Today we
welcome guest author Elizabeth J. Duncan back to the Mystery Lover’s Kitchen.
The author of two series: the Penny Brannigan mysteries set in North Wales and
Shakespeare in the Catskills, Elizabeth is a two-time winner of the Bloody
Words Award for Canada’s best light mystery.
The
paperback edition of Ill Met by Murder
(Catskills #2) will be released October 10, and the hardback edition of Much Ado About Murder (Catskills #3) on
November 7.
The
Shakespeare in the Catskills series is published by Crooked Lane Books.
*
Nothing
says autumn in upstate New York like apples. So when Paula Van Dusen, chairman
of the board of directors of the Catskills Shakespeare Theater Company, decides
to give a dinner party to welcome two new British members to the troupe, an
apple pie accompanied by artisan cheddar cheese and freshly churned vanilla ice
cream is on the menu. After all, what’s more American than apple pie? Unfortunately,
one of the guests is found dead the next morning, but that had nothing to do
with the delicious dinner prepared by Paula’s kitchen staff! It was all just Much Ado About Murder!
However, if
unlike Paula, you have no help, and no time to bake an apple pie, why not try
this delicious quick bread that summons up all the flavours of apple pie
without the bother? A perfect accompaniment to a cup of morning coffee or
afternoon tea.
Apple and cinnamon quick bread
Ingredients
2/3 cup
brown sugar, divided
½
tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup
white sugar
1/2 cup
butter softened, or margarine suitable for baking
2 eggs,
lightly beaten
1 teaspoon
vanilla
1 ½ cups
all purpose flour
2 tsp
baking powder
1/3 cup
milk or buttermilk
2 Granny
Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp melted
butter
Method
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray an 8x4 loaf pan.
Combine 1/3
cup of brown sugar with cinnamon in small bowl and set aside.
Cream white
sugar, remaining brown sugar, and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla.
Stir
together flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture alternating with milk,
starting and ending with flour. Do not over mix.
Pour half
of batter into pan, sprinkle with half the chopped apples and half the
remaining cinnamon mixture.
Stir the
remaining apples into remaining batter and pour into pan. Top with remaining
cinnamon mixture.
Bake
approx. 40 minutes. Brush topping with melted butter. Continue baking an
additional five to 10 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool 10
minutes in pan, then remove to rack to finish cooling.
*
 |
| Cream white sugar, remaining brown sugar, and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. |
 |
| Pour half
of batter into pan, sprinkle with half the chopped apples and half the
remaining cinnamon mixture. |
 |
| Stir the
remaining apples into remaining batter and pour into pan. Top with remaining cinnamon mixture. |
 |
| Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to rack to finish cooling. |
 |
| Enjoy! |
To win a
paperback copy of Ill Met by Murder, or
an ARC of Much Ado About Murder
(publisher’s choice) simply leave a comment below. USA only.
Connect
with Elizabeth on Twitter @elizabethduncan, on Facebook
http.//www.facebook/elizabethjduncan or visit her website www.elizabethjduncan.com You can sign up on the author page to receive a brief newsletter
