteries. I began with the Lola Cruz Mystery series. Then I wrote 2 romantic suspense novels, which, of course, have strong mystery elements in them. They’re based on Mexican legends and are still two of my favorites. My cozies came next and have been national bestsellers. A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series has six books in the series. Harlow Cassidy holds a special place in my heart.
But move over Harlow, Ivy Culpepper is in town. She’s the heroine of my new Bread Shop series. Kneaded to Death is the first book in the series and Ivy’s introduction to the world. Ivy’s 36, divorced, and now back in her hometown of Santa Sofia, California. Her mother died six months ago, she, her father, and brother are still grieving, and she’s reunited with Miguel Baptista, her high school love that broke her heart once upon a time. She meets Olaya Solis, owner of Yeast of Eden, and then Penelope Branford, her new octogenarian sidekick. All is good… until, of course, murder strikes.
Mystery, mystery, mystery. The characters. The communities. The crime. The puzzle. The deductions. The justice. All of makes for such a satisfying read. I can’t wait for Kneaded to Death and Ivy Culpepper to fall into the hands of cozy readers.
One of the best things about writing my new Bread Shop series is the bread! I get to experiment and the whole family gets to enjoy. It’s a win-win. One of my favorite new recipes is Gruyere and Black Pepper Popovers. They’re easy, quick, and SO tasty!
Enjoy!
Gruyère and Black Pepper Popovers (16)
Recipe inspired
By Jodi Elliott, owner and chef of Foreign & Domestic Food & Drink in Austin, Texas
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose
¾ cups Gruyère cheese, cut into small cubes.
Grated Gruyère cheese on top just after baking.
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 450 ̊ and place the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Place a dot of butter in the bottom of each muffin or popover cup and allow to heat in the oven while you make the popover batter.
2. Use a small saucepan to warm milk at medium heat. It should be hot, but do not bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and black pepper until smooth. Stir in the warm milk.
4. Add flour to the egg mixture. Combine. The batter should be the consistency of cream. A few lumps are okay!
5. Remove the muffin pans from the oven. Spray the pans generously with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about ⅓ cup of the batter into each of 16 muffin cups or into the popover pan. Place several cubes of cheese on top of the batter in each cup.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350. Bake the popovers until the tops puff up and are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remember, do not open the oven door while baking. You don’t want the popovers to collapse!
7. Turn onto a wire cooling rack right away to preserve the crispy edge of the popovers. Using a sharp knife, pierce the base of each popover to release the steam. Sprinkle grated Gruyère over finished popovers, if desired, and serve immediately.
Winnie Archer is the pen name for national bestselling author Melissa Bourbon. She is a middle school teacher by day, and a writer by night. She lives lives in an inspiring century old house in North Texas and loves being surrounded by real-life history. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.
Visit her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaBourbon.WinnieArcher/
Winnie is very kindly giving away a copy of KNEADED TO DEATH! Please leave a comment with your email address to enter. Good luck!
Great popovers recipe; and I definitely would love to read Kneaded To Death! EMS591@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThey are SO good!
DeleteI love making popovers!
ReplyDeletethe3beersus(at) yahoo(dot) com
Me, too. The gruyere and black pepper add something special. One is definitely not enough!
DeleteNancy Drew to Agatha Christie for me too and then the Mary Stewart books...like Thunder on the Right. Thank you for he Contest and I would love to read the book.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
I hope you like it when you read it!
DeleteLoved the post, and it's many features. Like quaint old buildings and their history. Started off with Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys. Mysteries and making bread. Nothing beats fresh from the oven bread slathered with real butter. New author to me and would so love to start getting to know her works with Kneaded to Death. Della at deepotter (at) peoplepc ((dot) com
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, banana bread straight from the oven slathered with butter? Yum. Now I know what I'm going to be doing today!
DeleteThe recipe and accompanying g photo look very enticing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity
mommy_to_zoe@hotmail.com
They both are! Hope you give them both a try :)
DeleteAll my girls are home bakers. The youngest bought the Bosch stand mixer with 16qt bowl just for her Challah baking. I keep telling her she can also use it to make me a big batch of pizza dough to freeze. LOL I'm looking forward to reading your new title and hope this is my lucky day.
ReplyDeleteNoraAdrienne (at) gmail (dot) com
Thank you, old friend!! I hope you like it :)
DeleteI would love to start a new to me author with a first in a series. Recipes always an added treat.
ReplyDeletejudytucker1947@gmail.com
The popovers are so good!
DeleteNice cover. I need to try this recipe. I know my husband would love it. pgenest57 at aol dot com
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, too! Very fun. And Agatha the pug is there :)
DeleteDebra.costello730@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra!
DeleteI love books with recipes in them too as an added bonus! vboudreau57@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteYes! I agree :)
DeleteKeep up the great work. I looked fwd to reading your book! Mollie iemercedez@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hope you love it!
DeleteI guess so many of us love mysteries because we read Nancy Drew books when we were kids.
ReplyDeleteI especially love those that have recipes. What fun! Read the story and cook something good.
I read every single Nancy Drew book, and then every single Agatha Christie novel. That was my childhood.
