Vegan Strawberry-Rose Truffles #recipe and #giveaway Kim Davis

 

KIM DAVIS:  Even though this is posting the day after Mothers' Day, I wanted to wish everyone a happy Mothers' Day, no matter if your children are human or of the fur-or-feather variety! 

I set out to make an edible gift for a dear friend of mine who recently turned 88, and landed on Strawberry-Rose Truffles. The color is such a pretty shade, plus the delicate flavor and fragrance of the rose water complements the tart-sweet flavor of the strawberries. I knew it would be something she would enjoy. However, a few years ago, her doctor put her on a dairy-free and gluten-free diet, and having never needed to eat differently, she struggled to accept the changes. She misses the tempting sweets and desserts, so I wanted to give her something to satisfy her sweet tooth. It took me a few tries to figure out how to make a vegan truffle (the crushed strawberries add a bit of crispy bite to the candy) and I finally landed on the recipe below. My husband, who must also eat dairy-free, was more than happy to sample and give feedback on the truffles and by the third round, pronounced these really good and he'd be happy for me to make more for him... I suppose I'll be making a batch for Father's Day 😀

Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out how you can win a copy of 
Essentials of Murder!

 

Vegan Strawberry-Rose Truffles

 
Ingredients
 
9 ounces vegan white chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
4 teaspoons rose water
1.5 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

 

Instructions

Crush the strawberries using a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle into a fine powder. There will be some small pieces which is fine. It adds texture to the finished candy. Set aside.

Whisk the coconut oil and rose water together until emulsified. Don’t skip this step, otherwise the white chocolate may seize and become grainy and overly stiff. 

Add the white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on 60% power in 20-second intervals. Stir in between each cycle and heat just until barely melted. Do not overheat!

Gently stir in the ground strawberries and coconut oil mixture. Once completely combined, cover with plastic wrap, making sure the entire surface of the white chocolate is covered.

Allow to come to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then stir. Refrigerate for an additional 5 minutes if the mixture is too soft to roll into balls.

The mixture firms up quickly. If too firm, break into pieces and heat in the microwave at 60% power in 10-second increments until it can easily be scooped.

Using a small tablespoon-sized scoop, form the truffle mixture into balls. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, then roll each ball in confectioners’ sugar until coated.

Serve truffles at room temperature.

Note

If you don’t have to eat vegan, you can make this using regular white chocolate (chips or bars chopped into small pieces).

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

Books available at most online retailers

 

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Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder* Essentials of Death

 

About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

Click here to sign up here for Kim’s newsletter: Newsletter

Connect with Kim: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Bluesky, Bookbub, Goodreads, TikTok, and website

 

G I V E A W A Y   T I M E !!!

I'm giving away a print copy of Essentials of Murder!

Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win a copy of Essentials of Murder. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 and is limited to US residents only.)

Readers, do you make edible gifts for friends or family? If so, what is your favorite edible gift to give?

🎁

Mother's Day #giveaway with Krista Davis

Lucy Burdette: We adore having one of our founding mothers back to visit the blog--and it's a special treat on Mother's Day! Read on for Krista's recipe and a chance to win her new book, The Diva Hosts a Murderer!

Krista Davis: Happy Mother’s Day! It’s always a delight to come back to Mystery Lover’s Kitchen. And especially nice today. I hope you’re all having a wonderful day! Please see the giveaway below!

My latest book, THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER, releases on May 23rd. It’s perfect timing for this special 250th Anniversary marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Old Town, Alexandria is a special place to visit any day, but it’s especially appropriate for the Fourth of July, so Sophie’s family has come to visit, and her house is packed with guests. Other than the usual problems wrangling a small crowd, everything seems to be going smoothly until Sophie and Nina catch the brand new husband of Sophie’s aunt sneaking out of someone else’s garden gate early in the morning! It seems that things can’t get worse when a body is found nearby, but then the police find the dead man’s DNA on her father’s sweater!

There are lots of fun recipes in this book, including Baked Scrambled Eggs for a crowd. Scrambling eggs and baking them turns out fluffy and beautiful eggs, so don’t miss that recipe if you serve breakfast to a big family. And one of my other favorites is Cranberry Cole Slaw. I know you’re thinking Christmas because of the cranberries, but it’s delicious any time of year!

Today I’m sharing Blueberry Buckle which is fast and easy and packed with blueberries!

Blueberry Buckle

8x8 baking pan

1 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup butter at room temperature + 1 teaspoon for greasing the pan

1 large egg

½ cup milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups blueberries

Topping:

4 tablespoons butter, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

½ cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease the pan with 1 teaspoon of butter.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 

Cream the sugar with the ¼ cup butter. Add the egg. Alternate adding the milk and the flour mixture. Mix in the lemon juice and the vanilla. Stir in the blueberries. Pour into the prepared pan and prepare the topping.

In a medium bowl, add the butter, sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Use your fingers to mix them. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

 Be sure to leave a comment to win a signed hardcover copy of THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER!

