Blueberry Cheesecake Bars with Lavender Sugar and audio giveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Hard to believe Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, has been out a year! And to celebrate, I’m sharing a recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake Bars that uses lavender sugar in both the crust and the filling. It’s new but already much loved – and my neighbor who doubles as a recipe tester approves! (In truth, I knew she would, but we shared a few bars because as Mr. Right said, we could have eaten them all, but probably shouldn’t.) 

And of course, lavender is in full bloom right now, making using it in food and drink all the more fun!

After trying these bars, Mr. Right asked if we could use the same crust for his annual huckleberry birthday pie. Easy-peasy! The flake coconut and ground pecans make it extra yummy – and for the pie, I’ll add a dash of cinnamon. If you can’t find graham cracker crumbs, make your own by putting graham crackers in a sealable bag and crush with your hand or a heavy spoon or rolling pin. 

Make the lavender sugar at least 3 days ahead. Use any extra in your coffee or a cup of Earl Grey! If you’re using a coffee grinder, wipe it out with a damp cloth, then grind 1/4 cup or so of rice; dump the dirty rice powder and wipe out. The rice will remove the remaining coffee grounds and oils. 

Dried or fresh lavender will work, though I prefer to cook with dried lavender. 

Since lavender is commonly grown, and not so commonly used in cooking, make sure your lavender buds are food-safe. If you buy them from a reputable commercial source, no worries. If you grow your own or cut a few stalks from a neighbor’s plant—no special variety is needed—make sure no pesticides or herbicides were used nearby. Lavender is best harvested when the flowers are about 25%-50% open, in the morning before the oils begin to release in the heat of the day. 

To celebrate the 1st birthday of Lavender Lies Bleeding, make cake! And I’m offering three readers – listeners – audio codes. Details below.

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars with Lavender Sugar

For the lavender sugar: 

1 tablespoon lavender buds 

2 cups sugar

For the crust:

½ cup butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup flaked coconut

½ cup pecans, finely ground

1/4 cup lavender sugar

For the filling:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup lavender sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

To make the lavender sugar: 

In a spice grinder, a clean coffee grinder, or a small food processor, combine the lavender and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until the lavender buds break down and are finely ground, about a minute. 

A little blurry but you get the idea!

Pour the mixture and the rest of the sugar into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to mix. Allow to sit for 3 days, shaking occasionally. Strain through a mesh strainer to remove any large lavender bits or stems. 

To make the crust:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 9X13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter until it takes on a light golden color. Watch carefully, as butter can burn quickly. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, coconut, pecans, and 1/4 cup lavender sugar. 

Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly. 

Press firmly into the prepared pan, using your fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden. 

To make the filling:

Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and 2/3 cup lavender sugar. 

Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla, and beat again, until thoroughly mixed.

To assemble:

When the crust is golden, remove from oven. Pour in the cream cheese mixture and top with the blueberries. 

Bake until the center appears set, about 18-20 minutes. (A glass pan will take longer to bake.) Cool in the pan, on a rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Use parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Cut into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Sharing with the neighbors is optional. 

Lavender is more commonly celebrated and used for its scent than its flavor, but I love both! Talk to me about your favorite scents and flowers. Three readers – listeners – will win audio download codes for Lavender Lies Bleeding. Leave your email address to enter. Winners will be chosen Friday, July 24. 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .                                                                                                                                       Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.

Peaches and Crème Trifle by Ang Pompano

Ang Pompano: I've been thinking a lot about trifle lately.
One of my favorite desserts growing up was my mom's homemade trifle. She made it with whatever fruit was in season. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, you name it. To me, it was basically fruit lasagna, only with sponge cake and pudding instead of noodles and ricotta.

I was never very good at waiting for those colorful layers of sponge cake, fruit, pudding, and whipped cream to chill before helping myself.

