Friday, December 18, 2015


It's
Cozy Food Friday!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 
another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from
SWEET PEPPER HERO
by
J.J. COOK
Book 4 in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series


Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water.

Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper. 

As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.

MY REVIEW


Cozy mysteries for 2016 are off to a fiery start, and SWEET PEPPER HERO is the spark igniting the blaze!

While I enjoy every series written by J.J. Cook/Joyce and Jim Lavene, the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series is my very favorite, and hold a special place on my book shelves and in my heart.

I wait all year (not very patiently) for the newest Sweet Pepper book by J.J. Cook . . . It is ALWAYS worth the wait! Everything about this series, from the characters and setting, to the incredible writing style of the authors. Each installment consistently gets better and better. SWEET PEPPER HERO serves to prove that statement to be a fact.

Filled cover to cover with action, mystery, and fun, I was turning the pages faster and faster as I followed the solid plot and read my way to the explosive conclusion. I didn’t want this book to end!

SWEET PEPPER HERO is smoking hot, and is my first contender for best cozy mystery of 2016!

Check out the back of the book for pepper facts, and some yummy recipes! 

Here's a yummy recipe from the book that will spice up your Christmas/Holiday desserts! 

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH A BITE

From Joanie Lowder

Ingredients

1½ cups softened butter or margarine 
2 cups white sugar (or equivalent sweetener) 
4 eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup unsweetened cocoa 
1 cup chocolate morsels 
5 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
6 finely diced habanero peppers


Directions

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. 
Set aside.

Beat beat in the eggs, vanilla, cocoa, and chocolate morsels. 
Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Cut the pepper from the membrane and discard seeds. 
Mince peppers as finely as possible. 

Add peppers to the cookie dough. 
Chill the dough for an hour. 


Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Roll out the dough on a smooth, floured surface until about ¼ inch thick. 
Cut into shapes or just make them round. 

Place cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the oven. Cool completely. 

Makes 2 to 4 dozen depending on the size of the cookies. 


Food photos are from Google Images. 
Your finished cookie make vary in appearance.

Sounds like a yummy way to heat up the holidays!

Please keep reading and check out my 
installments of 
Book Beginnings on Fridays
and
The Friday 56

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Book Beginnings and Friday 56
 for this week are also from
SWEET PEPPER HERO



Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader
Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading

My Book Beginnings...

Sweet Pepper fire chief Stella Griffin burned her hand on the cookie sheet she was removing from the oven. She shook it and stuck the injured digit in her mouth as she used the other hand to put the tray of chocolate and hot pepper cookies on the counter. 

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice
Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

My Friday 56...

They'd reached the top of the mountain. She parked the Cherokee in front of the cabin and shut off the engine. She'd put off saying it for a long time. This was a good opportunity since it was almost like they were starting over. 


As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
upper right hand corner of this page.

20 comments:

  1. I don't think I could handle those cookies! :)

    What's she put off saying, I wonder...

    I hope that firehouse dog has a prominent part in the story! :)


    Check out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings) and my current giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The dog, Hero, does play a big part in the story! Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Anne! I haven't tried the cookies. Peppers and I don't get along. But I hear so many wonderful things about the chocolate/pepper combination.

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  3. Sounds like a great mystery series, Lisa. I will have to check out the books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen, the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade series is one of my very favorites!

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  4. Thanks, Lisa. I can hardly wait to read this! Those cookies do sound as though they'd have "bite"! :)

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    Replies
    1. LOL On of those food where you bite and it bites back! ;-) Really though, from what I've heard, the chocolate cools down the peppers.

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  5. I like this series but I'm behind on reading the books - good beginning and 56...here's my Friday post

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  6. The cookies looks delish. I never had a cookie with a bite. :)

    Thanks.

    ENJOY your books and weekend.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Beginnings

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  7. I haven't read this particular series but certainly love so many of their other series. I'll play catch-up with the first three books in this series so I'll be all set when #4 is released! As for the cookie recipe, I'm intrigued but a little uncertain of those peppers!!

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  8. Sweet Pepper Hero sounds like a delightful story (and series!) I can't wait to try the chocolate cookies with habaneros. Yum!
    My Friday post features THE LOCKET.

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  9. Man, I wanted the dalmatian to make it into one of the quotes!

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  10. Thanks for sharing. The book sounds great and I will be trying these cookies! Merry Christmas!

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  11. Thanks for the great review and the other fun things on your blog. I can't wait to read the book.

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  12. I can't wait to read this. I'll be reviewing it in January. Looks so fun!

    My 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/12/18/the-friday-56-89-murder-and-other-unnatural-disasters/

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  13. Oh, I have to remember to pick up Sweet Pepper Hero this winter while I am near a bookstore! A favorite series of mine!

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  14. Great post! I think I would like to read this one. Love the cover art and thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  15. Sounds like a great cozy! Love the Dalmation on the cover!
    Happy weekend!

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