Tasty Tuesdays–Rocky Road Buster Bars from Sharon Ledwith

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cookies, Dessert, Recipes, Sharon Ledwith, Tasty Tuesdays, The Last Timekeepers, YA FAntasy

from Sharon Ledwith

Just when you thought it was safe to go into your pantry…BAM! You’re hit with a hankering for something sweet and chewy. I’ve got just the treat that will satisfy your taste buds, and perhaps take you on a nostalgic trip back to grandma’s kitchen. These Rocky Road Buster Bars are great for morning or afternoon breaks, and pair well with a cup of tea or coffee. With a total prep and bake time of 45 minutes, you can easily whip up a few batches for bridal or baby showers, or spoil your bookworm friends at the next book club meeting.

Rocky Road Buster Bars

1½ cups graham crumbs

½ cup butter, melted

1½ cups flaked coconut

1½ cups chopped pecans*

1 package (300 g/10.58 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1½ cups miniature marshmallows (we use the colored marshmallows)

1 can (300 mL/10 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

3 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line a 13×9-inch pan with foil or parchment paper, with ends of foil/paper extending over sides.

Mix crumbs and butter, press onto bottom of pan. Top with layers of coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Drizzle with condensed milk.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt chocolate squares as directed on package.

Drizzle chocolate over dessert. Let stand until firm. Use foil/paper handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.

*Substitute dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins or chopped apricots for the nuts.

While you’re waiting for the bars to bake and set, take a seat in your favorite comfy chair and crack open one of my books. May I suggest a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers?

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 Buy Links:

MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter, and Smashwords. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of current books. Be sure to check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.

Tasty Tuesdays–Muddy Boots Cookies from Sally Baker

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action adventure fiction, cookies, Elliott Baker, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays, The Sun God's Heir

Just in time for making Christmas cookies Sally Baker, the lovely wife of Action-Adventure author Elliott Baker, is here with her latest cookie creation. These cookie bars include the Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate Brownie recipe found on the inside of the packaging and are absolutely delicious.

Sally Baker’s Muddy Boots

1 family sized tube of Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
½ family sized tube of Pillsbury Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Bag of M&M caramels
Baker’s Brownie Mix prepared with the following ingredients:
4 oz. Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate
¾ cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour

Preheat oven 350° F.

Cut parchment paper to fit a 9 x 13-inch pan. Insert the paper and then grease it.

Break up the chocolate chip dough into chunks and fill the pan.

Break up the peanut butter dough and scatter across the chocolate chip dough.

Make the brownie mix. Stir in half of the M&M caramels.

Pour the brownie mix over the cookie dough.

Sprinkle remaining M&M caramels over the top.

Bake at least 35 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool and then cut into squares.

How about a glimpse at Sally’s husband Elliott and his books while you’re munching these awesome cookie bars?

For three thousand years a hatred burns. In seventeenth century France two souls incarnate, one born the child of a prosperous merchant, the other, determined to continue an incarnation begun long ago.

In ancient Egypt, there were two brothers, disciples of the pharaoh, Akhenaten. When the pharaoh died, the physician took the knowledge given and went to Greece to begin the mystery school. The general made a deal with the priests and became pharaoh. One remembers, one does not.

The year is 1671. René Gilbert’s destiny glints from the blade of a slashing rapier. The only way he can protect those he loves is to regain the power and knowledge of an ancient lifetime. From Bordeaux to Spain to Morocco, René is tested and with each turn of fate he gathers enemies and allies, slowly reclaiming the knowledge and power earned centuries ago. For three thousand years a secret sect has waited in Morocco.

After ages in darkness, Horemheb screams, “I am.” Using every dark art, he manages to maintain the life of the body he has bartered for. Only one life force in the world is powerful enough to allow him to remain within embodiment, perhaps forever. Determined to continue a reign of terror that once made the Nile run red, he grows stronger with each life taken.

Buy Links

Amazon Kindle – Amazon Paperback

Award winning, international playwright Elliott B. Baker grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. With four musicals and one play published and done throughout the United States, New Zealand, Portugal, England, and Canada, Elliott is pleased to offer his first novel, Return, book one of The Sun God’s Heir trilogy.

A member of the Authors Guild and the Dramatists Guild, Elliott lives in New Hampshire with his beautiful wife Sally Ann.

Learn more about Elliot Baker on his website. Stay connected on Twitter and Facebook. Like Elliott’s Author Page on Facebook to learn all his latest news.

Tasty Tuesdays–Grandma Edythe’s Shortbreads

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Ann Brodeur, Christmas romance, clean romance, cookies, food blog, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays

CHRISTMAS COOKIES: A FESTIVAL TREAT

What’s a Christmas festival without gingerbread house contests or hot chocolate without whipped cream?

Winterberry Falls, VT is the place to be for the Christmas season in my debut novel, SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS. My heroine crashes into town during the busiest time of the year – their Merry Month of Mistletoe. Readers can expect to be inundated with the scents, sights and sounds of Christmas (so grab a cup of hot chocolate and your favourite Christmas cookies while you settle down to read).

One of my favourite Christmas shortbread cookies to make are from my self-adopted Grandma (I really wanted her to be mine!). These are roll-out cookies, so have a bit of fun with your cutters. This recipe works well without coloured sugars, but they’re also yummy with a healthy sprinkle on top!

GRANDMA EDYTHE’S SHORTBREADS

1 cup of packed brown sugar

2 cups of butter, softened

4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

Warm the oven to 350F.

