Mystery fill-in-the-Blank Game III

The winner of a copy of "It Takes a Witch" is Brenda.  Brenda, you should get an email from me asking for your mailing address.  Thank you to everyone who commented on the Heather Blake interview.

We have not had a game for a while, so it is time for one.

The idea is to try and fill in the blank of each of these mystery book titles. These are all books from the same series. 

In a few days I will provide the answers and you can share how well you did.  Okay, here are the answers - how did you do?  Kaye was correct that all these titles are from the Diane Mott Davidson's Goldie series.


Let's give this a try.

1)  Catering to Nobody

2)  Dying for Chocolate

3)  Killer Pancake

4)  The Cereal Murders

5)  The Main Corpse

6)  The Grilling Season

7)  Fatally Flaky

8)  Sweet Revenge

9)  Dark Tort

10)  Chopping Spree

I hope you enjoyed this mystery game.  Please leave a comment and let me know how well you did.  Are they too easy?


Here is a great dessert for you.

Caramel Apple-Cherry Pie

 Ingredients

    1 9 inch deep dish Piecrust (or 2 for strips to lay over top)

    Cranberry Compote
    1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1/4 cup orange juice
    2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
    20 fresh sweet cherries, pitted or 1 cup frozen unsweetened pitted dark sweet cherries.



    *If using frozen cherries, place cherries on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Let stand for 1 hour or until thawed.

    Caramel Apple Filling
    8 tart baking apples (Granny Smith) (2 to 2 1/4 pounds)
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    1 cup packed dark brown sugar
    1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1/4 cup whipping cream
    1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (can substitute pure vanilla extract)
    1 egg
    2 - 3 tablespoons coarse sugar

 Directions

1. Prepare Piecrust. 

2. For Cranberry Compote, in a small saucepan combine cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, orange peel, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries begin to burst and mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. Carefully stir in cherries. Remove from heat; cool.

3. For Caramel Apple Filling, in a large bowl gently toss together apples, lemon juice, and lemon peel. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle over apples; stir gently to coat.

4. In a large pot melt butter over medium heat. Add apple mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Continue cooking, stirring often, until juices thicken and apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

6. Line dough with parchment; fill to top with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; bake 2 to 3 minutes more or until lightly golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Using 1 1/2- to 2-inch leaf or acorn cookie cutters, stamp out shapes, or simply cut strips; transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan.

8. Using a slotted spoon, spoon one-third of the cranberry mixture into the bottom of the prebaked crust. Layer half the apple mixture on top of the cranberries. Spoon another third of the cranberry mixture on top of the apples in random dollops. Spoon over remaining apples. Spoon remaining cranberry mixture on top in random dollops, leaving pockets of apple visible on top (placing the cranberry mixture in little pockets keeps the apples from being dyed red). Leave the flat edge of the crust free from filling.

9. Whisk together egg and 2 Tbsp. water; gently brush on edge of crust. Place some of the cutouts on the edge, pressing gently to adhere. Place remaining cutouts on top of filling; brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

10. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on rack below pie in oven to catch any dripping. Bake 40 minutes. Cover edges with foil; bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack at least 3 hours before serving.

Make Ahead:

    The cranberry filling, apple filling and pastry can be made up to 1 day ahead. Let the two filling stand at room temperature about 1 hour before assembling the pie.