I inherited a sweet tooth from my father. He loved desserts and somehow even managed to stay trim all his life. Good DNA, I guess. Fortunately for Dad and me, my mom was a great cook and an incredible baker. She never made anything from a package or a mix. She made it all from scratch – cakes, pies, cookies, whatever.
I still have the Fannie Farmer cookbook she loved to use, fourth edition, copyright 1965. The cover is mottled with stains and has separated from the spine. The pages have yellowed. Still, it’s my favorite cookbook. Every time I use it, I think of Mom.
Maybe it’s not surprising that sweets are an element in each of my novels. In The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café, blueberry muffins are important. In The Rules of Love & Grammar, apple pies play a big role.
In my latest novel, The Wedding Thief, a bakery called
the Rolling Pin is known for its orange chocolate chunk cookies. They happen to be a favorite of mine (as are, of course, apple pie and blueberry muffins). The recipe is on my website. Orange zest, orange extract, and three kinds of chocolate make these cookies really special. And the recipe is easy.
I’m working on a fourth novel now and I think the featured dessert will be another pie. I’ve got just the one in mind. But I can’t share that information … yet.