Cinnamon Roll Cookies #recipe and #giveaway news Kim Davis

 

KIM DAVIS: Last week I had a new book release, Essentials of Homicide, the third book in the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries. While not a true culinary cozy mystery, I brought in ample food elements with my protagonist, Carissa, having a boyfriend who owns a patisserie and I include a recipe with the book. As I was writing the story, instead of having a firm recipe in hand, I just threw in pastry and dessert items I thought sounded good to me off the top of my head. The recipe that did end up in the book is Lemony Lavender Scones, but since there are a plethora of scone recipes already on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, I hunted through the manuscript for another recipe to create that had already been mentioned in the book. 

I landed on two, these Cinnamon Roll Cookies, and a mashup of Monster / Kitchen Sink cookies that, as Carissa says "It doesn't look all that pretty, but it's yummy." If you know me at all, food presentation matters so I dove in to create a recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cookies and I'm so glad I did! My taste testers went wild for them and immediately wanted the recipe. The buttery sugar cookie portion has a hint of cinnamon but the filling packs a blast of flavor as you bite into them. And with a name containing 'Cinnamon Roll' I think these are perfectly acceptable for breakfast, too!


Here's an excerpt from the book and the inspiration for my Cinnamon Roll Cookies:

Even though the museum didn’t open until ten, the entry gate to the grounds stood open, so Pixie and I strolled along the flagstone pathways. My pup was more interested in chasing the lizards, which darted from bush to bush, than in walking. Extending her leash to the full twenty feet, I found a stone bench and sat while I watched her give chase and tried to pounce on the reptiles. The lizards were much too fast, and I knew she’d never catch one.

Steps sounded on the pathway, and I turned to find Detective Lamont heading our way. I reeled Pixie’s leash in, much to her dissatisfaction, and stood.

“Good morning, Ms. Carmichael.” Detective Lamont carried a to-go coffee cup from my boyfriend’s patisserie and a pastry bag. “Mind if I join you?”

“Be my guest.” I sat back down and, once the detective had settled in on the bench, I extended the leash and allowed Pixie the opportunity to explore. “How did you find me?”

“I’ve been following you all the way from the patisserie. You really should be more aware of your surroundings.” She offered the pastry bag to me. “Help yourself. Everything looked so delicious I couldn’t decide, and I ended up purchasing more than I needed.”

I plucked a cinnamon roll cookie from the bag. “Thanks.”

She extracted a lavender scone and took a dainty nibble. “Hmmmm. This is perfection.”

I took a bite of my cookie and agreed. “I’m assuming you didn’t follow me just to share pastries in the garden?”

“You’re right.” She wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I thought if you’re not in a rush, now might be a good time to take your statement. Will that work for you?”

 

Be sure to scroll down for the giveaway information

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Makes 35 to 40, depending on size

 
Ingredients
 
Cookies:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 
Filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

 
Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons water

 
Instructions
 
Cookies:
 
In a medium-sized bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.

 
Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

 
Beat in the egg and the vanilla until thoroughly incorporated.

 
Add the flour mixture and mix, on low speed, until incorporated into the wet ingredients. Don’t overmix.

 
Divide the dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

 
Filling:
 
Stir all the ingredients together until a paste forms. Cover and set aside until needed.

 

 
Putting it together:
 
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately a 9 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread one half of the cinnamon-sugar filling over the rectangle.

 

 
Starting with the long end (12-inches) roll the dough into a log. If the dough tears or cracks, use your fingers to pinch it back together as needed. Securely wrap the log in plastic wrap. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

 

 Refrigerate the cookie logs for at least 2 hours or overnight.
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
 
Remove the cookie dough logs from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, slice into 1/4 to 1/3-inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheets.

 

 
Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the edges just start to turn light golden. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
 
Icing:
 
Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and water until completely smooth. If the icing is too thick, add additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

 

Drizzle the icing over the tops of the completely cooled cookies. You can use a piping bag or a spoon. Allow the icing to set for 20 minutes before serving.

Store leftover cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Use parchment paper or wax paper between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

I'm excited to announce that Essentials of Homicide, the third book in the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries, released last week on September 8th! 

What it's about:

Hollywood has descended on Oak Creek Valley to film a murder mystery. Carissa Carmichael, owner of the Aromatherapy Apothecary, has a front-row seat to the bad-boy leading man’s escapades as she works with the production to bring soothing essential elements to the stressed-out crew.

When the movie set becomes a true crime scene, Carissa’s best friend becomes the star suspect. Instead of enjoying the thrills of lights, camera, and action, she’s thrust into untangling the secrets of the glamorous actors who all seem to hide something. While working behind the scenes to sniff out clues and clear her best friend’s name, Carissa must apply pressure and find the killer before someone else is written out for good.

Includes a recipe, plus essential oil and reflexology tips.

Purchase links:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

OTHER RETAILERS

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Essentials of Homicide, I'm offering a collection of lavender products along with the first book in the series, Essentials of Murder! 

Contest ends 9/17/26 and is limited to US residents. Click on link below and enter via KingSumo.

ENTER CONTEST

Books available at most online retailers

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Apple

 

Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder* Essentials of Death

 

About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

Click here to sign up here for Kim’s newsletter: Newsletter

Connect with Kim: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Bluesky, Bookbub, Goodreads, TikTok, and website

 

Readers, what's your guilty pleasure breakfast treat?

Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread) From Guest Author Cathy Ace

Vicki here today, delighted to introduce you (although to many of you she needs no introduction) to my good friend the Canadian author, Cathy Ace. I’ve been friends with Cathy for a number of years and I always look forward to another of her literary adventures taking us around the world or to her native Wales.  Cathy and I will be on stage together at Bouchercon in Calgary on Saturday, October 24. We hope to see many of you there. 

