Thank you to Denise for inviting me here today. As
you can probably tell, I love culinary themed mysteries. I’m a huge fan of
desserts, especially cookies, so what’s better than writing about them? My main
character Sally Muccio runs a novelty cookie shop in Western New York. She and
her best friend Josie bake several varieties, one being the fudgy delight.
Upstate New Yorkers know these cookies by a different name though—fudge
fancies. They are a delicious sugar cookie topped with rich chocolate fudge
frosting and were the signature cookie of the Vanilla Bean Bakery, which closed
its doors about 10 years ago. The cookies still live on, though. Other bakeries
in my area sell them with some varieties being better than others (and believe
me, I’ve tried them all!) I’ve asked repeatedly for the recipe and always been
turned down. So, with the help of my friend Amy, I created my own version and think
they taste just as good as the original.
FUDGY DELIGHT COOKIES
For the Vanilla Cookie:
Ingredients:
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets
with parchment paper. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and
salt, and whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine
the butter and sugar, and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and
fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after
each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With
the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until
incorporated and evenly mixed. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop out the dough into
the size of a golf ball, or use a 2-tablespoon scoop for them. Flatten the ball
slightly, to about half-inch thickness, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.
Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake. The edges should
be no more than very lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for several
minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes between 3 and 4
dozen cookies, depending on size.
For the Fudge Frosting:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup baking cocoa
1 cup milk
½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a 3-quart saucepan mix granulated sugar and cocoa. Stir in
milk, butter, corn syrup, and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil
3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract
with spoon until smooth. Fudge will be runny. Cool in the fridge for a few
hours until firm and then frost. There will be enough fudge to frost at least 4
dozen cookies.
CRUMBLED TO PIECES
In need of some quick dough, full-time baker and
sometime sleuth Sally Muccio decides to rent the vacant apartment over the
bakery to a friend of her grandmother’s. Allegra Fiato is nothing like Sal’s
darling Grandma Rosa, though. She’s mean, dishonest, and harboring a deadly
secret.
When the elderly woman is mowed down in a hit and run, it quickly becomes obvious this was no accident. Grandma Rosa asks for Sal’s help to find the killer, which involves a last minute trip to Vegas crashed by Sal’s crazy parents, stolen fortune cookies, and a mysterious missing locket. To add more spice to the mix, a loved one makes a startling admission to Sal that shocks her to the very core. Suddenly, Sal’s world is in danger of crumbling around her. Can she put the pieces back together in time before the killer makes her the next victim?
When the elderly woman is mowed down in a hit and run, it quickly becomes obvious this was no accident. Grandma Rosa asks for Sal’s help to find the killer, which involves a last minute trip to Vegas crashed by Sal’s crazy parents, stolen fortune cookies, and a mysterious missing locket. To add more spice to the mix, a loved one makes a startling admission to Sal that shocks her to the very core. Suddenly, Sal’s world is in danger of crumbling around her. Can she put the pieces back together in time before the killer makes her the next victim?
*Recipes Included!*
Or start the series with the first book, Tastes Like
Murder, which is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time! http://amzn.to/2zVeQyq
Get the Cookies & Chance short story, Formals,
Fortune Cookies & Fraud for free when you sign up for Catherine’s
newsletter: http://catherinebruns.net/newsletter_bruns/newsletter.html
GIVEAWAY
Leave a comment and tell me what’s your favorite
cookie. One person will receive winner’s choice: A signed copy of any book in
the Cookies & Chance series and one of my measuring spoons. (Please note that
if you want Crumbled to Pieces it will not arrive until approximately the first
week of October.) An ebook copy will be provided if the winner is located
outside the U.S.
Other places to find Catherine:
Author Page - https://bit.ly/2nkm0HN
Twitter - @writesmystery
Instagram - instagram.com/catherinebrunsauthor
--Catherine
Bruns is the USA Today best selling author of the Cookies & Chance
mysteries. She also writes the Carrie Jorgenson culinary books set in Hawaii
and the Cindy York real estate mysteries. Her new series, the Italian Chef
Mysteries, releases from Sourcebooks in Summer 2019. Catherine lives in Upstate
New York with an all-male household that includes her very patient husband,
three sons and several spoiled pets. In her spare time, she loves to read, bake
and attend theater performances. She has a B.A. in English and is a former
newspaper reporter and press release writer.
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