Sophie Becker owns Sophie’s Bakery on the town square in Lutz, Texas. She’s Emma Justice’s best friend in A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery series.
Springerles are German cookies that require special molds or rolling pins. My ancestors brought these molds to America many years ago, and they have remained in the family.
Here’s one recipe for Springerles.
Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 ½ tablespoons crushed anise seeds
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
4Â eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Spray 4 cookie sheets with cooking spray; sprinkle with anise seeds and set aside until needed.
Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl until well blended. Place sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a separate large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and frothy, 5 to 8 minutes. Gradually stir flour mixture into egg mixture to form a thick dough.
Working with handfuls of dough at a time, roll out onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Lightly sift confectioners’ sugar over the dough. Place springerle molds onto dough; press down hard and evenly until the mold’s design registers in dough. Remove the mold. Use a small knife to cut around each cookie, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat, until all dough has been used. Cover cookies with a lightweight cotton cloth, and allow to dry for 8 hours, or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Bake cookies in preheated oven until tops are pale brown and cookies are set, 25 – 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
I hope you and your family have a warm and cozy Christmas.
I hope you are having an amazing Christmas season! To make it even better, I have a special giveaway just for you! I have joined Celebrate Lit and several other authors to bring you the Merry Christmas Readers Giveaway. You have a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and over 45 books.
Don’t miss your chance to enter! Just click the link below!
The owner of Bell Bridge Books decided to retire and close the business, and she gave me back the rights to Bite the Dust.
So, I have self-published a revised edition of Bite the Dust. Here’s the cover.
What do you think?
Here’s what Meez Carrie said about the book:
i fell in love with these characters!
“Before reading the latest Low Country Dog Walker mystery by Jackie Layton, I went back and (finally) read the 1st book, Bite the Dust, and promptly fell head over heels for this cast of characters. Particularly Andi Grace & Marc – and even more particularly Andi Grace & Marc together as a couple, pretend or otherwise. Their respective dogs burrowed quickly into my heart as well, and the supporting players who fill in the rest of the cast are also great additions. The plot of Bite the Dust was intriguing and complex, with plenty of surprising twists & turns that kept me on my figurative toes from start to finish. What impressed me the most, though, was the warm tone of the author’s writing voice – it’s a warmth that wraps around you as you read, without overpowering the story or making it saccharine. Instead, you just want to snuggle in & keep reading.”
Here’s another review on B&N. “Love Jackie’s books!
I love Jackie’s cozy mysteries. Andi Grace is a plucky, determined, and caring dog walker. In book one she’s trying to get her business off the ground when her dear friend and client is killed. Unfortunately the detective on the case pegs Andi Grace as a suspect. With help from a handsome new friend, she investigates the murder and discovers an unbelievable secret. The Low Country is the perfect place to spend some time as the story unfolds. I’ve read and reviewed book two of the series, Dog-Gone Dead, and loved it, too. If you enjoy clean, cozy mysteries, you’ll love this book. Take this one on vacation!”
And one more review on B&N: “Great new cozy mystery with great characters!
Bite The Dust is the debut of a new Christian cozy mystery with a lot of heart. The cozy mystery is intriguing with some twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end! The characters are likable and interesting. Andi Grace has a dog walking business. She is dog sitting for her friend Peter. When she goes to his house to take care of his puppy, she finds him dead and meets Marc, Peter’s neighbor. There are several suspects but the same few stay on Andi Grace’s suspect list . My one observation is the only background we get on Marc is when he was a child but some aspects of his life are left up in the air, like why he quit practicing law. Maybe it will be resolved in the next book. This was a very enjoyable book and a very pleasant debut! I can’t wait to read the next book.”
Friends, reviews mean the world to me and to all authors. Thanks for your support and encouragement these past five years!
Here’s the blurb for Bite the Dust.
Secrets can be deadly.
One steamy South Carolina morning, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott discovers a client’s dead body. Police quickly decide she’s the prime suspect. Horrified, she knows she’ll have to turn detective if she’s going to convince them they’re barking up the wrong tree.
Proving her innocence could be a tall order. The local police never solved the hit-and-run that killed her parents; Andi Grace isn’t sure they’ll solve this crime either…not when they have a convenient suspect—one caught with the possible murder weapon in her hand. She’ll have to follow every clue and call in every favor, even if that puts her in danger.
If you love strong heroines, coastal small-town life, and dogs, you’ll love Bite the Dust.
“Andi Grace is adorable, resilient, and has a doggedly curious need to solve a murder. A pleasure to read.” –C. Hope Clark, award winning author of Edisto Tidings
I hope you’re having a great month, and happy reading!
Killer Secrets is the third book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery series.
Speed dating sabotage?
Or straight-up murder?
Kate Sloan’s best friend, Bess Walker, decides to try speed dating and convinces Kate to go with her for moral support.
The night of the event is filled with many emotions. Excitement, hope, jealousy, fear, greed, and even anger. Emotions spiral out of control for one person.
Before the second round, the event’s host is murdered.
Kate will use her skills at organizing, list-making, and questioning to try and solve the murder. Can she unravel the mystery before the killer leaves town for the next weekend of singles events?