Bara translates to English from Welsh as “bread”, and brith translates as “speckled”, which is an apt description of this easy-to-make teatime treat. It offers a moist mouthful, where most of the sweetness comes from the fruit itself, rather than added sugar, and even that is “cut” by the taste of the tea, so it’s never sickly sweet. More or less every home in Wales will have its own Bara brith recipe, so variations abound; the main thing is to keep the ratios the same, but feel free play with the fruit/combine dried fruits to the correct weight (NOTE: I stick with sultanas because they’re really juicy in the final product, and I think that currants don’t plump up as well, so this recipe uses only sultanas, but that’s because this is the recipe this Welshwoman grew up with in her home, so it’s the one she sticks with!) The fruit is usually soaked overnight, but I’ve made it the same day, putting the fruit to soak as I’ve made my breakfast tea, then making and baking it later on.

Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread)

 Ingredients

300g/10.5ozs sultanas (or currants, or a mix of dried fruits)

300 ml hot water

4 teabags Welsh Brew tea/English Breakfast tea (Orange Pekoe will do at a pinch, but use 5 teabags and allow it to steep for 15 mins, to make it stronger)

 250g/8.8ozs self-raising flour

(You can use plain flour with baking powder added at the ratio of 125g/4.4ozs plain flour plus 1 ½ tsp baking powder)

50g/1.8ozs dark muscovado sugar/brown sugar (golden will do, but using white means you lose some of the lovely “treacly” flavor)

2 medium eggs

 

Big wooden spoon

Spatula, for cleaning the bowl

Two bowls

Measuring jug

1kg/2lbs loaf tin

Butter/margarine for greasing the tin

Greaseproof paper to line the tin

 

Method

 

Step 1

Boil water and add to measuring jug, add the 4 or 5 teabags

Brew for at least 10/15 minutes

Remove and squeeze teabags (this is one time where you’ll prefer using teabags rather than loose tea)

Pull all the dried fruit in a bowl, add the tea

Mix together so all the fruit is covered by the tea

Cover, and leave at room temperature overnight, or for at least 5 hours

 

Step 2

Measure flour into a bowl

Add and mix in sugar

 

Add contents of cold tea/fruit mixture (including all liquid)

  

Mix well

Add one egg

Mix well

Add second egg

 Mix well

Grease/butter your loaf tin and line with parchment paper

 

 

Pour/spoon mixture into tin

 

 

Bake at 300F/150C for one and a half hours (until a fork comes out clean and the top is dark and glossy)

Allow to cool

 

Serving:

Slice thick to eat as a cake, slice thin to butter and eat as bread and eat as it is, or serve it with butter and a good, strong cheese...Welsh cheddar would be perfect (there’s an excellent brand, Colliers, you can usually find at Costco).

 

 

Storing:

You can store in an airtight tin, at room temperature, for up to a week (but we tend to eat it in a couple of days at our house!).

 This is exactly the sort of thing that the Dowager Duchess Althea and her housemate, retired army nurse and private eye Mavis MacDonald, would enjoy for tea at the Dower House on the Chellingworth Estate, in Powys, Wales. If you fancy joining them, why not try my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries? They feature cozy Welsh murder mysteries, and, in addition to the titular case, there are always a couple of “side-cases” in each book for good measure. The thirteen in the series, The Case of the Petrified Potter, was published in July.

About Cathy:

Cathy Ace’s WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries feature four softly poached female PIs solving cozy cases from a Welsh stately home, while her Cait Morgan Mysteries feature a globetrotting Welsh Canadian criminal psychologist who solves traditional whodunits alongside her retired-cop husband, Bud Anderson (the TV production of the series is being developed by Free@LastTV). Shortlisted for Canada’s Bony Blithe Award three times, winning once, Cathy’s also won IPPY and IBA Awards, as well as the CrimeFictionLover Editor’s Choice Award for Best Indie Novel. She’s been shortlisted for Crime Writers of Canada Awards three times. Cathy migrated from Wales aged 40, and now lives in Canada.

Bara Brith is one of my go-to recipes. Let us know in the comments what your favorite sweet treat is to "whip up" when you need a bit of a "fix" for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of one of the books. Contest open to US and Canadian entries. Contest closes Wednesday September 16, 2026

Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Black Bean Tacos #recipe from Molly MacRae

  

Satisfying! These vegetarian tacos please even the meat-lovers in my family. The combination of sweet potatoes, poblanos, and black beans roasted together with the savory seasonings is a winner. Topping the tacos with fresh cilantro, ripe avocado, and the quick-pickled onions takes them to the next level. 

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Black Bean Tacos

Adapted from The Complete Diabetes Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients for the pickled onions

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 red onion, halved and sliced thin

Ingredients for the roasted vegetables

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips 1/2-inch wide

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

10 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

 

Directions for the pickled onions

Microwave vinegar and pepper flakes in a medium bowl until steaming, about 2 minutes. Stir in the prepared onion and let sit until ready to serve.

Directions for the roasted vegetables

Adjust your oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and the heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the potatoes and poblanos to the oil mixture and toss to coat.

Spread the vegetable mixture in even layers on the lined baking sheets. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables and rotating the sheets halfway through baking.

Assembling your tacos

Return the roasted vegetables to the now empty bowl, add the rinsed black beans and cilantro, and gently toss to combine. Divide the vegetables among the warmed tortillas and top with the avocado and pickled onions. Serve.

 

click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe

 

 

Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

 

Happy reading!

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.