Welcome Author Lois Winston with Chocolate Caramel Walnut Cookies & #Giveaway

Please join me in welcoming bestselling author Lois Winston back to the Kitchen. 

Lois is sharing a delicious recipe with us today, along with news about her latest release, and a giveaway for one lucky commenter. 

She also had me laughing with one of her photos for this post. (You'll see it below. And I can relate!)

Take it away, Lois...

~ Cleo

Anastasia Pollack, magazine crafts editor and reluctant amateur sleuth of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, has a fondness bordering on obsession for caffeine and baked goods. (And wine, because it’s always five o’clock somewhere, but that’s a post for another day.) Anastasia needs copious amounts of both caffeine and baked goods to kickstart her workday, which always begins with a stop in the American Woman break room, kept well-stocked with goodies by her BFF and food editor Cloris McWerther. Sometimes, though, Anastasia runs late and arrives to find the other staff have left nothing but crumbs. Such was the case one morning in Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the latest book in the series:

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After suffering through the usual bumper-to-bumper morning commute, I arrived at work in time to snag a coffee in the break room. Unfortunately, I found only crumbs remaining on the plate of whatever goodies Cloris had provided this morning.

I popped my head into her cubicle and mumbled a half-hearted, “Morning.”

She took one look at me and frowned. “Get up on the wrong side of the bed?”

I held up my coffee mug. “Notice anything missing?”

“Should I?”

“Mondays are bad enough, but starting the week without a Cloris confection is a violation of the United Nations ban on torture.”

“Before you report me, check your desk.”

I spun around and stepped across the hall. A ginormous apple muffin sat on a napkin beside my keyboard. I called across the hall to her. “You’re now officially in my will.”

Cloris snorted. “So, I inherit your debt?”

“You never know. I may win the lottery someday.”

“You don’t play the lottery.”

“That could change.”

“I won’t hold my breath, but you’re welcome for the muffin.”

I blew her a kiss. “Best BFF ever.”

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Since I suspect readers of Mystery Lover’s Kitchen have plenty of apple muffin recipes to choose from, I thought I’d provide one of Anastasia’s (as well as my family’s) favorite cookie recipes. It’s my tweak on the traditional Toll House cookie, and because it’s such a favorite, I’m still trying to work off the added Christmas and New Year’s calories because like Anastasia, I also have a fondness bordering on obsession for both caffeine and baked goods (not to mention wine.) Enjoy! 

Chocolate Caramel Walnut Cookies

From the kitchen of food editor Cloris McWerther

Yield: approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

3/4 cup caramel chips

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Optional:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1-1/2 – 2 T. whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, caramel chips, and nuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoons (I use a small cookie scoop) onto parchment-lined ungreased cookie sheets. Chill 10-15 minutes before baking. 

Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 2-3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. When cookies are completely cooled, glaze, if desired. 

Glaze: In small bowl, whisk together optional ingredients until glaze is smooth and reaches desired consistency. Add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, if mixture is too thick. Drizzle glaze over cookies.

Seams Like the Perfect Crime  

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 14

When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor?

Revolutionary War reenactor Barry Sumner had the odd habit of spending hours mowing a small patch of packed dirt and weeds until his mower ran out of gas. He’d then guzzle beer on his front porch until he passed out. That’s where Anastasia’s son Nick discovers his body three days after the victim and his family moved into the newly built mini-McMansion across the street.

After a melee breaks out at the viewing, Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect. However, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other possible suspects, including a woman who’d had an affair with the victim, his ex-wife, the man overseeing the widow’s trust fund, a drug dealer, and the reenactors who were blackmailing the widow and victim.

When another reenactor is murdered, Spader suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but Anastasia wonders if the killer is attempting to misdirect the investigation. As she narrows down the suspects, will she jeopardize her own life to learn the truth?

Craft projects included.

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Buy Links:

Amazon * Kobo * Nook

Apple Books 

Books2Read Universal Link to Other Sites

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous fish-out-of-water novel about a small-town girl going off to the big city and the mother determined to bring her home to marry the boy next door. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception.

Then Lois’s writing segued unexpectedly into the world of humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, thanks to a conversation her agent had with an editor looking for craft-themed mysteries. In her day job, Lois was an award-winning craft and needlework designer, and although she’d never written a mystery—or had even thought about writing a mystery—her agent decided she was the perfect person to pen a series for this editor.

Thus, was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed "North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum." The series now includes fourteen novels and three novellas. Lois also writes the Empty Nest Mysteries and has written several standalone mystery novellas. Other publishing credits include romance, chick lit, and romantic suspense novels, a series of romance short stories, a children’s chapter book, and a nonfiction book on writing, inspired by her twelve years working as an associate at a literary agency.

Learn more about Lois and her books at www.loiswinston.com where you can find links for her other social media sites and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free download of an Anastasia Pollack Mini-Mystery. 

GIVEAWAY!

Post a comment with your email address and you will be entered to win a free audiobook download of any of the first twelve books in Lois Winston's Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series.

(US and UK residents only.)

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Comments will remain open 
through Tues. Feb. 18.

Don't forget to include
your email address.

Good luck!