Deputy chief of police Mark DeLuca, a macho man who spanks, is smitten by Stephanie Gordon, the heroine of Body Politics. So when Stephanie mentions that she likes crab cakes, he whips up a batch in his kitchen. Although that’s not all he whips up in his kitchen! This recipe can serve as a main dish or an appetizer.

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Body Politics Crab Cakes

2 c. fresh crab meat (drained & squeezed)

¼ c. diced red bell pepper

1/8 c. of chopped parsley

½ c. diced yellow onion

1/3 c. light mayonnaise

1 T. lime juice

1/3 c. Panko

2 T olive oil

Combine first six ingredients (crab through lime juice) in a bowl and mix. Using your hands, form mixture into 3-inch patties. Dredge patties in Panko bread crumbs. Fry until golden in 2 T. olive oil, turning once. Serve with a remoulade or cocktail sauce.

Feminist Stephanie Gordon knows the instant she meets blind date Mark DeLuca it’s going to be a wasted evening. Sure the deputy chief of police is criminally sexy, but he's arrogant, domineering and sexist. Thank goodness after the date ends, she'll never have to see him again. A member of the Rod and Cane Society, an organization of men who discipline their women by spanking, Mark DeLuca is attracted to Stephanie like a paddle to a well-rounded ass. He sees beneath the shield of feminist militancy to the soft, sensitive woman she tries to hide. When she storms away in a snit, the chase is on. Can a man who spanks convince a diehard feminist her true strength lies in submission?

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http://www.carabristol.com

My current book, Her Shameful Secret, is set in Rome and here's a taste of Italy for readers! Granita is an Italian frozen treat and Limoncello is a lemon liqueur from Italy that is traditionally served cold.

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Equipment Needed:

Knife

Fork

Microplane rasp, grater or zester

Cutting board

Citrus reamer

Measuring cup

Saucepan

A shallow baking dish that can go in the freezer

Ingredients Needed:

1 cup sugar

4 to 5 lemons -- you will use the zest and juice

1/2 cup Limoncello

Water

Recipe:

1. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens to a syrup consistency.

2. Turn off the heat and let the simple syrup cool.

3. Zest the lemons before you cut and juice them. The lemons will produce at least a cup of juice.

4. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/2 cup of Limoncello and another cup of water in the saucepan.

5. Pour the liquid into the baking dish and place the dish in the freezer.

6. Remove the pan from the freezer every hour and scrape the forming ice with the tines of a fork.

7. Many granita recipes suggest freezing for 8 hours. I find that the dessert is usually ready at the 4 hour mark.

8. Scoop the granita in individual glasses or small bowls and eat immediately. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Variations:

* No Limoncello? Use hard lemonade, a fruity white wine or more water.

* Add 1/4 cup finely chopped mint with the lemon zest for a more complex flavor.

* Instead of a baking dish, freeze the liquid in ice cube trays. Once the ice cubes are solid, chop them up in a blender or food processor. The texture will be coarser.

Isabella Williams would know those expensive shoes and that arrogant swagger anywhere. After months of hiding, Antonio Rossi has found her!

The cravings that she'd thought buried come flooding back, and with them the taste of regret--for her mistake means she'll never kiss his lips again. But now she has more than just herself to think about and, hand cradling her stomach, she faces his wrath.

Antonio might have masked his reasons for approaching her with business, but his need for her is entirely personal. And that's before he discovers her secret….

~ ~ ~

http://www.susannacarr.com/

 

Adapted from my graphic designer’s recipe, these bars are insanely easy to prepare and taste out of this world. Change up the “add-ins” to suit your personal preferences.

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/8 tsp. baking soda

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• Sprinkle of table salt

Add-ins (change these up to whatever tickles your fancy):

• 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Also,

• Sea salt, coarse

Prep:

Melt butter, whisk in brown sugar, then beaten egg and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the wet mixture in thirds.

Stir in “Add-ins”. (Except white chocolate chips—keep reading for what to do with those.)

Pour into a lightly greased 8x8” baking dish.

Sprinkle white chocolate chips on top and press gently into the mixture.

Bake at 350°F for 20-28 minutes, until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

As soon as you remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle the top with sea salt. (Really, don’t skip this step—the salty/sweet combo is amazing.)

Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Share at your own discretion. ;)

Recently divorced after seventeen years with a snooty, uptight, controlling man, forty-year-old Andie is definitely ready for some casual, sexy fun when a hot younger man “accidentally” hits her with a baseball. Mason’s interest is clear and he looks like a lot more fun than her overworked vibrator collection, so she goes for it, despite the obvious age gap. The young veterinarian is as easy to be with as he is on the eyes, making him an ideal summer diversion and the perfect man to help her make up for lost time and missed orgasms.

Mason had to meet the sexy woman at the ball diamond. The chemistry between them is instant and completely addictive. Andie is more than beautiful, she’s uninhibited and independent—totally unlike the needy twenty-somethings he’s been dating since his ex-fiancée deceived him five years ago. And yeah, Andie is ten years older than him, big deal. The more they’re together, the more his heart wants her as badly as his cock. Too bad Andie isn’t playing for keeps.

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www.karladoyle.com

I'm a coffee addict and this Cappuccino Cake is perfect for someone like me. In Pink Buttercream Frosting, my heroine Bailey is searching for the perfect chocolate cake recipe and I think this would work for her too.

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Chocolate Cake:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable or coconut oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment. Lightly grease the parchment paper and sides of pan with butter or cooking spray.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Slowly add the hot coffee and stir until just combined. Scrap the bottom of the bowl and don’t overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer pans from oven to cooling racks. After the cakes have cooled, carefully turn one layer out onto cake plate.

Cream Cheese Coffee Frosting:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, cut into cubes

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/3 cup strongly brewed coffee, at room temp

1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy. Slowly add in coffee until well combined. Fold in whipped topping with a spatula.

Refrigerate frosting for 30 minutes before spreading on cake

To Frost Cake: Turn one cake layer onto serving platter. Spread 1/2 the frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake layer and remaining frosting. Sprinkle cinnamon over top of cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips around outer edge of cake.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing.

Store in refrigerator.

(Note: I have found that the best cream cheese frosting is made by not softening the cream cheese beforehand. I cut it into cubes and beat a little at a time, adding more until all is incorporated. It seems to hold up better still cold.)

Desire: Blend sinful with sweet. Whip to perfection. Don’t forget to lick the spoon…

Aidn Greer is a much-sought-after Dominant in the BDSM lifestyle with an unusual problem. He hasn’t owned a submissive in more years than he cares to think about. He’s bored with unchallenging women, yet mentoring other Doms and training subs has left him cold as well. He’s craving something other than plain old vanilla—a taste of something sinfully sweet that, for once, he can really sink his teeth into.

Professional cake baker Bailey Harris wasted ten years bored to tears with her marriage, enduring a job she hated, and harboring a secret desire for something passionate, fulfilling and dark. Then she found it…in the world of BDSM. Exploring on her own brought the kind of mind-opening experiences that led her to declare her independence—and exposed a yearning to find the one Dom for whom she’s willing to kneel. Permanently.

When Aidn and Bailey meet, it’s fire and ice. Sugar and spice. And an experience that satisfies every detail of both their fantasies. Almost. While the big, beautiful sub is everything Aidn wanted, her fierce independent streak could be more of a challenge than he bargained for…

~ ~ ~

www.lissamatthews.com

In Tucker’s Fall, heroine Maggie Cisco shares her love of Cinnamon rolls with Tucker, who finds her enthusiasm for the treats incredibly sexy.

When Maggie is in need of a quick fix of her favorite comfort food, this is the recipe she goes to. Easy Peasy.

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Miss Maggie’s Cinnamon Buns of Obsession

What you need to make this amazing deliciousness of gooey goodness:

For the Filling:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 c granulated sugar, 1 Tbls cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbls butter, melted

For the Dough:
2-1/2 c. all purpose flour, 1/4 c. granulated sugar, 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 c buttermilk, 5 Tbls butter, melted.

For the Icing:

1 pkg (8 oz) of cream cheese (room temp), 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of margarine, 1 tsp vanilla (Maggie goes heavy on the icing.)

Directions: (oven 425)

· Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl, then mix with a fork until well blended.

