Tis the season for Peppermint Mocha -- #recipe and a #bookgiveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Tis the season for all things chocolate and peppermint! 

Truth is, this is the only time of year when I indulge in a peppermint mocha, or any kind of mocha -- except when I was writing Peppermint Barked and was testing this recipe. In late June. In a year an unseasonable hot spell hit NW Montana and temps hit 90 or better several days in a row.

What we writers do for our readers. But we do it with love. 

In Peppermint Barked, sixth in the Spice Shop mysteries, Pepper's pal Jamie, a Market artist who adores peppermint mochas, shares her recipe for an easy at-home version. You can make it using an espresso maker and making an Americano, as I sometimes do, or regular coffee. 

Yesterday, in case you missed the news, was National Peppermint Bark Day. Who declares these things? Who cares? Here's my recipe for Pepper's Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark. I'll be making a batch later this week. 

Yesterday was also National Cookie Day. A two-fer! Christmas in the Food Lovers' Village is a magical time as well, as Erin and her friends and family discover In As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, fifth in my Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, a friend doesn't show up for Erin's holiday cookie exchange. When Erin realizes she was making the pecan sugar cookie rolled in powdered sugar known as Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, or Snowballs, she uses her knowledge of baking to pinpoint the time of death. Here's Merrily's recipe for Russian Teacakes. 

Erin and the Villagers also celebrate the season in the short story "The Christmas Stranger," originally published in Carried to the Grave and Other Stories, and now available in a special e-book edition. Amid the holiday rush of keeping the shelves stocked and filling orders for the Merc, the grocery her family has run for more than a century, proprietor Erin Murphy treasures the way her tight-knit community of Jewel Bay seems to grow even closer during the Christmas season. And this year, when she slows down to do a simple favor for a mysterious stranger, he shows his thanks with a small, quiet gesture—a gift that changes lives, and so much more . . .

Read on and leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Peppermint Barked or As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles!  

Jamie’s Peppermint Mocha

Declare a holiday at home with this easy, tasty treat! 

1/2 cup milk

1 cup hot coffee

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chunks or chopped

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

whipped cream, optional

crushed peppermint candies or canes, optional (Place candy in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.)

In a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the milk, coffee, and chocolate, stirring to melt the chocolate. Bring to a simmer, just below a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peppermint extract and pour into a large mug. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy. 

Alternatively, if you have an espresso maker, put the chocolate in the bottom of your large mug and make a single or double espresso, using the steamer wand to make an 8 ounce Americano. Stir in the extract and make sure the chocolate is melted. Steam the milk and add it, then top with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy. 

Makes one 12-ounce serving.

What's your favorite Christmas treat? Bonus points for creative uses of peppermint! Talk to me in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Peppermint Barked or As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles -- reader's choice  (Leave your email address to enter. US and Canada mailing addresses only. Winner will be chosen Friday, Dec. 8.) 

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest book is Between a Wok and a Dead Place, the 7th Spice Shop mystery.  

A past president of Sisters in Crime and national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie 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.

Celebrating National Cookie Day with @LeslieBudewitz #recipe

LESLIE: Admit it, you didn't know there is a National Cookie Day, but the news is putting a smile on your face and making your mouth water.

Is there anyone who doesn’t love Christmas cookies? No matter what our religious or holiday traditions, we all turn into Cookie Monsters this time of year.

Since my newest mystery, AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, came out last summer, I’ve been talking cookies with readers. The top two faves, by my unscientific survey of taste buds across the country, are sugar cookies, cut and decorated for this most wonderful season, and the classic known as Russian Teacakes, Snowballs, or Mexican Wedding Cakes. In fact, Russian Teacakes are a key to solving the mystery in AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES.

There are as many variations in the cookies themselves as in the names. This recipe is the classic shaped cookie, a ball rolled in powdered sugar. But sometimes I like to make them as roll-and-slice cookies—skip the powdered sugar and dip or drizzle the cooled cookie in melted chocolate. A reader suggested the Dirty Snowball—add a little cocoa powder to the powdered sugar when you roll the cookie. A delicious idea, especially since a snowball plays a crucial role in the climactic scene, where my amateur sleuth, intrepid shopkeeper Erin Murphy, confronts the killer and lives to tell the tale.

Whatever you call these scrumptious little treats, I know they’ll be popular with everyone you see this holiday season—even the Grinch and Mr. Scrooge.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES and a set of Christmas-themed cookie cutters. 

Merrily’s Russian Teacakes 

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 cup powdered or confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup additional powdered sugar, for rolling

optional:
2-3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, for dipping
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for Dirty Snowballs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla. Combine the flour and salt and stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Chill up to an hour.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Pour the additional powdered sugar into a flat bowl or on a plate; for the dirty snowball, add the cocoa powder. When cool enough to touch but still warm, roll cookies in the powdered sugar. Cool, then roll in the sugar again if you’d like.

