One of the things I loved best about visiting my grandmother’s farm in Arkansas was her cooking, and anything she made with muscadines was a special treat. If you’ve ever seen these grapelike berries, you know they’re a little tough on the outside. Homesteaders learned how to make the best of every part of the muscadine, letting nothing go to waste.

~ ~ ~

You will need:

• pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie

• 2 quarts ripe muscadines

• lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces

Line a pie plate with half of the rolled out pastry. Refrigerate the pie shell and remaining pastry until ready to fill pie.

Mash the muscadines. Separate hulls from pulp and set aside. Strain through a sieve to get juice. (You can use the pulp to make yummy muscadine jelly or discard along with the seed.) Cook the reserved hulls in juice until tender, adding a little water if needed.

Let cool, then add lemon juice, flour, and sugar. Put fruit mixture in the prepared bottom crust. Carefully arrange top crust over fruit, lattice style to allow steam to escape. Flute edge. Bake in a 400° oven for approximately 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375° and bake 30 minutes longer.

She played right into his hands.

Possessing uncanny people-reading skills like her mama, Philadelphia “Dell” Samuels has spent thirteen years in her aunt’s rustic Ozarks home, telling fortunes over playing cards and trying to pass as white. But the treacherous Mississippi River childhood her mama dragged her away from finally catches up to her on a steamboat captained by her old friend Rory Campbell.

Known to his crew as the Devil’s Henchman, Rory is a gambler in need of a miracle. Following the cold trail of his boss’s wife and bastard daughter, Dell, Rory has only one goal in mind: saving his crew from the boss’s cruelty by ruining him. The only one who can defeat the Monster of the Mississippi is the man trained to take his place. Rory’s convinced he can lure his boss into a high-stakes game against a rival, and with Dell’s people-reading skills, the monster will lose everything.

Under Rory’s tutelage and protection, Dell agrees to the tortured captain’s plan. Passion and peril quickly bring them together as lovers. But when Rory’s plan goes awry, the lives of the innocent depend on Dell’s ability to read the situation correctly—and hopefully save them all.

~ ~ ~

www.sandrajonesromance.com

https://www.facebook.com/sandrajones.author

My pie crusts aren’t as good as the ones Bridget eventually learns to make (I use mostly store bought crusts these days) but I can still make a mean pie. I love this pie filling recipe not only because it’s absolutely delicious, but also because it came to me from my mother. Every time I make it from the rhubarb growing in my garden, I think of her.

~ ~ ~

Rhubarb Pie Filling

2 ½ cups rhubarb

1 cup raisins (optional)

1/3 cup flour

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup sweet heavy cream or whipping cream

1 egg

Mix all ingredients together and pour into unbaked pie shell. Cover with more pastry. Bake at 350 degrees F in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour or until fruit is soft and pastry is lightly browned. Makes one pie.

Bridget Grant is back in Paradise. Paradise, North Dakota, that is.

She’s swallowed her pride and moved back to her hometown with her daughter after her divorce and the loss of her catering company. Now she’s trying to navigate the strained relationships she’d left behind – including her first love, Jack Davison.

Jack never forgot Bridget, or the day she left town – and him. When Bridget caters a lunch at Jack’s tourist ranch, old flames reignite. They have more in common than ever – Jack’s also a single parent. Though they both try to keep things casual, Bridget, Jack and their girls are starting to look a lot like a family.

But Bridget’s only planning to stay in Paradise until she’s saved enough to relaunch her business. Jack’s invested too much in his ranch to leave. And with their daughters involved both have a lot more at stake than heartbreak. How can they risk falling in love?

