Gluten-Free Peach Berry Coffee Cake #Recipe by @LibbyKlein #Giveaway

Libby Klein Brunch is one of my favorite occasions. It's not so much the time of day, although I am admittedly not a morning person or a breakfast eater. It's more because every dish is elevated. You don't just have pancakes. You have bananas foster pancakes. You don't just have an egg. You have a crabcake Benedict. I made this breakfast cake for a brunch with my girls using the best peaches and blackberries I could find at the local farmer's market. It did not disappoint. I use coconut sugar in the cake recipe to make it just a little bit healthier, but you can use regular white sugar if you want. You'll notice I have white sugar listed in the topping to keep the crumb light. If you want to make this in the middle of winter for a special occasion you can use frozen berries and peaches. You don't have to thaw the berries, but I recommend thawing the peaches to be sure they get cooked all the way through.

Because I'm so close to my new release of Silent Nights Are Murder, I'll give away a copy of Mischief Nights Are Murder to a lucky commenter. To enter, let me know in the comments, what is your favorite brunch dish? 

Gluten Free Peach Berry Coffee Cake

Serves 9

 Ingredients

  Cake

2 cups gluten free flour 

3/4 cup Coconut sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon allspice

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk yoghurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh (or frozen) blackberries

1 cup fresh (or frozen) peeled, diced peaches 

 

Topping

2/3 cup gluten free flour 

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round or square pan with baking spray. You could even add a piece of parchment paper and let it hang over the sides of the pan to lift the cake out when it has cooled.

    In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and allspice.     Set aside.

    In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, oil, eggs, yoghurt, and vanilla until                combined.

    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Blend just until the batter starts to come     together.

    Fold in the berries and peaches,

    Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan.

    Make the crumb topping by mixing the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium            bowl. Add the melted butter using a fork until evenly moistened and crumbly. Sprinkle     evenly over the cake batter.

    Bake for 40-45 minutes, until done. Cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister and her aunt Ginny are looking forward to a quiet, homey Christmas at their B&B in Cape May, but unfortunately, death isn’t taking a holiday this year . . .

Ever since Thanksgiving, Poppy and her pals have been left with an unsolved mystery of the romantic kind. But at least this mystery isn’t the kind that involves murder. That all changes when the body of a fish supplier is discovered in the kitchen of her ex’s restaurant—and he’s frozen, not fresh.

For once, it’s not Poppy who tripped over the corpse, yet she can’t escape being drawn in since the victim has a note taped to him reading Get Poppy. Figures—an engagement ring isn't labeled, but the dead guy is addressed to her. Now, while Aunt Ginny plans a tree-trimming party and pressures Poppy to decode a mysterious old diary, the amateur sleuth is asked to “unofficially” go undercover at the restaurant to help the police. Until then, the only crime Poppy had been dealing with was Figaro’s repeated thefts of bird ornaments from the tree; now it looks like it’s going to be a murder-y Christmas after all.

 

Libby Klein grew up in Cape May, NJ where she attended high school in the '80s. Her

classes revolved mostly around the Culinary sciences and Drama, with one brilliant semester in Poly-Sci that may have been an accident. She loves to drink coffee, bake gluten-free goodies, collect fluffy cats, and translate sarcasm for people who are too serious. She writes from her Northern Virginia office where she serves a very naughty black smoke Persian named Sir Figaro Newton. You can keep up with her shenanigans by signing up for her Mischief and Mayhem Newsletter on her website. www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/

 

Peach Mango Chia Seed Jam #recipe by Mia P. Manansala @MPMtheWriter

Even though fall is officially here, Chicago continues to be its usual weather-confused self by giving us crisp 50-degree mornings and 80-degree afternoons. These temperature swings are not only affecting my allergies (I'm rather sensitive to the changing of seasons and temperature fluctuations), but what I feel like eating. As much as I'd love to start baking up a storm and sipping on hot drinks, the weather hasn't been all that cooperative lately. Yet I can still sense the end of my favorite summer fruit season and wanted to share a delicious and easy jam recipe that you can adapt for any fruit.

Coconut yogurt topped with peach mango chia seed jam and granola

Chia seeds absorb liquid and are not only a good source of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, but can also be used in smoothies, puddings, jams, and even as egg replacements. They become slightly gelatinous after absorbing the liquid, and sometimes retain a bit of crunch in the center, depending on how long you let the seeds bloom in the liquid. Because of this gelatinous quality, you can make jam with much less sugar and way faster than the traditional method. I particularly like making chia seed jam when I have a small amount of fruit to use up rather than pounds and pounds of it. You can also play with the flavor by adding different extracts and spices, but for this recipe, I kept it simple.

Peach Mango (or any fruit) Chia Seed Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped fruit (can even use frozen fruit; I've used frozen mixed berries before)
• 2 TBSP chia seeds (I used black, but white would look better with lighter fruits)
• 1-2 TBSP sweetener (I used honey), optional
• 1 TBSP lemon juice, optional

Directions:

1. Prepare the fruit by peeling and chopping into pieces, if large.
2. Add the fruit to a medium-sized sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the fruit starts to break down and release juices, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the fruit you use. Mash with a potato masher or strong fork to your desired texture.
3. Stir in the chia seeds and lemon juice. Taste the mixture and add sweetener, if desired.
4. Remove from heat and let cool at least 10 minutes. It will thicken considerably.
5. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can blend the mixture to your desired consistency.
6. Pour into a clean jar. Will keep in the refrigerator for about a week and in the freezer for three months.
7. Enjoy!