DeleteThis recipe sounds yummy. I will have to try it. I can't wait to read this new series.
ReplyDeletekpowers784@yahoo.com
Thank you, Katrina! Hope you love it.
DeleteWow, these sound fantastic, I have got try this. Congrats on your new release!
ReplyDeletemomzillasteel at gmail dot com
Thank you, Debbie! I think you'll love these popovers :)
DeleteI can't wait to try this recipe, big Fan of your books. Thanks for this generous chance & keep these mysteries coming. lindamay4852@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! I adore Ivy. I'm loving being in her world.
DeleteI am excited to try this recipe! I can't wait to start this series. Thanks for the chance :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lily!
DeleteDelectable recipe and wonderful giveaway. Nancy Drew novels were my favorites as well as Agatha Christie's later on. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWe had the same childhood with our reading!
DeleteSeries and recipe sound great. Would love to win. Thanks for chance. Janngrogan@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteBest of luck, Judy :)
DeleteMysteries are to die for. I'm excited for a new one. Magsmagnum@aol.com
ReplyDeleteHaha. Indeed.
DeleteI love mysteries especially old school ones which I grew up enjoying. Thanks for this lovely post and feature. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope this one meets your expectations :)
DeleteI would live to read one if your books. Would you believe I have never eaten or made a popover? I should remedy that situation.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should, Karen! They are my favorite bready treat. Light and eggy.
DeleteThanks for the recipe it sounds delicious! Your book sounds perfect for me! Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteedtercross7304atyahoodotcom
Food is always good!
DeleteI've been looking forward to this book for a while! Glad to see that it's finally coming out. :) There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread. Thanks for the popover recipe and the contest! 2boys4me (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you, Amanda! That's nice to hear. I hope you love it!
DeleteRecipe and book both sound delicious!
ReplyDeletekpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
Thank you, thank you!
DeleteLove murder mysteries. Think it stems back to my years in law enforcement.
ReplyDeletequickchangeus@yahoo.com
Diane Rivera
I have always loved them, too, although no connection to law enforcement!
DeleteI've never made popovers and I've never had one. A new experience. suefoster109 at net zero. net.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what you think!
DeleteI'm always looking for new series to read.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net
Hope this one is something you'll enjoy!
DeleteAlways looking forward to a great book �� to read my email is. Searspink1@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThank you Carla sears
Sears? That's my mother's family name! Are we related? :)
DeleteI've never made popovers, but those look great. Thanks for a chance to win a copy of your book.
ReplyDeleteThey are SO good! I hope you try them.
DeleteFresh bread and murder! I'm in!
ReplyDeleteRight?!
DeleteThis has been added to my TBD list and we will definitely be making this pop overs for dinner
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'd love to know what you think of the popovers!
DeleteLove the cover and love getting in on the "ground floor" of a series. jawdance@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's fun to be in at the start of something new :)
DeleteGreat popover recipe! I love making breads; it can be very 'zen.' My signature treat is orange/raspberry scones, but I had fun making my own bagels. When I was younger, I did everything by hand...rolls, sourdough bread, Muffins. Now, I enjoy my bread machine. It has some limitation, but still it helps to produce tasty carbohydrates. I so enjoy culinary themes in my cozy books...bread and mayhem? Sounds delicious!
ReplyDeletekat8762@aol.com
I so agree! Baking is a comfort thing for me, and bread (especially mastering gluten free, since that's our obstacle) is a challenge I love to conquer.
DeleteSo happy to see a new series by a favorite Author. Great recipe & thanks for the giveaway. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! You have made my day.
DeleteI have to try the popovers!thank you. mommatoodle at msn dot com
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think!
DeleteI do love popovers and was just wondering the other day if I should get a special popover pan. I'm glad to have this great recipe to try out if I do. Thanks for your giveaway -- I'd love to read Kneaded to Death! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteI think the popover pan helps (the tops do pop over!) but it's not essential. They work just great in a muffin pan.
DeleteI've never made popovers. Do you use a "normal" size muffin pan?
ReplyDeleteThese look soooo tempting.
patdupuy@yahoo.com
I do use an ordinary muffin pan, or if I'm doing a single batch I do have a popover pan. The popover pan is definitely not needed, however. They are GOOD!
DeleteI love popovers. Thank you for the recipe. Zeta(at)iwon(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMe, too! My absolute favorite bready thing.
DeleteI have never eaten a popover and am very curious now that I see that they are so easy to make. Will be giving your recipe a try in the near future.
ReplyDeletelittle lamb lst at yahoo dot com
They are SO easy to make. It's often a last minute thing for us to add to a dinner. The gruyere and pepper are special, but normally I do ordinary popovers. Would love to hear what you think of them!
Deleterecipes looks good..would love to read new series Kneaded to Death..thx. for chance..
ReplyDeletegreeneyes2755@yahoo.com
Best of luck to you!
DeleteI've never made popovers since I don't have a popover pan---but I think I'll try these in a muffin pan. Thanks for the recipe and the contest.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
You can definitely use a muffin pan! With a large family, I often make a double batch and use the muffin tins.
