Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Take a Right at the Mistletoe by Barbara Brutt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m pleased to welcome Barbara to the blog today to talk about the recipes of Take a Right at the Mistletoe!
Title: Take a Right at the Mistletoe
Author: Barbara Brutt
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Release Date: November 9, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Clean)
Each and every holiday season at Vienna’s Christmas market, Matilda bakes confections for holiday tourists and quirky locals alike. Looking to escape the market drama, she sets her heart on culinary school.
Dylan has come to Vienna and the market to recover from a career-upending mistake and to unearth new inspiration. But when he nitpicks Matilda’s marzipan, she hears fighting words and perhaps the key to her culinary school application. They strike a deal: he’ll taste test and she’ll show him around Vienna. With each new pastry experiment and Viennese adventure, their relationship sweetens.
But their relationship doesn’t seem written into life’s cookbook. Dylan can’t stay in Vienna, and Matilda has to follow her dreams, so it seems some ingredients just don’t belong together. And yet, their hearts have already committed. Will a Christmas filled with marzipan and mistletoe give them both what they want the most?
content note: Readers may want to be aware that this book contains two secondary characters in a same-gender relationship.
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Recipes of Take a Right at the Mistletoe
by Barbara Brutt, author Take a Right at the Mistletoe
For the recipes of Take a Right at the Mistletoe, Pinterest was my number one resource with my mom being my right-hand woman for the baking adventures that ensued to help me understand marzipan and Matilda.
The main character of Take a Right at the Mistletoe Matilda grew up in a bakery and loves to bake. For her culinary school application, she has to include an original recipe of her own. Marzipan becomes her starting point for her baking.
My first memorable experience of marzipan was when I lived in Austria for over a year, and I didn’t like it. The consistency was grainy; it was extremely sweet; and the flavor felt sideways to my tongue. So when I decided that Matilda would use this well-known Austrian favorite of marzipan for her recipes, I needed to do some research of my own (and I hoped I’d find a way to like this sweet confection).
Thankfully, my mom loves to bake. And with that, I was in her kitchen for a night to whip up one of the “super simple” recipes of marzipan that I searched online. We tried a few other recipes that used marzipan, but the main goal was learning how to make marzipan.
Powdered sugar, almonds, and water (and maybe some extract or sweetener). That’s all you need for marzipan. Making it myself did not suddenly make me like marzipan, but it did help me understand the process so I could write about it better for Matilda.
Pinterest offered a wonderful resource where I pinned multiple recipes of marzipan confections. Marzipan could be a main ingredient, a filling, or the sweetener. Many of these recipes showed up in some variation in Take a Right at the Mistletoe. In fact, I still want to try baking a marzipan apple pie, and maybe that will be one of the recipes that I try this holiday season!
In Austria, a famous candy that includes marzipan and pistachio are the chocolate-covered Mozart kugel. They have a unique flavor, and they’re the perfect tourist souvenir due to their bright wrapping with Mozart emblazoned across the foil. This candy offers inspiration to Matilda as she explores different flavors and recipes to highlight marzipan.
Simple Marzipan Recipe
¾ cup Almond Flour
9 tbsp powdered sugar
1 ½ tbsp water*
½ tsp almond extract
*water can be subbed out for honey, agave syrup, corn syrup, or a 50/50 mixture
- Combine almond flour and powdered sugar until it’s smooth without clumps.
- Incorporate water and almond extract into the powdered mixture. Combine. The dough should hold together and be able to form a ball. If it’s too dry and breaks apart, add a bit more water. If too wet, add more almond flour.
- Knead the dough with your hands for a short amount of time, and then shape it into a log. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Remove from the refrigerator and use as desired.
Matilda from Take a Right at the Mistletoe used marzipan in cookie, cake, and pie recipes. You can also just dip marzipan in chocolate for a decadent, easy truffle. If you do decide to try out making your own marzipan, I’d love to know how you enjoy it best!
Barbara Brutt, a born and raised Pittsburgher, spent her growing-up years with her nose in a book. After claiming her bachelor’s degree in English, she plunked down hard into a smattering of jobs from shop girl to communications director with a healthy dose of nanny and house-cleaner. Flying to new adventures is her favorite, especially on an airplane or aerial silk. Barbara adores ice cream and only buys purses that provide room for a book or two.
Barbara talks books, aerial silks, faith, and travel on her website and blog at barbarabrutt.com.
CONNECT WITH BARBARA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
(1) winner will receive a pair of socks “So many books, so little time,” a Vienna Skyline Votive Cutout, a $25 Etsy Giftcard, and a signed copy of Teal Paisley Tights!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 16, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 23, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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What about you? What makes you want to read Take a Right at the Mistletoe by Barbara Brutt? Do you like marzipan? Have you ever made it?
I did enjoy Teal Paisley Tights, so I am sure I will like this one too.
That makes my heart squeeze! And I hope you’ll enjoy this one too!
Sounds like a good book. I’ve never had marzipan.
It’s very sweet so I don’t like it by itself, but it can be quite good in other treats! Maybe you’ll have to try it someday!
This story sounds beautiful and very special. I have never made nor eaten marsipan.
Anne, I do love this story so much! In some ways, to me, the main character of the novella feels like Vienna. Sometimes bakeries use marzipan in the decorations for their cakes!
Sounds interesting. I would love to see Vienna sometime, but not sure I’d care for Marzipan either. Sounds like it might be an acquired taste.
Thank you so much!
This recipe sounds amazing Thanks for sharing!
I liked the blurb. It sounds like a really interesting book. I have never tried marzipan. Thank you for sharing.
This sounds like a sweet story (pun intended) even if I am not fond of marzipan.
Romantic books with food included is always a good thing, thanks for sharing!
yes!