Sweet Treats & Sweet Reads

Cooking Your Way to RomanceDebbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove CookbookSusan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold CookbookWendtland, Carl. Cooking Your Way to Romance

All Time Classic RomanceMitchell, Margaret Gone With the WindBronte, Charlotte Jane EyreBronte, Emily Wuthering HeightsDuMaurier, Daphne RebeccaAusten, Jane (any!)

Romance and Passion Classics ContinuedWaugh, Evelyn Brideshead RevisitedHurston, Zora Neale Their Eyes Were Watching God

Classics by Decade: 1930’s – 1950’sHeyer, Georgette Regency BuckSeton, Anya DragonwyckStewart, Mary Madam, Will You Talk?

Classics by Decade: 1960’s – 1970’sWhitney, Phyllis The Haunted PoolPlaidy, Jean The Princess of CelleWoodiwiss, Kathleen The Flame and the Flower

Sweets SeriesKauffman, Donna Sugar RushKauffman, Donna Honey Pie

Love Before Cupcakes?Ross, Jennifer The Icing on the CupcakeEvans, Misty and Giordano, Adrienne Stealing JusticeDevon, Cat Sleeping with the Enemy

Solid ChocolateRoberts, Sheila Better Than ChocolateGreene, Jennifer Blame It on Chocolate

Inspirational CakesByrd, Sandra Let Them Eat Cake (French Twist Series)

Wedding Cakes = RomanceMallery, Susan Falling for GracieRoberts, Nora Savor the Moment

Solving a Murder While Planning a Wedding

Collins, Kate Seed No EvilDunnett, Kaitlyn Bagpipes, Brides and HomicidesLaurie, Victoria Deadly ForecastMcKevett, G.A. Buried in ButtercreamPage, Kathryn Hall The Body in the BoudoirRobb, J.D. Immortal in DeathSwanson, Denise Murder of a Stacked Librarian

Small Town WeddingsAdmirand, C.H. A Wedding in Apple GroveMcClane, Luane Wildflower Wedding: A Cricket Creek Novel

New Amish Romance + Mystery SeriesChapman, Vannetta Murder Simply Brewed

Sweet ValentinesThomas, Jodi et al Be My Texas ValentineMacomber, Debbie Be My Valentine

Sassy ValentinesA Red Hot Valentine’s DayDiamond Playgirls

Valentines Gone WrongCrusie, Jennifer Be MineGibson, Rachel The Trouble With Valentine’s DayDavidson, MaryJanice et al Valentine’s Day is Killing Me

Action and RomanceClare, Jessica Girl’s Guide to (Man) Hunting (2nd in series)Spear, Terry A Highland Werewolf Wedding

Historical Names to KnowEnglish, Christy How to Tame a Willful WifeFresina, JayneMacLean, SarahJames, EloisaHeath, LorraineMichaels, Kasey

Teen Romance Breaks HeartsCharbonneau, Joelle The TestingElkeles, Simone Perfect Chemistry TrilogyCabot, Meg All-American GirlCass, Kiera The SelectionDerting, Kim The Body FinderCooney, Caroline Janie Quintology

Ideas for Cakes and Other Delicious Bites

Pink Checkerboard CakeGrease and flour two round layer pans, 9x1 ½ inches. Makes circle dividers for center of pans by folding two pieces of foil, 13x6 inches, lengthwise twice, forming two strips, each 13x1 ½ inches. Shape strips into 4-inch circle; fasten each with a paper clip. Place a foil circle divider in center of each prepared pan. Prepare White Cake Mix as directed on package. Divide batter in half. Tint half light pink and blend in ½ tsp. almond extract. Fill center of foil divider in one pan with pink batter and the outer circle with white batter. Fill center in other pan with white batter and outer circle with pink. Batters should be level. Remove foil dividers and bake as directed on package. Cool. Edible Blarneystones

Make cupcakes from your favorite mix, according to package directions. Cool. Frost all over with fluffy fosting. Cover with green tinted coconut.

Homemade Twinkies from http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Homemade-Twinkies-1100091 cup milk 5 tablespoons flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup Crisco 1/2 cup cold butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 baked yellow cake Mix flour with milk and boil until thick. (It will be very thick) Cool. Beat until fluffy and add other ingredients one at a time beating well after each addition. Put between layers of cooled cake. Let stand one day to develop flavor. I wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Southern Moon Pies http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Southern-Moon-Pies/Detail.aspxBy: Jody Crout   "Now you can make this Southern favorite at home. Full of chocolate and marshmallow goodness! Vanilla extract may be substituted with coconut or mint extract."1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 cup evaporated milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup marshmallow creme Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet. To Make Cookie Crusts: In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine and white sugar. Add egg, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture slowly to sugar mixture while stirring. Mix just until all ingredients are combined. Drop the dough onto greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls. Leave at least 3 inches in between each one; dough will spread as it bakes. Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until firm when pressed with finger. Allow to cool at least one hour before filling. To Make Marshmallow Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, blend together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, confectioners' sugar, flavored extract, and marshmallow creme. Mix until smooth. Assemble pies by spreading 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of filling on flat side of a cookie crust, then covering filling with flat side of another cookie crust.