DeleteA great recipe and so many series to read, what could be better. Popovers are often overlooked. These look great. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletesallycootie@gmail.com
Popovers, the unsung hero of the bread world :) Happy reading!
DeleteLove the post and the recipe sounds good except that we aren;t fans of black pepper at all in fact i ordered a crispy chicken sandwich today at mcdonalds and all i could taste is black pepper. Anyway I would love to read a print copy of your book and post reviews once i am done on goodreads and amazon. ptclayton2@aol.com
ReplyDeleteYou can definitely omit the pepper! They're great without the cheese, too. Just plain old popovers are delicious.
DeleteLooking forward to reading your latest release.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe - love popovers.
jtcgc at yahoo dot com
Thank you! I hope you love it.
DeleteI'm always excited when a new mystery series comes out, especially when it has recipes. Looking forward to this one.
ReplyDeleteaut1063@gmail.com
Thank you, Autumn (love your name :). Hope you enjoy it!
DeleteThe popovers sound wonderful, as does the book. I'd love to read it.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
They are worth trying! Happy reading!
DeleteI think it's great that you can write new stories and also find time to create recipes! lclee59(at)centurylink(dot)net
ReplyDeleteI adapted this one from an Austin chef. Much easier than starting from scratch!
DeleteThis sounds like a neat series. Look forward to reading it. Thanks for the recipe and giveaway!
ReplyDeleteForgot to add email. mcastor07@gmail.com
DeleteI hope you enjoy the new series!
DeleteI would love to be the one chosen to receive this book. It sounds like a fascinating book and even better if there are recipes too. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you!
DeleteI really really want a popover now. And to read this book!
ReplyDeleteeswright18 at gmail dot com
Go forth and bake!
DeleteAnd read :)
I've never tried any popovers before. These look tasty.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com
You definitely should give them a try!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try this delicious recipe. It looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI love cozy mysteries and I'm always looking for new ones!! Jamuller312@gmail.com
Thank you! I hope you try both the recipe and the book!
DeleteI have never made popovers, but do have a popover pan. I am trying this recipe. Thanks! Pattie.tierney@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThere you go, you're destined to make them!
Delete"Kneaded to Death" sounds like a great start to a new series. I'm looking forward to reading. I used to make bread and popovers, maybe this will make me want to try baking bread again. The popover recipe looks fantastic!
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Dianne! I hope it does inspire you to bake again.
DeleteSounds like a great new series and a good recipe. Cmkeck311@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI can't wait to read this. I love the cover. The recipe sounds great.
ReplyDeletemoonbay7399@gmail.com
Thank you! I think the cover is fun, too.
DeleteThis recipe sounds amazing. And I have the book pre-ordered already. Thanks for the chance to get to know you better and to win. kayt18 (at) comcast (dot) net
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kay! I really appreciate that. :) I hope you try the popover recipe! I hope you enjoy the book.
DeletePopovers are the best!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to this series, inpart because I love bread and bread baking.
libbydodd at comcast dot net
If bread and baking bread are your things, I think this series might be one you like!
DeleteThank you so much, Mystery Women of MLK! I've loved being a part of your blog today :)
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about you introduction to mysteries. I also started with Nancy Drew but having an older brother, I also read the Hardy Boys. Then All the Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes I could get my hands on. Now another new series to add to my reading list. I can't wait to read Kneaded to Death.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Louise! I hope you love it.
DeleteI would love to read this series!
ReplyDeleteusersns8800@aol.com
Donna Caldwell
Happy reading!
DeleteI need to start cooking again and make some of these recipes. With it only being me, I eat out a lot. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeletemarlene(dot)ezell(at)gmail(dot)com
Make a batch and keep in the fridge. They're best fresh, but easily heated in the micro and, slathered with butter, they are still tasty!
DeleteI can't wait to read this! Thanks for the chance to win. Dnrocker at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Best of luck :) Hope you read regardless, though!
DeleteCan't wait for your series.....I have made Jodi's popovers before and they are fantastic! sharonquiltsatyahoodotcom
ReplyDeleteOh! That's awesome! Thank you for reading :)
DeleteI haven't made popovers for years! Yum!
ReplyDeleteFlorence.evans60@gmail.com
Definitely YUM!
DeleteThank you for the giveaway and these popovers. Am looking forward to this new series, and am glad you are back.
ReplyDeleteDebra Woloson daw655(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thank you, Debra!
DeleteThe book looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteElaineE246 at msn dot com
LOL, I think so!
DeleteLOL, I think so!
DeleteThank-you for the recipe and introducing a new author to me.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like the book, Kathleen!
DeleteSounds like a fun book and thanks for the recipe! parkeremma2003 at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteThis book looks and sounds like it's gonna be amazing, would love to win it, thank you for the chance! barbie17 (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeletei have never had the priviledge to read one of your books but it sounds so intriguing as i love a good cozy mystery and baking bread. will have to make these scrumptious looking popovers. good thing i have a popover pan! bookworm_ani (at) hotmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteLook very yummy, thanks! emmasmom69 AT gmail DOT com
ReplyDelete