Last Friday of the Month Recipe ~ Billie's Gingerbread Cake and Kathleen Kaska's Latest Book

It's not quite the last Friday, but we thought you'd might not want to think about this the day after Thanksgiving.  And this is worth thinking about.

The recipe and why you love making it:

Hi, L.A., thanks for having me as a return guest. I have a collection of foodie books, including books by Julia Child, MFK Fisher, Anthony Bourdain, and Ruth Reichl. Last year when I discovered that Ruth Reichl had written her first novel, Delicious!, I ordered it immediately. Not only was this heartwarming story about love and loss and food history, it featured a Bundt cake recipe called “Billie’s (her main character) Gingerbread Cake.”

I’d never made a Bundt cake in my life. I didn’t even own a Bundt pan. But I was up for a challenge. I bought a pan, all the ingredients, and plowed ahead. After reading the ingredient list and preparing instructions, I was tempted to take short cuts, especially in preparation of all the spices. But I followed Billie’s advice and ground the peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom, and grated the fresh ginger root, a lot of ginger root. I also grated zest from three oranges. Imagine the aroma in my kitchen that afternoon! 

The recipe called for ½ cup of bourbon, which I don’t drink. Again, I was tempted to buy bourbon flavoring, but I sprung for the real stuff. It took me a couple of hours to put the cake together (and I still have lots of bourbon left), but it was well worth the trouble. This is not the type of cake you throw together for a bake sale. It’s labor intensive and best saved for a holiday or special occasion.

Billie’s Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• Butter (for the pan)
• Flour (for the pan)
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon whole cardamom seeds
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs plus 1 extra yolk
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 inches (2 large pieces) fresh ginger, grated
• Grated rind of 2 to 3 oranges (enough to make 1½ teaspoons

Preparation

         

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan.

2. Separately grind the peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom. Measure ¼ teaspoon of each. Grind the cinnamon stick and measure 1 teaspoon.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pepper, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon.

4. In another bowl whisk the eggs, extra yolk, and sour cream.

5. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes or until light, fluffy, and almost white. Beat in the ginger and orange rind.

6. Beat the flour mixture into the batter alternately with the sour cream mixture.

7. Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

8. Set the cake on a rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. SOAK ½ cup bourbon 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar

9. In a small saucepan, combine the bourbon and sugar. Simmer for 4 minutes. It should reduce to about ⅓ cup.

10. While the cake is still in the pan, brush half of the bourbon mixture onto the bottom. Let the syrup soak in for a few minutes.

11. Turn the cake out onto a rack. Gently brush the remaining mixture all over the cake. GLAZE 5 teaspoons orange juice ¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted into a bowl 12. Stir the orange juice into the sugar until sugar until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze all over the cake. 

Here is the link to the book Delicious!: A Novel.

Short Book Blurb:

When I’m not reading foodie book and trying new recipes, I write mysteries and blog posts for Cave Art Press. Do You Have a Catharsis Handy? Five Minute Writing Tips is my latest release.

These five-minute writing tips had their origins as Cave Art Press blog posts. The tips include writing styles, grammar and punctuation rules, and tips on the down and dirty of publishing and marketing. 

To keep these tips short and humorous, references and stories about egg-laying chickens and how dogs think, The Three Bears and The Seven Dwarfs, Contrary Mary and Goldilocks, my high-school English teachers and the United States Post Office, 77 Sunset Strip and Breaking Bad, Pope Francis and Michelle Obama, and a prairie dog who walked into a bar were used.

To Buy:

Cave Art Press | Amazon | My Website

Bio:
Kathleen Kaska writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart mysteries set in the 1950s and the award-winning Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book. Her nonfiction book, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida) was published in 2012. 

When she is not writing, Kathleen, a native Texan, spends much of her time traveling the backroads and byways with her husband, looking for new venues for her mysteries and bird watching along the Texas coast and beyond. It was her passion for birds that led to the publication The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane. Kathleen is also the marketing director for Cave Art Press. Her collections of Cave Art Press blog posts, Do You Have a Catharsis Handy? Five-Minute Writing Tips, was just released.

Find Kathleen:
Website | Twitter |  Facebook

Last Friday of the Month Recipe from Author Joy Smith ~ GLUTEN-FREE Pumpkin Pecan Squares

I love these Last Friday of the Month recipes, I try them and they are truly delicious.  We've had a few GLUTEN-FREE recipes recently, and you all have told me you're so pleased with them. So, here is another and as I love pumpkin, it sounds perfect. 

