ALEXANDER MACGRUDER’S ORANGE-CHOCOLATE-PECAN BISCOTTI
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup natural unsweetened baking cocoa
1 cup chopped pecans
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 grated peel of an orange (zest)
2 tbsp. orange liquor
1⅛th cup sugar
½ cup butter
¼ tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Beat eggs and sugar. Add salt, baking powder, orange zest, orange liquor, chopped pecans, chocolate, butter, and unsweetened baking cocoa. Mix well. Stir in 2 cups of flour until well blended.
PREPARATION:
Dust remaining flour on a kitchen towel. Put biscotti dough on floured towel, then flatten out to a 12 inch long x 1 inch thick bar. Move bar onto a greased baking pan.
BAKE:
Bake biscotti for 30 minutes, and then remove from oven. Cut into 1 ¼ inch bars and separate about ½ inch apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer.
Enjoy!
* Alexander MacGruder is the hero of, “His Captive,” the 1st book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series.
DUNCAN MACGRUDER’S TIRAMISU
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. cream cheese
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. Amaretto or vanilla
¾th cup brewed espresso
Italian cookies or sponge cake
Unsweetened cocoa powder
DIRECTIONS:
Line 6 inch long x 8 inch wide x 3 inch deep glass pan with Italian cookies or sponge cake. Lightly drizzle brewed espresso on cookies or sponge cake.
*Note: You will only use a portion of the espresso.
FILLING:
Whip heavy whipping cream, sugar and amaretto (or vanilla) until it makes soft peaks. Add cream cheese and beat until thoroughly mixed.
PREPARATION:
Fold filling over the espresso-drizzled Italian cookies or sponge cake. Smooth top. Put heaping spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder into a sifter, and then gently sift a thin layer on top of the filling. Cover glass pan and chill for at least 24 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.
Enjoy!
* Duncan MacGruder is the hero of, “His Woman,” the 2nd book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series
SEATHAN MACGRUDER’S MACADAMIA BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp. salt
1⅛th cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. Amaretto or vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
⅞th cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
12 oz. butterscotch chips
1 cup butter
1¼th cup chopped macadamia nuts
2 eggs
3 cups flour
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, and brown sugar, then whip in the Amaretto (or vanilla) and peanut butter. Beat in eggs. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Once mixed, add butterscotch chips and macadamia nuts. Mix in flour. Chill dough.
PREPARATION:
Form heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly.
BAKE:
Bake for 11 minutes, or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Seathan MacGruder is the hero of, “His Conquest,” the 3rd book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series.
PATRIK CLEARY MACGRUDER’S LEMON-PECAN CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon cake mix
4 eggs
1 pkg. instant lemon pudding mix (1 oz.)
⅓rd cup vegetable oil
⅞th cup water
1½ cups chopped pecans
1 lemon (for zest)
LEMON-PECAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
8 oz. cream cheese
1½ cup powdered sugar
¼th cup butter
2 tbsp. lemon extract
1 lemon (for zest)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350˚F
Grate lemon peel (zest), set aside. Squeeze juice from lemon, then add water until you have ⅞th of a cup.
Mix eggs, then beat in oil, water and lemon juice mixture, lemon zest, instant lemon pudding mix and cake mix. Stir in 1 cup of pecans. Pour into a greased 9 inch x 13 inch pan.
BAKE:
Bake for an hour or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Top with cream cheese frosting.
*For a moist cake, place pan of water in the lowest rack in your oven during baking.
LEMON-PECAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup butter
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. lemon extract
½ cup chopped pecans
1 lemon (for zest)
FROSTING DIRECTIONS:
Grate lemon peel (zest), set aside.
Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, and then stir in pecans, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
OPTION: If you want the frosting yellow, add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring.
Mix thoroughly, frost cake. Keep refrigerated.
Enjoy!
* Patrik Cleary MacGruder is the hero of, “His Destiny,” the 4th book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series.
GRIFFIN WESTCOTT AKA WULFE’S CHOCOLATE COVERED PECAN-HAZELNUT BALLS
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter
⅛ tsp. salt
¾th cup hazelnut spread
½ cup pecans
Melted chocolate to use to dip pecan-hazelnut balls into
DIRECTIONS:
Mix together sugar, salt, nuts, and butter. Press into an even layer in a greased 8×8 inch dish.
BAKE:
Bake at 350˚F until golden brown. (About 30-35 minutes.)
Cool.
Once the shortbread is cool, crumble, and then mix in the hazelnut spread. Chill. Make balls with mixture, and place them into the freezer. Once frozen, dip the pecan-hazelnut balls into melted chocolate. Place on wax paper leaving ½ inch between each ball. Cool.
Enjoy!
* Griffin Westcott aka Wulfe is the hero of, “His Seduction,” the 5th book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series
TRÁLIN MACGRUDER’S TOMATO SOUP CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 tsp. baking powder
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
1 tsp. baking soda
¾th cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
½ cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
⅓rd cup butter
½ tsp. ground cloves
1½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
CREAM CHEESE PECAN FROSTING:
8 oz. cream cheese
1½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
¼th cup butter
1 tbsp. Amaretto or vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
Mix sugar, egg, butter, salt, cinnamon, cloves, shredded carrots, tomato soup and pecans. Mix in baking powder, baking soda, and then add flour. Pour into 10 inch round greased baking dish.
BAKE:
Bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes, or until a knife in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Top with cream cheese pecan frosting.
*For a moist cake, place pan of water in the lowest rack in your oven during baking.
Enjoy!
CREAM CHEESE PECAN FROSTING:
8 oz. cream cheese
1½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
¼th cup butter
1 tbsp. Amaretto or vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly, and then frost cake. Keep refrigerated.
Enjoy!
* Trálin MacGruder is the hero of, “His Enchantment,” the 6th book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
An avid baker who enjoys creating new twists on recipes, Diana Cosby is a retired Navy Chief, AGC(AW), and an award-winning, best-selling author.
For more information about the MacGruder brothers visit Diana’s website!
[email protected]
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