A Surprise Guest -- Laura Childs' Ham and Apricot Country Biscuit Sandwiches #recipe

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Happy happy happy to welcome back to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen my cousin, Laura Childs. Laura's mother was my father's just-older sister, and her parents introduced mine, on a blind date! To a hockey game! On our summer visits back to Minnesota, we often stayed with her family, and I loved trailing around after Laura, her sister, and my brother, who were all close in age and several years older than I. They had a pony! And a wild berry patch and a sledding hill, and Duke the Collie, the first dog I ever loved. 

So while I wasn't planning on following my cousin into the mystery-writing business, I'm delighted that I did, and delighted to welcome her back to the blog to celebrate the launch of EGG SHOOTERS: A Cackleberry Club Mystery.  

Plus, she's serving tea---or lunch. And I'll follow anybody for good food!  

One lucky winner will win a copy of Egg Shooters!

LAURA CHILDS:  Besides solving outlandish mysteries, my three main characters at the Cackleberry Club are known for fabulous egg breakfasts that include Eggs Vesuvius, Eggs in a Cloud, and Eggs in Purgatory. But since these savvy ladies are also keen on keeping their customers coming back for more, they’ve evolved into serving afternoon tea.

Because the days are still somewhat cold and brooding, the typical tea sandwich of cream cheese and cucumber seems far too light. So I’d like to share the Cackleberry Club’s recipe for Ham and Apricot Country Biscuit Sandwiches. It’s a heartier sandwich you can serve with afternoon tea (Darjeeling or Assam would be perfect) or pair with soup for a light lunch or dinner.

Ham and Apricot Country Biscuit Sandwiches

8 country-style biscuits, made from scratch or purchased

Butter

4 slices of ham, cut in half

½ cup apricot jam

2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

 

Start with your mise en place (or some might call it a mess in place) of all the ingredients.

Slice your biscuits, butter them, then add your slice (or slices) of ham. Top that with a mixture of the two mustards.

Now slather on a generous amount of apricot jam.

Okay, now I’m coloring outside the lines a bit. I added another dollop of jam and two snips of roasted red pepper to jazz it up.

This recipe will give you eight sandwiches or two sandwiches per person. Of course, you can always cut down on your ingredients and make one or two sandwiches just for yourself to munch with afternoon tea.

 And if you’d really like to kick back and relax, here’s a quick peak at what my new mystery, Egg Shooters, is all about:

In this newest book I send my main character, Suzanne, to a hospital to deliver a thermos of chili to her fiancé, Dr. Sam Hazelet. Of course Suzanne stumbles into a pharmacy robbery where a guard is brutally gunned down and a friend wounded. As Suzanne heaves her thermos at the gunman, splattering him with hot chili, she becomes part and parcel of the drama – then works to solve the robbery, seek out the killer, and save the reputation of a nurse accused of being a conspirator.

Kind of fun, yes? Stay warm and happy reading.

Love,

Laura Childs

Afternoon tea is such a lovely tradition, and a wonderful excuse to eat! Have you been to a formal tea? What did you most enjoy about it? What's your favorite afternoon snack? 

One lucky reader will win a signed hardcover of EGG SHOOTERS! Be sure to leave your email address; winner will be chosen Thursday, February 18.   

Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. All have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese Art History, and has a Chinese Shar-Pei named Lotus.

Find out more at laurachilds.com or become a Friend on Facebook at Laura Childs Author   

Hawaiian Tea Sandwiches -- Laura Childs #bookgiveaway

LESLIE: I'm delighted to welcome back to the blog my cousin, Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of Lavender Blue Murder, the latest in her Tea Shop mysteries. She's also the author of the Cackleberry Club Mysteries set in rural Minnesota and the Scrapbooking Mysteries, with Terrie Farley Moran, set in New Orleans. We're celebrating the release of her latest Tea Shop Mystery with a fun recipe and some talk about tea. 

Talk to us in the comments for a chance to win a copy of Lavender Blue Murder. 

LAURA: What fun to be here! And a special thank-you to my cousin Leslie Budewitz for inviting me. (You see, mystery writing really does run in the family.)

