Please Welcome Elizabeth J. Duncan #Giveaway

Today we welcome guest author Elizabeth J. Duncan back to the Mystery Lover’s Kitchen. The author of two series: the Penny Brannigan mysteries set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills, Elizabeth is a two-time winner of the Bloody Words Award for Canada’s best light mystery.

The paperback edition of Ill Met by Murder (Catskills #2) will be released October 10, and the hardback edition of Much Ado About Murder (Catskills #3) on November 7.

The Shakespeare in the Catskills series is published by Crooked Lane Books.

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Nothing says autumn in upstate New York like apples. So when Paula Van Dusen, chairman of the board of directors of the Catskills Shakespeare Theater Company, decides to give a dinner party to welcome two new British members to the troupe, an apple pie accompanied by artisan cheddar cheese and freshly churned vanilla ice cream is on the menu. After all, what’s more American than apple pie? Unfortunately, one of the guests is found dead the next morning, but that had nothing to do with the delicious dinner prepared by Paula’s kitchen staff! It was all just Much Ado About Murder!

However, if unlike Paula, you have no help, and no time to bake an apple pie, why not try this delicious quick bread that summons up all the flavours of apple pie without the bother? A perfect accompaniment to a cup of morning coffee or afternoon tea.

Apple and cinnamon quick bread

Ingredients

2/3 cup brown sugar, divided

½ tablespoon cinnamon

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter softened, or margarine suitable for baking

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup milk or buttermilk

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp melted butter

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray an 8x4 loaf pan.

Combine 1/3 cup of brown sugar with cinnamon in small bowl and set aside.

Cream white sugar, remaining brown sugar, and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla.

Stir together flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour. Do not over mix.

Pour half of batter into pan, sprinkle with half the chopped apples and half the remaining cinnamon mixture.

Stir the remaining apples into remaining batter and pour into pan. Top with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake approx. 40 minutes. Brush topping with melted butter. Continue baking an additional five to 10 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to rack to finish cooling.

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Cream white sugar, remaining brown sugar, and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla.

Pour half of batter into pan, sprinkle with half the chopped apples and half the
remaining cinnamon mixture.

Stir the remaining apples into remaining batter and pour into pan.
Top with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

To win a paperback copy of Ill Met by Murder, or an ARC of Much Ado About Murder (publisher’s choice) simply leave a comment below. USA only. 

Connect with Elizabeth on Twitter @elizabethduncan, on Facebook http.//www.facebook/elizabethjduncan or visit her website www.elizabethjduncan.com You can sign up on the author page to receive a brief newsletter