Cast of characters

Prep the fruit by cutting into large chunks.

Cook until the fruit is soft and syrupy, then mash with a potato masher or strong fork.

Add sweetener.

Add chia seeds.

Stir together and remove from heat. Let sit for at least five minutes. Mixture will thicken as it cools.

If you'd prefer a smoother texture, blend until you reach your desired consistency.

Transfer to a clean jar and enjoy!
Can be used immediately or stored in fridge for a week, in the freezer for three months.

Have you ever used chia seeds in a recipe before? Let me know your faves in the comments!

If you liked this recipe, make sure you sign up for my newsletter! I include a Filipino-themed recipe every month, as well as giveaways and book recommendations!

 

One of BuzzFeed’s Highly Anticipated Mystery Novels of 2021!

 

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer….

 

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

 

With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…

Order

Order from my local indies for signed, personalized copies:  

The Book Table (Oak Park, IL) 

Centuries & Sleuths (Forest Park, IL)

Peach Hoagy from @MaddieDayAuthor plus #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here, with a refreshing summer drink.

In No Grater Crime, Robbie Jordan and her friend Lou eat dinner at a fictional restaurant called Phat Cats Bistro in the university town of Bloomington. The real Phat Cats Bistro is our favorite local restaurant here in the northeast, but I had fun copying it into a southern Indiana eating destination. The bartender at the Phat Cats Bistro in the book invented this peach cocktail to honor Bloomington native Hoagy Carmichael and his song, “Georgia on My Mind,” written in 1930. 

In reality, I created the drink. Now that it's fresh peach season here AND the book is coming out on the 24th, I thought I'd share it with you all.

Peach Hoagy

Ingredients

For one drink:

2 ounces chilled peach nectar

1 ounce peach moonshine (use peach brandy if you can’t find moonshine)

1 ounce Four Roses bourbon

Juice of 1 lime quarter

1 slice ripe peach

 Directions

Combine the first five ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with peach slice.

Option: If it’s too sweet for you, make in a Manhattan glass on ice and add lime seltzer, and/or increase the bourbon.

Readers: what's your favorite fruit drink, whether alcoholic or not? I'll send one commenter a signed copy of Candy Slain Murder, the previous book in the series, so you'll be all caught up before release day!

My most recent book is  A Changing Light, our seventh Quaker Midwife Mystery! If you want a signed copy endorsed to you, please order from my local indy bookstore, Jabberwocky Books.

The next book to come out is Country Store Mystery #9. No Grater Crime comes out August 24 and is up for preorder!

Murder at the Lobstah Shack is also up for preorder!

We hope you'll visit Edith and Maddie 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 north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

Luscious Peaches with Prosciutto Recipe

From Daryl aka Avery

Thanks to the research I'm doing for my COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series, I am amassing a whole new library of cookbooks. I can’t seem to help myself. All in the name of research.

I’ve mentioned this before, but peaches are my favorite fruit, and when they’re in season, I’m a nut for peaches. Thanks to a cookbook I found called the Perfect Peach, I’ve been inspired to make a spinach and peach salad and a peach cobbler. This weekend, I made a peach appetizer that was so simple my protagonist Jenna would shout, “Hooray!”

The authors of the cookbook, Nikiko and Masumoto, share wonderful memories throughout this book. I could spend hours reading of the farm and family. And the pictures...wow, wow!!!

For this particular recipe, the authors wanted something that reached out as a thank you to all the people who help them – in bringing produce to the table. 

Not just the farmer, but the workers on the farm, the people supplying the seeds, etc. You get the idea. It takes a village to make one meal. The story brought tears to my eyes.

So from my table (and the authors') to yours:

PEACH BASIL PROSCIUTTO
(tweaked slightly re: proportions)

To serve four people handsomely:

2 peaches sliced in eighths

1 pound prosciutto, cut into thin one-inch slices

12-16 large leaves of basil, rinsed, stem removed

Directions:

Slice the peaches

Slice the prosciutto

Prepare the basil

Lay one slice of peach in each basil leaf. Using a piece of prosciutto, wrap at the center around the peach/basil combo, twisting or pressing at the end so the prosciutto holds together.

That’s it!  EASY!!!

NOTE: In the Perfect Peach recipe, the skin of the peach is cut off. I prefer the skin on for texture. You can do either.

Also, my husband liked the peach with the prosciutto by itself, no basil. I happen to adore basil and loved the combination.

Eat to your heart’s content!

* * *

The first book in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series is out!!

FINAL SENTENCE

You can order the book HERE.

It's set in the fictional coastal town of Crystal Cove, California and features Jenna Hart, a former advertising exec who returns home to help her aunt open a culinary bookshop and café.

The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series is out, too! 

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE
You can order the book HERE. 

Next up: DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT preorder here
INHERIT THE WORD, available soon!

You can learn more about Daryl by clicking this LINK. "Like" my page on Facebook and "follow" me on Twitter. And if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests! You can also follow and "like" Avery Aames the same way:  Facebook and Twitter.