If you’re interested in some fun Christmas bookish activities, I’ll participate in a few this week.
Tuesday, December 2, I’ll participate in Murder, They Write’s Christmas Party on Facebook. It will be a lot of fun and there will be prizes.
I’ll be blogging at 1:00 ES and live at 6:00 ES. But join us whenever you can.
If you’re in the Pawleys Island area, I’ll participate in Shine Bright, Friday night, at the Presbyterian church. Please stop by and say hi.
Then on Saturday, at 3:30 ES, I’ll be hosting at the Cozy Mystery Party Holiday Party.
Some of you may remember that today is the release day for Killer Secrets. Sadly, there has been a delay.
But that’s okay. I decided to share more about Kate Sloan and hopefully build excitement for the new book.
Kate Sloan is an empty nester who moved to her hometown of Fox Island to start an organizing business with her best friend, Bess Walker.
Clutter Free is the first book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series, and Kate will solve her first mystery.
In The Con, Kate will rely on her organizing skills to solve another murder.
Have you ever stayed at a resort? I’ve been blessed to visit a couple of resorts in my life. They are like little cities. There are many employees, guests, and events. Fox Island, Georgia is a popular vacation spot. So, it made sense to add a resort on the island. And if you’ve read The Con, you know one murder takes place at the resort.
Killer Secrets takes us back to Fox Island’s popular resort Seaside Hideaway.
If you haven’t read this series yet, here are a couple of links.
If you’re not familiar with A Bookish Moment, it was created by two of my favorite people, Sarah E. Burr and J.C. Kenney. They are fun, and we’ll have a wonderful time.
A Zappy Little Christmas in October? You bet. Paula Charles’ new book releases October 21, and I preordered it months ago. Isn’t the cover beautiful? I can’t wait to read it. Paula agreed to stop by the blog today, and here’s Paula.
Thank you, Jackie, for inviting me here today to chat about my newest book.
A Zappy Little Christmas is the third book in the Hometown Hardware mysteries. This series features Dawna Carpenter, the widowed owner of Carpenter’s Corner Hardware in the mountain town of Pine Bluff, Oregon.
In Zappy, Dawna, her daughter April, and elderly family friend Smitty are taking a festive tour on the town bus, dubbed the Christmas Light Trolley, to ooh and ahh over all the beautifully decorated homes in town.
Having them jump on the Christmas Light Trolley was inspired by a similar tour we took my husband’s grandmother on years ago when we all lived in Cody, Wyoming. That tour was just like the one I described in the book, (sans a dead body!), with festive treats, lights, and fun Christmas music pumping through the speakers. We all enjoyed it so much, and Grandma Mary’s eyes truly sparkled that night. When I thought about writing a Christmas cozy, I knew the trolley had to be included.
I hope you all enjoy your time experiencing Pine Bluff at Christmastime!
Silver bells ring out, but in the air there’s a feeling of…murder.
Pine Bluff, Oregon resembles a perfect cozy Christmas card. Sparkling Christmas trees line snowy main street. Wreaths, red ribbons, and colored lights adorn every door. Hardware store owner Dawna Carpenter is in a festive mood. She invites her elderly neighbor, Smitty, to join her and daughter April on the Christmas Light Tour, a trolley that takes guests through all the best decorated neighborhoods while they enjoy steaming mugs of hot cocoa and scrumptious treats.
But when Smitty spies one of the homeowners dead—a macabre decoration in an otherwise merry display—the cheerful ride turns somber fast. Dawna notices the ghost of the deceased woman standing next to the display, clearly angry over her recent demise. As snow blankets the valley and her newest employee is implicated in the crime, it’s up to Dawna to find out who’s been naughty and who’s been nice—before it’s lights out for her, too.
Thanks for sharing, Paula. Congratulations on A Zappy Little Christmas!
I’m excited to share that my newest book, Killer Secrets, will release on November 11.
Here’s the back cover copy…
Speed dating sabotage?
Or straight-up murder?
Kate Sloan’s best friend Bess Walker decides to try speed dating and convinces Kate to go with her for moral support.
The night of the event is filled with many emotions. Excitement, hope, jealousy, fear, greed, and even anger. Emotions spiral out of control for one person.
Before the second round, the event’s host is murdered.
Kate will use her skills at organizing, list-making, and questioning to try and solve the murder. Can she unravel the mystery before the killer leaves town for the next weekend of singles events?
Saturday, October 18, I’ll be an author at the Outer Banks Book Festival. It’s not too late to plan to attend. Here’s some information, including a list of authors attending.
There will be giveaways, swag, and lots of books!
Be sure to stop by and see me if you make it to the festival.
Last week we had National Poetry Day. When I discovered my friend, Priscilla Bettis, had a book of poetry release last week, I wanted to share it with you. Priscilla and I have never met in person, but we connected years ago through social media.
Priscilla Bettis is an avid reader and a joyful writer. Priscilla lives in small-town Texas with her two-legged and four-legged family members. She enjoys writing short stories and poems inspired by her awe of God and love for fellow human beings.
Jackie Layton 