Tasty Tuesday: Apple Pie #recipe from #military #romance author Judythe Morgan #ambaking #dessert

Posted on by Betty Bolte

Tasty Tuesday the day after Christmas brings us a delicious pie recipe from military romance author Judythe Morgan. I don’t there’s anything better than some warm apple pie, whether for dessert or for breakfast. Take it away, Judythe!

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Those of us with a military background know how much you can miss home cooking. It’s the recollection of tasty home cooked meals that get us through our days away. Plus, the occasional care package filled with goodies from home.

If you’re serving a hardship tour and eating rations, MREs, or mess meals, the memory of home cooking becomes even stronger.

Lieutenant Colonel David Sands, the hero in my newest release Until He Returns is completing his final hardship tour before retirement. His favorite home cooked dessert is apple pie, which is not easy to include in a care package.

Even the most well packed goodies can end up as crumbs in their journey to APO and FPO addresses. Think cookie crumbs.

Shirley, David’s girlfriend (though she’s not willing to admit that status just yet) thinks apple pie crumbs probably wouldn’t taste as good as cookie crumbs. David agrees.

She offers to send small, fried apple pies, but David doesn’t care for those treats. He prefers the flaky piecrust of a realio-trulio apple pie. As a compromise, Shirley promises a big, juicy apple pie for his first meal back home.

Here’s Shirley’s Apple Pie recipe:

Apple PieIn a small bowl, combine

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Next, slice and peel enough tart apples for 6 to 7 cups. Place apples in a large bowl, and then toss with one tablespoon of lemon juice and the sugar mixture.

Shirley also makes her own pie crust using this recipe.

  • crust compressedIn a bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

  • Next, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until crumbly.

  • Gradually add 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball.

  • Divide the dough into 2 balls, being sure one is larger than the other.

  • Roll larger ball  to  fit a 9×10 inch pie pan. Trim dough to edge of the pie pan.

  • Add the apple filling.

  • Roll out the second ball to fit over the filled pie pan, or cut into strips and create a lattice top.

  • Before baking,  beat one large egg white until foamy and brush over pastry. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil.

  • Bake the pie at 375°. After 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy a tasty treat.

Months after David’s return from deployment, Shirley prepares another unique apple pie for him and it’s even more special than his homecoming pie.

You can read all about that pie in Until He Returns, Book 3 of the PROMISES Series. The four book series tells the stories of two men and one woman who met at Eighth Army Headquarters, Yongsan, South Korea in the sixties. Their chance encounter bound them together forever. The series chronicles their lives from the turbulent Vietnam War years through the decades that followed. (Note: each book in the PROMISES series is a complete story and can be enjoyed without the others.)

until he returns_r2UNTIL HE RETURNS

PROMISES, Book 3

Shirley Carlson’s husband has been MIA in Vietnam for decades. She’s filled her life with family, friends, her business, and David Sands’ companionship. Now David wants more. Only she wants her husband home and buried before she moves forward with another relationship.

David Sands has loved Shirley for years, patiently waiting for her to come to terms with her husband’s death. After one last assignment to the Middle East, he’s retiring from the Army. All he wants is Shirley at his side, as his wife. He proposes before he deploys.

Will Shirley make a commitment without closure to her past, or will she watch her new love walk away?

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Until-He-Returns-PROMISES-Book-ebook/dp/B0784KJC33/

Nook Book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/until-he-returns-judythe-hixson/1127536341

iTunes Book Store: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/until-he-returns/id1318306621

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/until-he-returns

2017 cropAward-winning author Judythe Morgan has worn many hats. She’s an Air Force daughter, Army wife, one time-Department of Army Civilian, a mother, a grandmother, antiques dealer, teacher/ administrator, former mayor’s wife, and, sometimes, church pianist.

Those experiences have made her life full, her stories authentic, and her characters vivid. Her belief in true love, second chances, and forgiveness means her stories have a happy ending.

Please visit her website at www.judythemorgan.com or her blog at www.judythewriter.com to learn more.

