Geri’s Super-Secret Christmas Cookie recipe is so very special to my family. I grew up with large, thick cut-out cookies displayed on a pretty silver platter with a doily at my Polish-American grandmother’s house, and my maternal Aunt Margie made cut-outs with her delectable cooked frosting. I combined the two and voila! A match made in cookie heaven.
This recipe is a perfect choice for my Tule cozy mystery series, Shop ‘Round the World. I envision Angel baking these up for Nate in A Santa Stabbing, and since Nate’s the one that owns Latte Love—Stonebridge’s favorite coffee shop—it makes sense that he’d help Angel with the frosting and sprinkling. I hope this special recipe makes your reading of A Santa Stabbing all the sweeter, and may your holidays be bright!
Geri’s Super-Secret Christmas Cookies
In the tradition of Jean Stachelski and the Kaleta Family. I usually double or triple this recipe so there is plenty to give away.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter (originally shortening, but I don’t use this)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1 tsp. anise (you can use vanilla) extract
4 3/4 cups flour (King Arthur’s All Purpose is best)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp, baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS
Cream butter, gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat until well blended. Stir in sour cream and vanilla, mixing well.
Combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt; add to creamed mixture, beating well. Divide dough into thirds; cover and chill at least 1 hour. (note: you can chill for a few days if needed, this keeps your workload more even throughout the holidays).
Roll one portion of dough to 1/8 inch (I do more like 1/4 inch) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes (trees, bells, stars, Santas, holly leaves). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. You can sprinkle with colored sugar now if you’re not going to frost. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Yield: about 8 dozen.
Geri’s Aunt Margie’s Sugar Cookie Frosting: Mix 1/2 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it thickens. Stir the entire time (I use a metal whisk). Remove from the stove and allow to cool thoroughly. Whip up 1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened) and 1 pound of confectioner’s sugar. Pour the cooled mixture into this while you are beating. Use food coloring as desired.
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Ginger is a favorite flavor in our house, from ginger ale to gingersnaps to crystallized ginger. So I knew I had to share our favorite ginger cookie recipe for this cozy holiday cookbook. These cookies are a spicy, chewy treat to share anytime of the year. Wren Winters and her friends in Player Elimination, the first of my Cardboard Cafe cozy mystery series, would love baking the dice-shaped cut-out cookies in this recipe to enjoy while spending a winter’s afternoon around the gaming table. You can buy dice-shaped cookie cutters online (or use any fun shape of your choice!). For an extra special touch, be sure to add the dots on the dice sides, called pips. Pip, Wren’s black and white cat, will be sure to approve!
Chewy Ginger Spice Cookies
PREP TIME: 10-15 min. | CHILL TIME: 1-plus hours | BAKE TIME: 12-14 min.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cold water
1 large egg
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
If baking immediately: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheetswith parchment paper.
Beat together butter, shortening, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. All mixing can be done with a pastry cutter or an electric mixer.
Beat in egg, brown sugar, and water.
Add the flour and spices and beat together until smooth. The mix will be somewhat firm and crumbly, but should press together easily.
At this point, refrigerate until ready to bake. For best results, refrigerate for 1+ hours so cut-out cookies will hold shape.
Form dough into a large ball and roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin. Cut out cookies in whatever shape you prefer. (Alternatively, you can simply form 1-inch balls and place them on a cookie sheet).
If the cookies are soft, you can place them in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes to firm up before baking.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until browning across the top. Sides will be crisp, but the middle will be soft. The cookies will still be puffed up when you take them out of the oven, but will drop as they cool.
Cool cookies thoroughly before icing. You’ll need an icing bag and a size no. 2 decorating tip for icing. Use white cookie icing to outline the facets of the dice. Allow the icing to set for approximately 10 minutes. Then use red and green (or color of choice) icing to flood in the dice faces. You may need to use a toothpick to spread out the icing to the edges. Let the flooded sections set 10 minutes before going back with white icing to add the pips (the spots on the dice sides representing numbers).
Alternatively, you can buy pre-made cookie icing already in a piping bag in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Makes approximately 24 two-inch cookies.
