I know that Halloween is over, but I think we can really keep celebrating for another week or two, can’t we? What I am trying to say is that I am not quite done with the ghosts and ghouls here on Not Even Joking. Am I ever really done with those things on this blog? In any case, I am thrilled to welcome Molly MacRae today, author of the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries. Molly shares a little bit about her latest book, KNOT THE USUAL SUSPECTS, a light paranormal cozy mystery, (published by NAL/Obsidian/Penguin Random House in September 2015,) along with a recipe for of Tunnel of Fudge. Did someone say FUDGE? Yum!
Who is the main character in KNOT THE USUAL SUSPECTS? What is she like?
Kath Rutledge is a textile preservation specialist – a woman steeped in the history and science of fibers – who ends up with a depressed ghost on her hands. That’s hard on Kath, because she doesn’t believe in ghosts. It doesn’t help that she’s the only one who sees and hears the ghost.
What would Kath Rutledge choose for her last meal?
Kath would go to Mel’s on Main, the best café in Blue Plum, Tennessee, and irritate Mel by having a hard time choosing what to have. Then, because you might as well go out with a full burst of flavor, calories and cholesterol, she’d have one of Mel’s fried egg and sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches (on rye with horseradish and onion), crispy homemade potato chips, and a slice of tunnel of fudge cake for dessert.
How about you? What would you choose for your last meal?
Fresh, absolutely ripe strawberries topped with thick, whipped cream studded with toasted almonds and crystallized ginger – the way they only make it at Henderson’s Salad Table Restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland. And that’s why; because I’d have to go to Scotland to have it.
Why should someone bite into KNOT THE USUAL SUSPECTS?
KNOT THE USUAL SUSPECTS, the fifth book in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, involves bagpipes, yarn bombing, and difficult relatives. It’s about solving a murder, but it’s also about loss, remembrance, resentment, and making room in our lives for new people and new stories. It came out in September, released simultaneously in mass market, e-book, and audio.
Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?
Here’s Mel’s tunnel of fudge recipe. Once you have a slice, you’ll want a piece for your last meal, too.
Tunnel of Fudge. Photo courtesy of Molly MacRae.
Tunnel of Fudge with Crystallized Ginger
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 ¾ cups butter, softened
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached white flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ cups chopped, crystalized ginger
Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 4-6 tablespoons milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Gradually add the 2 cups of powdered sugar, blending well. Stir in flour and remaining cake ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread evenly.
Bake at 350ºF. for 45 to 50 minutes or until top is set and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 ½ hours. Turn out onto serving plate and cool completely.
Combine glaze ingredients in small bowl, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Spoon over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. Store tightly covered.
Wow! That sounds (and looks) so yummy! And I am totally intrigued by your mystery series, for several reasons. First of all, I have always been fascinated by the history of textiles. Also, I really want to know more about this depressed ghost. Also, I am going to make sure I visit Henderson’s Salad Table Restaurant if I ever get to Edinburgh. It has been on my bucket list for a long time. Thank you so much for sharing with me and my readers today!
You can learn more about Molly MacRae on her website www.mollymacrae.com and you can find KNOT THE USUAL SUSPECTS on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or at a bookstore near you.
