I have been waiting patiently for December to begin. Well, I guess it has been more like IMpatiently! Two months ago MJ wrote a couple of comments that caught my eye. I wanted to showcase her comments during December, since most of us like to do special things around our houses during December. You know, things like decorating a tree, or baking cookies >>> perhaps from a recipe out of one of our Cozy Mystery authors’ culinary mysteries!
MJ’s comment from October 15:
Autumn is my favorite season, too. I live in an area where we can enjoy fall and all its glorious colors. You should see my house! I have LOTS of fall decorations. But, I believe we had this discussion a year ago…………
MJ’s comment from October 16:
I’m obviously veering off-topic AGAIN……….But, I put up my fall decorations right after Labor Day and leave them up until after Thanksgiving, so I can get the maximum enjoyment out of them. I even have 4 different quilts/bedspreads for the bed to ‘change’ with the seasons! I REALLY like the ‘fall’ bedroom. I probably put up more fall decor than xmas decor. Fanatic?……..perhaps.
MJ’s comment from October 17:
I also change the bathrooms seasonally, putting in different shower curtains and towels for fall, winter, and spring/summer in two bathrooms.
Also wanted to mention (since I am so-o-o-o-o far off topic), there is a WONDERFUL Pumpkin Curry soup recipe at the Nestle website. It’s great for the fall season and is easy, easy easy. Even those that don’t like pumpkin love this soup. The curry makes it pop (without over powering it)!
Very Best Baking by Nestle: Pumpkin Curry Soup
Another yummy/tasty new fall item (at least new to me) is Pepperidge Farm’s Caramel Apple Bread and also their Pumpkin Spice Bread — both are so-o-o-o good! They even make great french toast.
Well………at least the foods are ‘fall’ related!!
Most people are probably done reading this particular entry, so these fall food suggestions are probably for naught.
Nope, MJ, your suggestions are not for naught! (And, I think Pumpkin Curry soup sounds great for the winter months as well!)
Here’s my question for ALL of you: Do you have some delicious food items like MJ’s Pepperidge Farm’s breads you would share with us? Or is there a special recipe like MJ’s Nestle’s Pumpkin Curry soup you wouldn’t mind telling us about?
Cathy says
For fall, those muffins made out of one can pumpkin and one box spice cake mix can’t get any easier…no egg, no water, no anything else! And SO good, too!
Mix and bake 20 minutes or until done.
(The batter will be very thick, like cookie dough, so don’t panic… I add some extra cinnamon and brown sugar to the tops before baking…gives them a crispy top, sorta!)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, that is the exact type of recipe I enjoy making! I’m going to add both of those ingredients to my shopping list right now!
Rob says
MJ and Danna-and all other cozy blog readers! Tonight is the night for Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle, featuring Rob Morrow and it is on at 8pm ET. I don’t know what your zone is-but you could probably look it up in your tv guide or online-the other time is 7pm in other zones. Just a heads up-if on the Hallmark channel, they usually feature Christmas movies all month and may repeat the Mr. Miracle showing later this month. Not sure but they are also doing the Mrs. Miracle at 6pm ET and at some point will repeat Call me Mrs. Miracle as well. Have fun with food, friends and family this Holiday season.
Rob
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rob, I hope you were able to watch Mr. Miracle. I watched it last night, and sure missed Doris Roberts!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, I was writing the ingredients down, and then it occured to me. Is that a +/- 15 oz. can of pumpkin or the really large one?
Cathy says
Sorry, its the smaller can of pumpkin, around 15oz…enjoy!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, thanks! I now have something like three 15 oz. cans of pumpkin on my shopping list. I can’t wait to try some of these recipes!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, I have the ingredients for the soup on my shopping list. My husband said he didn’t like the idea of a pumpkin soup >>> until I told him you said “Even those that don’t like pumpkin love this soup.” and also, I reminded him that pumpkin is considered a vegetable, so he can eat more of it! (Plus, it sounds delicious to me!)
Thank you for the idea!
MJ says
I like to discover (even create/alter) new ‘easy’ recipes. Since it’s holiday time, I seem to be focused on pumpkin. Cathy’s suggestion for pumpkin and spice cake muffins reminded me of this recipe I found. Since it uses an Angel Food cake mix, it’s lighter in calories/sugar. It’s a really good holiday desert. Although it looks tasty, I didn’t do the Ginger-Cream filling. Instead I took an ‘easier’ route. I made a light caramel glaze and drizzled it over the top. Although, the Ginger Cream only uses ¼ cup powdered sugar, thus keeping the caloric count down. I haven’t tried it, but it occurred to me that substituting ¾ cup cranberry sauce for the pumpkin might make an interesting flavor in this cake, too. If I try it that way, I might drizzle it with a vanilla icing.
