Depths of Sin Hot Chocolate #recipe from Molly MacRae

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Happy Valentine’s day! My recipe today is for hot chocolate so rich, so thick, and so luscious that when you put your empty mug down you’ll know you probably shouldn’t live on it alone. Although, if you’re a chocolate lover, you might want to try. The banana in the recipe is a bit of a surprise, but it works beautifully and lets you feel somewhat virtuous. I’m tempted to add a glug of coffee to a mug, sometime. Or maybe whisky?

The original recipe calls for a mix of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate. I used what I had on hand—Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips. The recipe also claims to serve 7. That’s an oddly specific number. There were 4 of us in the house, on the bitterly cold day I whisked up a batch, so that’s how many mugs I took from the cupboard. There were no complaints.   

Depths of Sin Hot Chocolate

Serves 4 to 7

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 soft banana

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 ounces chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips)

1/2 cup marshmallow spread

 

Directions

In a blender, combine the milk, heavy cream, banana, cinnamon, and salt. Purée until very smooth and thick. Pour the milk mixture into a small saucepan.

Over medium heat, whisking constantly, warm the milk mixture until it barely comes to a simmer. Add the chocolate and the marshmallow spread. Whisk until completely melted and smooth.

Ladle the hot chocolate into cups or mugs. Optional: top with a dollop of whipped cream. Serve and swoon.

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

 

 

Now available for pre-order – 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 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake @MaddieDayAuthor #ValentinesDay #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here. I've mentioned it here before, but tomorrow is my anniversary with Hugh, and I'm always looking for great new chocolate recipes.

I know sour cream tends to make a lovely moist cake, so I went hunting for a chocolate version.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Adapted from Iscreamforbuttercream.com

 

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly: spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off – don't scoop and pack the flour into the cup)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

1 cup hot coffee

 

For the chocolate drizzle:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (half a 12-ounce bag)

1/8 cup milk or cream

 

Directions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the oil, vanilla, sour cream, eggs, and both kinds of sugar until mixed. Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium, then on medium-high until well combined. Don't over beat. Stop mixing once it's well combined.

Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Add the hot coffee and mix until well combined. Be careful not to mix too long.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again and mix for a few more seconds. The batter will be thin.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for approximately 45-55 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the cake comes out either clean or with a few moist crumbs on it, but no raw batter.

Set on a wire rack to cool for about 15-20 minutes.

Turn out onto a plate to cool completely. 

For the glaze:

Add the chocolate chips and milk to a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Heat in microwave for thirty seconds, then stir well. If it's too thick, add about a teaspoon of milk and mix well. 

Drizzle or spoon the glaze onto the cooled cake.

Serve with ice cream (like Mocha Chunk, shown here) or whipped cream and a liqueur, or plain with coffee or tea.

Happy anniversary to Hugh and me!

Readers: Do you bake a Valentine's dessert or head to the chocolate shop for a box?

I wish I had a Valentine's book to give away, but Deadly Crush, set in January, will have to do!

 💓🎂🌹

Murder at Cape Costumers is out and available wherever book are sold!

Next up is A Poisonous Pour! This third Cece Barton mystery releases April 28.

My most recent releases are Scone Cold Dead, #13 in the Country Store Mysteries,

 Deadly Crush, 

and A Case for the Ladies.

Check out all my writing.

We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

Turkey Pot Pie @VMBurns #recipe

VMBURNS: What do you do when you have leftover turkey? You make Turkey Pot Pie. At least, that's what I did. I can only endure leftovers for 2 days, then I get bored. I knew there would leftovers after I got a great deal on a turkey, which was WAAY too much for one person. So, I adapted a recipe for Chicken pot pot.

I didn't have frozen mixed vegetables, but I had frozen green beans, and frozen lima beans, frozen corn, and fresh carrots. You can't tell from the picture, but I added the fresh carrots to the onions (before adding the other veggies), since they needed to soften. I probably could have added them at the same time as the onions. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use any vegetables you have and eliminate the ones you don't like. You'll notice that the green beans are long. Next time I'll cut them.

I used my KitchenAid chopper to shred the turkey. Next time, I'll probably chop it more than shred it. That way, I will have larger pieces of meat in each bite. The taste was still great, but I wanted the satisfaction of chewing bigger pieces.

Lastly, you'll notice the recipe calls for heavy cream, but there's no heavy cream in the picture. I was out. So, I improvised by mixing melted butter and milk. 

Turkey Pot Pie 

• INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups shredded turkey
• 1 Cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Sheet puff pastry
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Clove garlic, minced
• 1 Cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Tesaspoon dried sage
• Salt and pepper to taste

• INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a large casserole dish.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for an additional 60 seconds until fragrant.
  