Cookie Icing
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp. light corn syrup
2-3 tbsp. milk (or enough to reach desired consistency)
Food coloring of your choice
DIRECTIONS
Beat powdered sugar, vanilla extract, corn syrup and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until smooth.
Add one tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Stir in food coloring to reach desired color. Decorate cookies and allow icing to set.
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One of the first rules of fiction is “write what you know.” Since cinnamon scones are one of my favorite treats, it was only natural that they’d be on the menu at the Briar Patch Bakery, a popular spot in The Wedding Bell Mysteries.
Bridal boutique owner and aspiring mystery author Maddie Bell starts each day at the bakery, where she writes two pages of her work in progress before walking across the street to open her shop. She finds the bakery’s cinnamon scones almost as hard to resist as Hemlock, North Carolina’s new sheriff, Jackson Bradley, who has offered to serve as the expert source for her books.
This recipe is easy enough to whip up on the spur of the moment – or for a delicious holiday morning treat. I hope you’ll bake a batch, brew yourself a cup of tea, and curl up with Slay Bells Ring, book one in The Wedding Bell Mysteries.
Briar Patch Cinnamon Scones
This recipe is adapted from a recipe a friend shared with me many years ago.
INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (65 g) plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup (170 g) cold butter, cubed
1 cup (240 g) sour cream (or buttermilk, but if using buttermilk, omit half & half)
half & half (only if using sour cream), 1 or 2 tbsp., enough to bring the
dough together
1 package (10 oz.) cinnamon baking chips
2 tbsp. butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
#1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
#2. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I use my hands for this.
#3. Stir in sour cream (or buttermilk) just until moistened. If it’s too dry, stir in enough half & half to get the right consistency.
#4. Fold in chips.
#5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10-12 times or until dough is no longer sticky.
#6. Divide the dough in half; gently pat or roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
Optional: Brush with butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. I don’t do this because I prefer the scones not to be too sweet. So, I leave out this step, but it’s up to your taste.
#7. Cut each circle into six wedges.
#8. Separate wedges and place them on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
#9. Bake at 425° for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter or plain.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
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One year, when I had an abundance—I’m talking bushels and bushels—of apples, and was searching for new ideas to use them, I discovered that besides apple pie or apple crisp—which are both delicious—apples are a tasty addition to many savory recipes. Maybe it’s a New England thing, but cheddar cheese is often served with apple slices, so I asked myself, why not mix diced apples with tuna fish when making a tuna melt? Since I was in the middle of writing my Little Dog Diner series, the Little Dog Diner Tuna Melt Surprise was born!
Mixing diced apples with the tuna fish added a surprising burst of crisp, tart flavor that paired perfectly with melted cheddar cheese. There’s something comforting about a tuna/apple mixture stuffed between two slices of thick bread, toasted to a crispy perfection, with cheddar cheese
oozing out with every bite.
Now, if I’m short on time around the holidays, unexpected guests show up, or I’m just in the mood for something that’s quick, easy, and delicious, the Little Dog Diner Tuna Melt Surprise is always on the menu.
Little Dog Diner Tuna Melt Surprise
Inspired by the Little Dog Diner series set in Maine.
INGREDIENTS
5-oz. can solid white tuna fish, drained
1 tbsp. mayonnaise plus extra for coating one side of each piece of bread
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Cheddar cheese slices enough to cover one piece of bread
1 small apple, diced into small pieces
1 tbsp. minced parsley
2 thick slices of bread for one sandwich
Salt and pepper to taste
Splash of lemon juice
SERVING SIZE: 1 large sandwich | TIME: 15 minutes
DIRECTIONS
Mix drained tuna, mayo, diced apple, mustard, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the splash of lemon juice and mix again.
Spread mayo on one side of each slice of bread (this is the outside of the sandwich)
Layer cheese and tuna mixture on bread, cover with another slice of bread – mayonnaise to the outside. (If the tuna mix doesn’t all fit, just enjoy it while your sandwich is cooking.)
Heat pan with a drizzle of olive oil, then turn to medium. Cast iron works great!