Then there is the Carrot Souffle I made by combining a couple of recipes and served Thanksgiving weekend. Yum! Or, the jello recipe I altered using jello and pie filling……also yum! BUT, I’ve taken up enough space………..
Hopefully, many of you will share some of your favorites.
—————————————————————
Pumpkin Angel Food Cake With Ginger-Cream Filling
1 box white angel food cake mix
1 Tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup cold water
Ginger-Cream Filling
1 pint whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger (OR, 1 tsp. powdered ginger)
Move oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.
Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until crust is dark golden brown and cracks are dry. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or glass bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool.
Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or long metal spatula. Turn cake upside down onto serving plate.
In chilled large bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold in ginger.
Cut cake horizontally in half to make 2 even layers. Spread half of the filling on bottom layer; replace top of cake. Spread remaining filling on top of cake. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, do you think just some Fat Free Reddi Wip on it would be OK?
MJ says
I think the fat free Reddi Wip would be good. I might even consider sprinkling some ginger (or pumpkin spice) in it for an added touch.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, this recipe sort of reminds me of a recipe a Cozy Mystery reading friend of mine gave me way back, during the 1998 holiday season.
JUDY’S PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 box of Angel Food cake mix
1 lg. can of crushed pineapple
All you do is dump the entire can of pineapple (juice & all) into the cake mix, stir it by hand until well mixed. Pour into a 13″ X 9″ cake pan sprayed with PAM. Bake 30 min. at 350*. Top with Cool Whip or Reddi Wip.
It doesn’t look like much, but it’s pretty good, and oh so easy!
MJ says
One of my favorite bar recipes is with an Angel Food Cake mix and a 21 oz. can of lemon pudding. Stir with spoon and spread in a 15 x 11-in. pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. When cooled sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. One can also add a cup of coconut to the recipe. Very tasty, very easy.
Another variation that sounds good, but I haven’t tried yet is adding a can of cherry pie filling and 1/2 cup baking cocoa to angel food cake mix, then mixing and baking following your directions with the pineapple.
I liked the pumpkin recipe because it’s made in an angel food cake pan….perhaps a little ‘fancier’ dessert at holiday time.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, I made the can of pumpkin with Angel Food cake – I added 8 oz. applesauce to it. Really simple >>> just like I like it! I topped it with Fat Free Reddi Wip with a little cinnamon on it, and it turned out really good, just right for the holidays.
I thought I would try this Angel Food Cake mix with the lemon pudding, but I’m not even sure what the “lemon pudding” is! Do you find it next to the canned cherry pie filling?
Kimmie says
YUM!! This sounds soooo good! Definitely making this soon! Thanks!
Linda L says
Another easy but delicious pumpkin bread is to doctor the Trader Joe pumpkin bread mix (I know, I know) a little. All I do is to hold the eggs but add a carton (4 ounces) of apple sauce in its place. You can also double the recipe to use a cake bundt pan instead of a loaf pan. People are really surprised when they find out this is not from scratch! So easy and yummy!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda L, thanks! You say people are surprised to find out it’s not a made-from-scratch bread. Well, I’m not sure I’d feel the need to share that piece of information! (I won’t lie, mind you, but why tell?) Hopefully they’ll like it, but won’t ask for the recipe!
MJ says
This reminds me of my favorite line from Anne George’s Southern Sisters’ Mysteries. Patricia Anne’s daughter-in-law called her for her cherry pie recipe. She wanted it because it was her husband’s (Patricia Anne’s son) favorite dessert while growing up. As she explained to her sister (Mary Alice) she didn’t know what to say because, “it’s just a Wick’s pie crust and a can of Wilderness cherry pie filling”! I laughed so hard at that line…………..and still remember it all these years later!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, love those Southern Sisters! What a memory you have! I don’t remember the line, but I do remember laughing my way through those novels! That’s the type of cooking/baking I enjoy >>> little effort, great results!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
This isn’t a recipe, but after I decorate our house, it’s time for me to “spruce up” my computer desk. When my children were growing up, we never owned a Beanie Baby, but for some reason, I have recently been buying the little seasonal ones that Walgreens has called Beanie Boos. My computer desk now has an assortment of penguins, snowmen, and reindeer Beanie Boos. “Igloo” is my purchase for this year. (They cost something like $7.00 at Walgreens.)