For slice-and-bake cookies, shape the dough into two logs, about 2 inches wide, and wrap in waxed paper, plastic wrap, or parchment paper. Chill about 20 minutes. Slice and bake 18-20 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Melt the chocolate and dip one end of each cookie in the chocolate, or drizzle a bit on the end with a spoon. Return to rack to allow chocolate to harden.

Makes about 4 dozen.

How are YOU celebrating National Cookie Day? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES -- your choice of the paperback or a set of audio CDs -- and a set of Christmas-themed cookie cutters. (Include your email address so I can reach you. US addresses only. Winner to be chosen Thurs, December 6.) 

"Budewitz's finely drawn characters, sharp ear for dialogue, and well-paced puzzle make Jewel Bay a destination for every cozy fan." --- Kirkus Reviews

From the cover of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5 (Midnight Ink,  available in trade paper, e-book, and audio):  

In Jewel Bay---Montana's Christmas Village---all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. A past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

RELEASE DAY NEWS!

Congratulations to our own... 

LESLIE BUDEWITZ

on today's release of her
5th Food Lovers' Village Mystery:

AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES

The Agatha-Award winning
Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries continue.

Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit—and herself—alive till Christmas?

In Jewel Bay, Montana’s Christmas Village, all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve? 

To learn more or buy:

CLICK HERE

🎈🎈🎈

Earlier this week, we had
another NEW RELEASE!

Congratulations to our own...

PEG COCHRAN

on this week's release of her new

Farmer's Daughter Mystery

BOUGHT THE FARM

In the third Farmer's Daughter Mystery from the national bestselling author of Sowed to Death, finding a dead body in her own backyard lands blogger and farmer Shelby McDonald in one trough spot...

Wedding preparations are in full swing at Love Blossom Farm as food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald transforms the property for her friend Kelly's down-home country-style reception. But when the lead singer of the wedding band turns up dead--drowned in a trough full of rainwater and strung up like a scarecrow--the police round themselves up a barnful of suspects.

It seems that Travis sowed the seeds of discord wherever he went, and when it becomes clear that everyone from the groom to Shelby's own staff has motive, tracking down Travis' killer is going to be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. As Shelby finds herself drawn deeper into the investigation, she'll have to move quickly before the killer decides to put her out to pasture. 

To learn more or buy:

CLICK HERE

📖

Click to see more of our
upcoming releases.

👓

Cheers! A champagne cocktail for a book birthday! #recipe @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE: Sometimes the characters authors most enjoy writing about—and who most appeal to readers—are the ones we hadn’t planned. That’s what happened with Tanner in the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, the best friend of Adam, Erin’s sweetie, whom we first meet in TREBLE AT THE JAM FEST, Erin’s 4th adventure. He and Adam have been best friends since kindergarten, providing each other with stability in childhoods that were anything but.

I knew Tanner ran a successful company in Minneapolis, making T-shirts and other outdoor clothing from reused and recycled materials. I did not know, until he pulled out the cocktail shaker, that when he first started the company, he made ends meet by tending bar. That let to the Italian Princess, a cocktail he creates in TREBLE, based on one Mr. Right and I enjoyed at a wine dinner at a local eatery. Nor did I know the reason for his visit to Montana at that particular time, a turn of events that more than one reviewer said tugged at her heart.

But I knew Tanner would return in AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, the 5th in the series, when I first tasted champagne with St. Germain. We first tasted the liqueur in France, but hadn’t used it ourselves until a birthday celebration at a mountain lodge across the valley. We experimented a bit, discovering that bitters are an easily-overlooked but essential ingredient.

Celebrate with me, please, the release this week of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, the fifth Food Lovers’ Village Mystery!



Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy!

And raise a glass with me to Peg Cochran, and toast the release today of BOUGHT THE FARM, 3d in the Farmers' Daughter Mysteries from Berkley. 

Tanner’s Life’s-Too-Short-For-Rehearsals Champagne Cocktail

As readers of Treble at the Jam Fest remember, Tanner loves creating special cocktails. This drink honors the bride: classic, with just the right balance of sweet and tart!


For each drink:

1 sugar cube
5–6 drops Angostura bitters
½ ounce St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
5-1/2 ounces champagne
Lemon twist, cut with a channel knife or paring knife

In a champagne flute, soak the sugar cube with the bitters. Add the liqueur, and slowly pour in
the champagne. Add the lemon twist.

Salut!

Salut!

Tried a food or drink in your travels that you've later tried at home? Or has a friend turned you on to something you'd never have thought you'd enjoy? Tell me about it in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, the 5th Food Lovers' Village Mystery. (US and Canadian addresses only, please. Winner will be chose Thurs, June 7.) 

