#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR DEBRA S. SANDERS' SLEUTH BAKES CHOCOLATE COLA CAKE

Debra S. Sanders is an Amazon Bestselling author of ten novels and books who travels full time in an RV with her husband, Golden Retriever and tabby cat. When not writing, she explores local myth, lore and legends or bakes an assortment of breads and desserts in the middle of the night while plotting out her next manuscript. Learn more about Debra and her books at her On the Write Roads website/blog.

Growing up with parents who exercised their Southern roots on a daily basis taught me two things . . . you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar, and a good meal always ends with a delicious dessert. I still apply the first lesson to most conversations unless someone strays beyond the boundaries of common decency - in which case a simple "Bless your heart" will do. The second lesson I practice with zest on a regular basis. Nowadays, however, instead of devouring an entire serving (which tends to be quite large in the South), I indulge in two bites and push the plate away. My hips and waistline appreciate the self-restraint.

While plotting my Dead Men cozy series, I knew I wanted the main character to be a cook with down-home roots, a "Steel Magnolia" who wields Southern charm and witticisms with the same passion as a four-star general motivating troops into battle, and someone with a penchant for telling "little white lies" if the end justifies the means. In other words, Daisy O'Connor is a blend of beloved Southern family and friends, which makes her adventures even more fun to write.

Daisy is a good-hearted sleuth who believes if a smile won't warm your heart, then a piece of Chocolate Cola cake will.

Daisy's Chocolate Cola Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Baking Soda (Baking powder does not blend well with buttermilk)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Daisy likes dark chocolate powder)

1 cup Coca-Cola

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 Eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Coffee extract (optional)

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup Coca-Cola

4 cups confectioner’s sugar (10x, it doesn’t need to be sifted)

1 cup chopped pecans

To make cake, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and add to the flour mixture. Use a whisk to stir.

Pour batter into greased 9” x 9” square or 9” x 13” oblong pan. Bake 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Add eggs, vanilla, and coffee extract.

Pour batter into greased 9x9 square or 9x13 oblong pan. Bake 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Cake is done with toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Ten minutes before cake is done, mix together butter, cocoa powder, and Coca-Cola in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil. Remove and slowly stir in confectioner’s sugar and pecans.

Use a skewer to poke holes every three inches in cake. Pour glaze over top of warm cake and let sit for five minutes or longer. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or alone.

Dead Men Don't Talk, Book One in the Dead Men series

When Daisy O’Connor, a Southern caterer with a penchant for cute clothes and designer shoes, goes looking for her missing stepbrother, it’s a sure recipe for trouble. Daisy puts her promising career in Atlanta on hold to return to the Lakota reservation where she spent part of her youth. It was not

Something she planned to do…ever…and it doesn’t take long to remember why. The bully from her childhood is now a tribal cop, her long, red hair is still the butt of jokes, and secrets from her past refuse to stay buried.

It takes a lot of Southern charm, a few white lies, and some crafty sidestepping of Deputy John Greyhawk for Daisy to find her stepbrother, but what she uncovers along the way might send her home in a body bag.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--AUTHOR MELINDA CURTIS BAKES MOLTEN CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE

Today we’re featuring another recipe from Bake, Love, Write, this time from author Melinda Curtis. Melinda writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet romances as well as hotter romances under her Mel Curtis pen name. Learn more about Melinda and her books at her website. 

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

This recipe serves 6 and only takes 15 minutes to prepare.

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup butter plus 2 tablespoons

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

confectioner’s sugar

unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease six 8-10 ounce ramekins, soufflé dishes, or custard cups with 2 tablespoons butter. Place ramekins in a 15” x 10” x 1” baking pan. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and remainder of butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate melts. Remove pan from heat. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on high speed 8-10 minutes, or until thick and a lemon color. Fold 1/3 of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Fold remaining chocolate mixture and flour into egg mixture. Spoon about 2/3 cup batter into each prepared ramekin.

Bake about 12 minutes or until cake edges feel firm. Cool in ramekins on a wire rack 2-3 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the cakes from the sides of the ramekins. Place onto dessert plates. Sift with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Serve immediately.

Bake, Love, Write:

105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing

What do most authors have in common, no matter what genre they write? They love desserts. Sweets sustain them through pending deadlines and take the sting out of crushing rejection letters and nasty reviews. They also often celebrate their successes—selling a book, winning a writing award, making a bestseller list, or receiving a fabulous review—with decadent indulgences. And when authors chat with each other, they often talk about their writing and their lives. Recipes. Writing. Relationships. In this cookbook 105 authors not only share their favorite recipes for fabulous cakes, pies, cookies, candy, and more, they also share the best advice they’ve ever received on love and writing.

A percentage of the profit from Bake, Love, Write is donated to NoKidHungry.org.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PUDDING CAKE

If you’ve read any of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, you know that I love to combine chocolate and fruit in baked goods. Two of my favorites are chocolate with cherries and chocolate with raspberries. This recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake was inspired by author Barbara Fass Leavy’s Chocolate-Chambord Bundt Cake recipe, featured in Bake, Love, Write: 105 Authors ShareDessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing.

Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake

Ingredients:

1 box dark chocolate cake mix (without pudding in mix)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup Chambord

4 eggs at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 box instant chocolate pudding (not pudding that must be cooked)

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup raspberry jam at room temperature

confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour cake mix into large bowl. Beat in oil, Chambord, eggs, sour cream, and chocolate pudding mix in that order. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Pour 1/3 of the batter into greased bundt or ring cake pan. Add half the raspberry jam in dollops to top of batter. Repeat with another third of batter, remaining jam, then remaining batter. 

Run a knife through batter to marble jam into batter. Bake for 1 hour and test with toothpick to see if it comes out clean. 

Place on rack to cool before removing. When cool, remove from pan and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

COOKING WITH CLORIS -- MAGICAL MYSTERY MOCHA CAKE

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we’re repeating one of our favorite to-die for desserts a la Cloris. -- AP

MAGICAL MYSTERY MOCHA CAKE

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

2T butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

4T cocoa

1T  instant coffee (optional, depending on how strong a mocha taste you want)

1 cup cold espresso or coffee (make it double strength for a stronger mocha taste)

1 cup either chocolate chips, dried cherries, dried raspberries, walnuts or combination of any of these

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Note: If using dried fruit, soak the fruit in warm water for 30 minutes.

Mix together first 4 ingredients.  Melt chocolate and butter.  Add milk and vanilla.  Stir to blend.  Add to flour mixture, stirring well until batter is smooth.  Mix in chocolate chips/dried fruit/nuts.  Pour into greased 8” x 11” pan.  Combine remaining sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, and instant coffee.  Pour evenly over batter.   Pour cold espresso over sugar/cocoa mixture.  Bake for 40 minutes.

For an even more decadent dessert, serve with a scoop of java chip ice cream. Just plan to diet for the rest of the month.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! How are you celebrating? Post a comment for a chance to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP