Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread) From Guest Author Cathy Ace

Vicki here today, delighted to introduce you (although to many of you she needs no introduction) to my good friend the Canadian author, Cathy Ace. I’ve been friends with Cathy for a number of years and I always look forward to another of her literary adventures taking us around the world or to her native Wales.  Cathy and I will be on stage together at Bouchercon in Calgary on Saturday, October 24. We hope to see many of you there. 

Bara translates to English from Welsh as “bread”, and brith translates as “speckled”, which is an apt description of this easy-to-make teatime treat. It offers a moist mouthful, where most of the sweetness comes from the fruit itself, rather than added sugar, and even that is “cut” by the taste of the tea, so it’s never sickly sweet. More or less every home in Wales will have its own Bara brith recipe, so variations abound; the main thing is to keep the ratios the same, but feel free play with the fruit/combine dried fruits to the correct weight (NOTE: I stick with sultanas because they’re really juicy in the final product, and I think that currants don’t plump up as well, so this recipe uses only sultanas, but that’s because this is the recipe this Welshwoman grew up with in her home, so it’s the one she sticks with!) The fruit is usually soaked overnight, but I’ve made it the same day, putting the fruit to soak as I’ve made my breakfast tea, then making and baking it later on.

Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread)

 Ingredients

300g/10.5ozs sultanas (or currants, or a mix of dried fruits)

300 ml hot water

4 teabags Welsh Brew tea/English Breakfast tea (Orange Pekoe will do at a pinch, but use 5 teabags and allow it to steep for 15 mins, to make it stronger)

 250g/8.8ozs self-raising flour

(You can use plain flour with baking powder added at the ratio of 125g/4.4ozs plain flour plus 1 ½ tsp baking powder)

50g/1.8ozs dark muscovado sugar/brown sugar (golden will do, but using white means you lose some of the lovely “treacly” flavor)

2 medium eggs

 

Big wooden spoon

Spatula, for cleaning the bowl

Two bowls

Measuring jug

1kg/2lbs loaf tin

Butter/margarine for greasing the tin

Greaseproof paper to line the tin

 

Method

 

Step 1

Boil water and add to measuring jug, add the 4 or 5 teabags

Brew for at least 10/15 minutes

Remove and squeeze teabags (this is one time where you’ll prefer using teabags rather than loose tea)

Pull all the dried fruit in a bowl, add the tea

Mix together so all the fruit is covered by the tea

Cover, and leave at room temperature overnight, or for at least 5 hours

 

Step 2

Measure flour into a bowl

Add and mix in sugar

 

Add contents of cold tea/fruit mixture (including all liquid)

  

Mix well

Add one egg

Mix well

Add second egg

 Mix well

Grease/butter your loaf tin and line with parchment paper

 

 

Pour/spoon mixture into tin

 

 

Bake at 300F/150C for one and a half hours (until a fork comes out clean and the top is dark and glossy)

Allow to cool

 

Serving:

Slice thick to eat as a cake, slice thin to butter and eat as bread and eat as it is, or serve it with butter and a good, strong cheese...Welsh cheddar would be perfect (there’s an excellent brand, Colliers, you can usually find at Costco).

 

 

Storing:

You can store in an airtight tin, at room temperature, for up to a week (but we tend to eat it in a couple of days at our house!).

 This is exactly the sort of thing that the Dowager Duchess Althea and her housemate, retired army nurse and private eye Mavis MacDonald, would enjoy for tea at the Dower House on the Chellingworth Estate, in Powys, Wales. If you fancy joining them, why not try my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries? They feature cozy Welsh murder mysteries, and, in addition to the titular case, there are always a couple of “side-cases” in each book for good measure. The thirteen in the series, The Case of the Petrified Potter, was published in July.

About Cathy:

Cathy Ace’s WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries feature four softly poached female PIs solving cozy cases from a Welsh stately home, while her Cait Morgan Mysteries feature a globetrotting Welsh Canadian criminal psychologist who solves traditional whodunits alongside her retired-cop husband, Bud Anderson (the TV production of the series is being developed by Free@LastTV). Shortlisted for Canada’s Bony Blithe Award three times, winning once, Cathy’s also won IPPY and IBA Awards, as well as the CrimeFictionLover Editor’s Choice Award for Best Indie Novel. She’s been shortlisted for Crime Writers of Canada Awards three times. Cathy migrated from Wales aged 40, and now lives in Canada.

Bara Brith is one of my go-to recipes. Let us know in the comments what your favorite sweet treat is to "whip up" when you need a bit of a "fix" for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of one of the books. Contest open to US and Canadian entries. Contest closes Wednesday September 16, 2026

Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Black Bean Tacos #recipe from Molly MacRae

  

Satisfying! These vegetarian tacos please even the meat-lovers in my family. The combination of sweet potatoes, poblanos, and black beans roasted together with the savory seasonings is a winner. Topping the tacos with fresh cilantro, ripe avocado, and the quick-pickled onions takes them to the next level. 

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Black Bean Tacos

Adapted from The Complete Diabetes Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients for the pickled onions

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 red onion, halved and sliced thin

Ingredients for the roasted vegetables

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips 1/2-inch wide

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

10 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

 

Directions for the pickled onions

Microwave vinegar and pepper flakes in a medium bowl until steaming, about 2 minutes. Stir in the prepared onion and let sit until ready to serve.

