Friday, January 22, 2016


It's
Cozy Food Friday
and a
Giveaway! 

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

Today I'm featuring a recipe from
BAKED TO DEATH
Book 2 in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries
by
Catherine Bruns


From #1 bestselling culinary cozy mystery author Catherine Bruns comes the next delightfully delicious Cookies & Chance Mystery... 

Baker turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Sally Muccio’s, finally found the happiness that’s eluded her for years. She’s in love with a great guy, her bakery is thriving, and now she and her best friend Josie Sullivan are gearing up to appear on the popular reality baking show, Cookie Crusades. But a visit from Sal’s greedy ex-husband Colin, who's looking to cash in on the bakery’s dough, changes everything. Within a few hours Sal’s world—like the shop’s original fortune cookies—is broken apart when Colin turns up dead, and her boyfriend’s arrested for the crime. Now Sal’s mixing it up with vengeful ex-inlaws, a suspicious new employee, slippery baking competitors, and a greasy mobster who’ll stop at nothing to collect on Colin’s unpaid debt. Can Sal prove her man is innocent in time? Or is she about to get baked herself? 
**Recipes Included!** 

*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

One (1) eBook copy 0f 
BAKED TO DEATH

To enter use the Rafflecopter form 
at the end of this post

On to the recipe!

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened 
2 eggs 
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder 
¼ teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
¼ cup chopped walnuts, if desired 
½ cup mini chocolate chips 


Directions 

Preheat over to 375° Fahrenheit
Cream sugar, baking powder, and butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, and beat well. 
Beat in cocoa and flour. 
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. 
Divide and shape dough into (2) 9x2x1-inch loaves. 
Place loaves about 4 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. 
Bake for about 25 minutes, remove from oven, and then let cool. 


Cut loaves into slices (diagonal) about ½-inch thick. 
Flip the slices on their sides on the cookie sheet. 
Bake at 325° Fahrenheit until brown. 
Turn slices over, and bake the other side in the same manner. 
Be sure to keep an eye on the chocolate while it's baking. 
Transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely. 
Makes between two and three dozen, depending on the thickness. 
Texture should be on the soft side. 


MY REVIEW


BAKED TO DEATH is a sweet way to go…if you’re looking for a great mystery!

In this tasty installment of the Cookies & Chance mysteries, BFFs, business partners, and bakers, Sally Muccio and Josie Sullivan find themselves in the world of reality competition TV on the show, Cookie Crusades. This story also finds Sally involved in a murder that hits too close to home.

Author Catherine Bruns is an exceptional writer who knows how to keep the readers’ attention. BAKED TO DEATH was an enjoyable story from the fun beginning, through the tension packed storyline, all the way to the satisfying end.

I’m very much looking forward to a third book in this fun series!

Check out the amazing cookie recipes at the back of the book! You’ll also find an excerpt of KILLER TRANSACTION, book one in the Cindy York Mysteries, also by Catherine Bruns.

NOTE: BAKED TO DEATH is a wonderful story, but it does include some mild language. Just a little more than typically found in a cozy mystery. 

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 
BAKED TO DEATH

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...

The compressed sand burned my bare feet as I ran toward the crystal clear blue water with brilliant sunlight cascading down upon it. I dog-paddled in, just enough so that the water came up to my shoulders when I stood and let myself sink into the delicious coolness around me. Ah, this is living. Only one thing was missing.  

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...

"Rest in peace," I whispered. "I will find out who did this to you."


GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

18 comments:

  1. Thanks, Lisa. I would have loved some chocolate biscotti with my coffee, this morning!

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  2. Although Biscotti isn't my favourite this recipe does look good! And imagine having your boyfriend arrested for your ex's murder... that is bound to change the way you thought your day was going to go! Thanks for sharing :) I hope you have a great week!
    My Friday Post
    Juli @ Universe in Words

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  3. I love Catherine Brun's books and am looking forward to reading Baked to Death. Thank you for this chance to win an ecopy!

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  4. Another delicious story, with wonderful recipes! Chocolate biscotti is a favorite....Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “THE GOOD LIAR”

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  5. That chocolate biscotti recipe is making me hungry! Baked to Death sounds like a fun cozy that I'd enjoy as much as the biscotti.
    My Friday post features THE LIGHT OF HIDDEN FLOWERS.

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  6. That chocolate biscotti recipe looks delicious. Thanks for sharing about the book and the recipe.

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  7. Sounds cute! I'll have to try that recipe, my husband loves biscotti with his coffee. Thanks for sharing and thanks for visiting my Friday post! Happy reading!

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  8. I really had fun with the Taste and am looking forward to reading Baked to Death! Thanks for the biscotti recipe.

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  9. That recipe looks and sounds wonderful (perfect for dunking)! Thanks for sharing.

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  10. I absolutely love biscotti - have never made it but love to have them with coffee, hot tea or even hot milk! I like the cover and this sounds like a really cute book and series - the beginning is very descriptive and makes me want to go run into the ocean myself! Thanks for the giveaway - here's my Friday meme

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  11. I have got to try making that. Sounds yummy minus the nuts.

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  12. I love biscotti! Thanks for the recipe and the book review, Lisa.

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  13. Yum, book and biscotti both sound tasty!

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  14. I love biscotti, just never had chocolate before. I married Italian though so biscotti is a household staple. :-)
    Book cover is pleasing to the eye and stomach too! Happy weekend!

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  15. I just love the titles for cozies, especially the foodie ones. I smell something delicious! LOL

    My 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2016/01/22/the-friday-56-93-the-wolf-gift/

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  16. One of these very hectic days, I am going to be on time to enter one of the contests on your blog, Lisa. I enjoy reading your reviews and about all the new books that are out or soon to be out, but I just don't get time to comment lately. Just wanted you to know I was checking on you even if you don't know it.
    Baked To Death is one book that I definitely want to get ordered. I love biscotti, especially chocolate biscotti, so I need to get that recipe copied down.
    Thank you. And feel better soon.
    xo
    Cynthia Blain

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