Friday, September 25, 2020

Holly Cookies from MaddieDayAuthor plus #GIVEAWAY

 MADDIE: Christmas in September? Why not? Candy Slain Murder releases next Tuesday (squee!). You can tell by the title and the cover that this eighth Country Store Mystery is a holiday book. 


And it includes a recipe for holly cookies - that is, sugar cookies in a holly-leaf shape. Right about now the alert-eyed reader is squinting at these green cookies asking, "Is that what a holly leaf looks like?" Actually, Dear Reader, I didn't happen to have a holly-shaped cookie cutter. This fall leaf is as close as we're getting this week!

The recipe is in the book, of course. Here's the intro to it:

Abe's mother makes these yummy sugar cookies for Christmas. The recipe comes from the author's mother, Marilyn Muller, via her mother, Ruth Flaherty, bot of whom were talented and loving bakers.

I (the author) bake cut-out sugar cookies every Christmas, and I love continuing the tradition I learned at my mom's side. To celebrate the release of my 23rd mystery, most of which have included recipes, I'll send one commenter (US only) one of my extra-special author aprons and a few bookmarks.
 

Here's a little secret. I wanted to name this book Holly Cookie Homicide. My editor responded with, "What's a holly cookie?" Sigh. But I like Candy Slain Murder just as well.

Holly Cookies



Cream butter and sugar in mixer until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder, then stir in until mixed. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, wrap, and chill for at least half an hour.



Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out first disk to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a holly cookie cutter and place on cookie sheet at least a half inch apart. 



Save all scraps and chill.



When the sheet is full, sprinkle lightly with green sugars and bake for 5-7 minutes, watching for browning. Cool on brown paper. 




Repeat for the other disk and chilled scraps until all dough has been baked.



Enjoy with a cup of tea, a glass of milk, or a touch of Four Roses bourbon. (Note: Neither Ruth nor Marilyn would have partaken of the bourbon.)

Readers: What's your favorite holiday dessert?


My next book to release is Candy Slain Murder, the eighth Country Store mystery - also up for preorder. You guessed it, the story takes place at Christmas, with Robbie Jordan back in South Lick, Indiana. She digs into the mysterious skeleton of a woman who went missing a decade earlier, and then the woman's twin's murder happens nearly right in front of Robbie's eyes.


Isn't that a fun cover!

I hope you'll visit Edith Maxwell and me on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.





46 comments:

  1. Your books are great. My granddaughter is a Chef. Love to win the apron.

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  2. It is a great cover. Bright and festive!
    Favorite holiday dessert? Hmmm, that's a tough choice to be made! I'd have to choose my aunt's peppermint bark. She uses white chocolate, which I don't normally like, but is scrumptious with the crushed peppermint pieces. Yum!
    Thanks for everything you (and Edith😉) do for the readers. Love the books. Even got my mother reading them some can talk about them. Signed, Faithful Reader

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  3. I have simple tastes, and my favorite holiday dessert is a sugar cookie. I have tried many different cookie recipes over the years and of all the cookies I make, sugar cookies are my all time favorite.

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  4. I love the shape and cover of book

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  5. My favorite holiday dessert is the Buche de Noel.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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  6. Fondly remember making cut out cookies at Christmas from when I was a child. My brother and I would spend hours decorating them. Looking back I think how smart my Mom was to not only get the cookies decorated, but to keep me an my brother occupied and not arguing. :)

    Another favorite holiday dessert was my Mom's Three Day Coconut Cake. Now Mom's was completely homemade using the coconut that she cracked, peeled and shredded. In later years we adapted it for easier baking so we could have it more often. This is the recipe for that revised cake and yes you have to make it three days ahead of when you want to eat it.
    Three Day Coconut Cake

    Ingredients
    1 box of Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix
    3 pkgs of the fresh frozen coconut (freezer section at WalMart usually during holidays or Kroger year round) thawed
    8 ounces of sour cream
    2 cups sugar
    Directions
    Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
    Recipe calls for 3 layers – this gal now used the 9 X 13” pan and then just split the cooled cake into two layers.
    Cool 10 minutes and then cool on racks.
    While cake is baking make the icing.
    Mix the sour cream and sugar stirring until sugar dissolves – DO NOT BEAT.
    Then stir in the thawed coconut and place in refrigerator until ready to ice cake.
    When cake has cooled spread icing onto cake already on cake plate that has a sealed cover like Tupperware. Top with layer(s) and finish icing. Cover with lid, seal and place in refrigerator for a minimum of three day before eating. I check once a day and if any liquid comes off cake I spoon back to top of cake. If you do the sheet cake with two layers, you can also put first layer back in pan, put half the icing mixture, top with top layer and then top with remaining icing. Doing it this way you don’t need to check it daily. Just put in refrigerator and forget it for 3 days.

    After three days, you will never know there is sour cream in the icing and it’s the best moistest cake you will eat. It will just continue to get better. It will never dry out. The longer it sits the better it gets IF you can have it last long enough to find that out. It also freezes very well.

    Thank you for the chance! Can't wait for the opportunity to read "Candy Slain Murder". Congratulations on its upcoming release!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the recipe. I will have to give it a try. I LOVE coconut.

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  7. I can't believe they didn't know what a holly cookie is?!?
    kimheniadis at gmail dot com

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  8. What a great prize, with the holidays coming up!

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  9. Love the cover. Luckdragon04rn(at( aol(dot) com

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  10. Favorite holiday dessert is a shortbread cookie. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. Love your ‘leaf’ cookies! I can never get a good consistency for cookies so I usually don’t make them. But I do love them! And the book cover looks delicious too! Have a good weekend. Joliver284@yahoo.com.

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  12. You had me fooled with the leaf! Holly isn't hardy here, so what do I know. Super post! Hugs.

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  13. I love christmas cookies! Nothing beats a nice cookie tray for dessert during the holidays!

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  14. Sugar cookies are my favorite treat during Christmas. Thanks for sponsoring the giveaway! Carter.karen@gmail.com

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  15. My favorite holiday desserts are Peanut Blossom and cut out cookies. My hubby does all the baking and I know he’ll make these Holly cookies if I ask. 😋 I can’t wait to read this book!

    Meljprincess AT aol DOT com

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  16. love your books! i need to make these with my family beeghly1993 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  17. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love to bake cookies. This is one book I am looking forward to. I already pre-ordered it :D

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  18. My favorite holiday dessert is a mixed nut and candied cranberry tart.
    little lamb lst @ yahoo dot com

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  19. I love pecan pie or pumpkin is good too!
    laurie(dot)anismom2(at)gmail(dot)com

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  20. Sugar cookies and bourbon? You are my kind of "girl"!

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  21. Love the cover. I love pretzels covered in almond bark.

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  22. Love sugar cookies! Thanks for a chance to win! ljbonkoski@yahoo.com

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  23. Sugar cookies are my favorite holiday treat.

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  24. this is heaven ..................sugar cookies that look good and sound like thy will taste good from the ingredients. picture perfect hideyhide47@gmail.com

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    1. You are our winner! Please check your email, Rogee, and congratulations.

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    2. hi. never got your email in sept. of 20 and did not realize from the blog how to contact you. will be making the holly sugar cookies for sure. love butter cookies. truly. happy holidays..................rogee. hideyhide47@gmail.com

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    3. Rogee, you responded to my September email and I sent you the apron. I hope you received it.

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  25. My favorite holiday dessert is the Christmas cookies. I use my Mom's recipes, but I've never had any success making sugar cookies.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  26. I love someone who improvises with cookie cutters! mgshepherd2003@yahoo.ca

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  27. I forgot to mention: my favourite holiday treat is a mincemeat tart - followed by a piece of shortbread.

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  28. I like persimmon cookies. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  29. i love sugar cookies made with crushed peppermint!

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  30. Sugar cookies shaped in anything Christmas theme! Can't wait to start the holiday baking! Love the book cover. So pretty.

    jarjm1980@hotmail.com

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  31. We make sugar cookies all the time. At least once a month. I will certainly give this recipe a try. I am excited to read this book.

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  32. Cookies are my favorite. I used to make sugar cutout cookies every year when my sons were young. They usually helped with the first dozen and then I was on my own.

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  33. Oooh they sound tasty and who ever wins the giveaway will be doubly lucky (I am in the UK so out of the running ... drat it!)

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  34. My dad's gingerbread cookies are my favorite Christmas treat. He only makes them at Christmas time and each is big enough to be a meal in itself. One cookie and a big mug of hot chocolate and I'm in the Christmas spirit.

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  35. Hi Maddie/Edith: If someone else already commented I’m sorry I didn’t see the response.

    But do I get the “Proofreader Prize” today? In the recipe it calls for the “flower” not flour which I’m sure was an “auto correct” situation. I’m shocked I even saw it with my bad vision especially on my phone where I can’t enlarge print very much!

    My favorite cookies are a simple shortbread cookie that is a recipe I brought home from Sunday school in 1951 I think it was!

    Can’t wait to get your two latest books.

    Cynthia Blain

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    Replies
    1. You DO get the proofreader prize! I can't believe I didn't see that. At least it's not wrong in the book. ;^)

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  36. At Christmas I love either Red Velvet Cake Roll or Sugar Cookies. Last year was the FIRST year this 60+ year old grandmother attempted cut out Sugar Cookies - I did it with my grandchildren ages under 1 to 13. We had so much fun and the cookies turned out great! Thank you for the chance to win the apron - I would wear it proudly!

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  37. my sister's butter cookies
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  38. Rogee is our winner! Please check your email, Rogee, and congratulations.

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