~ ~ ~

http://www.janarichards.com

http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

LUCK OF THE DRAW (Betting on Romance, Book #1) is my debut contemporary romance set in rural New Hampshire, and this pie tastes like summertime and love: fresh blueberries, whipped cream, and a hint of sweet happiness. The recipe makes two pies, because (trust me!) one of these is NEVER enough. Makes an excellent breakfast when eaten barefoot on a dock by a lake. Don’t ask me how I know. ;)

~ ~ ~

Cheri’s ‘Taste of Summer’ Fresh Blueberry Pie

Crust (makes two pies):

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

6 T. sugar

2/3 c. vegetable oil

3 T. milk

Combine dry ingredients and blend. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Divide in half. Press into two 9” pie plates. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Filling:

3 qts fresh blueberries (wild or cultivated)

Glaze:

2 c. fresh or frozen *wild* blueberries (find frozen wild blueberries at your supermarket)

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

1 t. potato or corn starch

1/4 t. cinnamon

1 T. butter

1 T. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

In medium saucepan combine glaze ingredients except for butter and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes or until thickened and clear. Add butter and lemon juice. In large bowl, gently toss 3 quarts fresh blueberries with glaze mixture until well coated then divide filling between the 2 pie crusts. Let cool slightly.

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 qt. Heavy cream

1 pkt unflavored gelatin

Sugar and vanilla extract to taste

In glass measuring cup, combine packet of gelatin in 4 T. cold water. Let stand 5 minutes. Place glass measuring cup in small pot of simmering water, heat and stir mixture until dissolved. Set aside. In medium/large bowl, whip cream, sugar and 2-3 tsp. vanilla extract until mixture begins to thicken/soft peaks begin to form. Add melted gelatin all at once and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Spread half of whipped topping over each pie (there may be a little extra, but the gelatin means it will not need re-whipping later.) Keep pies chilled until ready to serve. Enjoy!

If only life had a refresh button...

Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.

Tall, dark, and handy…

Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.

While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim's distrust of complicated women and Kate's incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart.  But forces beyond their control¾match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past¾conspire to make them risk it all... and bet on love.

~ ~ ~

Website: www.cheriallan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cheriallanauthor

In my book EMERALD, Caithren and Jason stop at a tavern for a meal and are served this delicious mushroom pie. It’s one of my family’s favorites—my daughter and I make it every Thanksgiving and often at other times, too. If you need to eat gluten free like I do, simply buy GF pie crust. Everything else in this recipe is naturally gluten free. For more historical recipes from my novels, visit the recipe page on my site at http://www.laurenroyal.com/3.0/bookshelf/recipes/. Enjoy!

~ ~ ~

Mushroom Pie

Original Historical Recipe:

Mushrooms of one night be the best and they be little and red within and closed at the top; and they must be peeled and then washed in hot water and parboled and if you wish to put them in a pasty add oil, cheese and spice powder.

—From The Goodman of Paris (Le Ménagier de Paris), written in 1393 and translated by Eileen Power

Modern Version:

1-½ lbs. sliced button mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-½ cups grated or shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, or a combination)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon chopped or crushed ginger (I use the kind you buy in a jar) or dry ground ginger

¼ teaspoon pepper

9″ ready-to-bake pie crust (top crust optional)

Follow the directions on the pie crust package to pre-bake the bottom crust.

Saute the mushrooms. Drain any liquid, then place in a large bowl and add olive oil, cheese, salt, pepper, and ginger. Mix well.

Place mushroom mixture in the pie shell. Add top crust if desired, and make slits with a sharp knife.

Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 35–40 minutes, or until pastry is a golden brown.

England and Scotland, 1667

Jason Chase, the Marquess of Cainewood, is out to bring a blackguard to justice when he crosses paths with a woeful Scottish lad. When the lad turns out to be a lovely Scottish lass, he realizes she must be the notorious bounty hunter Emerald MacCallum. Convinced they're after the same man and her very life may be in danger, Jason decides he must keep Emerald close…

In Caithren Leslie's view, there couldn't be enough distance between her and the handsome but overbearing Englishman. She's searching for her wayward brother, but Jason won't let a little thing like the truth interfere with his absurd conviction that she's living under an assumed identity. Mindful of the dangerous traveling conditions, Cait grudgingly accepts his protection. Until, that is, she begins to suspect that mistrust isn't the only emotion between them…and their mission for justice just might turn out to be a quest for love...