Connect with Judythe:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judythe2

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Judythe2

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Judythe-Morgan/e/B00802MJPY/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450879.Judythe_Morgan

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I do love a good apple pie! Sounds like a delicious recipe worth keeping right along with the story Judythe shared. What’s your favorite kind of pie?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and opinions!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I only send out when there is news to share. News like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

Tasty Tuesday: Triple-Chocolate Romeos by #romance author Lucinda Race #cookie #recipe #todiefor

Posted on by Betty Bolte

Most everyone loves chocolate, and this week’s Tasty Tuesday brings you a triple-chocolate treat from contemporary romance author Lucinda Race. Enjoy!

Romeo… where are my Romeos?

Hello!

It’s a pleasure to share with you one of my favorite recipes, Triple Chocolate Romeos. I‘ve written a seven-book series based on the McKenna family who live and love in a small town in Western Massachusetts.

Cooking has always been central in life with my daughters. When my youngest daughter was in middle school she dreamed of becoming a baker. Often, I would come home from work and the kitchen counters would be smeared with egg shells, melted chocolate and so many other ingredients. This final recipe is the product of her earlier attempts and the inspiration for Kate McKenna Donovan who is featured in Ready to Soar, book five in The Loudon Series.

Magic Cover Art Only Amazon 2560x1600-2            Lucas saw the troubled look flit over Kate’s face. “Hey, I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have brought it up. For what it’s worth, I think Cari liked taking control of the kitchen. She made these triple chocolate cookies that were to die for, I think she called them Romeos. Have you ever had one?”

            Kate laughed. “Not only have I had them, but I’ll confess I made them up when I was about eleven. Mom had to tweak the recipe a bit to make them actually taste good, but the basic idea was mine.”

            “Cari made them on two different days and they sold out before lunch. I had to save one from the second batch just so I would get a sample. Sounds like you’ve always had a knack for being in the kitchen.”

 

Triple Chocolate Romeos

Ingredients

2 sticks butter softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda and salt- each

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons half and half or light cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate- melted

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 ¼ cups flour

1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Cream, butter, sugars baking soda and salt for 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and half and half and vanilla. Then combine melted chocolate, cocoa and baking powder. Add flour and white chocolate chips. Dough will be soft.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

Coffee and Romeos

I hope you enjoy the cookies. They freeze great and if you can wait, let them come to room temperature and enjoy.

For more on the Loudon Series visit my website at www.lucindarace.com.

Until next time,

I wish you happiness.

Lucinda

This recipe will be added to my cookie recipes. Yum! Thanks so much for sharing this cookie recipe, Lucinda! Do you guys have a favorite cookie?

Until next time, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and opinions!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I only send out when there is news to share. News like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

Tasty Tuesday: Meatballs and Sausages #appetizer w/ #romance #author Lynn Crandall #recipe

Posted on by Betty Bolte

Let’s talk about appetizers on this Tasty Tuesday, shall we? With all the parties of the holiday season, this might be one you’d enjoy to contribute. Romance author Lynn Crandall is here to share her story Nutcracker Sweet and a recipe for meatballs and sausages. Take it away, Lynn!

I’m happy to be on Betty Bolte’s Tasty Tuesday to share a little bit about my new release, Nutcracker Sweet, and a recipe mentioned in the story. Thank you, Betty!

My mom was making chocolate Christmas cookies and gathering all the family around the kitchen table to stretch out a blob of hot candy into a platter of peanut brittle. It was a tradition, and one in which we all bonded together.

We were not unique. When the holidays come around, many of us celebrate with family traditions. According to Amy Griswold, Family Life Educator at the University of Illinois County Extension, traditions are part of the fabric of family.

Research shows that these traditions are important in building strong family relationships between generations,” Griswold wrote on the Extension’s website. “Traditions are stories, beliefs, rituals, and customs that are passed from one generation to the next. Keeping traditions for the holidays as well as the ordinary days help teach children the things their family values. These traditions help fill the individual’s need to belong. Being a part of the special things our family does, helps us to have that sense of belonging.”

