Culinary Mystery Recipes

wismiss · ‎03-10-2010

Do you ever copy and make recipes that are sometimes included in culinary mystery books? I have done that with a few from Joann Fluke and just recently copied one from Cleo Coyle. Here is one from Cleo Coyle and I'm going to make it tomorrow morning. I have to go to the grocery store first as I do not have any chocolate chips or cornstarch.

Clare's Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Makes one 9-inch round cake (12 servings)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon into cup and level off)

1 Tablespoon cornstarch (for better cake texture)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, semisweet (if using larger

chips, chop into small pieces)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 9" round cake pan with butter (do not use oil or nonstick spray). Line the bottom of pan with parchment paper. The butter will help the paper stay in place.

Beat eggs, oil, milk, sugars, vanilla, sale, and baking powder for a full minute. Measure in the flour. On top of the flour, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch (which will help create a more tender crumb), and lightly stir the cornstarch into the flour. With your mixer on low, blend in the flour-constarch mixture but do not overmix. Fold in the mini-chocolate chips.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter clinging to it. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. The center of this cake will fall slightly as it cools and that's expected.

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” St.Teresa of Calcutta

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Diane Mott Davidson has some good ones in her GOldy series and there is also a cookbook or two entirely of recipes from cozy mystery series.

Laura Childs also I think has some recipes in the Tea Room and Cackleberry books.

Jordan2 · ‎03-16-2010

@wismiss I always have chocolate chips on hand, you never know when you'll get the urge to bake! In my area a supermarket I frequently go to was out of cornstarch for several weeks.