Christmas is coming (YAY!) and that means cookie baking and homemade gifts! Daryl Wood Gerber is sharing a recipe with us today to celebrate the release of her new cozy mystery, Wreath Between The Lines.
SERIES: Cookbook Nook Mystery #7
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Beyond the Page
RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2018
PAGES:221
The Agatha Award–winning author of Pressing the Issue returns to the Cookbook Nook, where Jenna Hart is busy decking the halls and ducking a killer . . .
The holidays are Jenna Hart’s favorite time of year, but just as she’s decorating the Cookbook Nook for all the festive events, her imperious older sister makes a surprise visit, anxious that her husband’s been more naughty than nice. To make matters worse, her father’s good friend Jake shows up on her doorstep with a frantic report that his friend has been murdered—trussed with Christmas lights and impaled with a tree star.
Worried that Jake was the intended victim, Jenna makes a list of suspects and checks it twice. Swapping her Santa’s hat for a sleuthing cap, she gets busy investigating Jake’s long-lost sister, his Grinch of a neighbor, and a stamp collector who covets Jake’s most treasured piece. When Jake himself is poisoned and nearly dies, Jenna knows she’ll have to do whatever it takes to corner the culprit before it’s lights out for Jake . . .
Includes tantalizing holiday recipes!
WREATH BETWEEN THE LINES, the 7th in the Cookbook Nook Mysteries is out! You can read more about the book below. As most fans know, I include recipes in the book. For fun, I thought I’d share a few recipes on this blog tour.
Some fans ask, do I cook? Yes. I have since I was little. At that time, I was partial to baking. Especially during the holidays.
This particular recipe is NOT in the book, but I made it for the themed boxes I gave away on Facebook, and it was a hit. So easy to make and perfect for a holiday giveaway, if you’re so inclined. Hint: it will not ship well because all the ingredients will mix up, but if you do, don’t worry. The mix will still work.
FYI, this cookie mix comes just short of reaching the top of a 1-quart mason jar. I decorated the top of the jar with fabric, cut into about a 6-7” circle. It covers the inch of open space. I also added a wad of parchment paper so the mixture wouldn’t move around too much. If you want, increase the M&Ms to fill the top. Extras will be needed to adorn after the baking process. *Note about using regular flour at end of post.
Mint M&M Gluten-free Cookie Mix in a Jar
1 ½ cups gluten-free flour (I used sweet rice flour and tapioca starch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 /2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whey powder
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/3 cup light brown sugar, as packed as you can
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup M&M’s or chocolate chips + more for decorating
1-quart mason jar
felt
ribbon
Assemble in the jar
Layer in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, whey powder, and xanthan gum. Top with brown sugar, then granulated sugar. Do your best to make layers and don’t let them mix. Top with the M&Ms or if you prefer chocolate chips. If there’s room, top with either parchment paper or saran wrap to keep mixture in place. (It will be hidden by the felt.)
Seal with the lid and decorate with felt and ribbon.
Recipe to include with the jar:
Pour the contents of the jar into a large bowl – reserving about 1/3 of the M&Ms for decorating after baking.
Add 1/2 cup barely melted (and not hot) unsalted butter, 1 beaten egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. (If making gluten-free, make sure the extract is gluten-free.) Stir until combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove mixture from refrigerator and form into golf ball-sized portions. Place the balls onto parchment lined baking sheets. (They do spread.) Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly brown and set. If desired, press extra M&Ms on top of each cookie as the M&Ms inside will have melted. YIELD: 20-24 large cookies
This mixture can be frozen. After forming into balls, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set in a freezer-style bag. When ready, pull the amount desired from the freezer, let thaw at room temperature, and then bake as above.
*IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THESE USING REGULAR FLOUR, THEN SWAP OUT THE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR AND OMIT THE WHEY POWDER AND XANTHAN GUM.
ENJOY!
DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series
featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California. As AVERY AAMES
, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series
featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more.
This giveaway is hosted by Great Escapes, not RimSP
Follow along with the tour HERE
BONUS GIVEAWAY: Daryl Wood Gerber is also giving away the winner’s choice of any (1) of her books to one of my readers specifically on RimSP. This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter by commenting on this post. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm November 19, 2018.
What about you? What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?
ALL of the Cookies ? LOL
Probably the peanut butter with a hershey kiss on it
Thank you for the chance ???? and Thanks for sharing this book with us
It looks really fun and good as do the rest in the series
haha i’m with you Linda – all the cookies!
Love seeing all the cookie choices, Linda. Thanks for stopping by. ~ Daryl
This sounds like my kind of book. Would like to read it to finds out what happens.
isn’t the cover great too?
Thank you for being part of the book tour for Daryl Wood Gerber’s fabulous new book “Wreath Between the Lines”. Love this author’s book and can’t wait for the opportunity to read this one.