In my story, Nutcracker Sweet, Noël Hartley is facing the holiday season burdened with sorrow over her sister’s death. Family holiday traditions, including attending a performance of the Nutcracker ballet each Christmas with her older sister, Reggie, are painful reminders that her sister is no longer around and her family is falling apart. Her parents have left town, her younger brother and sister are looking to her to hold the family together, and on top of everything, the firefighter Jonah Grant, the man who didn’t save Reggie from the fire, keeps trying to make pathways into her life. Ugghh.

Rather than trying to ignore Christmas, Noël plans a holiday get-together for the three of them, and turns to traditional foods to help create a sense of belonging. Her contribution to the festivities is a zingy cheddar cheese ball. Her sister, Brie, supplies the peppermint mocha coffees, and her brother, Oliver, brings the hot meatballs and sausages in a family-favorite, tangy sauce. Unexpected guest, Jonah, adds his homemade apricot liqueur eggnog and a whole lot more than Noël expects.

Nutcracker Sweet FINALcover

Here’s the blurb:

A year after her sister’s death, Noël Hartley is haunted by memories of Christmas past. All around, life is going on, including all the happy celebrations of Christmas. Noël is having nothing of it, or the firefighter who failed to save her sister Regina from the deadly fire.

Firefighter Jonah Grant is going through the motions of working and living his life. The night he fought a fire in Regina Hartley’s house replays over and over, but always ends the same. He went into a fire to save her, but came out without her.

A wall of pain keeps Noël and Jonah apart and alone in their suffering, though in mid-size Cranberry Cove they’re finding it challenging to avoid one another. But when a stalker puts Noël’s life in danger, Jonah has to find a way to prevent another tragedy and prove to her that their futures rely on facing the past.

Amazon: http://a.co/at5I5sm

Here’s an excerpt from Nutcracker Sweet:

“Excuse me, could you help me get that box of crackers on the top shelf?”

The female voice sounded familiar and Jonah looked up, ready to assist. His heart stopped. Please floor, open up and swallow me now.

It was Noël Hartley, standing two feet away and asking for help. She blinked, twice, and swayed a tiny bit. It was a very quiet sound, but he heard her gasp.

“I’m sorry.” The words just fell out. “I mean, sure.” He couldn’t move.

She held his gaze, silently, for a full, frozen minute. “Hi, Jonah. Do you mind?” She pointed to a box of seven grain, sea salt crackers. “Please?”

He grabbed the box and handed it to her, his arms were heavy logs. “Just one box?”

She slanted her head, and his pulse sped up. Cute was not a strong enough word to assign to her face. Cad.

“No, two would be better.”

He gave her another box and paused, their eyes meeting again. His mouth went dry. Words, where were his words? Nerves rattled in his head. “I came in to get something for dinner, but I don’t know…” He let the sentence drop and twisted as though searching for something to buy.

She chuckled lightly, and it steadied his rambling thoughts. “Me too. I have to pick up things for a meal, anyway.” She chewed on her lip, drawing his attention to them.

His heart ached for her. The apologies he had made to Noël and her family just after the fire were the last words he’d spoken about the tragedy with them. His words had been so inadequate that thinking of them now he felt his skin blanch. He lifted his gaze and found Noël searching his face.

“Jonah.” Her expression got very somber. “I don’t hold any hard feelings for you. Don’t feel uncomfortable for what happened.” She dropped her gaze, but not before he saw her eyes reveal her pain. Then her expression perked up. “It’s been almost a year. I’m fine. I hope you are too. Now, I need to finish my shopping. Good luck with finding your dinner.”

So we’re going to gloss over everything wrong. She was not fine, and that crunched his heart. But he wouldn’t press, not here, not in the grocery store. “Thanks. I’ll find something.”

She pushed her cart away from him, but he stood watching her retreat, helpless in her despair. He couldn’t just go on as he’d been over the months since the fire. Noël had graciously let him off the hook, but the truth was in her eyes. It had pierced his soul and he couldn’t continue as though nothing had happened but he didn’t yet know what to do either.

Now for the recipe Oliver made for Brie and Noël.

Meatballs and Sausages in Tangy Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 16 ounce bottle Catalina dressing

1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice

1 package cocktail sausages

Directions 

  • Shape ground beef into small meatballs and brown on all sides.