Carefully place each sandwich on preheated pan. Adjust heat as needed so bread doesn’t burn. When one side is crisp, flip and cook the other side until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. If you have a sandwich press, use it after you flip the sandwich.
Serve with sweet potato fries, potato chips, pickle, or tomatoes and enjoy!
Note: If you don’t like tuna fish, cheddar cheese plus apple slices is also delicious!
Download your free copy of the Recipes to Die for cookbook today!
French toast is always a favorite in my house. It’s usually something I reserve for weekends or a holiday, so when I was mulling over dishes that could be an extra-special breakfast specialty at Malone’s Diner in Paws, Claws, and Curses, the first book in my Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery series, it was the natural choice.
What usually sets my French toast apart from others is a trick I learned from a chef at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel years ago, and that’s to replace the traditional custard mixture with melted French vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I also add a touch of orange zest.
To put a sweet holiday spin on this recipe, I’ve replaced the melted ice cream with another special occasion favorite in my house: eggnog. I’d like to think the Citrus Grove locals who hang out at Malone’s Diner would appreciate it as much as my family does.
Eggnog French Toast
Inspired by the Custard French Toast served at Malone’s Diner in Paws, Claws, and Curses by DeAnna Drake
INGREDIENTS
For the French Toast:
2 cups eggnog
3 large eggs
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
Butter or non-stick cooking spray
12 slices of bread, thick-cut
Optional Toppings:
Butter
Powdered sugar
Maple syrup
Berries
Whipped cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat griddle or large frying pan. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggnog, eggs, and cinnamon until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Dip both sides of a slice of bread into the egg mixture.
Prepare the griddle or pan with butter or cooking spray. Cook the bread in batches until golden, a few minutes each side. Keep warm in the oven until ready to eat.
Serve with your favorite toppings.
For Custard French Toast: Replace the eggnog with 2 cups melted French vanilla ice cream.
For Orange Cream French Toast: Follow the directions for Custard French Toast, omit the cinnamon and replace with a teaspoon of orange zest and a teaspoon of orange extract.
DEANNA DRAKE is the editor of RECIPES TO DIE FOR: Holiday 2024 Edition and the author of Paws, Claws, and Curses and the rest of the Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery series. DeAnnaDrake.com
The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to kick off the heartwarming, joy-filled season than to immerse yourself in Tule’s best Christmas cozies—filled to the brim with snowy settings, festive treats, and a grisly murder or two…
Mix some mystery in your spiced eggnog this holiday season with these seven Tule Christmas mysteries—perfect for warming your hearts and kick starting all your merry endeavors this winter!
It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect — you solve it.
Wedding planner Jenna Bell doesn’t panic when the groom is a no-show to the ceremony – even though he is her former high school sweetheart and this wedding is the small town’s event of the year. However, when he turns up dead and she is falsely accused… well, yeah, now it’s the time to panic.
Jenna’s mother, Maddie, puts her cozy mystery writing skills to use to try to clear her daughter’s name, stepping on by-the-book Chief of Police Jackson Bradley’s toes in the process. No matter how enticing he finds her, he doesn’t want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation.
With nearly all of Hemlock, North Carolina, picking sides and the town’s own Gossip Brigade churning out the rumors, Maddie discovers the mystery isn’t very cozy when it hits this close to home.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to solve a murder?
Ho. Ho. No…
It’s Christmas in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is feeling festive apart from Ainsley McGregor. Ainsley has never enjoyed the holidays and would rather ignore them, but with her shop Bless Your Art busier than ever and filled with happy shoppers, even she’s feeling some Christmas spirit. That is, until her Great Dane, George Clooney, sniffs out a dead body in the Santa House at the Christmas Festival.
When one of her favorite crafters becomes the prime suspect, Ainsley is determined to prove his innocence. The case is full of so many twists and turns that even Ainsley begins to fear the truth. Is she protecting a killer?
With help from her friends and some extremely nosey townsfolk, Ainsley and her dog hurry to find the truth—as long as they can outwit and outrun the killer first. Otherwise, this Christmas might just be her last.
An isolated, snowy setting, an elaborate holiday wedding, and a dead Santa Clause…what more could go wrong?