"Budewitz's finely drawn characters, sharp ear for dialogue, and well-paced puzzle make Jewel Bay a destination for every cozy fan." --- Kirkus Reviews

From the cover of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5 (Midnight Ink, June 8, 2018):  

In Jewel Bay---Montana's Christmas Village---all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. A past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

Erin's Spur-of-the-Moment Shrimp Florentine - #recipe #bookgiveaway

LESLIE: "Where do the recipes come from?” readers often ask. There are nearly as many sources as recipes—some suggest themselves from the situation, some spring from the ingredients in season (in both series) or the spice I’m featuring (in my Spice Shop series). Some are dishes I’ve eaten in real life that simply have to be recreated on the page.

And sometimes, they are just as spur-of-the-moment for me as they are for my characters. I had spinach and tomatoes. I had shrimp. I had that recurrent need for dinner.

I also had a jar of spice that had been a Christmas gift. If you’re a foodie, you know what I mean—friends and relatives who are less adventurous in the kitchen see something in a shop and think it looks too good to pass up, but what would they do with it? “I know,” they say. “I’ll give it Leslie.”

If you’ve got a jar like that, it might be just the ticket. An Italian herb blend is the perfect seasoning for these ingredients. Or try an herbed salt or a Cajun spice blend. Go on—mix it up! Erin and I dare you!

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES! 

PS -- I'm dreaming of Christmas on my Facebook Author page, with daily giveaways through June 5. Pop over and join the fun!

Congratulations to Krista Davis for the release, today, of THE DIVA COOKS UP A STORM, Domestic Diva Mystery #11 (Kensington). You KNOW Sophie has a shelf full of bottles and jars of curious ingredients she’s been given—and you know she’d whip this dish up in no time!

Erin’s Spur-of-the-Moment Shrimp Florentine

Florentine means “with spinach.” Alternate translation? Quick and yummy! Erin used a blend with sundried tomatoes, parsley, horseradish, lemon, and other herbs and spices. Try an Italian blend, an herbed salt, or a Cajun spice blend for a different flavor punch!

1–2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon or 1 clove minced garlic
2 slicing tomatoes or 2–3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon of your favorite spice blend
2–3 cups (or handfuls!) fresh spinach
20–24 medium shrimp, cooked
Cooked jasmine rice or a short, sturdy pasta, such as penne or rotilli

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat until soft, 3–5 minutes. Toss in the seasoning and stir well to blend. Add the spinach and cover for 2–3 minutes, until spinach is soft. Toss in the shrimp and stir; cover and cook until shrimp are heated, another 2–3 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta.

This recipe is flexible, and easily increased. Serve with a green salad. It pairs well with red or white wine.

Serves 2.

What food gifts have you most enjoyed? Which ones have most baffled you? Got a favorite non-recipe recipe? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES! (US & Canadian addresses only, please. The winner will be chosen Thurs, May 31.)

"Clean-as-a-whistle dialogue, endearing characters, and a solid plot make this cozy a winner." --- Publishers Weekly

From the cover of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5 (Midnight Ink, June 2018, available for pre-order now):  

In Jewel Bay---Montana's Christmas Village---all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. A past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

Molly's Six-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies #recipes @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE:  Not hard to tell what food is featured in AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, the 5th Food Lovers’ Village Mystery, is it? I finished the book about this time last year, which meant testing Christmas cookie recipes out of season. That made my Mr. Right quite happy, as you might imagine.

If you’re like me—and my protagonist, Erin Murphy—you don’t consider peanut butter cookies holiday fare. They’re more of an every-day cookie. When Erin’s young cousin Molly, whom Erin quickly points out is not half-Italian, making her food choices somewhat suspect,  brings these to the annual cookie exchange, Erin rolls her eyes. A Christmas cookie, in Erin’s considered opinion, is a snowball (aka a Russian teacake), a fudge ecstasy, a candy cane cookie, or an almond cloud.

But guess which cookie her sweetie, Adam Zimmerman, favors?

When they’re this tasty, who cares what time of year you make them?

These cookies are gluten-free, and freeze nicely. Spritz your measuring cup with cooking spray—one quick burst will do—before scooping up the peanut butter, and it will slip right out and clean up easily. Adams’ No-Stir Chunky peanut butter is perfect for this recipe—and not just because of the name! I have seen a recipe using Eliot’s Spicy Thai Peanut Butter; I haven’t found it yet, but am hoarding a jar of Honey Chipotle Peanut Butter for the next time Mr. Right needs a special treat.

AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, the 5th Food Lovers’ Village Mystery, will be out June 8 from Midnight Ink, in trade paper, e-book, and audio. Available for pre-order now.

Molly's Six-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter (see note above)
2 cups white sugar (scant)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt



Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together peanut butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Stir in baking soda and salt. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Press a fork into the top to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake 10–12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen.

From the cover of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5 (Midnight Ink, June 2018, available for pre-order now):  

In Jewel Bay---Montana's Christmas Village---all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. A past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.