No better way to share the Christmas season with loved ones than through food. The recipe for Mint M&M Gluten-free Cookie Mix in a Jar sounds like a wonderful way to do that too. Good to have a recipe that you can give to your gluten-free friends and switch over for the others too.
What can I say – it’s Monday! I forgot to mention my favorite all time cookie. That would be my Mom’s recipe for Ozark Honey Oatmeal Cookies. I do love and have such fond memories of baking cut out sugar cookies and decorating them at Christmas though.
Sugar cookies are my fave. I think. I love cookies 😀
Kay, hope you have fun this season sharing with friends and more. ~ Daryl
Here is the recipe 🙂
Ozark Honey Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup Shortening
1 ¼ cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Honey
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Soda
1 ¾ cup Flour, sifted
2 cups Quick Oats
1 cup Coconut
1 cup Pecans, finely chopped or ground
Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees
Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, honey, soda and salt thoroughly
Stir in flour, oats, coconut and pecans
Shape dough into rounded teaspoon sized balls
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet
Flatten with bottom of a glass dipped into sugar
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
Immediately remove from baking sheet
Yields: 5 dozen cookies
Variations:
Honey-Raisin Cookies: Omit coconut and substitute 1 cup raisins
oh YUM! thanks, Kay!
Kay, lovely recipe. I’m with Carrie! ~ Daryl
What a fun book. Thanks!
Thanks for having me on the blog. Hope everyone will try the recipe and buy the book! All my best, Daryl
thank you, Daryl!
I’ve read the recipe 3x, but where is the mint?
i’m not sure but i think it’s the mint M&Ms
In the M&Ms. They’re the Christmas version of M&Ms. Thanks, JJ, for searching. 🙂 ~ Daryl
This is fun and makes me have a happy smile.
yay! 🙂
Looks like a fun recipe..and I love Daryl’s books! Thanks for participating in the tour and for the extra giveaway! My favorite Christmas cookie is Pffernuesse.
yum!
Thank you for the recipes I always look forward to reading your books
Sugar Cookies.
I love gingerbread cookies.
Sounds like a good read. I love the cover.
Thanks, Rita. I love the cover, too. It captures the mood. 🙂 ~ Daryl
Sugar Cookies decorated for Christmas
me too!
It’s a toss-up between chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies.
This sounds like a great book. Can’t wait to read it!
I love Russian tea cakes. But iced sugar cookies are also a fave.
mmmm iced sugar cookies… yep.
Sue, I love Russian tea cakes. ~ Daryl
Sue, I love Russian tea cakes, too. ~ Daryl
Always chocolate chip
can’t argue with a classic 😉
Tough one but probably White chocolate macadamia nut cookies or fruitcake cookies.
My favorite cookie is ALL of them! I stole that from above!
I’m a sucker for chocolate chips and a good ginger snap.
Thanks for this opportunity!
Hi, Di! You are not alone, I think. 🙂 Love a good ginger snap. I make one gluten-free that is wonderful. ~ Daryl
My favorite Christmas cookie is my Mom’s walnut cookies.
My Mom made amazing walnut cookies to ! I wonder if your Moms are similar to my Moms !
I’m not crazy about Fruit Cake but my sister makes Fruit Cake Cookies.
After you mix the ingredients, roll it out into the shape of a log, and keep it in the refrigerator.
Then slice and eat. I bet you can’t eat just one.
Ha! Janet, there are fruit cake cookies in this book. Not as a recipe but as a mention in a fun Santa party scene. Hope you’ll notice when you read it. ~ Daryl
Janet, there is a scene in the book that includes fruit cake cookies. Look for it! 🙂 ~ Daryl
Some of my favorite cookies are molasses, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, to name a few! Thanks for the opportunity to enter a giveaway! Would love to win a print copy!
My Mother’s walnut sandies will forever be my favorite Christmas Cookie. I have the recipe but its not the same as when she made them every holiday season with love . She also made the most flavor full amazing sugar cookies with a secret ingredient that will forever be missed by her family.
Peanut butter cookies with a Kiss. Yum!
My favorite Christmas cookie is cranberry white chip cookies
My favorite Christmas cookie is gingerbread.
Marilyn
Sugar Cookies! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love chocolate crinkle cookies! legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com
Kara, those are delicious cookies!~ Daryl
Thank you both so much for the cookies in a jar recipe! I think that will be my favored gift to give this year!!!
If there was a recipe for peppermint bark cookies, that would be my favorite!
Oh, wait! I just looked it up and there is such a thing! The pictures are mouth-watering!
Sounds like an awesome book.
I look forward to reading this.
Peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss is my favorite.
They’re not really Christmas-y, however cornflake cookies are my favorite.
Frosted sugar cookies.