That’s why I was surprised when I somehow let Connecticut strawberry season slip right by without making one. Then blueberry season arrived, but with all the recent news about Cyclospora showing up in fresh produce, I decided to play it safe. That still left me with a craving that wasn't going away. So, I grabbed a couple cans of peaches.

Since I was using canned fruit instead of fresh, I decided to dress up the rest of the recipe a little. I replaced half the milk with heavy cream, which turned the pudding into something closer to a mousse. And instead of frozen whipped topping, I used the real thing. If you're going to indulge, you might as well do it right.

The result was every bit as good as I remembered, and maybe even a little better. Calling it Peaches and Crème Trifle didn't hurt either, because nothing makes a dish taste better than giving it a French name.

By the way, if you missed Peg Cochran's Mystery Lovers' Kitchen post on Saturday, she shared some practical advice on enjoying summer fruits and vegetables safely, along with several terrific recipes. It's well worth a look. You can find it HERE.

Peaches and Crème Trifle

Ingredients

1 (5⅛-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1½ cups cold milk

2 cups heavy cream, whipped (1½ cups for the filling and ½ cup for the topping)

1 (9-inch) angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 (15-ounce) cans sliced peaches, well drained

1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the instant pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes, until the pudding begins to thicken.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold 1½ cups of the whipped cream into the pudding. Stir in the almond extract. Reserve the remaining ½ cup of whipped cream for the topping.

In a trifle bowl or other clear glass serving dish, layer half of the cake cubes, followed by half of the pudding mixture and half of the peaches.

Repeat the layers with the remaining cake, pudding, and peaches.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Serves: 8 to 10  

Voilà! 

Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, publisher and blogger. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency, and the Reluctant Food Columnist series, both published by Level Best Books. In addition to his writing, Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and serves as co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and their two rescue dogs, Dexter and Alfie.

Diet of Death

by Ang Pompano

The first in the Reluctant Food Columnist Series

Betty Ann Green is a beloved culinary icon…who doesn’t exist. She is the brilliant, beautiful illusion created by two unlikely collaborators. Behind the façade is Quincy Lazzaro, a culinarily challenged writer whose witty, sharp prose is the public face of Betty, while those flawless, genius recipes are all thanks to his octogenarian neighbor, Mary Ticarelli.

When the arrogant diet guru, Dr. Alan Tolzer, inventor of the Westport Diet, demands a face-to-face interview, Quincy reluctantly steps in as Betty’s frontman, only for Tolzer to drop dead. The police call it natural causes, but Quincy knows better. He sees it as the investigative break he’s been waiting for.

Now, caught between a crime-solving grandma, a no-nonsense detective girlfriend, and a killer who may be one step ahead, Quincy must unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again.

Simmering Secrets

by

Ang Pompano

Book Two in the Reluctant Food Columnist Series

Coming January 2027

When celebrity chef Connie Langston collapses dead during a glittering anniversary gala at the prestigious Langston Culinary Arts Academy, struggling investigative reporter Quincy Lazzaro suspects there’s more on the menu than champagne and truffle risotto.

Unfortunately, Quincy has problems of his own. He’s secretly ghostwriting a wildly successful food column under the fake name Betty Ann Green, dodging anonymous texts from someone threatening to expose him, and trying to save his friends’ beloved South Norwalk luncheonette from ruthless developers. Now, against the warnings of the police and his detective girlfriend, Quincy finds himself pulled into a world of celebrity chefs, hidden rivalries, illegal luxury ingredients, and private dinners where the ultra-wealthy will pay fortunes to consume the forbidden.

With the help of his sharp-tongued elderly neighbor Mary Ticcarelli, Quincy uncovers a web of simmering secrets stretching from elite culinary circles to dangerous underground supply networks tied to powerful people who will kill to protect their appetites.

As the bodies pile up and the anonymous watcher closes in, Quincy must decide how far he’s willing to go for the truth before his own carefully constructed life boils over.