McCall’s Do It Party Book Petit Fours1 pkg. white cake mix2 egg whites1 can. Fluffy white frosting2 drops green food colormaraschino cherriestoasted coconutcurrant jellyPreheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an ungreased 15 1/2x10 ½ x1 inch jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Make cake as package label directs, using 2 egg whites and amount of water specified on package. Turn into pan; bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Let cake cool, in pan, 5 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack; remove paper. Let cool completely. Brush off crumbs. Meanwhile, make frosting as package label directs. Add food color to ¼ cup frosting. Cut the cake lengthwise into 5 2-inch strips. Coconut Squares: cut a cake strop into 7 – 2 inch squares. Smoothly frost tops and sides with white frosting. Decorate sides with coconut. In center of each, arrange 4 cherry pieces to resemble the petals of a flower.Jelly Jewels: Cut another cake strip into 7 2-inch squares. Spread tops with currant jelly. Then smoothly frost sides with white frosting, bringing it over top edge to make an uneven border around jelly. Napoleonettes: Smoothly spread top of remaining cake strip with white frosting. With green frosting in small pastry bag, using small, straight tube for writing, pipe 3 green length-wise stripes on white frosting. Cut Napoleonette strip into 7 2-inch squares: To make the feather effect, pull wooden pick crosswise through the green stripes, alternating the direction each time. Makes 37 petits fours in all.

Petit Fours Icing9 cups confectioners’ sugar (about 2 pounds)½ cup water

½ cup light corn syrup1 tsp. vanilla½ tsp. almond extractCombine ingredients in top of double boiler and heat just to lukewarm. Remove from heat, leaving icing over hot water to keep it thin. If desired, tint part of icing delicate pastel colors with food coloring.

Apricot-glazed Petits Fours: Follow recipe above except before glazing Petits Fours with Icing, glaze each with apricot preserves. In saucepan, heat 1 jar (12 oz.) apricot preserves with 3 tablespoons water; strain. Place each Petit Four on fork over saucepan; spoon warm apricot glaze over each. Place on cooling racks; let set about 1 hour.

S’More Cupcakes: Bake Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix in paper baking cups as directed on package. Just as cupcakes come from oven, place a half marshmallow on top of each. Put back in oven 3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows soften and start to melt. Remove from oven and press a chocolate kiss in the center of each marshmallow. Serve warm or cold.

Sugar ‘N Spice Cupcakes: Prepare Betty Crocker Honey Spice Cake Mix as directed on package. Pour batter into paper backing cups. Sprinkle batter lightly with confectioners’ sugar, a little cinnamon (so some white sugar is still visible) and chopped nuts (about 1 tsp. for each cupcake). Bake as directed for cupcakes. Serve warm or cold.

Coconut-Jelly Cupcakes: Bake Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix in paper baking cups as directed on package. Cool. Spread tops with tart red jelly and sprinkle with coconut.

Chocolate-Mint Cupcakes: Immediately after removing cupcakes from oven, top each with a chocolate-covered mint patty. When the patty melts, spread lightly for marbled mint frosting.

Top Hats: Cut cones from tops of cupcakes. Fill with prepared packaged pudding, replace tops and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Good Fortune Cupcakes: Write fortunes on narrow strips of paper; fold into small squares and wrap in plastic wrap. Cut a slit along top edge of each cupcake; insert fortune so that a small portion shows. Frost cupcakes. If desired, decorate with “butterflies”: Drain mandarin orange segments well; place two on frosted top of each cupcake to resemble butterfly wings. Use thin strips of green gumdrops for the antennae.

Icing Ideas

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/royal-icing-decorated-cookies/

TO MAKE CONNECTING HEARTS

Work on wax paper first to get the hang of it and then decorate your cookies.

Put down the 1st layer of icing (as described above). Try natural color or a very light colored frosting as a base. Add a drop of colored icing. Use red for hearts.

With a toothpick starting ½ inch above the dot, draw the toothpick through the dot and continue past it a 1/2 inch. Lift the toothpick at the tail of your heart. Practice a few times to get the hang of it. Then try a few dots in a row and repeat the process through all the dots; that will make a chain of hearts. You can repeat the process with many rows. Go up one row, and down the next row. Do this in different directions to get different effects. Keep it simple if you want it to look like hearts.

TO MAKE A HERRINGBONE PATTERN

Follow directions for the hearts, but do 2 or 3 dots per row, and have at least 3 rows. Take your toothpick down one row and back the other way on the next row, until all the rows are done. Then start on one side, go “across” the cookie through the dots one row and then the opposite way thru all the dots on the next row, etc. Do this until all rows are done. You should have something that looks similar to a Herringbone pattern. Let dry overnight before handling. The icing will be thick.