Recipe of the Month from Killed on Blueberry Hill BY Sharon Farro

Want to carry on the taste of summer to you holiday feast? Prepare a plate of “Baked Blueberry French Toast” picked fresh from the pages of cozy mystery author Sharon Farrow’s new Berry Basket Mystery – KILLED ON BLUEBERRY HILL. The third installment in this delightful culinary cozy, KILLED ON BLUEBERRY HILL stars pie-shop owner, and amateur sleuth, Marlee Jacob who must dive into a deep-seated rival blueberry growing families when Porter Gale, owner of Blueberry Hill Farm, is found dead at Oriole Point, Michigan’s annual Blueberry Blow Out carnival after fighting with her fiancé. In addition to a deliciously deadly story, the book also includes wonderful blueberry recipes to try at home!

BAKED BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST

French toast

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

14 slices white bread cut into 1-inch cubes; crusts

removed and discarded

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over

2 8-ounce packages cold cream cheese, cut into

1-inch cubes

10 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup maple syrup

¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Blueberry sauce (see instructions below)

Blueberry sauce

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1½ cups water

1½ cups sugar

½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1½ teaspoons orange zest

½ cup blueberries, rinsed and picked over

1½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Butter baking dish with a tablespoon of butter
2. Arrange half of the bread cubes on the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Top bread cubes with blueberries and cream cheese cubes.
4. Layer the remaining bread cubes over the blueberries/cheese cubes.
5. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, maple syrup, and orange juice in large bowl.
6. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in baking dish.
7. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
8. Remove dish from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350°F. Position rack in center of oven.
10. Bake the covered French toast for 30 minutes.
11. After 30 minutes, remove aluminum foil and continue baking another 30 minutes, or until toast is golden brown and puffed.
12. Remove from oven and let slightly cool, approximately 15 minutes.
13. After plating, ladle blueberry sauce over the French toast.

Makes 10–12 servings.

–

Blueberry sauce

1. In small saucepan, stir together over medium-high heat cornstarch, water, sugar, orange juice, and zest.
2. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add blueberries and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally until berries burst, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Add butter. Stir mixture until melted.
5. Remove blueberry mixture from heat. Spoon or ladle over warm French toast.

Makes 3 cups.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Farrow is also the co-author of the Agatha nominated Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mysteries written under the joint pseudonym D.E. Ireland. A freelance writer since her twenties, she has been published in mystery, fantasy, and romance; one of her short stories has been optioned for film. Sharon currently lives along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline where the Berry Basket series is set. Visit her online at sharonfarrowauthor.com, on Facebook @SharonFarrowAuthor, or Twitter @SharonFarrowBB.

Website: SharonFarrowAuthor.com

Twitter: Twitter.com/SharonFarrowBB

Facebook: Facebook.com/SharonFarrowAuthor

Buy Links: Barnes & Noble | Hudson Booksellers | Amazon | Target | BAM | IndieBound | Walmart