It's

Cozy Food Friday!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

This week's recipe is from

THEATER NIGHTS ARE MURDER

Book 4 in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries

by Libby Klein

The last thing gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister needs in her life is more drama—or more murder . . .
 
Poppy thought her toughest challenge this winter would be sticking to her Paleo diet and filling all her orders for her gluten-free goodies, but now she has to choose between two suitors. She’s not the only one with boyfriend drama. Aunt Ginny’s long-ago high-school beau, Royce Hanson, a retired Broadway actor, has returned to Cape May, New Jersey, to star in a Senior Center staging of Mamma Mia. Leaving Aunt Ginny to wonder: What's his motivation?
 
Slated to open February 13th, the problem-plagued production seems to be cursed—with stolen props, sabotage, and even a death threat. But when a cast member plunges to his death from a catwalk, it soon becomes clear a murderer is waiting in the wings. Now Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and a supporting cast must take center stage to catch the killer—before it's curtains for someone else . . . 
 
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!

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GLUTEN-FREE 

CINNAMON STREUSEL COFFEECAKE

(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

photo property of kingarthurflour.com

Ingredients

For the streusel topping

   1 cup coconut sugar

   ½ teaspoon salt

   ½ cup gluten-free flour blend

   ½ cup almond meal

   1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

   6 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling

   1 cup brown sugar, light or dark

   1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the cake

   2¾ cups gluten-free flour blend

   1 cup almond meal

   1 teaspoon xanthan gum

   1½ teaspoons baking powder

   1 teaspoon baking soda

   1 teaspoon salt

   1¼ cups almond milk

   ¾ cup butter

   1½ coconut sugar

   ⅓ cup honey

   2 teaspoons vanilla extract

   ¾ cup sour cream

   3 large eggs

photo property of 365daysofbaking.com

Directions

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line with parchment a 9 x 13 pan. 

To make the streusel topping

   Combine coconut sugar, salt, gluten-free flour, almond meal, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter, cutting through the mixture until well combined. Set aside.

For the filling

   Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set it aside. 

photo property of kingarthurflour.com

For the cake

   In a large bowl, combine gluten-free flour, almond meal, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together and set aside.

   Beat together the butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add sour cream. Mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

   Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with the almond milk, beating gently to combine. 

   Spread half the batter into the prepared pan, spreading all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the filling evenly on the batter. Spread remaining batter atop the filling. Gently run a butter knife through the pan and swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter. 

   Next, sprinkle the topping over the batter. 

  Bake until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center out clean, about 60 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. 

photo property of completerecipes.com

Mmmm . . . I can just smell this baking, can't you?

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Oh, Libby, Libby, Libby. Your books pull me in with the promise of great mysteries to solve (and they always are), but keep me laughing so hard my sides hurt! With lines like . . . It wasn’t my proudest moment, being shaken down by four old ladies . . . THEATER NIGHTS ARE MURDER is no different, and my tissue box stayed close at hand for all the tears of laughter!

Author Libby Klein has been a breath of fresh air since her first book, CLASS REUNIONS ARE MURDER. I knew she was going to be a booming voice in the cozy mystery genre, and she has not let me down.  

The way this tale took off from the first page I knew I was in for an amazing read. THEATER NIGHTS ARE MURDER, book four in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries, is more than just a cozy mystery. This book is a character driven, impossible to put down, page turning, action filled, laugh inducing, first class mystery, and all around brilliantly written story from cover to cover.

Fans of this series are going to be thrilled with this latest installment. Those new to the series are going to kick themselves for not having started it sooner.

By far one of my favorite books of 2019, THEATER NIGHTS ARE MURDER is my number one recommendation to start off your 2020 reading list. (Releases Dec 31, 2020)

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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

THEATER NIGHTS ARE MURDER

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

"I can't believe you pulled the fire alarm." I was standing outside L'Ecole des Chefs, the community college culinary wing where I'd spent a traumatic week and a half in South Jersey's first annual, and my last ever, Restaurant Week competition. 

My 56

A gust of wind caught the storm door and it burst from my hand, hitting the wooden siding with a bang.

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