In writing the Tea Shop Mysteries – and under the guise of doing copious research – I’ve been lucky enough to visit tea shops around the world. I’ve sipped Japanese green tea and eaten baked sweet potatoes in a little tea shop in Kyoto, Japan. I enjoyed high tea at a five-hundred year-old tea shop in Shanghai, China. And I’ve loved the tea and tea sandwiches that are served at all sorts of cute little Victorian and French-inspired tea shops right here at home.

Tea can be a relaxing meditation of sorts. There’s selecting your type and flavor, infusing fresj tea leaves in water that’s been brought to the perfect temperature (just short of boiling), and then waiting patiently for your tea to steep. When tea is finally ready for sipping, it not only imparts a delicious flavor but also delivers a lovely, relaxing hint of aromatherapy.

But you know the best part about taking tea? It’s the food. Namely the tea sandwiches of which there seem to be an infinite variety. We’re talking tomato and cream cheese, brie and apples, grilled shrimp, salmon and cucumber, shrimp salad, chicken salad, country paté, mortadella, ham and cornbread, prosciutto and fig, roast beef and cheddar, smoked turkey and apple, tuna salad, smoked trout, and blue cheese with pears. If you can dream it, you can make it!

I always include recipes in my books and one of my favorite recipes in Lavender Blue Murder is the one for Hawaiian Tea Sandwiches. I made three dozen of these little darlings recently to take along to a book signing, and every one was snapped up in the first twenty minutes. Yup, they’re that good. So here’s the recipe: 

Hawaiian Tea Sandwiches

 ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained

4 maraschino cherries, chopped

1 pkg. cream cheese (3 oz.), softened

6 slices bread (date-nut works great)

3 slices ham

Combine pineapple, maraschino cherries, and cream cheese.

Spread mixture on all 6 bread slices. Top 3 of the bread slices with ham.

Then add the top slice, trim crusts, and cut into quarters. 

Yields 12 tea sandwiches.

But lest you think I’m all about the food, I serve up a darned exciting murder mystery as well. In fact, here’s a little taste of Lavender Blue Murder:

As tea shop owner Theodosia and her tea sommelier Drayton enjoy a British-style day of shooting at Creekmore Plantation, gunshots explode like Black Cat firecrackers. But the distinctive pop of a handgun sounds too close for comfort. Theodosia wanders into a neighboring lavender field and discovers their host Reginald Doyle bleeding to death. Hours later, a fire rips through the Doyle’s plantation house. A shooting and a fire feel way too coincidental, so Theodosia launches an investigation. Fingers are pointed, suspects abound, and old secrets are revealed even as Reginald’s daughter-in law is missing and presumed drowned. A wild, cross-country chase with more shots fired reveals the killer. This is one of my most action-packed mysteries yet!

And, yes, with all this excitement going on I manage to include descriptions and menus for three different tea parties as well as recipes for cream scones with pear butter, prosciutto puff babies, buttermilk biscuits, London fog lattes, and lots more! So . . . are you hungry yet?

Love,

Laura Childs

Find me on my website or on Facebook at Laura Childs Author. 

LESLIE: I am ALWAYS hungry for one of my cousin's books! Let's talk tea, sandwiches, Charleston, or anything else Laura's post inspires. Leave a comment, with your email address, for a chance to win a signed copy of Lavender Blue Murder. (US addresses only; winner will be chosen Wed, March 18.)   

Welcome Laura Childs & Terrie Farley Moran - #bookgiveaway

LESLIE: I am thrilled to welcome back to the Kitchen my beloved cousin, Laura Childs, and her co-author, my dear friend, Terrie Farley Moran, celebrating today's release of GLITTER BOMB, the 15th Scrapbooking Mystery, with a recipe for Southern Spoon Bread and a book giveaway.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of GLITTER BOMB! 

LAURA AND TERRIE: Of all the fabulous events that take place in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is, hands down, the most exciting. Carmela Bertrand and her BFF Ava Grieux are not about to miss a moment of the fun as they drink, dance and lunge to catch beads at the Pluvius Parade festivities. Carmela's ex-husband Shamus rides by on his sparkling gold float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus' float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his krewe is killed. Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the krewe-member's death, but as they dig deeper it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder....and Shamus seems less like a victim, and more like a suspect. Even though Carmela’s fianceé Detective Edgar Babcock warns her to stay away from the murder investigation, Carmela has a knack for nosing out information and a curiosity for hunting down clues.

