Caramelita Bars, @AuthorDarciHannah, #recipe

DARCI HANNAH. As you might be aware, my 7th Beacon Bakeshop book MURDER AT THE CAMPFIRE COOKOUT came out at the end of June. Yay! I was so excited to launch this book into the world because I love a good campfire story, I love a good mystery, and most importantly I love sharing yummy recipes with readers. When I was coming up with the recipes for this book, I knew that I was going to include my very special recipe for Caramelita Bars. This recipe is special to me because it was the first hand-written recipe I had ever gotten and it started me off on what would become a lifetime of collecting delicious recipes.

When I was in my teens, I spent a good deal of my summers at a wonderful camp in northern Wisconsin called Camp Manitowish. I started out as a camper, then graduated to outpost adventures, and was even a camp counselor. One of the best parts of camp was the food served in the great dining hall. The camp employed a great cook, and that lady always brought her A-game. It was her desserts us campers loved best, especially on the nights when she would make Caramelita Bars. It wasn’t until I was a young camp counselor heading off to college in the fall that I asked for the recipe for my favorite camp treat. The cook, I don’t remember her name, was happy to give it to me. She scribbled it down on a note card and handed it to me. When I looked at the recipe, my jaw dropped. She had given me the recipe used for the entire camp! I realized then that it was going to take some hefty math skills to reduce the ingredients to a manageable 9 x 13 pan size!

I’m still not sure I reduced this recipe correctly, but my whittled down version has always been a hit with my family. Then, when it was time to add the recipe to my book, I copied it down from my recipe card. It was kind of messy and faded, but I thought I had it. It wasn’t until I made these bars for this post I realized I made a mistake on the recipe. I put 1 stick of butter when it should have been 1 cup! Sheesh! So, today I’m giving you the correct recipe. If you have a copy of my book, please make this correction. If you don’t the bars will still be delicious, but very crumbly!

Caramelita Camp Bars

Prep time: 15 minutes.  Cook time: 30 minutes. Makes one 9 x 13 pan of cookies, 24 servings.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts

1 cup caramel ice cream topping

¼ cup flour to stir into the caramel ice cream topping

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir the ¼ cup of flour into the caramel topping and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix 1 ½ cups of flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until the mixture is moist. 

Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper or grease well. Press half the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle it with the chocolate chips and the chopped walnuts. Drizzle the caramel topping over it and. 

Top with remaining oat mixture. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Enjoy!

You can print your copy of the recipe here!

Do you like bar cookies? If so, what is your favorite bar cookie?

 Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you. 

Connect with Darci at www.darcihannah.com

Instagram: @authordarcihannah

Facebook: @Author Darci Hannah

Murder at the Campfire Cookout

By Darci Hannah

Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series

 

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .

Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.

Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.

But the festive spirit is soon dampened when a body is found in Ellie’s camper. It seems like an accidental death until everyone’s tires are slashed and it’s clear the glampsite has become a crime scene. With no cell service to call for help, it’s up to Lindsey to smoke out the killer around the campfire . . .

Because no one is out of the woods yet.

A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle

By Darci Hannah

Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .

Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well. 

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .

Trade Paperback Release!

A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor

By Darci Hannah

Book #1 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

 ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

While filming at a haunted English manor, chef Bunny MacBride’s big break on her first reality TV show may be cut short by an unscripted murder in Darci Hannah’s new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series . . .

It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.

Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!

Mixed Pepper Pasta, by Darci Hannah #recipe

Darci Hannah: As the weather gets nicer here in Michigan, I start looking for quicker, lighter meals to make for dinner. Our family loves sweet, colorful peppers and I seem to always have a pack in the fridge. This fun recipe for Mixed Pepper Pasta can be made in one pot, and that’s always a win for me. The original recipe for this dish was a vegetarian one, and it included some ingredients I knew the men in my life (my husband and our 3 very tall sons) wouldn’t care for, namely lentils and no meat. Since the original recipe called for water, I swapped it out for chicken broth to add more flavor, and used Great Northern beans instead of lentils, because the lads seem to love them in navy bean soup. Oh, and I used a whole pound of pasta instead of the 8 ounces the original recipe called for, because I really have no use for half a box of pasta. Of course, with more pasta came more chicken broth because you want the pasta to cook until tender. And since I was expanding the recipe I added more garlic, spices, and Italian sausage… because without it, my guys would think this was a side dish! 

Honestly, about the only thing that remained true to the original recipe after I was done with it were the peppers and the pasta! As I’ve learned, sometimes while working off a new recipe it’s okay to tweak it to suit your tastes and your needs. I’m just happy it still fits in one pot! 

