Welcome!!! Today I’m hosting a spot on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for the paperback release of A Deadly Eclair by Daryl Wood Gerber, the first in the French Bistro Mystery series. It’s a great book! Daryl Wood Gerber has written a guest post for us today and then you’ll find my review underneath, along with the information about the book and the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Guest Post – Daryl Wood Gerber

Hi, all! I’m so happy to be on the Great Escapes Tour. I’d like to share some of my favorite recipes from A Deadly Éclair, the 1^st French Bistro Mystery. It came out in  hardcover in November, but I’m excited to say it’s out in trade paperback as of June 12. Yay!  And the second in the series, A Soufflé of Suspicion, comes out July 10!

Well, this is one of my favorite cookies recipes. Madeleines – just the name is pretty. It’s simple to make yet so elegant because of the cookie’s shape. Perfect for afternoon tea. Do you love a nice cuppa?  When I read, I do. Making these cookies does require a madeleine pan. I purchased one online at Amazon that worked beautifully.

 Why am I sharing two versions of this recipe? Because one is a gluten-free version, and I like my fellow celiacs to enjoy as much as they can. Not surprisingly, that set of cookies turned out as moist and delicious as the regular version; however, one of the tricks to keeping them that way is to individually wrap the cookies in plastic wrap and store in a sealed bag or canister.

Note:   Good quality honey matters! Cardamom has its own unique flavor, so you’ll want to use it if you can. If you don’t have it in stock, don’t despair. You can mix equal parts cinnamon and nutmeg to enhance the cookie flavor.

Enjoy the recipe, and please tell a friend about A Deadly Éclair and the giveaway for this tour!

Orange Cardamom Madeleines
(Makes 12)

For the cookies:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon good-quality honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs

For the glaze:

• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

• Brush molds of a madeleine pan with butter; set aside.

• Make the batter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, and stir in honey and vanilla. Let cool 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, setting the rack in the center.
• In a medium bowl, stir together sugar and eggs. Gently fold in the flour mixture until combined. Add the butter mixture and fold until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine pan, filling each mold halfway. Tap pan on work surface to eliminate air bubbles. If necessary, use moistened fingers to press the batter into the mold.
• Bake until cookies have puffed and the edges are golden, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer the madeleine pan to a wire rack; let the cookies cool slightly. Unmold the cookies onto a rack, and let cool completely.

Make the orange glaze:

• In a small bowl, stir together sugar and orange zest and juice until the glaze is smooth and thick. Using a small pastry brush, paint the ridged side of each cookie with the glaze. Let set 15 minutes.

Cookies can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Orange Cardamom Madeleines
Gluten-free Version
(Makes 12)

For the cookies:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon good-quality honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sweet rice flour (or a gluten-free blend you enjoy)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

 

For the glaze:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

• Brush molds of a madeleine pan with butter; set aside.

• Make the batter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, and stir in honey and vanilla. Let cool 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl whisk gluten-free flour, baking powder, cardamom, salt, and xanthan gum; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, setting the rack in the center.
• In a medium bowl, stir together sugar and eggs. Gently fold in the gluten-free flour mixture until combined. Add the butter mixture and fold until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine pan, filling each mold halfway. Tap pan on work surface to eliminate air bubbles. If necessary, use moistened fingers to press the batter into the mold.
• Bake until cookies have puffed and the edges are golden, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer the madeleine pan to a wire rack; let the cookies cool slightly. Unmold the cookies onto a rack, and let cool completely.

Make the orange glaze:

• In a small bowl, stir together sugar and orange zest and juice until the glaze is smooth and thick. Using a small pastry brush, paint the ridged side of each cookie with the glaze. Let set 15 minutes.

Cookies can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container up to 3 days.

About the Book

A Deadly Éclair: A French Bistro Mystery
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Crooked Lane Books (June 12, 2018)
Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683316046
Kindle ASIN: B06XWDWRLF

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N – Kobo

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Synopsis

It’s always been Mimi Rousseau’s dream to open her own bistro, but it seems beyond her grasp since she’s been chased back home to Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley by her late husband’s tremendous debt. Until her best friend Jorianne James introduces her to entrepreneur Bryan Baker who invests in promising prospects. Now, working the bistro and inn until she’s able to pay it off and call it her own, Mimi is throwing the inn’s first wedding ever.

The wedding will be the talk of the town, as famous talk show host Angelica Edmonton, daughter of Bryan’s half-brother, Edison, has chosen the inn as her perfect venue. Anxious, Mimi is sure things are going to turn south, especially when Edison gets drunk and rowdy at the out-of-towners’ dinner, but by the evening, things begin to look up again. That is until six AM rolls around, and Bryan is found dead at the bistro with an éclair stuffed in his mouth. And the fingers point at Mimi, whose entire loan is forgiven in Bryan’s will.

Now it’s up to Mimi to clear her name and get to the bottom of things before the killer turns up the heat again in A Deadly Éclair, the scrumptious series debut by Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber.

Review

I think this is a great start to the series and I enjoyed it. I did have a little trouble getting into it, but once it caught my attention, I couldn’t put it down.

Our main character, Mimi, is great. She’s well-rounded, complex, and fun to read about. Her sidekicks, Heather, Jo, and Raymond are all great too. In fact, I almost like Heather and Raymond more than Mimi. Almost. 🙂

The setting descriptions were great, which I’ve come to expect from this author. She usually has a good balance of details and leaving some things to the imagination. I’m totally in love with the fact that the inn and gardens are based on Monet’s house in Giverny. Visiting Giverny is on my bucket list of “someday I’ll get there”. 🙂

The plot line was well done and well-written. I didn’t know who the villain was until very close to when they revealed it, which is always great in a mystery! I like mysteries that keep me guessing. 🙂

I really enjoyed this book. It didn’t quite have enough sparkle and pizzazz to put it over the top into a 5 star book, and it did take me a bit to get into it, but it’s a solid 4 out of 5 stars and I definitely recommend it for those who love cozies and/or other books by Daryl Wood Gerber! Enjoy it!

About the Author

Agatha Award-winning Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries and CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES, which she pens as Avery Aames. She will soon debut the new French Bistro Mysteries. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense: DAYS OF SECRETS and GIRL ON THE RUN. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

Author Links

Visit Daryl or Avery at www.darylwoodgerber.com.

Daryl’s Blog – Avery’s Blog – Mystery Lover’s Kitchen – Killer Characters –

Facebook: Daryl – Avery – Twitter: @AveryAames @DarylWoodGerber

Goodreads: Daryl Wood Gerber Avery Aames

Thanks for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed today’s guest post and the recipes! If you want to visit other stops on the tour, please click on the banner below to visit the main tour page!