Guest Lisa Q. Mathews with #Giveaway and Giant New England Blueberry-Lemon Whoopie Pie!

Please join me in welcoming our guest author, Lisa Q. Mathews, with an inventive recipe and generous giveaway. I had the great pleasure of reading the launch book in Lisa's wonderful new Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery series, THE JIG IS UP, and I absolutely loved it. The story is filled with warmth, suspenseful twists, and plenty of small-town charm. Lisa’s dry humor along with her expertise in world building is not to be missed. I’m already looking forward to book 2 in the series, BURIED IN SHAMROCKS, coming soon and now available for pre-order. To tell us more, here's Lisa! ~ Cleo Coyle

🍀 🍀 🍀

From Lisa Q. Mathews: If it’s July in New England, there’s a fair or festival going on in a small town near you. The outdoor season starts at Memorial Day Weekend and runs straight through October (bring a sweater!). Just point yourself in any direction, and take your pick of themes: crafts, berries, books, hot air balloons, ice cream, butter, beer, firemen’s carnivals. And, of course, in the Massachusetts town where my Irish Bed & Breakfast mysteries take place, you can’t miss the Great Shamrock Fair. 

There’s plenty to see and do at all these events, of course, from creaky rides and tractor pulls to 4H exhibits to dance and musical performances to giant pumpkin rowing races to fireworks in the nighttime sky. 

But there’s one place you’re sure to find me: the food tent. In particular, the snack table of homemade treats sponsored by local groups like the Ladies Rosary Society of the local church. And because this is New England, you are almost 100% guaranteed to find the beloved Whoopie Pie, in every flavor and combination of the taste rainbow. 

Here’s a sweet recipe that’s wicked easy to make—because we’re going to cheat a teensy bit and use boxed blueberry cake mix! (Why spend any longer in a hot kitchen in July than you need to?) 

New England Giant Blueberry-Lemon 

Whoopie Pie with Lemon Buttercream Filling 

by Lisa Q. Mathews

Ingredients:

1 box blueberry muffin mix (I use Krusteaz)

2 eggs

2/3 cup water or milk (I use milk.)

2/3 cup oil (I use vegetable oil.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Zest of 1 lemon 

1/2 cup fresh blueberries 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prep two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans (I use parchment paper).

Mix the dry ingredient packet, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla into a batter. 

Fold in fresh berries and zest. 

Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth the tops. 

Bake approx. 30 minutes (keep checking!) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans at least 10 minutes, then turn out and cool fully before frosting.

🍋 Lemon Vanilla Buttercream Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use Kerrygold, of course!)

1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Optional: a few tablespoons (or more) of milk to thin frosting

Instructions: Beat butter until fluffy (I used a hand blender), about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat in lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and salt. Thin frosting consistency with milk, a dash at a time. 

Tips: Chill cakes well (I stick mine briefly in the fridge on hot days) before frosting. I give my cakes about 2 minutes extra in the oven so they’ll be firmer.
Frost top of bottom layer directly on your serving plate and then place the top layer. (The parchment paper makes this a breeze—the cakes slide right off.)
Cover whoopie pie tightly in plastic wrap and store in fridge to help keep its shape (messy, but that’s part of the fun!) 

Variation: For smaller (3 inch) whoopie pies, scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter each onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Space apart and bake 10-14 minutes (keep checking!) or until tops spring back. After cooling and filling, plastic-wrap individually for grab-and-go treats. Makes about 10 servings.

If you’re looking for a true New England-style beverage to go with your whoopie pie—and you are also very brave—grab a bottle of Moxie from the cool-ah. What is Moxie? Well…it’s a classic local soft drink that you have to taste to understand. It’s sort of a fizzy, bittersweet cola with a hint of root beer/licorice/cough medicine. Some people love it, some don’t, but it’s memorable! (You might want to wait a bit before you hit the Scrambler or ride down the giant slide on a burlap bag.) And guess what? Today, July 13th is the last day of the Moxie Festival in Lisbon, Maine. See you there!

Readers, what is your 

favorite summer fair treat?

Lisa Q. Mathews began her publishing career as a Nancy Drew editor. She also wrote for kids’ series such as Mary-Kate and Ashley and the Lizzie McGuire Mysteries. She now writes lighthearted mysteries for grownups with strong female characters and plenty of family. Her works include the Irish Bed & Breakfast Mysteries (THE JIG IS UP; BURIED IN SHAMROCKS--Feb. 2026) and the Ladies Smythe & Westin Mysteries (CARDIAC ARREST; PERMANENTLY BOOKED; FASHIONABLY LATE). Her short story "Fly Me to the Morgue" was an Agatha Award finalist. Lisa lives in New Hampshire. The "Q" in her name stands for "Quinn."

Follow Lisa at: 

Lisa's Website & Newsletter 

Lisa's Group Blog  |  Facebook Author Page  |  Instagram 

Goodreads | BookBub  |  Amazon Author Page

BURIED IN SHAMROCKS

Kate Buckley returns to her Irish-themed hometown for the summer, but when her ex becomes the prime suspect in his fiancée’s murder, she must clear his name for the sake of their daughters, perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano and Carlene O’Connor.

Kate and her daughters Maeve and Bliz are back in Shamrock, Massachusetts, and Kate faces a big decision: Should they move back to their hometown for good? As she contemplates the idea, all the businesses in town, including her family’s B&B, the Buckley House, are busy preparing for the annual Great Shamrock Fair in hopes of luring back tourists after a murder during St. Patrick’s Week.