• Add the frozen vegetables and cook until heated through. 
  
• Create a roux by adding flour to the mixture and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes.
  
• Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and chicken broth. Simmer until slightly thickened, approximately 5 minutes. 
  
• Fold in the shredded turkey and mix until well coated, and then transfer to the greased casserole dish.
  
  
• Cover with thawed puff pastry, cutting slits for steam, and brush with an egg wash (if desired).
  
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

READERS: What's your favorite leftover meal?  Let me know in the comments below.  

MURDER FROM A TO Z




Nana Jo has volunteered her lawyer granddaughter, Jenna, to teach estate planning to retirees—with Sam providing her bookshop as the venue. But during the seminar, entitled Getting Your Ducks in Order, it quickly becomes clear someone’s up to Fowl Play. When elderly Alva Tarkington, accompanied by her niece, sits down for a consultation, Sam realizes the woman’s frequent blinking is actually Morse Code—S.O.S. The sisters get her alone, and Alva tells them she believes her life is in danger and must change her will . . .

Unfortunately, Alva is found dead the next day—seemingly from natural causes. But Nana Jo and the sisters suspect otherwise. In between penning her latest historical mystery, set in 1939 as England declares war on Germany and Lady Elizabeth Marsh pursues stolen paintings and a traitor, Sam teams up with the senior sleuths of Shady Acres to search for motives—beginning with Alva’s family. They soon learn not everyone is who they say they are, and someone is more than qualified to teach a class on cold-blooded murder . . .

BUY LINK

Spinach Salad with Orange, Feta, Pickled Onion, and Sesame-Shoyu Dressing #recipe by @LeslieKarst

 

This is the salad I prepared when fellow MLKer Leslie Budewitz and “Mr. Right” came to visit us in Hilo, Hawai‘i last year. (I meant to share the recipe back then, but somehow forgot. And as you’ll also see, I forgot to take a photo of the salad after the wonton crisps were added and it was dressed. Blame it on the cocktails we enjoyed before dinner.)

 

When I was a kid, those canned mandarin orange slices in syrup were all the rage, but they seem to have gone out of style. I don’t know why, though, because they’re actually quite tasty, and go great in salads. And along with the tangy picked onions, salty feta, and crunchy wanton crisps, they add the perfect sweetness to this delicious—and colorful—salad.

I haven’t given amounts for the salad ingredients, because that will depend on how many people you’re serving. Just use as little or as much as you like! Feel free to use raw red onions instead of pickled, if you like. But the recipe for pickled onions is here. 

Spinach Salad with Orange, Feta, Pickled Onion, and Sesame-Shoyu Dressing

Dressing Ingredients

(makes about ½ cup)

¼ cup white sesame seeds

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce (aka shoyu)

1 teaspoon sugar

about 1 tablespoon mandarin orange syrup

Salad Ingredients

baby spinach

crumbled feta cheese (can use bleu, if you prefer)

pickled red onions (recipe here)

canned mandarin orange slices, drained (save syrup for dressing)

crumbled wonton crisps, pretzels, or similar snack

 

Directions

Coarsely grind the sesame seeds. I used a mortar and pestle, but a coffee grinder would work, as well—just don’t grind them too long, or they’ll turn to mush. (Or, alternatively, you can whir all the dressing ingredients together briefly in a blender or food processor.)

 

Place the mayo, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

 

Add the ground sesame seeds and mix in. 

 

Drizzle in the mandarin orange syrup, stirring as you go, until the dressing is still thick enough to have some body but thin enough to pour. (Save the rest of the syrup for later use: it goes great in soda water or cocktails.) The dressing can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for several days.

 

 

 

Place the baby spinach in a salad bowl and top with crumbled feta.

 

 

Add the pickled onion and orange slices.

 

Right before service (so they don’t get soggy), add crumbled wontons or pretzels. Toss the salad with dressing and serve immediately.

🌱  🍋  🌿

 

Coming April 7!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for pre-order here.

 

"The beauties and customs of Hawai‘i provide a striking backdrop for a murder with an unexpected motive."

Kirkus Reviews 

 

 🍍 🌴 🍹

 

Out now in paperback!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here. 

 

2026 Lefty and Agatha Award Finalist

for Best Mystery/Contemporary Mystery!

 

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

 

Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery  #1

Buy link here

 

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

 

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

 

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly. 

 

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

 

 

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

 

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

 

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

 --Publishers Weekly

 

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served:  A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

 

 

 

Praise for Justice is Served:

 

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court." 

 

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

 

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.