~ ~ ~

http://www.LaurenRoyal.com

There is nothing that says “Home Sweet Home” more than the smell of a good freshly baked pie. Since my Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series focuses on the 13 grandchildren of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the importance of family ties is prevalent throughout the stories. So here is one of my family’s favorite pies from our table to yours.

~ ~ ~

Apricot-Cherry Slab Pie

Make pie crust for 3 pies. This is my favorite pie crust recipe:

3 c. sifted flour

1 T. sugar

2 t. salt

1 ¼ c. vegetable shortening

1 egg

½ c. water

1 T. vinegar

Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender. Beat the egg and mix the water and vinegar with the egg. Sprinkle small amounts at a time over the flour mixture, tossing lightly until all the particles are moistened. Mold into a ball and chill. Return to room temperature before rolling out.

Roll a little more than half of the dough on a lightly floured pastry board. Fit into a 10 ½ x 15 ½ jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with sides) with the pastry hanging over the edges of the pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

½ c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

Add:

14.5 oz. can of pitted tart red pie cherries, drained

1 quart or two 15 oz. cans apricot halves, drained and quartered

Spoon fruit mixture into the prepared crust. Roll out the remaining dough and place over the fruit. Bring bottom pastry up and over the top pastry. Seal edges. Prick the top of the pastry. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.

Vanilla Glaze:

Combine 1 ¼ c. powdered sugar, ½ t. vanilla, and enough milk (5-6 teaspoons) to make drizzling consistency.

With one of their grandchildren happily married, Anna and Felty Helmuth are ready for their next matchmaking success. Because there’s nothing more rewarding than sparking unexpected love—and putting Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, on the map for romance…

Cautious to a fault, Lily Eicher strives to live up to her dat’s high standards. She’s certainly not the kind of proper Amish girl who would make time for someone as impetuous as the Helmuths’ grandson, Aden—even if his lively spirit and caring ways are showing her just how wonderful following her heart can be…

Recklessly doing the right thing got Aden into big trouble. A fresh start at his grandparents’ is just what he needs. And shy, pretty Lily is turning his world upside down and making him want to prove he can do good within the rules. But now both must find enough faith and understanding to risk pursuing their dreams—together…

~ ~ ~

http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/

When it comes to quick and popular desserts, nothing's sweeter than a chocolate pie. Here's an updated version of my mother's old-fashioned chocolate custard. Just pour into a pre-baked pie shell for a quick and delicious "homemade" chocolate pie. Enjoy!

~ ~ ~

2 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp. cocoa

2 tbsp. flour

1 egg

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine milk, sugar, cocoa, flour and egg in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for four to seven minutes, stirring every minute until mixture is thick.

Add butter and vanilla. Stir and pour into prepared pie shell. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Welcome to Union

Population: 994

Town motto: Where no secret goes untold

His father’s death forces Dr. Ryan Williams to return to the home—and the woman—he’d left behind ten years earlier. Ryan knows it’s best to avoid Union sweetheart and police officer Emily Winters during his visit. But how? Stuck in this small town, fighting an attraction that hasn’t diminished over time, the sparks are unavoidable—and so are the rumors. The same rumors that made him leave Union in the first place…

Experience taught Emily to keep her guard—and her panties—up. Until Ryan returns as suddenly as he left, tempting her with promises she already knows he can’t keep. Or so she thinks. This new adult Ryan is one capable of forever and, God-willing, forgiveness. Because even as they learn to trust and love each other again, Emily knows once she reveals her secret, heartbreak is inevitable.

~ ~ ~

www.tinaevaughn.com

I write love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense. In the small town of Adams Grove there’s always something cooking. I’m here to share Pearl Clemmons Blue Ribbon Chocolate Pecan Pie from the first book in the series, SWEET TEA AND SECRETS. I thought it was appropriate since the new release is PECAN PIE AND DEADLY LIES.  Hope you enjoy this recipe.