· In a another, larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and 4 Tbls melted butter, then pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir together until dough just comes together (do not over mix.) Kneed a bit with your hands until the dough forms into a ball, then slice it in half.

· On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12×8″ rectangle Spread half the filling mixture into the center, then roll. Pinch together edges, and cut into 8 slices. Place both cut rolls in a non-stick sprayed 11×8″ pan. Brush rolls with remaining Tbls of melted butter and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

· To make the icing, beat all ingredients together with a mixer until smooth. Spread the icing on the hot rolls and enjoy!

Scandalized professor Maggie Cisco returns to her hometown to lick her wounds and reconsider her future. Her years of personal and professional research into the BDSM lifestyle has landed her in jail, in divorce court and now in the headlines of more newspapers than she cares to count. The worst of all? The entire debacle is being blamed on a bestselling book she hasn’t even read!

Just when she thinks her only solution is a tell all memoir, a snowstorm puts her in the path of stunningly handsome, insanely rich and equally intense, Tucker Lewis.

Tucker remembers Maggie well. They once shared a mind-numbing kiss at the annual St. Mary’s carnival when her boyfriend wasn’t looking. No stranger to scandal, he looks past public opinion to the submissive craving a master’s touch and decides then and there what he wants. He’s going after Maggie and her heart’s kinkiest desires.

Unfortunately, no amount of money can change the sins of the past and when they’re certain they know everything there is to know about each other, one discovers a secret they aren’t prepared for.

~ ~ ~

http://elizagayle.net

In Return to Sender, my heroine is a busy single-mother. One of her daughter’s favorite things is DIY gourmet pizza. Once you think outside the pepperoni-and-cheese box, pizza is an amazingly flexible base. This is one of my favorites because it’s great for cooking with kids.

~ ~ ~

Faster-Than-Delivery Cowboy Pizza

1 pre-made pizza crust, store-bought dough, or your favorite crust recipe*

2 T. cornmeal (optional)

1 can baked beans ( Eden Organic is our favorite, but use whatever you have on hand)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 T. olive oil

1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese blend

2 pre-cooked apple & chicken sausages thinly sliced * (1 cup of any cooked meat works!)

2 T. chopped cilantro

Additional veggies of choice: thinly sliced green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes (canned or fresh or salsa), red onion, zucchini rounds, spinach (optional—whatever you have in the fridge).

*see allergy friendly variations at end

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare the crust according to package directions. Then put parchment paper on the pizza pan or large cookie sheet (less clean up!) and dust w/ cornmeal. Next, roll or pat the dough out and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, cook the onion in olive oil over medium high heat until lightly browned. Add the sliced chicken sausages and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Then add beans & cook just long enough to evaporate some of the liquid and take the “canned” taste out—5 minutes or so. Stir in the cilantro. (I’ve skipped cooking entirely and just layered directly on the crust w/ fine results too.)

4. Spread the mixture evenly on the dough. Top with any additional veggies you want, then cover with the cheese.

5. Bake 20 minutes or until crust is puffy and brown and cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool slightly, slice and serve! Spinach salad with avocado slices is a great accompaniment.

Variations:

Gluten-free: This is how I make it. Any GF pizza crust mix or recipe works. I prefer the Gluten Free Pantry Pizza & French bread crust and I use 1/3 cup of olive oil rather than butter in the recipe, mix in my food processor, dump on parchment paper on the pan, and dust my pan and hands well w/ brown rice flour or cornmeal before patting it out. Pamela’s bread mix also makes a fine crust. You can also use Udi’s or a commercial GF crust, but reduce the baking temp to 375 and time to 15 minutes.

Dairy Free: Use rice or almond cheese. Or omit the cheese entirely and sprinkle w/ crushed barbeque flavored nuts, nutritional yeast, or extra veggies.

Soy free: Make sure the beans are soy-free or use plain beans seasoned w/ salt, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. You can also increase the onions & simply use a base of caramelized onions & no beans. Make sure the sausages are soy-free or use chicken or ground beef.

Nut free: The recipe is nut free, but check your package ingredients to be safe.

 

Jack Donovan and Bree Hendricks have been in hot competition since their school days, whether it’s tussling over the best apartment or bickering over local leash laws. Bree has never turned down a challenge, so when her new toy in its brown paper packaging is delivered to Jack’s doorstep by mistake, it’s the perfect opportunity for a game of truth or dare.

