Cozy Mysteries discussion

Hello! I hope this is a good place to post this thread. I have read many many culinary cozies and have yet to make any of the recipes in the book. Series I have read include Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder , Catering to Nobody , I Scream, You Scream , Sprinkle with Murder , The Diva Runs Out of Thyme , and various others. I would love to know if anyone has tried any recipes within these books and/or similar series. Mostly I would like some recommendations of recipes you have tried and loved but also perhaps some warnings too! Thanks!

Personally, I haven't, but if you look back there is a thread when we were reading the Sprinkle with Murder series and serveral members had tried some of those recipes with success.

The brownie recipe in Dying for Chocolate is excellent. There is a potato recipe I tried from one of the Goldy Bear books that was excellent, too, but I forget which book it came from. The Blue Blueberry Muffins from is great. I've got several of the cookie recipes from various Hannah Swensen books I want to try, but haven't. And the Blonde Bombshells from is delicious!

Thanks Melodie! Blueberry Muffins sound good right now. My co-worker brought in some banana bread cookies from one of the Hannah Swenson books yesterday and they were yummy that is why I thought of this thread today.

I've tried a couple recipes from the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton. Love Beth's Oatmeal Cookie Recipe:

http://www.aunt-dimity.com/recipe1.htm

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "I've tried a couple recipes from the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton. Love Beth's Oatmeal Cookie Recipe:

I shouldn't have read your suggestion. I LOVE oatmeal cookies best of all the cookies in the world. And I just bought a huge box of oatmeal. Bad, bad, bad!

I've made the chocolate shortbread in (start of chapter 5) and they're excellent! Very chocolatey. :)

Tricia wrote: "ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "I've tried a couple recipes from the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton. Love Beth's Oatmeal Cookie Recipe:

I shouldn't have read your suggestion. I LOVE ..."

lol
I think the secret to her cookies is that she boils the raisins to rehydrate them, and even uses a few tablespoons of the water the raisins were rehydrated in, in the recipe. I gave my Dad an entire tin of these cookies for christmas. :)

lol
I think the secret to her cookies is that she boils the raisins to rehydrate them, and even uses a few tablespoons of the water the raisins were rehydrated in, in the recipe. I gave my Dad an entire tin of these cookies for christmas. :)

I'm so hungry that I might even make these cookies tonight!

Yay! More ideas :)

I made Beth's Oatmeal Raisin cookies for my husband for an early valentine's day treat. He's driving on the road and I can't send alot with him, so gave him a bag of homemade cookies. :)

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "I made Beth's Oatmeal Raisin cookies for my husband for an early valentine's day treat. He's driving on the road and I can't send alot with him, so gave him a bag of homemade cookies. :)"

Awwww!

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "I made Beth's Oatmeal Raisin cookies for my husband for an early valentine's day treat. He's driving on the road and I can't send alot with him, so gave him a bag of homemade cookies. :)"

When I want to do something for my DH I bake him chocolate chip cookies. He loves them, so even though I don't really care for them that much (I do love the dough, tho!) it's something simple to do that means a lot to him. I know your DH appreciated you baking something special for him!

Melodie my hubby doesn't like chocolate chip cookies and it drives me batty because I love them. He likes white macadamia nut, oatmeal raisin, or peanut butter. All are lower down on my list!

Mine isn't a big cookie fan at all, but I love them. My favourite is chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips. :D

For my DH, it's Key Lime Pie (luckily I can get the key lime juice imported here), which I can't stand. lol

OTOH, if I make something my husband likes and I don't (also known as blueberry pie), it means he eats it and I can save my calories for something I like better (like snickerdoodles).

Melodie - if you love chocolate chip cookies, you should try the recipe in Moon Signs. It's the best chocolate chip recipe I've ever used, and I just had to put it in a book.

Helen wrote: "Melodie - if you love chocolate chip cookies, you should try the recipe in Moon Signs. It's the best chocolate chip recipe I've ever used, and I just had to put it in a book."

I get so hungry reading your comments!!! I love anything put in front of me. Isn't any one on a diet these days. I'll check out the choco chip cookies in Moon Signs. Thanks. You don't have to twist my arm very hard.

Sandra wrote OTOH, if I make something my husband likes and I don't (also known as blueberry pie), it means he eats it and I can save my calories for something I like better (like snickerdoodles)
Yum, I like them both. (There goes my diet.)