GLITTER BOMB by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran is the fifteenth book in the Scrapbooking mystery series. Besides teaching a craft or two, Carmela takes readers on a zany ride through New Orleans that includes haunted cemeteries, a fashion show, a sports car rally, and a party at the zoo, all while trying to solve the murder. Still, the girls always find time for a fashionable meal or two at legendary eateries like Commander’s Palace. But when Carmela makes dinner at home, it wouldn’t be a surprise to have Southern Spoon Bread on the menu. 

Southern Spoon Bread

1 cup boiling water

1 cup cornmeal

1 teas. salt

1 Tbsp. butter

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Add cornmeal, salt and butter to boiling water. Cool. 

Add buttermilk. Fold in well-beaten egg yolks and mix. Then fold in stiffly-beaten egg whites. Pour mixture into a greased baking dish and bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes. 

Serve as a side dish, scooping mixture out with a spoon.

Serves 4. Beads optional.

For a chance to win a copy of GLITTER BOMB, please comment below, with your email address. Carmela and Ava would love to know if you have ever been to New Orleans. If so, what is your favorite thing about NOLA? If not, they are wondering when you are coming to visit. 

(US addresses only; winner will be chosen Friday, October 5.)  

LAURA CHILDS is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of the Scrapbooking Mysteries, Tea Shop Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. 

http://www.laurachilds.com/

https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Winner of both the Agatha and the Derringer, TERRIE FARLEY MORAN is the author of the beachside Read 'Em and Eat cozy mystery series; co-author of Laura Childs’ New Orleans scrapbooking mystery series; and has published numerous short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, numerous anthologies.

http://terriefarleymoran.com/

https://www.facebook.com/terriefarleymoran/

Breakfast Pita Pizza #Recipe and Book #Giveaway #LauraChilds

Today MLK is delighted to to welcome back New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, author of the Cackleberry Club Mysteries, Tea Shop Mysteries, and Scrapbooking Mysteries. She has a wonderful breakfast solution!

LAURA CHILDS: Breakfast is a trying time in my home. I seem to constantly revert to omelets, scrambled eggs, or sausage and eggs.  Enough already, right? So I finally decided to take a page from Scorched Eggs, my latest Cackleberry Club Mystery, and whip up a breakfast pita pizza. Well, it turned out to be a major hit. My husband, Dr. Bob, loved it and my two Chinese Shar-Pei woofed it down when I offered it to them.

My basic recipe is very simple: You start with pita bread. I like Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita because it’s very low carb and only 60 calories. Then I top it with a scoop of prepared tomato sauce. I use Bertolli and sometimes Mario Batalli. Once the tomato sauce is spread over the pita, it’s time to get creative. In the photo you see here, I used slices of ham, black olives, and red pepper. But you can toss on pretty much anything you have in your refrigerator – sliced sausage or chicken, onions, green pepper, mushrooms, whatever your like. Then sprinkle on some low-fat mozzarella cheese and pop that baby in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. 

While your breakfast pita is baking, fry an egg. As soon as your pita pizza comes out of the oven, slide that egg on top and your pita pizza is ready to serve for breakfast.

The other neat thing you can so is top your pita with fruit and cheese (minus the tomato sauce). For example, use thin slices of juicy pear and then top your pear with brie cheese (instead of mozzarella). Bake that combo for about 8 minutes and you have something delicious and totally different for breakfast!

Leave a comment on this blog post this week and you are entered to win a signed copy of Scorched Eggs.

Quick Synopsis of my new Cackleberry Club Mystery, Scorched Eggs.

In this cozy-thriller Suzanne, Toni, and Petra preside over the Cackleberry Club café in the small town of Kindred. But when a fire engulfs the downtown area, the ladies go on high alert - a friend has been killed and all signs point to arson! Could it be a vengeful husband, ex-fireman, or expert in explosives? The ladies try to track down the killer while they deal with a vintage wedding, county fair, tea parties, and a dinner theatre.  Scorched Eggs delivers a gripping mystery that includes recipes for Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Cheese Popovers, and Scorched Eggs.

