In The Wedding Circle (April 2015) by author Ashton Lee, the Cherry Cola Book Club is preparing for the wedding of librarian Maura Beth Mayhew. However, Maura Beth’s New Orleans socialite parents cannot fathom why she’s opting for a small ceremony at a fishing lodge in Cherico. While Maura Beth struggles to make peace with her snobbish mother, she must also keep an eye on Councilman Durden Sparks as he tries to cut corners on her new library.
Problems also arise for some of her book club friends; Miss Voncille Nettles and her suitor Locke Linwood are at their wits’ end with his children’s opposition to their marriage; and restaurant owner Periwinkle Lattimore is being stalked by her ex-husband. Ashton Lee peels another layer of the small-town Cherico onion, delivering laughter, tears, and plenty of surprises.
Learn more about the Cherry Cola Book Club series here.
And enjoy this delectable recipe, just one of many found in The Wedding Circle:
MR. PARKER PLACE’S CRÈME DE MENTHE CAKE
Ingredients you will need . . .
1 18-ounce package white cake mix (may substitute yellow, if desired)
2 ½ tablespoons crème de menthe liquor or flavoring
1 16-ounce can chocolate syrup
8 ounces fat-free whipped topping
1 ½ tablespoons crème de menthe liquor or flavoring
5 or 6 hard peppermint candies (optional)
Prepare cake mix per package instructions, but stir in crème de menthe instead of water. Bake in 13 x 9-inch pan according to instructions. When cake is done, remove and immediately poke holes throughout cake top with toothpick; pour chocolate syrup across top so that it will seep into the holes. When cake is cool, mix whipped topping in bowl with 1 ½ tablespoons crème de menthe liquor or flavoring, and spread over cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve; also may freeze, if desired.
Optional: Pulse 5 or 6 hard peppermint candies in food processor until in shard or powder state; dust shards or powder over top of cake.
— Courtesy Lauren Good, Mobile, Alabama
PERIWINKLE’S ARTICHOKE PARTY DIP
Ingredients you will need . . .
1 can artichoke hearts (buy variety with hearts only, no leaves)
1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pie pan or Pyrex dish
Paprika
Corn chips
Drain and mash artichoke hearts. Mix in mayonnaise and cheese. Spoon into pan or dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until bubbly. Remove from heat, dust with paprika, and serve with corn chips.
— Courtesy Lucianne Wood, Natchez, Mississippi
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