  • When meatballs are done, pour full bottle of Catalina dressing and  entire can of pineapple chunks with juice in a crockpot. Stir, and add meatballs and sausages to the crockpot mixture. Stir again.

  • Cook over low heat in crockpot  until meatballs are done, about two or three hours, depending on your crockpot.

  • Keep mixture warm in pot  to serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as an appetizer for any kind of gathering this holiday or any time you throw a party. Check out Nutcracker Sweet to read how I used the dish in the story.

May your holiday season be full of peace, love, and joy!

my best author picLynn Crandall lives in the Midwest and writes in the company of her cat. She has been a reader and a writer all her life. Her background is in journalism, but whether writing a magazine or newspaper story or creating a romance, she loves the power stories hold to transport, inspire, and uplift. In her romances, she focuses on vulnerable, embraceable characters who don’t back down. She hopes that readers discover, over and over, stories of ordinary people who face ordinary life challenges and are transformed by extraordinary love.

 

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Crandall/e/B00AX9OA40/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1511570977&sr=8-1

Website http://lynn-crandall.com/

Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/LynnCrandallAuthor/?ref=settings

Twitter https://twitter.com/lcrandallwriter

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6198966.Lynn_Crandall

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lynncrandallwriter/

Instagram lcrandall246

That’s an easy and tasty appetizer, isn’t it? The story sounds tempting as well. Do you have a favorite pitch-in dish you take to gatherings?

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I only send out when there is news to share. News like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

Tasty Tuesday: Scottish Cranachan #dessert w/ #regency #romance #author Regan Walker #recipe

Posted on by Betty Bolte

For Tasty Tuesday I have a very special guest and recipe for you all. Regan Walker writes regency historical romance and this story is a Christmas story set in Scotland and featuring a really delicious confection, cranachan. What is cranachan? Well, here’s Regan to tell you all about it. Enjoy!

Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert served at the Stephens in Arbroath in A Secret Scottish Christmas. It was a favorite of William Stephen, but new to his English guests. Today, it’s usually made from a mixture of whipped cream, whisky, honey, and fresh raspberries topped with toasted oatmeal. But in the Regency era, whisky was the equivalent of moonshine and the upper classes would more likely have used brandy if they wanted to make it with liquor.

Some of the best raspberries in the world are grown in Scotland, but in winter, bottled and preserved raspberries would be used. Today you can use frozen raspberries out of season, of course. If no cream was available, the Scots would use a traditional cream cheese called Crowdie.

The scene on Christmas Eve when cranachan was served:

For dessert, they had Will’s favorite, cranachan, a Scottish tradition their English guests had not sampled before.

“Anything in it we should know about?” asked Hugh, his spoon suspended above the layered confection.

“Not unless you are averse to toasted oatmeal, cream, honey, raspberries and a dash of brandy,” replied Ailie. “I assure you, no kale is hiding beneath the layers.”

Everyone laughed and picked up their spoons.

“Our cook bottled the raspberries herself last summer,” offered Emily.

Will licked some of the honeyed confection from his bottom lip. “If you don’t want yours, Ormond, old chum, I’d be happy to take it from you.” He made as if to reach his spoon toward Hugh’s cranachan.

Hugh raised his spoon like a sword poised to repel an attack. “You’re not getting mine ‘old chum’. I do believe I will like the dessert.”

Many chuckles echoed around the table.

Walker-Secret Scottish ChristmasSpies and Scots and Shipmasters, oh my!

Scotland 1819

Twin brothers Nash and Robbie Powell of Powell & Sons Shipping, London, sail with their fellow Agents of the Crown to Scotland for a secret celebration of Christmastide, a holiday long frowned upon by the Scottish Kirk. But more than Christmas is being kept secret. The two brothers have accepted an assignment from the Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth to ferret out a fugitive fomenting rebellion among the Scots.