Susan Bernhardt says
I have a Christmas cozy mystery that was released three weeks ago, Murder Under the Tree (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 2) where Kay makes Christmas cutout cookies and she and her husband decorate them together.
I came back home about an hour ago from a Holiday Cookie Exchange where there were seven stations (2 people to a station) making seven different kinds of cookies, so I will include one of those recipes below.
This recipe has many different names. Swedish teacakes, Russian teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies. At home I make these every Christmas.
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In mixing bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend in flour, salt and nuts until dough holds together. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until set, but not brown. Cool slightly; roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely; roll again in powdered sugar.
MJ says
Susan,
Is there any possibility your books will be available in paperback format? From the descriptions on your website, both books look quite enjoyable.
Our family lived in central Wisconsin for several years, so I know the joys of Northern Wisconsin, especially its beautiful scenery, snowy winters, and great cranberry wine (I have some from TLW in my refrig. right now)!!!
Susan Bernhardt says
Hello MJ. There’s a small possibility the cozy mysteries may go into print. My publisher has up to a year to decide whether or not to print our books. Both of my mysteries are doing well: The Ginseng Conspiracy (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 1) and Murder Under the Tree (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 2) so I am hopeful.
I included the links above for Amazon.
If you lived in Central Wisconsin, you must have lived around the Ginseng area of Wisconsin. That is very cool, since I write about ginseng in my first mystery.
Thanks for writing and enjoy the holidays, MJ.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, I like the names you told us about for these cookies. I have a very similar recipe in my yearly Christmas cookie repertoire, and I call them “Tia’s Snow Balls.” Yet another name!
(And, thanks for reminding us about your Christmas mystery, Murder, Under the Tree.
Susan Bernhardt says
Danna, that’s a better holiday name for the cookies, “Tia’s Snow Balls.” 🙂
Susan
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, we called our grandmother Tia, which I know means “aunt” in Spanish, but at the time we lived in Spain, and “abuela” was too difficult for my younger brother to say.
Rob says
A Christmas recipe for a peppermint cake found in the Better Homes and Gardens from a couple years past. You just use a white cake mix and when you frost each layer, put crushed candy canes on the frosting of each layer. In the cake mix itself, you can if so inclined to use peppermint flavoring and of course, top the cake with additional crushed Candy canes. Very festive and tasty.
Rob
Happy Holidays.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rob, thanks for telling us about this Christmas cake. It looks like it makes a beautiful (and easy!) cake.
Kimmie says
Hi Danna and fellow cozy readers, first of all: Thanks for all you do! I am on your site daily/weekly and love reading the various posts…..especially the wonderful recommendations!
I would love to share a super easy and extra yummy candy recipe. I have been making this for the past 15 years. It’s one of the many Christmas goodies that stays on my list year after year……my boys (now grown), along with coworkers, swear it rivals a peanut butter cup. 🙂
Tiger Butter
16 oz jar of peanut butter (I use smooth)
1 lb. white almond bark
1 bag of milk or semi sweet chocolate chips, 10oz or 12 oz.
Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt together the peanut butter and almond bark in a microwave safe bowl, stirring often until melted and smooth. Pour and smooth this mixture out on the lined cookie sheet evenly.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, stirring often, until smooth. Scatter spoonfuls/dollops of melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture. Take a butter knife and swirl in various directions. (Diagonal, sideways, up & down). It will create “tiger stripes” in the mixture.
Gently place a piece of waxed paper over the cookie sheet of swirled mixture. Place in freezer, or refrig, until firm and chilled. Gently pull off the top layer of wax paper. Break or cut candy into pieces. Keep stored in refrig in covered container. Stays well kept for up to 4 weeks. (Mine never lasts past 1-2 weeks!). This makes a huge amount, as it is very rich!
I hope you all enjoy!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kimmie, this recipe looks like it makes delicious candy! Can you get the white almond bark at a regular grocery store?
Kimmie says
Hi Danna, yes you can. It should be in the baking isle of most grocery stores, Targets, Walmarts, etc… And yes, it is very delicious! It tastes like the recipe should be more complicated, but in fact it is the easiest thing to make on my Christmas baking list! =)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kimmie, thank you for the recipe. My son and husband both like peanut butter cups…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I’m going to the grocery store tomorrow morning, and plan on getting ingredients so I can make a few of these goodies. Thank you ALL for the great ideas!