Feel free to modify the recipe below! I’m sure it would make a delicious vegetarian dish too, but I shall never know.

Mixed Pepper Pasta

Cook time: 25 minutes. Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound package Italian sausage

1 pound rigatoni pasta or similar

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoon olive oil, divided

3 large, sweet peppers, diced in small pieces. I try to use red, yellow, and orange.

1 yellow onion, diced.

Kosher salt

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can Great Northern or navy beans

2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving.

Directions:

Using a Dutch oven dish on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced peppers and onion. Season with salt and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same Dutch oven, cook Italian sausage (I’m using links here) until done. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool. (If using links, slice into bite-sized pieces once cooled.)

Add remaining olive oil to the pan. Cook garlic and fennel seeds for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 more minute. Add pasta and beans to the pan. Cover with 4 cups of chicken broth and ½ teaspoon of salt. Simmer, stirring often until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Note: You may need to add more water ½ cup at a time, if the pasta soaks up all the liquid before it is cooked. 

Next, add 2 ounces of grated parmesan cheese to the pot and stir until a thick sauce is created. 

Next fold in the pepper mixture and the sausage. 

Heat until warm and serve immediately, garnishing with more parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Get copy of the recipe here!

Have you ever tweaked a recipe, or do you prefer to follow a recipe to the letter? Please answer in the comments below!

Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you. 

Connect with Darci at www.darcihannah.com

Instagram: @authordarcihannah

Facebook: @Author Darci Hannah

 Just Released!

A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle

By Darci Hannah

Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series 

Purchase link

When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .

Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well. 

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .

Trade Paperback Release!

A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor

By Darci Hannah

Book #1 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

Purchase Link

While filming at a haunted English manor, chef Bunny MacBride’s big break on her first reality TV show may be cut short by an unscripted murder in Darci Hannah’s new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series . . .

It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.

Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!

Coming this July!

Murder at the Campfire Cookout

By Darci Hannah

Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series

 

Preorder today!

When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .

Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.

Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.

But the festive spirit is soon dampened when a body is found in Ellie’s camper. It seems like an accidental death until everyone’s tires are slashed and it’s clear the glampsite has become a crime scene. With no cell service to call for help, it’s up to Lindsey to smoke out the killer around the campfire . . .

Because no one is out of the woods yet.

Kentucky Derby Bars, #recipe #Paula Dean #Kentucky Derby

 

Darci Hannah: When I was a kid, I was obsessed with horses. Every year I’d ask for one for Christmas, and, of course, every year Santa disappointed me. That’s mostly because my parents weren’t horse people, and because we didn’t have horse property in our suburban backyard where we lived. However, my parents let me buy books on horses as well as giving me riding lessons, which I still appreciate to this day. 

Adult me with my friend's mini horse, Merlin!

One of the ways my mother supported my horse obsession was by making a big to-do about the Kentucky Derby horse race. Honestly, we both loved any party or occasion that highlighted food and where big fancy hats were encouraged. Although we never went to the derby, we always enjoyed watching it on television. I remember that one year Mom made pimento cheese sandwiches, which we all found interesting, but not great. However, her Kentucky Derby Pie, which was essentially my favorite Thanksgiving pie, pecan, with chocolate chips mixed in, was a big hit. It was fun watching those gorgeous horses run while wearing fancy hats and eating pie. Really, shy of owning your own horse, what could be better? 

Years later I ran into this recipe in a Paula Dean magazine and scribbled it down, saving it for my own Kentucky Derby celebration. My three sons could care less about horses or horse races, but I have to say, they do stick around for the food and the mint juleps!

Kentucky Derby Bars

Prep time: 20 minutes. Bake time: 50 minutes. Makes about two dozen.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup butter, cut into little cubes

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

½ cup butter, melted

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons bourbon, Kentucky bourbon is always best

2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment or spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Mix well. Next, add the cubed butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until nice and crumbly. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, dark corn syrup, eggs, melted butter, and bourbon until smooth. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. 

Pour mixture over prepared crust and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the center is set. Cool completely before cutting. Store leftover cookies in refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!

You can print a copy of the recipe here!

Readers, in the comments below let me know if you watch the Kentucky Derby, and if you have any traditions while watching it.

Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you. 

Connect with Darci at www.darcihannah.com

Instagram: @authordarcihannah

Facebook: @Author Darci Hannah

 Just Released!

Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

 

Purchase link

When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .

Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well. 

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .

Trade Paperback Release!

Book #1 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

 

Purchase Link

While filming at a haunted English manor, chef Bunny MacBride’s big break on her first reality TV show may be cut short by an unscripted murder in Darci Hannah’s new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series . . .

It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.

Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!

Coming this July!

Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series

 

Preorder today!