Bree is determined to set a good example for her teenage daughter, and that means no flirting, no flings and definitely no one night stands. But a bout of saucy cybersex demonstrating her new dildo…there’s no danger in that. Unless Bree allows her heart to become involved.

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http://www.annabethalbert.com

In The Chocolate Kiss, Magalie’s hot chocolate bewitches all comers, and Philippe, hot-shot pastry chef, struggles mightily to resist its lure. He doesn’t want to be the one to crack first, after all.

Chocolat chaud, or European-style hot chocolate, is so easy to make, I’m always surprised people would stick with cocoa mixes. Neither Magalie nor I ever use a real recipe, but some proportions to get you started

~ ~ ~

--2 cups (250 ml) liquid; I prefer milk, but if your chocolate is particularly high quality you might prefer water, and some people blend milk and cream

--Spices as you prefer, such as 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla, a fine fresh grating of nutmeg

--8 oz (225 g) high quality dark chocolate; I prefer Valrhona’s 61% couverture chocolate

1. Put the milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pot and heat the milk gently until steam just starts to rise from it. Try not to let it form a skin; overheating milk changes its flavor.

2. Remove from burner and add chocolate, and vanilla if using. Let sit for thirty seconds. Whisk quickly until smooth.

3. Throw in some wishes for the people who drink it, like Magalie. Here are some of hers: May you find some gumption. May you have a beautiful, dreaming day. May you love your life and seize it with both hands. May you find yourself humble at my feet and very, very sorry you ever decided to open a shop to compete with mine just down the street. (But that wish didn’t work out for her quite like she expected.)

The Heart of Paris

Welcome to La Maison des Sorcieres. Where the window display is an enchanted forest of sweets, a collection of conical hats delights the eye and the habitués nibble chocolate witches from fanciful mismatched china. While in their tiny blue kitchen, Magalie Chaudron and her two aunts stir wishes into bubbling pots of heavenly chocolat chaud.

But no amount of wishing will rid them of interloper Philippe Lyonnais, who has the gall to open one of his world famous pastry shops right down the street. Philippe’s creations seem to hold a magic of their own, drawing crowds of beautiful women to their little isle amidst the Seine, and tempting even Magalie to venture out of her ivory tower and take a chance, a taste … a kiss.

Parisian princesses, chocolate witches, patissier princes and sweet wishes—

An enchanting tale of amour et chocolat

~ ~ ~

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LauraFlorandAuthor

Website: www.lauraflorand.com

In my debut romance, More Than This, my heroine, Quinn, bakes what she calls Comfort Cookies. Comfort Cookies are a childhood treat meant as a salve for any trauma. After eKensington bought the book, I spent an entire weekend baking various kinds of chocolate cookies to create a recipe that would capture the essence of Comfort Cookies. Here’s the final version:

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter, unsweetened chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate in the top of double boiler or in a heat-safe bowl (metal or glass) over a pot of simmering water. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until mixture thickens. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. (Batter will be gooey.)

Scoop teaspoon-sized cookies onto cookie sheets. If using aluminum pans, line with parchment paper (no paper needed on stoneware). Bake for approximately 11 minutes, until tops are cracked and edges are set. Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to cooling rack.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

When a lonely teacher teams up with a handsome bartender for some outrageous acts, they both get more than they bargained for…

Learning her ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to have a baby of her own—without the partnership of a man. But her sister and friends believe she needs to focus on herself first, and step out of her comfort zone by completing a list of adventures. Challenge number one is to go on five dates within two weeks. After a few disastrous attempts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy bartender Ryan O’Leary offers his assistance.

Ryan has always been the dependable one in his family, often at his expense. But lately, he’s been longing for a life—and a woman—of his own. The woman he has in mind is Quinn. Though it seems all she wants is friendship, Ryan can’t ignore the explosive chemistry he feels between them. In the hopes of becoming closer, Ryan offers to help out with Quinn’s list. But when she asks him for a serious favor, he’s afraid it will jeopardize his chance to become more than friends.

~ ~ ~

http://www.shannynschroeder.com