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Carl Hiaasen, and culinary mysteries with bite, Simmering Secrets serves up murder, dark humor, found family, and a generous helping of Connecticut coastal charm. 

When It’s Time for Leaving

by Ang Pompano

The first in the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency Series

Buy Link

Al DeLucia walked away from the police—and his past. But when his long-lost father leaves him a detective agency in Savannah, Al finds himself trapped between family secrets and a murder on the agency’s dock. Partnered with Maxine Brophy, a fierce detective who doesn’t trust him, Al is pulled into a deadly search through Savannah and the Okefenokee Swamp—where the truth about the case, and his father, may cost him everything.

Blood Ties and Deadly Lies

by Ang Pompano

Book Two in the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency Series

Buy Link

Al DeLucia returns to Sachem Creek expecting a kayak race and a chance to confront his childhood bully, Abe Cromwell. Instead, he finds a dead lawyer, a web of deceit, and Abe claiming they’re brothers by DNA. Reluctantly joined by Maxine Brophy, his formidable partner and girlfriend, Al dives into a murder investigation that exposes land swindles, hidden maps, and buried family secrets. In a town where the past won’t stay buried, Al must face truths that could upend everything.

Snakeberry: Best New England Crime Stories 2025

Edited by

Christine Bagley, Susan Oleksiw, Ang Pompano, and Leslie Wheeler

BUY LINK

Every year the anthology brings welcome surprises and satisfactions, and this year is no different, featuring stories by 21 of New England’s best crime writers.

Includes “Minnie the Air Raid Warden” by Ang Pompano.

 

Welcome Guest Manju (MJ) Soni #MiniSamosaPhylloCups, #giveaway

Ang Pompano: It’s my pleasure to welcome my friend, Manju Soni, to the kitchen today. I first discovered Manju's short fiction several years ago, and from the very beginning, I hoped she would write a novel someday. Well, that day has arrived, and I couldn't be more delighted to help celebrate the release of The Masala Chai Mystery Club. Better yet, she's brought along a delicious recipe to share with us.

Manju, take it away!

MANJU (MJ) SONI: Thank you for having me on as a guest, Ang!

In my debut, The Masala Chai Mystery Club, my protagonist, Neeti Shah, a retired librarian who wears a saree, is inspired by my mom.

My mom was never sent to school, but when her marriage to my dad, a young lawyer, was arranged, she took advantage of that opportunity to learn to speak, read, and write English, to get her driver’s license, and even become his legal secretary. But her newfound career ambitions came to an end when my siblings and I were born. 

In spite of this, she remained a lifelong learner, always trying out new technologies, such as the iPad, so she could expand her world. She was a fantastic cook and loved surfing the Internet for new recipes. 

As a teenager, I was her sous chef, grinding fresh ginger and garlic with green chilies, and also adding various ingredients to dishes she was mixing, such as handvo, a spicy lentil cake. Our roles were reversed when it came to baking, something she was not that proficient in because it required exact measurements, which Indian cooking usually doesn’t. So, when baking, I would be the chef, and she would be my sous chef. 

Almost ten years back, to preserve her recipes, I began to transcribe most of them either by watching her cook, or by calling her and asking her to describe them in detail. Of course, it was difficult to not have her resort to ‘a pinch of this’ or a ‘fistful of that.’

But there are certain things that cannot be transcribed. Two years ago, after my mom passed, I tried to make gulab jamun for Diwali, our Festival of Lights. My son loved my mom’s gulabs, but sadly, mine tasted nothing like hers. I’m still in awe of her managing to recreate a food she made only once a year entirely from memory, and still have it taste exactly the same every year over decades. 

One of my mom’s talents was to blend sweet, sour, and spicy flavors to create something so flavorful it would cause a mini explosion in one’s mouth. The recipe I’m highlighting today is an easy combo of a samosa filling, in pre-made phyllo pastry cups, topped with pomegranate seeds, finely chopped cilantro, and a drop of tamarind sauce to create a flavor-packed, bite-sized appetizer that causes the ‘mini taste explosion’ I learned from my mom.