Blend together brown sugar, softened butter in a medium to large bowl. Mix flour and baking soda together. Add dry ingredients into the butter/sugar bowl, adding one cup at a time and mix.

Lightly flour hard rolling surface. Break off a handful of cookie dough and roll out to approximately ¼ inch thick. Press cookie cutters into dough and place cut-outs on baking sheet, leaving ½ inch between cut-outs. (optional: Decorate with coloured sugar)

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cookies are done when edges start to brown slightly.

Let cookies cool and then enjoy!

Yield depends on size of cookie cutters used.

While you’re waiting for the cookies to bake, check out the magical town Ann has created in her book.

SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS

Unwrapping their past – one secret at a time.

Owning her own PR firm is all reporter Stephanie Clark wants for Christmas, but the idea of running a prestigious election campaign in the country’s capital throws her stomach into knots. A last minute vacation road trip to focus and seek God’s direction for her life ends up in disaster when she gets caught in the worst snowstorm to hit Vermont in over a decade, crashing her into a small town and the one person she’d rather forget.

Former photojournalist Jason Miller hadn’t planned on being solely responsible for saving his family business from financial ruin. He’s barely keeping the newspaper in print, his News Editor has gone AWOL during the town’s most celebrated holiday festival, and reports of missing Christmas decorations have everyone on edge.

When a desperate knock at the newsroom door brings a ghost from Christmas past back into his life, can Jason make up for his prior behavior without breaking his promise to Stephanie’s father? Will Stephanie’s quest to solve the town’s Christmas caper—and uncover the truth about Jason’s disappearance—cost her everything she’s ever wanted?

BUY SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS

Ebook Canada:  Ebook US: Paperback

About the Author:

ANN BRODEUR is an award-winning novelist who writes inspirational and contemporary romances offering sweet hope and happy endings.

When she’s not reading, writing, chasing after her kids or enjoying long chats with her husband, Ann can be found drinking coffee, that’s been reheated several times throughout the day. She aspires to someday drink a hot beverage in one sitting.

FIND ANN ONLINE

Join other readers in finding out the latest news from Ann and for bookish fun, by signing up for my newsletter on my website: http://brodeurwrites.com/

Check out novel inspiration, book reviews and more on my Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.ca/brodeurwrites

Follow and Like my author page: https://www.facebook.com/annbrodeurauthor

Tasty Tuesdays—Frogger cookies from Jo-Ann Roberts

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cookies, food blog, Jo-Ann Roberts, Lessie Bride of New Hope, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays

I’ve always said if I could write, quilt and bake every day I’d be a very happy person. Now that I’ve been lucky enough to make this dream come true, it is what I do. Luckily, I have combined writing with my love of baking. In each of my books, I feature a recipe which has a special meaning for either the hero or heroine.

In “Lessie – Brides of New Hope, Book 1”, the hero, Eli MacKenzie, a born and bred New Englander, enjoys Lessie’s version of the molasses-spice treat and relates the story of how the cookies came to be named.

Molasses cookies date back to colonial New England. While some called them Lumberjacks or Hermits, this variation with rum in the batter comes from a legend handed down through the years about a man named Joe Brown, a free African-American who lived in Marblehead, Massachusetts. After serving in the Revolutionary War, he opened a tavern in town. His wife, Lucretia (a.k.a Aunt Crease) served spirits and plate-sized cookies flavored with molasses, rum and spices. These cookies were her specialty, and the story states “when the batter hit the pan, it spread out in every direction, giving the appearance of a frog’s body and legs”. Given their frog shape and because the tavern was next to a frog pond, the legend was born.

There are many variations of this cookie. While some recipes incorporate eggs, butter, or light brown sugar, or dip the bottom of a glass in sugar then flatten the rolled dough, this recipe was given to given to me by Katie Sartori, our landlady who rented us our first apartment as newlyweds in Connecticut.

Joe Froggers

Total Time: 40 minutes plus chilling time
Yield: 1 1/2 – 2 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients

½ cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons rum*
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves**
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg**
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice**
1 teaspoon baking soda
Sanding sugar*** or regular sugar

Directions

1. Cream shortening and sugar together. Add molasses. Mix well. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to molasses mixture. Put ¼ – ½ cup of sanding sugar or regular sugar in a bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dip fingers into sugar, pinch of a ball of dough the size of a walnut. Dip the rolled dough into the bowl of sugar. Place on parchment paper lined sheet pan, about 3 inches apart.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
*I substitute 1 teaspoon of rum extract
**I substitute 1 ½ tsp of pumpkin pie spice
***I like using sanding sugar as it is a coarser grain of sugar and gives a nice presentation.

While you wait for these cookies to bake, check out the book in which they are featured.

Lessie – Brides of New Hope, Book 1

By Jo Ann Roberts

How can a single unexpected kiss, a forced wedding, and a missing groom lead two strangers to discover how love can heal their wounded hearts?

Having to carve out a life on her own as a midwife, the last person Lessie MacKenzie expected to see on her doorstep was her missing husband…the injured Yankee she was forced to marry, who disappeared the next day, and whose kiss still lingered on her lips.

Eli MacKenzie wanted only one thing after the Civil War…to establish his medical practice in New Hope, Kansas. His dream turned to despair when he discovered someone sold his property. And that someone appeared to be the woman who haunted his every dream the past two years…and now claimed to be his wife!

Brought together by chance and united by their desire to forge a future, will a secret from Lessie’s past threatens to destroy their newfound love?

About the Author:

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.
A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.
When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.
After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina RWA, and the 2018 Winner (Historical Category) of NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest.

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