Aileen Stephen, the only daughter of an Aberdeen shipbuilder, had to be clever, devious and determined to gain her place in the family business. She succeeded to become a designer of highly coveted ships. One night, a man’s handsome face appears to her in a dream. When two men having that same face arrive on a ship full of Londoners, Ailie wonders what her second sight is telling her. Is the face she saw a portender of the future, a harbinger of danger, or both? And which of the two Englishmen is the one in her dream?

Older than Nash by a mere five minutes, Robbie has always been protective of his twin. When he realizes Nash is attracted to the sister of their Scottish host, he thinks to help matters along. But Nash wants no help from his brother, not where Ailie Stephen is concerned because Robbie is attracted to the girl himself!

Two brothers vie for the affection of the Scottish lass but only one stirs her passion. Which one will it be? And what will she do when she learns they are spies?

Walker-CranachanScottish Cranachan

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup + ¼ cup steel cut (pinhead) oats
  • ⅓ cup Scotch whisky (use a top quality brand)
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries
  • 3 tbsp. Scotch whisky
  • 3 tbsp. organic raw honey
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. The night before you want to make the dessert, toast ⅓ cup (2 oz.) of the oats in a cast iron or very heavy pan until very lightly browned- this won’t take long, so keep a close eye, as you don’t want burnt oats. Put the oats in a bowl and cover with ⅓ cup (3 oz.) of whisky. Cover and let stand overnight to soak.
  2. When you are ready to make the Cranachan, toast the second batch of oats, exactly the same as you did the first. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  3. Choose a few choice raspberries to decorate the top and set them aside.
  4. Crush the rest of the raspberries in a bowl, with a spatula or fork (just a bit, we’re not making jam).
  5. Sprinkle the raspberries with 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of whisky. Mix well and set aside.
  6. Whip the cream until it starts to thicken, then add the other 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of whisky. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form, then fold in the whisky-soaked oats.
  7. At this point, we are ready to assemble the dessert. I would recommend doing this relatively close to serving time as the dessert will taste better fresh. (If possible, don’t make it in the morning to serve for dinner.)
  8. Place a spoonful or two of the raspberries to cover the bottom of the glass, then add some of the cream mixture.
  9. Sprinkle the cream with some of the toasted oats, then repeat the layers. Finish with the sprinkled oats and top with a raspberry or three.

Refrigerate until ready to eat, but take them out about 20 minutes before serving, for better flavor.

See it on Regan’s website here: http://www.reganwalkerauthor.com/cranachan.html

Regan Walker profile picRegan Walker is an award-winning, Amazon bestselling author of Regency, Georgian and Medieval romances. A lawyer turned full-time writer, she has seven times been featured in USA TODAY’s HEA column and nominated six times for the prestigious RONE award. (Her novels, The Red Wolf’s Prize and King’s Knight, won Best Historical Novel in the medieval category for 2015 and 2017, respectively.) In 2017, her novel The Refuge: An Inspirational Novel of Scotland won the Gold Medal in the Illumination Awards, and To Tame the Wind won the International Book Award for Romance Fiction.

Years of serving clients in private practice and several stints in high levels of government have given Regan a love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the “Crown”. Hence her stories often feature a demanding sovereign who taps his subjects for special assignments. Each of her novels includes real history and real historical figures as characters. And, of course, adventure and love.

Follow Regan on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Regan-Walker/e/B008OUWC5Y) and BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/regan-walker

Keep in touch with her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/regan.walker.104 where you can join Regan Walker’s Readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReganWalkersReaders/. You can sign up for her newsletter on her website, www.reganwalkerauthor.com

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regan.walker.104

Pinterest Storyboard for the book: https://www.pinterest.com/reganwalker123/a-secret-scottish-christmas-by-regan-walker/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35064223-a-secret-scottish-christmas

Amazon buy links:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BBG6HV

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076BBG6HV

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B076BBG6HV

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/d/B076BBG6HV

Thanks so much, Regan! That cranachan sounds like something I may have to try this Christmas, right after I read A Secret Scottish Christmas story! Thanks for swinging by and sharing the recipe and snippet from the story.

What about you? Are you tempted to try either or both? Are you enjoying these guest author posts as much as I am?

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I only send out when there is news to share. News like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.