But when Kate’s ex, Ian, arrives in town from Ireland to perform with his band in the festival, and his new fiancée, Fallon, is found dead at the fairgrounds, any chance of a fun and peaceful family summer goes up in green smoke.

Much as she wants nothing to do with her ex, Kate knows Ian is innocent. Amid the swirl of activity in town, and her sister Colleen’s determination to keep the annual Miss Shamrock contests alive, Kate enlists her devastated eldest daughter, and her father, the former Shamrock police chief, to help her unwind the trail of evidence.

With clues—and danger—piling up, can Kate find Fallon’s true killer and save her ex, before the Great Shamrock Fair and the town’s chances for a summer full of green go bust?

PRE-ORDER HERE

  

 BOOK GIVEAWAY! 

OPEN TO US & CANADA

To learn more or buy, click here
or on the book covers above.


TO ENTER BOOK GIVEAWAY

This giveaway is now over. 

Congrats to Lisa's winner

Diannekc8

Dianne won a her choice of Signed Advanced Copy of Lisa's upcoming release, BURIED IN SHAMROCKS, or a Signed Hardcover Copy of Book #1 in Lisa’s clever and heartwarming Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery series, THE JIG IS UP.

Readers, what is your 
favorite summer fair treat?

Comments open through Wed. 7/16 
Don't forget to include your 
email address in your comment.

🍀

WHIPPED CREAM WHOOPIE PIES (My Light Summer Version) by author @CleoCoyle

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

 series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

From Cleo Coyle: This is a lighter version of a classic Whoopie Pie. The chocolate flavor is delicious, making these soft, cake-like cookies tasty treats for snacking or coffee breaks. 

Or you can sandwich them together to make my summertime version of Whoopie Pies, using whipped cream or ice cream as the filling. 

These days, the prices for regular and light frozen desserts are fairly high, given the amount per box, which makes this recipe a timely one.

Not only are these treats versatile (and fun to make), but you are in control of the ingredients, and they’re easier on ye olde budget than pre-packaged treats. All reasons I hope you will...

☕ Eat with joy!

~ Cleo 

☕

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

Click here for Cleo's

free recipe PDF.

Cleo Coyle's 

Whipped Cream (or Ice Cream) 

Whoopie Pies!

Makes about 24 large or 48 small, 

soft, cake-like cookies

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter, melted 
1/3 cup oil (canola or coconut) 
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt or coarse sea salt 
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup plain yogurt (low-fat yogurt is fine, but do not use nonfat;
                             or you can use sour cream instead) 
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with fork 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

*Add fiber to this recipe by replacing 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour with "white whole wheat" flour. 

Directions:

Step 1 – First preheat your oven to 350° F. Next melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir the oil into this and set aside to cool.  

Step 2 – One bowl mixing method: Sift together flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now add in your two sugars, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Finally add the cooled melted butter and oil mixture. With a spoon or rubber spatula, mix by hand until flour is completely incorporated into a thick batter. Now stir about 50 strokes to blend well. Do not over-mix, however, or you’ll develop the gluten in the flour and your Whoopie Pie cookies will be tough instead of tender. 

Step 3 – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Batter will be thicker than cake batter but thinner than cookie dough. Drop in small mounds with a few inches of space between. Use a tablespoon for large cookie, a teaspoon for smaller ones. Using the back of the spoon, lightly swirl the mounds into even, level, flattish circles. Bake smaller cookies for about 8 minutes, larger ones for about 10. Remove from oven. I like to slide the entire strip of parchment paper onto the wire rack--this saves time and avoids disturbing the shape of the cookies by moving one at a time with a spatula. Serve warm or chill and sandwich together with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or gelato. 

CHEATER ICE CREAM SANDWICHES: For a tasty, lower calorie alternative to ice cream, use whipped cream or Cool Whip (low-fat, vanilla, or chocolate). It takes about 2 to 3 hours for the whipped cream to freeze. If using whipped cream in a can, you will need to double dose the cream after about an hour in the freezer. Here's why: After the initial hit, the air in the cream deflates. But no worries. The double dosing really does the trick (as you can see in the top photo of this post).

4 QUICK 

TROUBLESHOOTER NOTES:

(A) Line the plate: When making ice cream sandwiches, be sure to cover your plate with wax paper or plastic wrap before placing in the freezer or the bottom half of your sandwich may stick to the plate. After filling each sandwich, wrap them up separately, and store them in the freezer.

(B) Cover lightly: When using whipped cream, be sure place the top cookie on very gently. 

(C) Allow time to freeze: As mentioned above, the whipped cream will freeze after 2 to 3 hours. If using whipped cream in a can, you will need to double dose the cream after about an hour in the freezer. Here's why: After the initial hit, the air in the cream deflates. But no worries. The double dosing really does the trick.

Prefer that heavier marshmallow filling?

Here you go...

More Traditional Whoopie Pie Filling…

1 cup solid vegetable shortening or butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
2 cups Marshmallow Fluff
(optional) 1 or more tablespoons whole milk

In a medium bowl, beat together the shortening (or butter), sugar, and vanilla. If using unsalted butter add a pinch of salt. Now add the Marshmallow fluff and beat until well blended. If too thick for your taste, beat in a bit of milk until you like the consistency.

F  O  O  D  I  E 

P H O T O S

Troubleshooting:

As mentioned above, the whipped cream will freeze after 2 to 3 hours. If using whipped cream in a can, plan on double dosing the cream after about an hour in the freezer. After the initial hit, the air in the cream sometimes deflates. But no worries. The double dosing does the trick, as you can see in my photo below...

Eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author

of The Coffeehouse Mysteries and

Haunted Bookshop Mysteries

Cleo (Alice) with her husband Marc

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