Christmas romance short story on sale until December 13th! And a recipe!

On Sale for only 99 cents until 12/13/15 from Muse It Up Publishing!

Yes, it's that time of the year, Christmas reads! My novelette Christmas romance A Crispy Rice Christmas is on sale until the 13th! It tells the tale of a gal whose culinary skills are worse than lacking...

And for more Christmas great reads all on sale visit Muse It Up Publishing! Romance, mystery and more!

Now for the easy childhood recipe we all remember.  This recipe was the inspiration for A Crispy Rice Christmas, because one Christmas I decided to use red food coloring and here were the results.

No one would touch them. And a recipe my main character...well read the story to find out!

Crispy Rice Bars

4 tablespoons margarine, butter or coconut oil

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1 16 ounce bag of marshmallows (fresh mini marshmallows work best)

In a large saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until it melts. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until marshmallows all melt. Remove from heat. Add crispy rice cereal and stir well. Using a greased spatula, spread mixture in a buttered 15 X 10 inch pan. Cut into bars when cooled.

Okay, now for the variations:
Add vanilla or rum or orange or lemon extract, a teaspoon or two.
Add a cup of nuts, or raisins or any dried fruit, or a cup of chocolate bits (or a third a cup of each!).

Add any spices you like, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cardamon.
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa.
Or be daring and trying a bit of pepper and hot sauce to the cocoa! Strange but good if you like it weird and spicy!

Readers do you have any tales of Christmas cookery disasters to share?

 

My Bridesmaid Romance Story on SALE, Plus Happy Rocky Road Day with a recipe!

Now on sale for 99 cents for a limited time only! Get my humorous romance, The Bridesmaid Wore Stains, now here!

 My publisher and I, in honor of June brides, has placed The Bridesmaid Wore Stains on sale, in which will Kat's trademark clumsiness condemn her to a bridesmaid's worst nightmare? Enjoy!

But wait, there's more...in honor of today, Rocky Road Day, here's an easy, fast and cheap recipe for Rocky Road Bites, with how to make it dairy, soy and egg free as well. Who knows, the bride of The Bridesmaid Wore Stains may very well have served this at her wedding! She's that kind of gal.

Rocky Road Cups

These Rocky Road Cups are ooey-gooey delicious and for that reason work best in cupcake or muffin papers. Although licking your fingers is not only allowed but encouraged.

Makes six, may be doubled.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk chocolate morsels or dairy and soy free chocolate morsels

1 cup mini marshmallows, check to make sure they are egg, dairy and soy free

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped with fairly big pieces

Directions:

Place large cupcake papers into a large muffin tin.

In a saucepan, slowly melt chocolate on low heat. Or place in a microwave bowl and melt slowly by microwaving for 30 seconds at a time for about a minute and a half, stirring between times. Do not overcook. If in a saucepan, stir constantly to avoid scorching and burning the chocolate. It will turn grainy and nasty if overcooked. Trust me, I’ve done it.

When melted beat until smooth.

Stir in marshmallows and walnuts or pecans.

Spoon by generous tablespoons into cupcake papers. The Rocky Road mixture will be irregular in shape—that’s part of the fun.

Chill to harden. I leave the cups in the fridge or freezer and take out one by one and let soften for a few minutes before eating. Will last for a week to 10 days, I think, in the fridge and longer in the freezer. I say I think because they never last that long! Sometimes it's difficult to wait until they set up!

And everyone, what are some other holidays you enjoy celebrating?

No bake healty gluten free chocolate balls for Valentine's Day!

SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEETIE FOR A

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

If you have an avocado, and some cocoa you can make these fast and so healthy and yummy (especially if you use the stevia.)

Ingredients:

1 large avocado
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 teaspoon stevia (to taste) (or 1 tsp additional sugar, again to taste)
2 tsp. powdered sugar (optional)
1 cup old fashioned oats, processed with a food processor into flour ( make sure to use Gluten-Free)

Instructions

Add parchment paper to a plate or half size baking sheet or if you have a nonstick cookie sheet that will also work.
In a bowl mash the avocado, until smooth. Mix in cocoa powder, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated. Taste test it, to see how much stevia/sugar you want to use adding slowly. Add oat flour and mix well.
Take about a tablespoon size of batter in your hands and roll into a ball and place on prepared baking. The batter will be soft. If you want a more firm batter, add a pinch more rolled oats, but be careful not to get too dry.
Optional: roll the balls in the powdered sugar before placing on the plate. Pretty!
Place the baking sheet in the freezer or refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Once frozen or hardened place your balls in a ziplock freezer bag and store in the freezer or refrigerator and let warm for a few minutes before indulging.

ENJOY!

And through today, Valentines Day, my dessert cookbook The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook is FREE. More sweets for your sweetie!

Easy Gluten Free Flour Recipe for baking Valentine sweets!

A Valentine's Day Valentine with a few of my covers, created by the incomparable Kim Scott!

This is the best and easiest gluten free flour I've found. But make sure you see the baking tips at the end of the recipe for close-to-regular-flour baking. I have yet to find an exact substitute for wheat flour--any of my readers have recipes? This comes close, but will have a slightly different texture.

4 cups brown or white rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch) 

When measuring scoop the amounts lightly and don't pack into the cup. I double the amounts and put in a large plastic bin container and then shake the container over and around and up and down and side to side until well mixed. Great exercise! If you use the flour as a one to one substitute then baked goods will be a little dry, but here's a couple of tips:

For desserts: halve the liquid and/or oil amount and use non-sweetened applesauce instead. There is something about the fiber in the applesauce that retains the moisture. 

For all baked goods:

Xanthum gum: I often add a scant teaspoon to a recipe, again this retains the moisture while baking. Be careful with Xanthum gum, too much and it will cause an odd, bitter taste.

Often I also add a teaspoon or two of egg replacer as again this helps the texture. (Note: if you can use real eggs, they are best to use.)

You can find lots of recipes to use this flour with in my dessert cookbook The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook! 

Enjoy! And any tips/recipes happily accepted!

An Egg Free, Dairy Free, Delicious Chocolate Cupcake Recipe for Valentine's Day, Fast and Easy to Make!

Wacky Cake Cupcakes, Yum!

No time to make a spectacular sweet for your sweetie for that special day? No worries, here's a quick, easy and delicious recipe!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (may be omitted)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon white or apple or coconut vinegar

 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola oil works well or coconut oil warm to liquid, but not hot!)
1 cup cold water

Directions:

Preheat 350 degrees F.

Mix the dry ingredients well in a bowl. Make 3 small holes in the mixture. Pour the vanilla in one hole, the vinegar in another and vegetable oil in another. Pour water over the top and mix. Pour into cupcake papers in a muffin tin and bake for around 15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 8-10 cupcakes, depending on size.

Plenty good plain or you can frost using one of the frosting recipes in The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook.

ENJOY!