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

Little Girl Lost, the first in her new hard-edged thriller series written under the name Gerry Schmitt, will be out in June!

Learn more at www.laurachilds.com or buy the books wherever books are sold!

Guest Laura Childs, serving Cream Scones and a #bookgiveaway

Leslie here, delighted to welcome my cousin---really, truly; I'm not being metaphoric---the fabulous Laura Childs, New York Times best-selling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Cackleberry Club Mysteries, and Scrapbooking Mysteries, and next summer, a new thriller series under her real name, Gerry Schmitt. And it's wonderful that she's talking about her dogs. Dogs play a role in many of her books, and family collie, Duke, was the first dog I ever loved!

Leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win a signed, harcover copy of PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE, the newest Scrapbooking Mystery!

A funny thing happened to me in the kitchen the other day. My dogs decided to watch me make scones. These are two snooty, deign-to-even-take-notice Chinese Shar-Pei named Asia and Moosha. Yet they seemed delighted when I measured out all the ingredients, transfixed when I mixed the flour and butter with my fingers, and sat – staring and immobile – while my scones baked in the oven.  What was the result of all this kitchen love? A great pan of scones that was enjoyed by all!  (See photo of them noshing away.) And because I manage to slip tea drinking and scones into pretty much every mystery I write, I thought you’d enjoy my basic cream scone recipe. 

Basic Cream Scones

 2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and diced

½ cup cream

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and, using fork or fingers, mix until ingredients form a coarse meal.  hisk egg and cream together in a separate bowl and then add to flour mixture. Knead gently to thoroughly moisten and form dough. Add more cream if mixture is too dry. Drop dough (about a ¼ cup’s worth) onto lightly greased baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart.  

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Yields 1 dozen scones.  

Note:  This is a basic recipe, so you can always toss in a cup of chocolate chips or butterscotch chips if you prefer your scones a little sweeter!

Leave a comment on this blog post by Sunday, October 11, for a chance to win a signed, hardcover copy of PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE.

Here's the scoop on the newest Scrapbook Mystery, PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE: 

In this cozy-thriller from Laura Childs, scrapbook maven Carmela Bertrand tries to track down the killer of a young bride-to-be who’s been brutally murdered in a New Orleans cemetery. Could it be the conflicted groom, stalker attorney, jealous bridesmaid, or crazy mother-in-law to be? As Carmela sorts through this dysfunctional group of suspects, snippets of antique lace and parchment become critical clues in the case. And it all comes to an enormous head at a raucous casino party that ends with a frantic chase through an abandoned theme park. Scrapbooking tips are included along with recipes for Pecan Pie Muffins, Sweet Potato Casserole, Big Easy Butter Chicken, and more.

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. 

Little Girl Lost, the first in her new hard-edged thriller series written under the name Gerry Schmitt, will be out in June, 2016.

Learn more at www.laurachilds.com Buy the books at Amazon, B&N, BAM, IndieBound, or your local mystery or independent bookseller. 

Welcome Guest Blogger—Laura Childs

Our guest blogger today is Laura Childs, author of the recent New York Times Bestseller,Eggs Benedict Arnold. Welcome, Laura!

Happy New Year, Mystery Lovers! I hope everyone is staying warm and taking time to curl up with a good cozy mystery. If you’re looking for a new series, you might even enjoy my Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

In Eggs Benedict Arnold, the second in the series, café owners Suzanne, Toni, and Petra have lost their husbands and found independence in each other – as well as a life raft of support and inspiration. But when the local mortician is found dead on his own slab, who would have guessed these three women would be working a double shift as amateur sleuths?

Halfway between a cozy and a thriller (a thrillzy?), Eggs Benedict Arnold delivers a double dose of smart, slightly crazy women, pulse-pounding action, recipes, knitting, and a dash of spirituality. The book is also affordably priced at $7.99 and just spent two weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List!

Eggs Benedict Arnold is definitely a fun, fast-paced culinary read. Plus you’ll love Cackleberry Club recipes such as Brown Sugar Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, and Upside Down French Toast. And that special recipe for Eggs Benedict Arnold? Here it is!

