Welcome guest author Melissa Bourbon + #giveaway

A Berry Good Blueberry Scone, courtesy of Devil’s Brew Café

Murder in Devil’s Cove

 

Hello, hello! I hope y’all are hungry, because I’m talking blueberry scones today. I don’t know about you, but scones are one of those baked goods that never fails to entice me. Buttery. Layered. Sweetened with fresh berries. A little clotted cream on a good day.

 

Yum.

 

I’ve written several mystery series, and in each of them, food is pretty prominent. The Bread Shop Mysteries center around Yeast of Eden, an artisan bread shop.

 

My newest series, the Book Magic Mysteries, doesn’t have a food theme. It’s all about books and bibliomancy. Pippin Lane Hawthorne has the gift (or curse) of bibliomancy and has to use it to solve a decades old crime.

 

I spent quite a bit of time mapping out the island village of Devil’s Cove (see the map on my website: https://linktr.ee/MB_Books) and in the process, I created The Open Door Bookshop, and right next door (actually connected through an inner archway) is Devil’s Brew Café, Ruby Monroe, owner-operator.

Everything Ruby makes is divine.

 

Ginger cookies? Anytime, anywhere.

 

Crumb cake? Delicious cake with an inch of crumb. Seriously crumby.

 

And, of course, her absolutely delectable Berry Scones, which happens to be one of her gluten free offerings. Ruby knows people have all kinds of food restrictions and she aims to accommodate as much as she can. She also prides herself on making gluten free baked goods that appeal to everyone, gluten free or not.

 

I love these most with blueberries, but any berry will work.

 

So, without further ado, here is Ruby’s recipe from Devil’s Brew Café. Enjoy!

 

Melissa

 

 

RUBY’S GLUTEN FREE BERRY SCONES

 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend (I usually use Pamela’s GF flour, or Cup 4 Cup)

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 Tablespoons sugar

6 T butter

1 cup fresh or frozen berries of your choice. Blueberries are Ruby’s favorite.

1 cup milk, plus 1 Tablespoon, if needed (oat milk works too)

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Zest from one lemon (optional)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

 

1. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

 

2. Cut butter into small chunks. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into the flour mixture.

 

3. Add the milk and lightly mix together until just blended. Add more milk if needed. If you are including the lemon juice and zest, add now.

 

4. Stir in berries.

 

5. Flour the counter and turn out dough. Gently press into a rectangle shape about 1/2 thick.

 

6. Divide rectangle in half. Divide each have into triangular quarters. You will have 8 equal triangles. Place on prepared baking sheet.

 

7. Brush each triangle with milk and sprinkle liberally with large granular or regular sugar.

 

8. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

 

 

 GIVEAWAY

 

 I'm giving away a printed map of Devil's Cove (large 6x9 postcard) 

and a $5 Amazon gift card--enough to buy the book--to one commenter. 

Do you have a cafe or local hangout that you enjoy visiting?

Remember to leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

*

Melissa Bourbon is the national bestselling author of more than twenty mystery books, including the brand new collaborative Book Magic mysteries, the Lola Cruz Mysteries, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, and the Bread Shop Mysteries, written as Winnie Archer. She is a California native who has lived in Texas and Colorado, now calls the southeast home. She hikes, practices yoga, cooks, and is slowly but surely discovering all the great restaurants in the Carolinas. Since four of her five amazing kids are living their lives, scattered throughout the country, her dogs, Bean, the pug, and Dobby, the chug, keep her company while she writes. Melissa lives in North Carolina with her educator husband, Carlos, and their youngest son. She is beyond fortunate to be living the life of her dreams.

You can find out more about Melissa here:

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBourbonWinnieArcherBooks/
Book Warriors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookWarriors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissabourbonbooks/