Friday, January 12, 2018


It's
Cozy Food Friday

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

A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING
Book 3 in Cajun Country Mysteries
by Ellen Byron


Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.

The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.

The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël in A Cajun Christmas Killing, the recipe-stuffed third installment of USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mysteries.

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A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to
author Ellen Byron!
Wish Ellen Happy Birthday in the comments section!)
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MY REVIEW


Quite simply, a fun and entertaining mystery!

I’ve had the first two books of the Cajun Country Mysteries in my TBR since they both came out. I read so many books, that sometimes I overlook titles in my stacks. However, after reading book three in the series, A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING, I will be moving up the others to read much sooner.

So fabulous were the descriptions from author Ellen Byron, I instantly became lost in Pelican, Louisiana. The people, the scenery, the excitement of Christmas in the air. Every word pulled me further in. I felt more like an observer than merely a reader. I feel like I can honestly say I have been to Louisiana.

The mystery element of A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING was superb. Lost deep into the story, wanting to solve this whodunit, I barely came up for air. With each new chapter author Byron added another layer of intrigue, another outcome as to how this tale would end. I was completely surprised when I read the reveal.

This emotional cozy also had a happy turn of events. One that has me looking forward to a new book in the series, as well as going back and catching up on those I missed in order to fill in the back stories of these characters I instantly loved.

All of the above, and amazing recipes too, A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING is a book you have to add to your bookshelves.

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On To The Recipe!


SUGAR HIGH PIE

All food photos property of Ellen Byron.

Sometimes one recipe begets another. I was making the Pecan Coconut Pie Bars from the recipe in A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING, my latest Cajun Country Mystery, when inspiration struck. What if I took a frozen pie crust, made the pecan pie base, and threw in a bunch of stuff along with the pecans? Thus Sugar High Pie was born.

The name comes from the fact that in addition to that basic pecan base, the ingredients for this dessert include dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coconut, and raisins. When you think about it, it’s like a candy bar inside a pie.

While you’re welcome to follow the recipe below and enjoy the ensuing deliciousness, feel free to experiment. Add a half-cup of chopped dates or dried cherries. Or both. Just make sure you share the recipe with all of us! 
~ Ellen Byron


Ingredients:

1 unbaked 8” or 9”frozen pie crust

6 T. light butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
½ cup light corn syrup
1 T. rum
½ cup pecan pieces
½ cup milk chocolate bits
½ cup dark chocolate bits
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup shredded coconut
½ tsp. salt


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream brown sugar and butter until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in rum, salt, and corn syrup.

Add pecans, chocolate, golden raisins, and coconut one ingredient at a time. Stir to blend well.



Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake for 35-45 minutes until middle sets or a knife inserted in the pie comes out clean.

Serves 6-8


Oh. My. Yum!

Just think of all the different ingredients you could use. 
What would you add to this recipe to make it your own?

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

Both the BB and 56 are from


A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING

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

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 Book Beginnings

For Maggie Crozat, there was nowhere lovelier than Pelican, Louisiana, during the holidays. 

My 56%

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen. I'm heading back there now."


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.

14 comments:

  1. Thanks, Lisa. You might get a sugar high, from that pie, bit it would be worth it! Happy Friday.

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    1. Thanks, Patricia. And having eaten it, I would agree. ;-)

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  2. Thanks for sharing your great post, Lisa. And Happy Birthday Ellen.

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  3. Happiest of Happy Birthdays, Ellen! I absolutely love your Cajun Cozy series, wish I could actually visit the Crozats and Pelican, Louisiana. As for the Sugar High Pie recipe I think I would leave out the raisins and add in butterscotch or caramel bits. In any event, this certainly sounds like a recipe to try!

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  4. Happy Birthday Ellen Byron! May this one be your best one yet - until next year. :)

    Thanks so much for the information on A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING. I want to read this book and it's on my TBR list. I know that the SUGAR HIGH PIE is just scrumptious because everything in it to die for!

    Have a great Friday!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  5. I've seen this one around, and it does look fun!

    Happy Birthday Ellen!

    Here is my Friday56 and Book Beginning ; https://wp.me/pEZs7-x5d

    Have a lovely weekend. May your books be with you!

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  6. Great review, Lisa! I love the Cajun Country mysteries for all the reasons you wrote about them. The Sugar High Pie has just about everything in it that draws me to a dessert! Thanks Ellen and Happy Birthday!

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  7. The book and the pie are calling to me. Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “BEST DAY EVER”

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  8. Byron's books in this series plunge the reader into our wonderful southern culture. So does this one. It's fun and exciting. You'll love it!

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  9. The book sounds fun! Happy birthday top the author and happy weekend!

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  10. Happy Birthday to Ellen...the pie looks tasty...I might change the raisins for dried cranberries (I like them better) - don't think I would change anything else. I liked the beginning a lot. Here's my Friday meme

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  11. Happy Birthday Ellen. I would swap the raisins for chopped dates. Or a mix of dates and cherries.

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