Mini Samosa Phyllo Cups: minimal cooking required!

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas, roughly chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Five cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 lemon, juiced

3 to 4 green chilies, or jalapeño, finely chopped, or 1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper, adjust to taste

1/2 a bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped. Set aside 1/2 cup for garnish

1 – 1 1/2 tsp salt to taste

2- 3 Tbsp sugar 

Pre-baked phyllo pastry shells 

Pomegranate arils for garnish

Tamarind sauce for topping (available in most Indian grocery stores or online)

Method:

Mix chopped chickpeas, onion, garlic, chilies (or cayenne pepper), and most of the chopped cilantro in a bowl, keeping some aside for the garnish. 

Microwave the potatoes covered in a glass dish for ~five minutes. Test with a knife or taste to ensure they’re cooked but just slightly crunchy. 

Drain extra water from the potatoes.

Add to the chickpea mixture.

Add salt, sugar, and lemon juice.

Mix thoroughly, using a potato masher.

Taste to ensure the mix of salt, spice, sugar and tang is well balanced.

Allow to cool.

~30 mins before serving (the phyllo cases may soften if filled too early)

Scoop generous portions into each phyllo case. You could bake the phyllo cases for 5 mins at 350F to restore the crunch but I usually don’t find that necessary.

Sprinkle with pomegranate arils, cilantro and a dollop of tamarind sauce.

I typically account for 3 phyllo cups per person if there is another appetizer on the menu. As a standalone appetizer, consider 4-5 per person.

I hope you enjoy this simple appetizer, and remember my mom when that little mini explosion of taste takes you by surprise! 

Check out my debut novel, The Masala Chai Mystery Club, available July 21 from Crooked Lane Books for more recipes!

Ang: Thanks, Manju, for sharing this wonderful recipe and the touching story behind it. Best wishes on the release of The Masala Chai Mystery Club!

Readers, please be sure to leave a comment with your email address below for your chance to win a paperback copy of The Masala Chai Mystery Club. U. S. only, please. 

The Masala Chai Mystery Club

Retired librarian Neeti Shah was hoping for a restful life with her chai-loving friends, but when the body of a neighbor, a childhood friend of Neeti's, turns up dead and the killer’s MO is similar to that of Neeti's most recent book club read, things start to get out of control.  

When Neeti hears a commotion at a neighbor’s house, she finds Rohit’s body sprawled across the bottom of the staircase with Agatha Christie’s Dumb Witness nearby. Blackmailing his neighbors, threatening them with lawsuits, and calling them by nasty nicknames were only some of the hateful things that made him so disliked. But were they angry enough to kill?

Neeti is indebted to her old friend, and she's determined to find his killer. But she can't do it alone, so she enlists her mystery-loving friends, the Masala Chai Mystery Club, to get to the bottom of the murder.

But Neeti and her club members need to be careful. As more bodies turn up and more suspects start to appear, they’ll need to find the killer before they end up in hot water!

Bio:

Manju (MJ) Soni grew up in South Africa and wrote, DEFYING APARTHEID, a part-memoir about being a doctor/ activist under apartheid. Since then, drawing on her American, African, and Indian background, she's written mystery short fiction and her debut cozy mystery, THE MASALA CHAI MYSTERY CLUB, which are full of heart and humor, with a saree-wearing librarian protagonist, will be published on July 21 with Crooked Lane Books.

Links:

 Facebook: @SoniAuthorMJ

 Instagram: @mjsoniauthor

Substack newsletter: @mjsoniauthor

And if you’re in the Northeast, I would love to see you at one of my book launch events: 

Tuesday: July 21: 5PM: Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT  Register Here

Friday: 24 July: 6:30PM: Barrett Bookstore, Darien, CT Register Here

Wednesday: July 29: RJJulia, Middletown, CT: Register Here