Annie's Bacon Pinwheels from Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss are awesome. My friends all burned their mouths because they could not wait for them to cool off when I took the second batch out of the oven.

My DH was on a low-carb diet and lost nearly 14 lbs in a month, so he didn't want just too much! Oatmeal Raisin was the healthier option, although I (and the kids!) prefer Chocolate Chip Cookies. :)

Thanks Alison! They looked good :)

Great link Kari!

Alison you rock! I love that you have a blog and post pics :)

That one seems too complicated for me Alison!

I often make Scout's Brownies from one of the earlier Goldie Schultz books. So old that I think she was still Goldie Bear. The brownies are fantastic. I've made other recipes from the Goldie books, can't think what right now, but all have been excellent.

I do like to peruse the recipes, but have not made any of them. Much the same way that I read cookbooks just to look at the pictures.

Looks great Alison. You rock for posting all your stuff here too btw.

I was wondering about those when I read that Alison.

Alison (CozyCrimes) wrote: "This week I made Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies from

You can find some pictures at my blog - http://cozycrimes.wordpress.com/2012/......"

I've made those cookies before, but I don't melt the butter. I've never understood why she melts the butter in most of her cookie recipes. Makes for a "funky" cookie, IMHO. They're much better with the butter not melted, don't spread so much.

Wow those look easy and yummy Alison!

I have only mad something one time from recipes in a cozy, it was a Diane Mott Davidson book, but I do not know which one now since I sent all my series to mt mom who needed books to read and cannot get out to get them.Would like to check out your blogs.

I am currently reading the Bubbles series and really want to try out some of her beauty tips - anyone try anything non food related from any cozies??

Heidi wrote: "I am currently reading the Bubbles series and really want to try out some of her beauty tips - anyone try anything non food related from any cozies??"

I read a book a few years ago that had a recipe for making bath bombs. Don't remember the book, but the bombs worked pretty well.

Was it Bubbles Melodie? She always has bath and body recipes I want to try in her books but I forget how to make them once I want to do it.

I also remember a bath bomb recipe in one of Cricket McRae's books?...

I've never made anything from any of the recipes in books I've read, but one book (not a mystery) that I just wish had recipes is the urban fantasy by Robin McKinley. Her main female character is a young woman who works at the family restaurant and she is the baker, who invents special desserts/sweets that brings in all kind of people. The ones described sound absolutely decadent and downright "eat until you're ill" good ... starting with her "cinnamon rolls as big as your head" that all of the local police officers come for.

I love Robin McKinley! Which book is that? I'll have to find it.

The book is and it is one of only 2 or 3 vampire books I actually enjoy and re-read. Very different view/mindset of a vampire/human relationship and one I'm much more comfortable with than the usual blood/sex/passion kind of relationship that most authors seem to consider obligatory.

To say nothing of the recipes I wish she'd actually included! Lots of chocolate!

Sharon wrote: "The book is and it is one of only 2 or 3 vampire books I actually enjoy and re-read. Very different view/mindset of a vampire/human relationship and one I'm much more comfortabl..."

Thanks. I've heard good things about that one. I'll have to give it a try.

Alison (CozyCrimes) wrote: "This week I made Madame's European-Style Hot Chocolate, from

For some pictures and comments see my blog post at http://cozycrimes.wordpress.com/2012/...-..."

I love all your pictures - thanks as always for sharing!

That one looks pretty easy Alison. How was that book btw??

I've made peach cobbler from a number of times. My family really likes it.

Yum. Those look quick and easy Alison.

Those almost look too chocolaty Alison - where they??

Alison (CozyCrimes) wrote: "Heidi wrote: "Those almost look too chocolaty Alison - where they??"

No, they had a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, and this off-set the chocolate."

Ohhh I see. The look good!

Alison (CozyCrimes) wrote: "This week I made Melody's Chocolate Mousse from
You can check out some pictures and comments at my post http://cozycrimes.wordpress.com/2012/......"

I love chocolate mousse, so might have to try this!

Heidi (up to no good) wrote: "I am currently reading the Bubbles series and really want to try out some of her beauty tips - anyone try anything non food related from any cozies??"

That sounds refreshing. Love to read and try them.