Directions for the roasted vegetables

Adjust your oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and the heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the potatoes and poblanos to the oil mixture and toss to coat.

Spread the vegetable mixture in even layers on the lined baking sheets. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables and rotating the sheets halfway through baking.

Assembling your tacos

Return the roasted vegetables to the now empty bowl, add the rinsed black beans and cilantro, and gently toss to combine. Divide the vegetables among the warmed tortillas and top with the avocado and pickled onions. Serve.

 

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

 

 

Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

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 a murder . . .

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. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

 

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, the Haunted Shell 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Ricotta Cake @MaddieDayAuthor #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here, with a yummy cake and a giveaway for you.

But first, as it is the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001, I want to honor the memory of those who died in the attacks and the thousands who died later as a consequence of rushing in to help and from working around the wreckage. I remember being glued to the television with everyone else in the company cafeteria all day. I burst into tears once I arrived at my semi-rural home north of Boston because it was such a beautiful fall day and such horror had happened a few hours south of us. May this never happen again.

🕯🕯🕯

Also, as a quick PSA, I want to be sure you know that today is the last day of the fabulous Barnes & Noble preorder sale happening. If you're a B&N Rewards member and use the code PREORDER25, you can preorder Murder in the Lighthouse and upcoming releases from all the other author-cooks here in the Kitchen!

Now back to the cake.

I always have blueberries in the freezer once the fresh-picked season is over, and I happened to have ricotta and sour cream at hand. My dessert-loving partner had finished the last of the ice cream, so I whipped up this cake the other night to satisfy Hugh's (and my) sweet tooth.

Blueberry Ricotta Cake

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

1¼ sticks butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup ricotta

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups blueberries, divided into thirds

(Option) Powdered (confectioner's) sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan, shaking out any excess flour.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix well. (The batter will look curdled.)

 

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula, fold two thirds of the blueberries into the batter. 

Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining blueberries on the cake, pressing them lightly into the surface.

 

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. 

Remove the sides of the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Option: Dust with sifted powdered sugar. We felt it was sweet enough not to need the dusting.

Readers: What fruit do you enjoy in a cake? If you'd like, share your memory of September eleventh in 2001. I'll send one commenter a copy of the new book, Murder at the Toy Soldier.

🎂🍨🥮

Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, is out and available wherever books are sold!

My previous recent releases are:

A Poisonous Pour, Cece Barton #3,

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.

Easy Cheese Danish #recipe @vmburns

 VMBURNS:  When I'm working on my Baker Street Mystery series, I find myself baking a LOT. A couple of months ago, I turned in the 6th Baker Street Mystery, tentative title, A ZEST FOR MURDER. Don't get attached to the title. My publisher changes almost all of them. I'll keep you posted. Maddy needed a simple pastry recipe, so I decided a Cheese Danish would be easy enough for someone with Maddy's skills to manage. 

The recipe below is a conglomeration of a variety of recipes. Below, I did not include lemon juice. But, if you want, you can add 1 Teaspoon. I'm watching my blood pressure, so I skipped the salt, but you can add 1/8 Teaspoon of salt. I'm also a diabetic. So, I used less than 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons of sugar). However, you can add as much sugar and salt as you want. I also increased the vanilla. You can cut it back to 1 Teaspoon or try almond extract for a slightly different flavor. I enjoyed these and will make them again. Next time, I might even try adding a powdered sugar glaze.

• 
  
  

  

  
  
  

• EASY CHEESE DANISH

• 
  
  
  
  

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Sheet Puff Pastry
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablespoon water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread out the puff pastry and cut into 6 rectangles. Take a knife and score a line around the inside of the pastry, approximately 1/2 inch from edge. Be careful not to cut all the way through the pastry dough. Then, place on the prepared baking sheet.
   
   
   
3. Beat the egg and water to create an egg wash. Then, brush the egg wash around the edges of the pastries.
   
   
   
4. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Then, spoon inside the middle of each rectangle.
   
   
   
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.
   
   
   

• READERS: What's your favorite danish? Have you tried making them at home? Let me know in the comments below. 

MURDER AT FIRST SLICE 

As Maddy’s wedding day approaches, friends and family descend on the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate—so much so that Maddy wonders if there might be another happily-ever-after in store for her widowed father and innkeeper Mrs. Law. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with an unhappy couple: feuding cousins Hannah and Dorothy, who haven’t spoken in decades. Maddy can only hope the spectacular wedding cake crafted by her head baker doesn’t wind up as ammunition in a food fight.

But she doesn’t have to wait long for a wedding disaster to strike. When the imperious Dorothy crashes the rehearsal dinner—with several uninvited guests in tow—and starts battering everyone with constant complaints, the drama reaches reality-show levels. And the next day, Dorothy is dead . . . with Hannah standing over the body, bloody rolling pin in hand.

Nobody in town believes Miss Hannah could commit murder. But a detective newly relocated from New York doesn’t know the sweet, memory-challenged Hannah the way the locals do—and the evidence seems open-and-shut as an oven. Now, with her sous-sleuths the Baker Street Irregulars, the bride-to-be is busy digging into Dorothy’s past to catch a killer before she cuts the cake . . .

BUY LINK