It was going to be a Christmas wedding to die for…
What could go wrong when baker Rosie Hart heads to a snowy Colorado mountain lodge for a week of elaborate pre-wedding festivities at her friend’s wedding? The better question would be: what could go right?
Rosie’s fears for the nervous bride are confirmed when one of the wedding guests turns up dead. All evidence points to the groom being the intended victim, but with the guests dressed in Christmas-themed attire, and a dead Santa on their hands, Rosie’s not so sure. What if the killer did hit the right target all along?
Stuck in a blizzard with the wedding party being picked off one by one, Rosie’s investigative instincts kick in—only this time she’s acting without the support of her friends back in Airlie Falls. Until her four irrepressible card-shark mentors from Riverbend Retirement Village unexpectedly turn up to rescue her.
A delightful, heartwarming story, filled with Christmas spirit.
Don’t get married on Christmas Eve, they said.
The holiday will overshadow your special day, they insisted.
Little did they know that a shockingly festive murder would put everything else on hold.
When all signs point to my sometimes friend, sometimes rival, Detective Crenshaw, I’ll need to work fast so that he’s not forced to spend his holiday in the slammer. But in throwing myself feet first into the real crook’s crummy conspiracy, I could be risking so much more than a spoiled day… The future of my forthcoming marriage could very well be on the line too.
Oh, boy… Can Pip and I solve this one in record time so that my fiancé’s and my perfect day can go off without another major hitch?
Have yourself a merry little Christmas with Crumbling Up Crooks this holiday season! Your copy awaits…
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…in jail?
She didn’t realize she’d traded “Naval Aviator” for “amateur sleuth”…
Retired Navy pilot Angel Warren’s new life awaits in Stonebridge, Pennsylvania, where she’s opening Shop ‘Round the World, her travel-inspired gift and novelty shop. A newly empty nester and longtime widow, she’s looking forward to leaving her flying career and its many life-or-death decisions behind and reconnecting with family and friends. Right now, Angel’s biggest challenge is getting the shop ready for its grand opening just weeks before Christmas.
Until she finds a dead body in the shop murdered with one of her specialty Santa figurines. Even worse, Angel’s fingerprints are on the “weapon” and she’s a prime suspect. It doesn’t help that the deceased is an old friend who’s collected a long list of enemies as a cut-throat real estate agent. And then there’s the Stonebridge Chief of Police—and Angel’s high school BFF—who brings her in for questioning.
If Angel wants to clear her name before the Christmas rush, she’s going to need to do some sleuthing on her own—and with the help of her stressed out parrot, Ralph.
Perfect for fans of ghostly shenanigans, sassy sidekicks, and a warm, holiday setting.
The launching of a new bakery and fundraiser in town should be cause for celebration, not a murder investigation.
Just when Nikki Knight thinks things might be getting back to normal in Frog Hollow, her friend Carla’s business manager is found dead at the scene of her new, year-round Christmas bakery.
When Dale, the gourmet grocer next door, suggests that the cookie fundraiser be held at his place, Nikki and the Accidental Ghost Detective team suspect foul play.
But all signs are pointing to Carla and some strange magical happenings. Can Dash and Nikki sniff out this case before the cookie crumbles?
Santa Clause is coming to town…to commit a murder?
How many Santas does it take to commit a murder?
Daisy Montgomery remains stuck somewhere between life and death, leaving her spirit roaming Dandelion Ponds. But when Mrs. Baker, Daisy’s neighbor and faux grandmother, turns up in the morgue screaming she was murdered by Santa, Daisy is determined to find the killer.
Convincing super-sexy Charlie O’Sullivan to help her find out whodunit isn’t difficult. But finding the murderer amongst the town’s several resident Saint Nicks is!
With the annual Santa contest about to bring even more wannabe Kris Kringles into Dandelion Ponds, time is running out to find the killer. And when the murderer catches onto the investigation, it’s Charlie’s life on the line. If they can’t catch this bad Santa in time, then Charlie could be the next victim of ho-ho-homicide.
Get in the hollyday spirit with this paranormal cozy by Beth Prentice! Claim your copy here!
