Perfect Pumpkin Bread and HAUNTED BOOKSHOP #GIVEAWAY from Cleo Coyle

We usually have a guest on Sunday, but this week is a very special one for us because, after nearly ten years, we're finally making our ghost reappear!

That's right, JACK IS BACK, which makes him our special guest today as we count down the hours to the official release of our brand new Haunted Bookshop Mystery: The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller. 

For those of you who've never read our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, we hope you'll give this new one a try. Though it's the sixth book, you won't have any trouble jumping in. We always introduce our characters with enough backstory so that new readers can join in the fun without feeling lost...

GIVEAWAY #1 -- Leave a comment on this post
for a chance to win a signed copy of Cleo Coyle's
brand new Haunted Bookshop Mystery:
THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER
and the "Jack is Back!" tote bag.

To pre-order Cleo's book
or learn more click here.

👇

Congrats to the winner
of this post's giveaway...

Sandy G.!

"Jack and Pen are a terrific duo who prove
that love can transcend anything." 

—The Mystery Reader 

A BIG BESTSELLER LEADS TO SMALL TOWN TROUBLE

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn't believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful... 


After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. This popular potboiler is so hot that folks in her tiny Rhode Island town are dying to read it--literally. First one customer turns up dead, followed by another mysterious fatality connected to the book, which Pen discovers is more than just fiction. Now, with the help of her gumshoe ghost, Pen must solve the real-life cold case behind the bogus bestseller before the killer closes the book on her.

GIVEAWAY #2 -- For a chance to win this signed
set of all 6 Haunted Bookshop Mysteries,
visit our "Cozy Wednesday" guest blog post
by clicking here or on the image above.

Click for free checklist of Cleo Coyle's
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries in order!

Now for today's recipe!

Since Jack (our PI ghost) is our Sunday guest of honor, and Jack-O'-Lantern season is just around the corner, we're sharing one of our favorite fall recipes...

👇

Perfect Pumpkin Bread

Cleo Coyle has a partner in

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

by clicking here and here.

A Note from Cleo

Cinnamon and nutmeg are traditional in pumpkin bread, but our recipe also layers in earthy-sweet maple syrup and brown sugar. Both combine with the vanilla to create a delightful note of caramel. 

To quote our coffeehouse manager and amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, "The trick to baking up an excellent quick bread is not unlike the secret to a good relationship: keep the structure strong enough to prevent it all from falling apart—without sacrificing tenderness." Marc and I work on that delicate balance every day, just as our character Clare does with her new fiance, NYPD Detective Mike Quinn. 

Click here to see more recipes
from DEAD COLD BREW.

As for this pumpkin bread, our readers may recognize it from our recent bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery DEAD COLD BREW. To see more recipes from the book, click here.

The bread bakes up wonderfully with great structure as well as layers of delicious flavor. It's perfect for gifting, too. May you eat with joy!

~ Cleo

🍴

To download a free PDF
of this recipe that you
can print, save, or
share, click here

Click for free Recipe PDF.

Cleo Coyle's
Perfect Pumpkin Bread

Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf 

Ingredients:

2 extra-large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed and free of lumps!

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

1½ cups pumpkin puree* (most of a 15-ounce can)

2 cups all-purpose flour

(optional) ½ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

*Pumpkin puree can be homemade or canned. If using canned, be sure to use 100% pureed pumpkin and not “pumpkin pie filling.”

Directions:

Step 1—Make Batter: First preheat your oven to 350° F. Coat bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease the pan with oil or butter. With a fork or whisk, beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk in oil, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Finally, whisk in the pumpkin puree and blend well. Switching to a rubber spatula (or spoon), stir in flour until a lumpy batter forms. Be sure all the raw flour is well incorporated into the batter, but do not overmix. If adding nuts, fold in now. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Even off the top and bang the pan a few times on the counter (to remove air bubbles). Allow the pan to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes before baking.

Step 2—Bake: After about 50 minutes baking in your well-preheated 350° F oven, test for doneness by inserting a toothpick deep into the center of the bread. If it comes out with wet batter clinging to it, place aluminum foil over the top of the pan to prevent overbrowning and continue baking 5 minutes at a time, testing until toothpick comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Step 3—Cool and slice: Bread should cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. If your pan is nonstick, it should come out easily. Otherwise, run a knife around the pan edges. Before slicing, cool bread for another 15 minutes or you may risk crumbling the slices. Slice gently using a serrated knife. Delicious plain or with a spread of butter or whipped cream cheese.

Click for free Recipe PDF.

☕

Eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries 

Alice and Marc in Central Park. 

Together we write as Cleo Coyle. 

Learn more about us here.
Friend us on facebook here.
Follow us on twitter here.
Visit our online coffeehouse here.

Our NEW Coffeehouse Mystery!

Mystery Pick of the Month! --Library Journal
*

Amazon * B&N

IndieBound * BAM

*

"A gripping and entertaining mystery"

--Library Journal (Starred Review) 

*

"Penetrating insights" --Kirkus Reviews 

*

"Sure to delight" --Publishers Weekly

🍴

This culinary mystery includes
25 delicious recipes! To get the
Free Recipe Guide, click here.

☕

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling

works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark

Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the

17 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 

Click for Cleo Coyle's
Checklist of Books in Order. 

🔍

The prim bookseller and
hardboiled ghost team up again
to catch a cunning killer in...

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller

On Sale September 25

PRE-ORDER NOW:

 Amazon click here

B&N click here

Indie bookseller here

BAM click here 

"He is hardboiled in the tradition
of Philip Marlowe, and she is a genteel
Miss Marple; yet the two opposites
make an explosive combination..."

—Midwest Book Review

Cleo is now working
on her next book!

Don't miss her news...

To sign up for Cleo Coyle's
Coffeehouse Mystery Newsletter
and get the latest news on
Cleo's books, bonus recipe,
and fun giveaways!

👇

Congrats to the winner
of this post's giveaway...

Sandy G.!

Mission Accomplished!

The Mission:

A request for pound cake, only moist, and not heavy, that can be sliced, wrapped, and eaten in the car without leaving sticky fingers or making a mess.



The Reality:

It should be tasty, but it can't have frosting or a topping, which is always a challenge. Moist, not a dry-as-sand cake, but not so moist that it's sticky. And there should probably something inside it since there can't be any frosting.



The Challenge:

Last year I came up with a recipe for a cinnamon swirl pumpkin coffee cake that I loved. But it was very moist. Could I create something similar in loaf form without losing all the moisture?







The recipe:

Pumpkin Quick Bread

Dry:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pink sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Wet:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup (or so) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Thoroughly butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with a fork and set aside.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugars. Add the pumpkin, milk and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour the dry ingredients on top of the wet ones. Pour the melted butter over everything.

Mix with a gentle hand like you would muffins, until just combined. It's okay if there are lumps.

Pour a little more than half into the prepared loaf pan.

Mix the dark brown sugar with the teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter in the pan. Over top of that, sprinkle the chocolate chips.

Add the remaining batter and spread evenly on top.

Bake 50-55 minutes.

The Verdict:

Mission accomplished! It came out appropriately moist. No one will be smacking their lips and begging for tea. It's not overly sweet, nor is it too sticky to eat by hand – provided you don't touch the chocolate part. But the chocolate ribbon gives it a nice little boost of flavor. If you're crazy for sugar, increase the regular sugar by 1/4 cup. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with this little guy!