Rhubarb Bread Pudding (and more!), recipe from Molly MacRae

 

At Cleo’s wonderful suggestion, we discussed comfort food for our May 2026 edition of Around the Kitchen Table. I linked to recipes for a couple of family favorites—Fläskpannka and Chickpea Noodle Soup—but left out bread pudding. Comforting, tasty bread pudding deserves a post all its own.

The basic recipe is a thrifty use of leftover or stale bread, but the cooks of Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen have posted some elevated variations over the years. You’ll find links to our past recipes below. Below those links you’ll find my latest contribution, Rhubarb Bread Pudding.

Apple Bread Pudding

Basic Bread Pudding

Berry Bread Pudding

Black and White Bread Pudding

Blueberry Lemon Bread Pudding

Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding

Caramel-Whiskey Bread Pudding

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Croissant Bread Pudding

Dessert for Breakfast: Individual Bread Puddings

Gluten-Free Bread Pudding

Irish Bread and Butter Pudding

Krista’s Double Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding

Maple Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

 

Rhubarb Bread Pudding

Look for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

 

Ingredients

5 slices day-old bread (I used sourdough. Whole wheat is good, too)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened (less is okay)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar (I used brown)

1/4 cup crystalized ginger, chopped

2 to 3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease an 8” or 9” square pan (or the approximate equivalent – bread pudding in an oval casserole dish is lovely)

Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter or margarine. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared pan, butter side up, in one or two layers. You can cut some of the slices  so they fit the pan more exactly. (I didn't really need to cut my slices into so many smaller pieces but I enjoyed the pattern.)

Add the sliced rhubarb over the bread. Sprinkle the ginger over the rhubarb.

Heat the milk and sugar until steaming (microwaving is fine). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then gradually stir the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Pour eggy-milky mixture over the rhubarb and bread.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a knife stuck in the middle of the pudding comes out clean. Baking time will depend on the size of the pan, how many layers of bread, etc.

Serve warm or cold, with or without ice cream or warm pouring custard.

 

💖 click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe 💖

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And, when needed, she steps in to help the police solve murders . . .

 

Now available for pre-order – two Haunted Shell Shop mysteries!

Book 2 - new paperback edition of There’ll Be Shell to Pay – coming May 26

and

Book 3 - All Shell Breaks Loose – coming June 30

 

 

Maureen and her sleuthing sidekicks Glady, Burt, and Emrys (the ghost of an 18th century pirate) meet up with three women who call themselves the Fig Ladies. The ladies came to Ocracoke for the figs, but they’ve found a body. Can they be trusted, or is something figgy going on?

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood.

 

 

Happy reading!

  

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wine-Braised Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

MADDIE DAY: Continuing my celebration of the release of A Poisonous Pour last week, I bring you another dish that features wine!

Wine-braised Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

Adapted from Alison Roman in NYT Cooking

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken thighs, or a mix of legs and thighs (1½ to 2 pounds)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved lengthwise

1 medium red onion, sliced

1¼ cup dry white wine

A few sprigs of rosemary

1 cup parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high, and add chicken, skin-side down. Cook, without flipping, until the skin is deeply golden and much of the fat has rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.

Using tongs, flip the chicken skin-side up. Let the undersides cook for another 5 or so minutes. Set chicken aside. Add onions to the pan, letting them sizzle and stirring until they get a little color, about 2 minutes. 

Add artichoke hearts and sizzle 3 more minutes. Add wine and rosemary, shaking skillet to make sure the wine is evenly distributed and scraping up any golden-brown bits. 

Add chicken back to the pan, over the artichoke hearts and onions. Bring to a simmer and place in the oven until chicken has finished cooking and sauce is reduced by about half, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and scatter with parsley. 

Finish with more pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot over rice.

Readers: How do you like your chicken? Do you ever cook with wine? (This magnet makes me giggle...)

🍷🐔🍷

A Poisonous Pour is out and available wherever books are sold!

Next up is Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, which releases in late August.

My most recent releases are Murder at Cape Costumers,

Scone Cold Dead, #13 in the Country Store Mysteries,

and A Case for the Ladies.

Check out all my writing.

We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell 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 and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

Linda's Perfect Hot Fudge Pie @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: My friend Linda Juliani gave me this recipe for hot fudge pie and I’ve made it many times. It’s perfectly fast and easy and yet has all the advantages of a homemade dessert, hot out of the oven. Hayley Snow serves it to her friends too, in DEATH IN FOUR COURSES. This time I chose to pair it with cherry vanilla ice cream which reminded me of an old-fashioned chocolate covered cherry. It was divine!

Ingredients

1 stick butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
4 Tbsp flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
 dash salt

Melt one stick of butter and 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate together. (Linda uses the microwave–just be sure to cover the bowl as it will splatter. I use the old-fashioned pan on a stove method.) 

Add to the bowl 1 and 1/4 cups sugar and 4 tablespoons flour and a dash of salt. Mix. Then add 3 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees fro 20-25 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream. If you'd like to print a copy of the recipe, you can find the pdf right here.

USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS. Join her mailing list right here.

Coming July 14--isn't it gorgeous?

Book 15 in the Key West series, THE MANGO MURDERS, is in bookstores now!

The trade paperback edition of A POISONOUS PALATE is out now! 

And the trade paperback edition of A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS is out now!