Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark -- a release day treat #recipe from @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Merry Christmas and Ho-ho-ho! 

It's launch day for Peppermint Barked and I am tickled pink---or red-and-white stripes, to stick with the seasonal theme.

I'll admit, it's odd to be launching a Christmas book in the middle of summer, though there have been times here in NW Montana the last couple of months that the seasons have been pretty darned confusing.

And it was odd to write a Christmas book in summer, as I did with this book and with As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, the Christmas entry in my Food Lovers' Village Mysteries.

But testing the recipes is great fun any time of year. 

You know the series: Just a pinch of murder . . . When her life fell apart at age 40, Pepper Reece never expected to find solace in bay leaves. But her impulsive purchase of the Spice Shop in Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made. Between selling spice and juggling her personal life, she also discovers another unexpected talent – for solving murder. 

In her latest adventure, Pepper investigates when a young woman working the Christmas rush in her friend’s Vinny’s wine shop is brutally attacked, on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Let's get merry! Talk to me in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Assault & Pepper, the first Spice Shop mystery, or Peppermint Barked.  

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark

from Peppermint Barked by Leslie Budewitz  

Two kinds of chocolate and two kinds of peppermint—no wonder this is Pepper’s favorite childhood Christmas treat and her go-to for holiday gatherings.

12 ounces semisweet chocolate (chips, chunks, or chopped)

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

12 ounces white chocolate (chips, chunks, or chopped) (see note) 

5-6 ounces crushed peppermint candy (about 8 small canes, 3 large canes, or 30 candies) 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a small pan over low heat or in a double boiler, stirring regularly until melted. Stir in extract. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Refrigerate until set, about 25 minutes. (If chocolate is still warm, it will merge with the white chocolate in the next step; too hard and the layers may not bond.)

Meanwhile, crush the peppermint candy. Put the canes or candies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet. 

Remove pan from refrigerator. Melt the white chocolate in a small pan over low heat or in a double boiler, stirring regularly until melted. Spread over semi-sweet chocolate and immediately top with crushed peppermint.

 Refrigerate until well set, 30-40 minutes. Break in pieces and enjoy!

Store tightly covered; keeps about one week. 

Note: Look for white chocolate containing cocoa butter, not added palm or coconut oil, often sold as “candy coating,” which will interfere with the bonding of the two layers and cause them to split when you break the bark into pieces.

Let's get merry! Do you read Christmas books any time of year, or only in December? Are you one of those wonderful/annoying people who shop all year and are all done before Thanksgiving? What's your favorite part about Christmas cozies---the food, the fun, the chance to celebrate the season with fictional friends? Leave a comment -- and your email address -- for a chance to win a signed copy of Assault & Pepper, the first Spice Shop mystery, or Peppermint Barked.  (US and Canada only; Mr. Kitten will pick the winner on Friday, July 22.)  

PEPPERMINT BARKED: A Spice Shop Mystery (coming July 19, 2022 from Seventh St. Books)

From the cover: 

A Dickens of a Christmas turns deadly…

As the holiday season lights up Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market, Pepper Reece’s beloved Spice Shop is brimming with cinnamon, nutmeg, and shoppers eager to stuff their stockings. Add to the mix a tasty staff competition—a peppermint bark-off—along with Victorian costumes for this year’s Dickensian Christmas theme, and Pepper almost forgets to be nervous about meeting her fisherman boyfriend’s brother for the first time.

But when a young woman working in her friend Vinny’s wine shop is brutally assaulted, costumed revelers and holiday cheer are the last things on Pepper’s mind. Who would want to hurt Beth? Or were they looking for Vinny instead?

The vicious attack upsets everyone at Pike Place, but none more than Pepper’s own employee, Matt Kemp. At first, Pepper is baffled by his reaction, but his clandestine connection to Beth could hold the key to the assailant’s motive. Or perhaps it’s Vinny’s ex-wife who knows more than she’s letting on . . . and what about the mysterious top-hatted man with whom Pepper saw Beth arguing that morning?

As the secrets of the market come to light, long-held grudges, family ties, and hidden plans only further obscure the truth. Is it a ghost of the past rattling its chains, or a contemporary Scrooge with more earthly motives? As Pepper chases down a killer, someone is chasing her, and in the end, the storied market itself may hold the final, deadly clue.

A cozy holiday mystery full of culinary delights and a rich cast of characters, the sixth installment in the Spice Shop Mystery series will keep you turning the page . . . and reaching for another piece of peppermint bark. 

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries, and the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories. Death al Dente, the first Food Lovers' Village Mystery, won Best First Novel in 2013, following her 2011 win in Best Nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. Peppermint Barked, her 6th Spice Shop mystery, will appear in July 2022, and Blind Faith, her second standalone suspense novel (written as Alicia Beckman), will release in October 2022. 

A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.