Eggs Benedict Arnold

4 strips thick-cut bacon

2 eggs, poached

English muffin, toasted

English Cheddar, ¼ cup shredded

Hollandaise sauce (jar or made from scratch)

Parsley, chopped

Using an oven-safe plate or shallow bowl, place strips of fried, crispy bacon on top of open-face toasted English muffin. Add poached eggs and top with Hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle on English cheddar cheese and toast under broiler for about 45 seconds. Top with fresh, chopped parsley for garnish. Note: To make your Eggs Benedict Arnold even more British, substitute bangers (British sausages) for the bacon.

Laura Childs is the author of the Cackleberry Club Mysteries,

Tea Shop Mysteries, and Scrapbooking Mysteries.

Find out more at www.laurachilds.com

Welcome Guest Blogger—Laura Childs

Today’s guest blogger is Laura Childs, the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Scrapbook Mysteries, Tea Shop Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

Tell us a little about Tragic Magic, your latest release, as well as the recipes you’ve included in the book.

Tragic Magic is the 7^th installment in my Scrapbook Mystery series featuring scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand. When asked to convert an old mansion into Medusa Manor, a new haunted house attraction in New Orleans, Carmela is amped and ready to design spooky set decorations. But her first evening on the job yields a flaming body hurled from the third-floor tower! Of course, this being New Orleans, there’s also lots of eating involved, so I include such recipes as andouille sausage gumbo, parmesan shrimp bake, Southern coffee cookies, and deep fried strawberries.

What kind of food discoveries have you made in New Orleans?

Great restaurants, of course. Commander’s Palace, Antoine’s, the Praline Connection, and a tiny little neighborhood joint called Frankie and Johnny’s.

As far as foods go, I can’t get enough of the fried oysters, stuffed artichokes, jambalaya, etouffee, and beignets from Café du Monde. And Hurricanes (oh wait, that’s a drink! And a strong one at that).

Who does most of the cooking at your house? With your busy schedule, how do you find time to cook?

I do the cooking and there’s never any time. So my husband and I do lots of baked chicken as well as stews and chowders that can be tossed together early and simmered all day.

What’s your favorite food to cook with?

Fresh Long Island duckling. I fill the body cavity with white wine, wrap it loosely in foil, then let it slow cook on the outdoor grill. The wine rids the duck of fat and the whole thing steams from the inside, much like the Chinese technique. So a nice, tender, flavorful bird.

Do you have any fond food memories from growing up?

I grew up with a stay-at-home mom, so every day she made cookies, brownies, banana bread, apple pie or chocolate cake. And always from scratch – the real deal. Hard to find anyone who does that now. And when my Aunt Lucille died recently, all we talked about at her funeral was her carrot cake and cream cheese icing. I hope there’s a Pillsbury Bake-Off in heaven!

What’s your idea of a perfect meal? Is it one you cook yourself or one you enjoy at a restaurant?

Definitely at a restaurant. I’m a foie gras and Champagne lover so that’s always my starter. Then I love tasting menus. I had one the other night with quivering, almost-raw diver scallops, shrimp mousse, tuna tartare, and a couple of hand-made ravioli stuffed with buffalo mozzarella. Fantastic!

You also write the Tea Shop Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Do the protagonists in those books enjoy cooking?

The Tea Shop Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries are in the culinary genre, so the main characters are always cooking like crazy. Theodosia, my tea shop protagonist is constantly sipping new teas and creating tasty new tea sandwiches and savories. In between kicking dead bodies out of the way, the ladies in my Cackleberry Club Mysteries are whipping up café specials like Eggs in Purgatory, Slumbering Volcanoes, and Fatal Frittata.

What book are you working on now? What’s the food connection?

I just finished The Teaberry Strangler, which comes out next March. That book features some very tea shop oriented recipes – pecan pie muffins, butterscotch scones, almond Devonshire cream, Hawaiian tea sandwiches, pimento and walnut tea sandwiches. Like that.

Do you have a favorite recipe to share with us?

Try this Chocolate Sour Cream Scone Recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup butter

1 beaten egg yolk

8 oz. sour cream

½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Mix together flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter. Add egg yolk and sour cream and mix. Add chocolate chips and stir until soft. Spoon dough (about 2 Tbsp worth for each scone) onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Thanks so much for visiting the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, Laura!