When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .

Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.

Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.

But the festive spirit is soon dampened when a body is found in Ellie’s camper. It seems like an accidental death until everyone’s tires are slashed and it’s clear the glampsite has become a crime scene. With no cell service to call for help, it’s up to Lindsey to smoke out the killer around the campfire . . .

Because no one is out of the woods yet.

Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Garlic Chicken #Giveaway #Murder at the Lemonberry Tea #recipe by Darci Hannah

Darci Hannah: Whenever I begin to write a new mystery, especially a Beacon Bakeshop mystery, I always like to scour my personal recipe collection (and I have a huge collection!) in the planning stages for possible recipes to appear in the book. The titling of my Beacon Bakeshop series is the word “Murder” followed by a “foodie event”. Food is a very important part of these mysteries, and sometimes that “foodie event” in the title is inspired by a favorite family recipe. 

My mother's recipe collection!

My last Beacon Bakeshop mystery to come out was MURDER AT THE LEMONBERRY TEA. It’s set in the late spring in the idyllic lakeside village of Beacon Harbor, Michigan, and yes, a lemon-themed tea party is at the heart of the mystery. For this mystery I knew even before I started writing it that a Bakewell Tart was going to be in the book. I didn’t have a recipe for this tart, but I did practice making them, using a famous recipe by Mary Berry, which was delicious!

Another food highlight in the book is my mom’s famous Lemon Bar recipe, which I swear is the best lemon bar ever. Friend’s request them for parties, asking things like, “Oh, can you make your lemon bars for the cookout?” I’m always happy to bring them, and I was happy to get to share the recipe in the book. I also threw in a delish lemon scone, a lemon drop martini, and a yummy lemon-raspberry Bundt cake. However, I always like to add a real meal to all the baked goods I write about. As I was flipping through recipes, I came across this recipe for Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Garlic Chicken that my dear, recipe-loving late mother scribbled down in a notebook. She loved recipes so much that they were scribbled on any scrap of paper she had handy! Anyhow, I don’t know where she got this recipe from, but I thought I’d give it a try. I made it for the family one night, and my guys loved this chicken so much they begged me to make it more often. It was a hit, and I thought I’d share it with you.

Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Garlic Chicken

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 12-15 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes. Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (approximately 1 ½ pounds total) cut in half lengthwise.

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil for pan

For the egg mixture:

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

For the parmesan breading mixture:

1 cup good quality parmesan cheese grated. 

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon minced garlic (or one clove, minced)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

For the lemon-butter sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2 cloves, minced)

¼ cup chicken broth

¼ cup lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:

Using a meat mallet, lightly beat the chicken breasts until they are an even thickness.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the milk. Place the chicken breasts in the egg mixture, toss, and let soak while the skillet is heating. 

In another large bowl combine the grated parmesan cheese, flour, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.  

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter (or heat olive oil). Once the skillet is hot and the butter is melted, take the chicken breast out of the egg mixture, and roll in the parmesan mixture. Make sure the breast is well coated before placing it in the pan. Continue this process for each chicken breast. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Using an instant read thermometer, test the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be 165 degrees. You may reduce the heat and cover with a lid if the chicken browns too quickly. Once chicken is done, remove from the skillet and place on a plate. Keep warm in a low-temperature oven if necessary. 

While the chicken is cooking, in a separate small saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Next, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and salt and pepper if desired. Cook over medium-low heat for two minutes. 

To serve, plate the parmesan-crusted chicken next to your favorite mashed potatoes and steamed or roasted veggie. Pour a generous helping of the garlic butter sauce over each chicken breast and top with a few thin slices of lemon for garnish if desired. Enjoy!  

Printable copy of this recipe here!

Readers: for a chance to win a copy of MURDER AT THE LEMONBERRY TEA, tell me what your favorite lemon-inspired recipe is in the comments below. Don’t forget to leave your email in your comment!

Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you. 

Connect with Darci at www.darcihannah.com

Instagram: @authordarcihannah

Facebook: @Author Darci Hannah

 Just Released!

Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

 

Purchase link

When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .

Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well. 

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .

Trade Paperback Release!

Book #1 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

 

Purchase Link

While filming at a haunted English manor, chef Bunny MacBride’s big break on her first reality TV show may be cut short by an unscripted murder in Darci Hannah’s new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series . . .

It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.

Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!

Coming this July!

Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series

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When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .

Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.

Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.

But the festive spirit is soon dampened when a body is found in Ellie’s camper. It seems like an accidental death until everyone’s tires are slashed and it’s clear the glampsite has become a crime scene. With no cell service to call for help, it’s up to Lindsey to smoke out the killer around the campfire . . .

Because no one is out of the woods yet.