Molly MacRae: Congratulations, readers! Not only does Elizabeth have a delicious recipe for you today, she’s also going to tell you about her brand new book in her brand new series. Spoiler alert – I read an early copy of Chapter and Curse and I loved it!
Thank you again to the wonderful authors of Mystery Lover’s Kitchen for including me as a guest!
Chapter and Curse,
first in my new Cambridge Bookshop Series, is set in England, which means
including British food, especially baked goods to enjoy with all that tea. A
bakeshop called Tea and Crumpets is located across the cobblestone lane from
Thomas Marlowe – Manuscripts & Folios, which is very convenient for my main
character, Molly Kimball.
Food seems to be an ongoing theme
in my mysteries, although they are not culinary. I had a reader tell me that
she climbed out of bed to grab a snack while reading Chapter and Curse. That’s
quite an endorsement of my description skills, right? Anyway, after learning
about butterfly cakes, I felt compelled to not only mention them but to make
them. They are absolutely scrumptious—and a good project with children.
Butterfly Cakes
Makes six good-sized cakes in a
muffin tin. Use liner papers and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
For the cakes:
Add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. A stand mixer with paddle or hand mixer can be used.
1 stick butter, softened
½ sugar
¾ all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla (or other
extract)
2 eggs
Spoon batter into paper cup liners in cupcake pan. Bake for about twenty minutes, until lightly browned.
Let cupcakes cool in pan for a few minutes then take them out and continue cooling.
Mix the following ingredients
with a spoon or mixer to make 1 cup of frosting.
3 tablespoons softened butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup of powdered sugar
If frosting is too sticky, add a
little more powdered sugar.
Making the butterflies:
Take a small, sharp knife and
cut out the center of the cupcakes, going down about an inch or so. Fill the
center with frosting (or lemon curd or whipped cream). Cut the removed piece in
half and arrange like butterfly wings. Sift a dusting of powdered sugar over
the cakes.
Enjoy with a cup of tea or other beverage while reading.
Molly: These look great, Elizabeth! I’ll definitely
be making them with the grandchildren. Thanks for stopping by today.
Chapter and
Curse comes out September 28th! It’s available wherever
books are sold.
About Elizabeth Penney
Elizabeth is the author of the
Apron Shop Series and the Cambridge Bookshop Series. She spent her early years
in England and France but now lives in New Hampshire, where she pens mysteries
and tries to grow things.
Congratulations on the new series, Elizabeth. These cakes look yummy!
ReplyDeleteThank you! They are very tasty.
DeleteWelcome Elizabeth, the new series sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Lucy!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Elizabeth! Congrats on the new series and the cakes look delicioius!
ReplyDeleteThank you! They are.
DeleteWhat a fun, but simple, embellishment.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard about them I had to include them in my book--and make them.
DeleteWelcome Elizabeth! I will have to find or order your new book! It looks fun! Yummy looking cakes!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you enjoy.
DeleteThanks for being our guest today, Elizabeth, and thanks for this fun recipe. Congratulations on the book coming out on Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteThanks again, Molly!
DeleteThese cakes look as delightful as the new series sounds. Congrats, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteThank you! They're really good.
DeleteI pre-ordered Chapter and Curse as soon as soon as it was available for pre-order so I'm really looking forward to getting it. It has everything I love in a cozy! Thank you for sharing the recipe for Butterfly Cakes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pre-order! Much appreciated.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThese look yummy and the book sounds delightful!
ReplyDeletethese look wonderful thanks for sharing. The book looks good too.
ReplyDelete