Hi L.A. Thanks for hosting me today, and for giving me the chance to spend time with my daughter, who has celiac disease. Like the heroine in my book, she loves making desserts and has developed some great gluten free recipes. I chose to make pumpkin squares as they are mentioned in the first chapter of HEAR ME ROAR, plus the fact that I love anything pumpkin. We worked together, enhancing her basic recipe with pecans. I managed to snap these pictures before our tribe wolfed them down. These cake-like squares are lusciously moist and delicious, and you would never guess they are gluten-free. The cream cheese icing compliments the pumpkin, and the sugared pecan provides a nice sweet crunch. S-o-o-o good!

THE RECIPE

Gluten-free Pumpkin Pecan Squares

Ingredients:

Oil spray

1 8-ounce package pecan halves, divided

4 eggs

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1-1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Sugared Pecans

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 ounces pecan halves

Cream Cheese Icing

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound confectioners sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan with oil spray. Chop 4 ounces of the pecans, and set aside the rest. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and oil until well blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped pecans. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to Cool. Meanwhile, make the sugared pecans and the icing. Sugared pecans: Heat the sugar and remaining pecan halves in a 10-inch skillet until the sugar liquefies and the nuts are coated and shiny. Stir constantly as this happens quickly. Remove nuts from pan and cool in a single layer on a piece of foil or waxed paper. Set aside. Cream Cheese Icing: Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the sugar and continue to beat until blended. Frost the cooled cake and decorate with the sugared pecans. Cut into squares and serve.

Blurb for Hear Me Roar: 

Jan Simmons never expected trouble to move into her quiet Charming Way cul-de-sac. Nor did she expect her husband Jeff’s weakness for fast money to drag their once happy family into danger.

When her husband turns to crime, Jan, a people-pleaser with little self-worth, must release the death grip she has on her failing marriage for the sake of her children and draw on her inner strength.

As Jan fights to free her family from a web of lies and deceit she also battles to save herself.

Buy:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Wild Rose Press

Bio:

I've authored a mish mosh of genres. The truth is my nonfiction books have followed my life’s learnings. Thirty-five years ago, when we bought our first boat, I began collecting info that might make cruising easier for other boaters, new and old. When my to-be-married daughter asked for my recipes, I started a cookbook, and then a Lord-help-me book for mom’s going through the wedding planning process.

So fiction writing? How about that? Well, I needed a little fantasy in my life. Did you know writing a novel is more challenging than a how-to book? When I’m not contriving a plot or doing heavy research, you may find me aboard our boat enjoying the salt air or fighting heavy seas with my handsome captain. Oh, and I crochet like mad—prayer shawls to be donated to those in need of a hug—at dock, underway, or at home. I’d love to hear from you! Email me at joywriter1226@gmail.com

Find Joy: 

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

Last Friday of the Month Recipe from Author Terri Reed ~ Sourdough French Toast

 Yum, there isn't too much more to say, except add a few more yums in there. I love the combination of sourdough bread and egg.  

This recipe from author Terri Reed looks incredible.  Enjoy, I know I will.  

And don't forget, she has a book to share, Guardian, Classified K-9 Unit.  A Love Inspired Suspense!!

The recipe and why you love making it:

Saturday morning brunch has always been one of our family’s favorite meals together. We usually sleep in a little and gather in the kitchen where we laugh and talk about the week. Our favorite brunch menu includes French toast, bacon and fresh fruit. This recipe was perfected by my daughter. I’d never heard of vanilla bean paste, let alone used it until she decided to become a pastry chef. The paste adds such a richness to the batter that vanilla extract doesn’t. And the almond milk gives a touch of sweetness as well as flavor. Yum. I hope you’ll enjoy.

Sourdough French Toast

Ingredients:

Sourdough bread: about 8 pieces, depending on the size of your bread

3 medium eggs

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

A stick of butter on hand

Topping as desired

Instructions:
Brown two tablespoons of butter in a pan on medium heat. Whisk together the eggs, almond milk, vanilla bean paste, and ground cinnamon. 

Drench the sourdough bread pieces in the egg batter and place in the browned butter simmering in the pan. Let sit until the underside is golden brown; flip the bread and cook the other side. Brown additional butter in the pan as needed.

When both sides are golden brown, place the French toast on a plate and top as desired. Consider an additional slab of butter melted on top, along side powdered sugar and warm maple syrup.

Short Book Blurb:

Protecting The Single Mom ...

When a fellow FBI agent is kidnapped and a protected witness vanishes, Leo Gallagher will stop at nothing to find them both. So when he discovers a link between the case and a single mother in Wyoming, Leo and his trusty K-9 partner rush to question Alicia Duncan. Could she be the key to locating the missing persons? Not if a killer has anything to say about it. Someone is determined to keep Alicia from talking, so Leo and his chocolate Lab must keep her and her little boy safe on their family ranch. With danger lurking around every corner, Leo must work overtime to not lose another person who's important to him.

Buy:

Amazon | Barnes & Nobel

Bio:

Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher’s Weekly top 25, Nielsen’s Bookscan top 100 and featured in USA Today, Christian Fiction Magazine and Romantic Times Magazine, finaled in RWA’s RITA contest, National Reader’s Choice Award contest, ACFW’s The Carol Award contest. 

Contact Terri @ www.terrireed.com or P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97224

  

Find Terri:

Facebook | Amazon Author Page

Last Friday of the Month Recipe: Gluten Free Coconut Cupcakes by Marianne Rice

All you lucky people, here is a gluten free recipe that makes my mouth water and topped with chocolate frosting...yummy.  

And a you can read about Marianne's book Smoke and Pearls while eating these. 

Perfect.  

The recipe and why you love making it:

Hey, L.A., thanks for having me back.  

Last year, my ten year-old son was diagnosed with celiac disease. I’m a baker with a wicked sweet tooth, so the first thing I did was start experimenting with all the gluten free flours. I never realized how complex cooking gf was. It’s not a simple one-to-one fix. One cup of flour cannot be replaced with one cup of rice flour or coconut flour or whatever flour you want to use.

Gluten free baking requires a plethora of ingredients and depending on what you’re baking—cookies, brownies, cakes, breads—the ratios will vary significantly. Being the OCD person I am, I invested in five different flours (coconut, rice, almond, brown rice, cashew), potato and tapioca starch, and xanthan gum. And ouch! That was expensive.

I’ve been baking gf for a year now and have had more failures than successes in the cake and cupcake department. They usually come out crumbly, dry and grainy. But I finally found a keeper! This one is super easy; the cake is spongy and moist (ah! That word, I know). You can’t go wrong.

I made these for my son’s Valentine’s Day party and not a single kid (10-11 year olds) noticed they were gluten free. A win!!

Gluten-free Coconut Flour Cupcakes

Ingredients:

½ cup melted butter

2/3 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 eggs

2 TBLSP milk

½ cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You can line a muffin pan with liners or spray the pan really well. I find gf cupcakes stick to the paper so I place them in the liner after baking.
2. Beat melted butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs. Then add milk.
3. Sift together coconut flour and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
4. Evenly divide the batter, filling each ¾ full.
5. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 18-20 minutes.
6. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

½-1 tsp milk

Whip butter then add vanilla. Slowly add sugar and cocoa. You can add more/less milk depending on how thick you like your icing. (We like it thick!)

Spread on cooled cupcakes and top with toasted shredded coconut.

Enjoy!

Blurb (Smoke & Pearls):

Sidney Mitchell, granddaughter of a wealthy Dallas icon, loses her beloved Grandpop and her world slips off its axis. When a handsome stranger sends a smile her way at the funeral, she welcomes the distraction and accepts his lunch invitation. He quickly becomes an important figure in her life, helping her forget her grief and focus on her future.

After working a twenty-four hour shift, firefighter Max Harmon is involved in a fatal accident. While paying his respects at the funeral of the victim, he is knocked off his feet by the beautiful blonde with the sad eyes. They’re both looking for an escape and turn to each other, finding friendship, laughter and incredible chemistry.

Sydney loves that Max is unaware of her heritage. For the first time, she’s not worried about a man using her for her family’s wealth. Their passion burns hot until she learns Max is the reason her Grandpop is dead. He may be charming, kind and sexy, but she can’t forgive him for stealing her Grandpop from her, and for starting the cover-up she’s sure is there.

Will their newfound love be strong enough to battle through the betrayal, or will their relationship go up in smoke?

Buy:

Amazon

Bio:

Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. Her heroes are big and strong, yet value family and humor, while her heroines are smart, sexy, sometimes a little bit sassy, and are often battling a strong internal conflict. Together, they deal with real life issues and always, always, find everlasting love. When she’s not writing, Marianne can be found chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, shoe shopping, scarfing down dark chocolate, and relaxing with a glass of wine and a romance book. 

Find Marianne:

Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Page

Instagram | Facebook Author Page | Twitter

Goodreads | Pinterest

Last Friday of the Month Recipe & Book from Kimbra Kasch

Today I bring you Kim Kasch and her new way of looking a really yummy treats...and then how to make them.  And since this is slightly before Valentine's Day, you have plenty of time to try them out :)  Smart, aren't we.

Take it away, Kim.

LOOKING FOR LOVE?

Romance writers fantasize about love, all day long, for money ;)

Looking for Love…aren’t we all? Whether you’re looking for a good romance novel to cuddle up with this Valentine’s Day or the love of a good man or woman, we all need affection.

It’s true. And it’s serious. I recall one college professor telling us about a study where a group of babies who weren’t held, in orphanages, failed to thrive. I’ve also read stories about babies who died when they weren’t held.

So, what do these stories tell us about love and affection? They show us, vividly, that we all need human affection. And, what better time to look for a good romance novel or a little love and affection, than at Valentine’s Day?

So, I thought I’d share a few photos and recipes to help you have the best, Love-filled, Valentine’s Day ever.

But first, we all need to remember that every romance starts out a little rough. We need to work through the layers to build the relationship, just like a cake. Of course, with a cake, it’s a little easier but sometimes it looks just as messy.

We start with the cakes and then cover them with a thick layer of buttercream frosting (the crumb coating). This beginning stage doesn’t look so pretty but it’s a necessary layer. We put on this “crumb coating” and then let the cake chill in the refrigerator before we put on our second coating of frosting, or cover it all with fondant.

This second layer builds the “relationship” or cake and turns it into a much prettier product. 

But we aren’t finished yet.

Every love story needs a little fine-tuning. We need to spend some time on the details if we ever want to stack it up and turn this love-story into a “true” romance.

And, if you’re not a large cake person, you can always back some cookies or make some cupcakes.

Here are a couple of tips to help anyone become a happy home-baker. But, remember, if you don’t have time to start from scratch, you don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself to make and bake—because that’s the easiest way to ruin a good romance.

Instead, start out with a package of freezer sugar cookies from your local grocery store. By cutting a few corners, you can spend more time on the fine tuning of the decorating details, which can be a lot of fun and you’ll be sure to have a festive holiday with half the hassle.

Here are a few photos of some cookies I made for the holiday.

Recipes:
Buttercream Frosting:

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 Cup (2 sticks) of Softened butter (I use salted, because it cuts out one step of adding salt to the recipe)

2-3 teaspoons of vanilla

1-2 tablespoons of milk

(optional: One tablespoon of zest from a lemon or orange)(Blend slowly until fluffy and all ingredients are incorporated.)

Sugar Cookies:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon vanilla (or the contents of one fresh vanilla bean-is best)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup softened butter

2 cups sugar

1 egg (at room temperature)

DIRECTIONS:

1)                  Preheat over to 350, while you are stirring all the dry ingredients together

2)                  Cream the butter and sugar until smooth then add in the egg and vanilla

3)                  Slowly add in the dry ingredients.

4)                  Use a tablespoon and drop equal amounts of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet

5)                  Bake until golden brown or about 10 minutes.

6)                  Cool on wire racks before decorating

Cake:

INGREDIENTS:

1 and ½ cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or the contents of 1 fresh vanilla bean)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:

1)                  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, while you're creaming your sugar and butter together.

2)                  Add eggs, one at a time.

3)                  Add vanilla

4)                  Add milk

5)                  Slowly incorporate the flour and baking powder - (if the mixture seems overly dry, add a few more tablespoons of milk)

6)                  Bake for 30 minutes.

7)                  For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes.

8)                  Cake is done when you stick a toothpick in and it comes out dry but moist. If the toothpick comes out totally dry the cake will be overdone.

A Little Bit About My Romance Novel:

Morgaine Le Fay And The Viking is a tale of extraordinary lives and epic adventures. This tale weaves the legends of Holger Danske and Morgaine Le Fay together.

Theirs was a romance that threatened two kingdoms.

Blurb:

Travel across oceans, continents, and countries to discover the story of legendary Viking hero, Holger Danske, and his magical romance with King Arthur’s half-sister in Morgaine Le Fay and the Viking

This is the story of two warriors who never thought they’d find love, especially on the battlefield, yet standing poised against each other Morgaine and Holger face an attraction more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than all the powers of Merlin.

Excerpt:

Arthur looked up, turning away from the battle before him, as if he’d suddenly awoken from a bad dream. Frantically searching the field, he knew something horrible had happened before he saw it. Somehow, he could feel it.

His eyes locked on one warrior. Even from this distance he could see the man was a giant among men. Broad-shouldered and thick-thighed, his legs squeezed the sides of his horse, as he galloped forward.

Staring as the brutal beast made his way across the field, Arthur was an unwilling witness to the attack. The Nordic warrior was flexed and drawn. Taking aim, he flew like an arrow straight toward his target.

            "Nooo!" Arthur’s voice bellowed out of his chest, rising high into the air, as he could do nothing more than watch…

Riding fast as the wind, the horned devil swept up beside Arthur’s sister. Whisking her off her saddle, he stole her away before anyone had an opportunity to raise a sword or throw a lance against him.

Smoke billowed up from the ground. Burning arrows lit the dry grasses afire, transforming the meadow into a smoldering field of wooden shafts stabbed into the earth, as the cries of men rang up into the air. Maimed knights and injured warriors littered the field.

But there was only one sight Arthur’s eyes locked upon…

Her white steed was left standing bareback in the open field—a ghostly image amongst the fighting men. A haunting reminder of what had been taken.

Buy:

Amazon

Find Kimbra:
Amazon Author page | Goodreads | YouTube |Facebook | Twitter
| Google+ | Pinterest | Linkedin | Plus, on Instagram @kasch.kim