Laura is the national bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, and the brand new Tobi Tobias Mysteries. She also pens the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries (under the pen name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey). She is a former Agatha Award nominee, and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, baking, and being an advocate for those living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Laura is offering a giveaway below! Don't miss it!
Take it away, Laura!
*
One of the best parts of writing The Emergency Dessert Squad
Mysteries, is the opportunity it affords for research—specifically baking research. And let me tell you,
after a day spent coming up with names for the emergency-themed desserts
mentioned in each book, I can’t keep myself away from my measuring spoons and
mixing bowls.
Of course all this “research” may be why the numbers on the
scale keep creeping up, but hey, anything for my readers…
In honor of Tuesday’s release of The Silence of the Flans (book # 2 in the series), I solicited my
daughter’s help to make a batch of the Black-And-Blue Cookies my protagonist,
Winnie Johnson, might deliver to someone who has suffered a fall or been banged
up in an accident of some kind.
And let me just say, after seeing everyone’s reaction to
their first bite of this cookie, Winnie has quite a hit on her hands.
Black-And-Blue
Cookies
Cookie ingredients:
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsalted butter
(softened)
½ cup sugar
1 egg
To Make the Cookie:
Cookies:
1)
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in
bowl.
2)
In second, smaller
bowl, mix vanilla and buttermilk.
3)
In still another
bowl, beat butter and sugar together until combined well. Add egg and beat
until blended.
4)
Slowly beat in
flour and buttermilk mixtures a little at a time, alternating between each one
until all has been added. Mix until smooth.
5)
In ¼ cup serving
sizes, spoon batter onto baking sheet lines with parchment paper.
6)
Bake in 350
degree preheated oven for 15 minutes (tops will be golden and springy).
7)
Allow cookies to
cool completely before frosting.
Blue frosting ingredients/directions:
3 1/3 cups confectioners’
sugar
3 Tablespoons light corn
syrup
3 Tablespoons hot water
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
A drop (or to desired color)
of blue food coloring
1)
In bowl, whisk
confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, and hot water together.
2)
Add in vanilla
and mix.
3)
Add blue food
coloring.
4)
Spread blue icing
over one-half of each cookie.
5)
Set aside.
Chocolate frosting ingredients/directions:
2 2/3 cups confectioners’
sugar
3 Tablespoons light corn
syrup
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water
¾ cup semisweet chocolate
chips, melted.
1)
In bowl, combine
confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and hot water. Stir until smooth.
2)
Melt chocolate
(in microwave or in double boiler—watch carefully to avoid burning)
3)
Add melted chocolate
to mixture and stir well.
4)
Spread on
remaining half of each cookie.
5)
Let icing set (at
least 30 minutes)
***
The Silence of the Flans is the second delectable
Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery from the national bestselling author of Éclair
and Present Danger.
Baker Winnie Johnson does her best work when the heat is on. As owner of the
Emergency Dessert Squad, she has a deft touch in the kitchen and a soft spot
for lost causes. So when her business professor beau, Jay Morgan, expresses
misgivings over having to fail one of his fourth-year students, Winnie cooks up
a sweet solution.
She’ll offer an extra credit opportunity in exchange for a little help with her
growing business. But when her protégé’s first dessert delivery poisons a
student journalist, the publicity threatens to burn Winnie’s business to a
crisp. Now the entrepreneur-turned-detective must uncover the ingredients
behind a recipe for murder before she crumbles under pressure...
Giveaway
I am giving away a copy of The Silence of the Flans plus a fun Emergency Dessert Squad hot pad to one lucky commenter. Tell me if you have a soft spot for lost causes or...do you have a cute "emergency-themed" name for a treat? Remember to leave your email so I can contact you if you win!
***
To learn more about Laura, visit her website: www.laurabradford.com, or hang out with her on Facebook. She can also be found occasionally
tweeting at: @Bradfordauthor.
I help out at a homeless shelter serving food and helping make it. My soft spot is the homeless.I'm new and your book sounds really good to me.I'm going to look for your book!thanks for the chance to win the second one.donamaekutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Donamae! I think it's great you help at a homeless shelter!
Delete~Laura Bradford
I help out at a homeless shelter serving food and helping make it. My soft spot is the homeless.I'm new and your book sounds really good to me.I'm going to look for your book!thanks for the chance to win the second one.donamaekutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI hope my comment went through!donamaekutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI hope my comment went through!donamaekutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Laura! Love the recipe and I definitely am grateful for this giveaway opportunity. My "emergency-themed" name for a treat is Company's Coming Cookies. I made a mean batch of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies (if I do say so myself) and it's so quick and easy to prepare, that it's perfect for those times when unexpected company is heading over and I want to still have a nice treat to present to my guests, even when working against the clock (I consider this to be a hostess emergency, haha). EMS591@aol.com
ReplyDeleteA hostess emergency, indeed!! Sounds yummy!
Delete~Laura Bradford
I don't have any emergency treats that I make. Now I feel the need to come up with something though. Lol. As for lost causes, I'm hopeless and have a hard time letting go when I know I really should. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteAwilcox1182@gmail.com
Yup, that knowing when to let go is a tough line. Thanks for stopping by today!
Delete~Laura Bradford
Lost causes - I've been known to have a few.
ReplyDeletekckendler at gmail dot com
Me, too!
Delete~Laura Bradford
How about a batch of Bad News Brownies? A woman needs her chocolate in these situations. Or some Adversity Apple Dumplings. I am too stubborn to give up on lost causes.
ReplyDeleteLove Bad News Brownies!!
Delete~Laura Bradford
My emergency treat is usually frozen strudel. I usually keep a couple on hand. If I have a days notice then I volunteer my boyfriend to bake a cake.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net