~ ~ ~

Pearl’s Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Butter Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour (refrigerated)

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ cup cold butter

6–8 tablespoons cold water

· The trick is in keeping the dough cold. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.

· Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until mixture becomes pebbly. Stir in enough water with a fork, just until flour is moistened. Don’t overwork the mixture.

· Shape dough into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

· Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters and place in a pie pan. Unfold, pressing dough firmly against the bottom and sides. Crimp edges.

· Prick the crust with a fork. Butter the bottom of a smaller cake pan and set it inside the pie crust in your pie pan. Heat for 8–10 minutes in a 475-degree oven until lightly browned.

Pie Filling:

4 Hershey’s chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounce size)

2 tablespoons margarine

3 large brown eggs

⅓ cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 handfuls of pecan halves

1 handful of coconut (optional)

Just a tap of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg

· Put your butter crust in your favorite pie dish—Pearl was partial to ceramic pie plates.

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

· In a double boiler, melt only 3.5 of the chocolate bars and the 2 tablespoons of margarine. Stir until smooth. Let cool slightly while you eat that leftover half of a chocolate bar.

· Whisk eggs lightly in medium bowl. Add sugar, corn syrup, chocolate mixture, and vanilla; stir until well blended. Mix pecans into chocolate mixture and then combine with the egg mixture.

· Set pie shell on heavy-duty baking sheet and pour in filling. Sprinkle the coconut across the top.

· Bake 50–55 minutes. The crust will be golden and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center.

· Cool pie on wire rack to room temperature before cutting. Serve with whipped topping and a few shavings from the last bit of the chocolate bar if you haven’t already eaten it.

Welcome to Adams Grove…where the pies are delicious but the lies are to die for.

America’s beloved country superstar Cody Tuggle never expected to be one of America’s most wanted. At least that’s how he feels since he’s been accused of murdering his scheming agent. Desperate to prove he’s innocent, he turns to his only alibi, award-winning photographer Kasey Phillips, who recently toured with him and his band.

After an exciting life on the road, Kasey has settled down in small-town Adams Grove with her five-year-old son. Unexpectedly reunited with Cody, she finds herself open to love again. But just when she’s ready to fall, everything she ever believed about him is called in to question.

Cody has waited a long time for genuine love, and he can’t let this chance with Kasey slip away. But as the evidence stacks up, the accusations against him put a damper on the sparks flying between them. Can he convince Kasey he’s innocent, and will she clear his name in time? Or will their dreams of the future be the victim of a deadly lie?

Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies is a sweet, down-home story of love overcoming all obstacles—from the crossroads of small town and suspense.

~ ~ ~

http://www.NancyNaigle.com

This is a Leonard family favorite.  It goes great with any meal that includes family, laughter, and lots of love!

~ ~ ~

Tina Leonard's Family Favorite Chocolate Pecan Pie

Recipe:

1 cup light corn syrup

½ cup sugar

¼ cup margarine or butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 (6 oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cup pecan halves

1 Pet-Ritz frozen deep dish pie crust

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cookie sheet in oven to pre-heat.  Combine corn syrup, sugar, margarine, vanilla, and eggs; beat well.  Place chocolate chips and pecans in bottom of pie crust.  Pour syrup mixture over pecans.

Place pie on heated cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or until deep golden brown, and filling is set.  Cool completely.  Store in refrigerator.

With more than one skeleton rattling in her closet, Sugar Cassevechia hopes “The Most Honest Town in Texas” will be the perfect place to start an online business. As soon as her mother remembers the family recipe that’ll get hotterthanhellnuts.com off the ground.

In the meantime, no way is Sugar letting their new landlord get away with renting them a run-down house that’s decorated like a rich widow’s orgasm. Even if he’s the biggest hunk of hot she’s ever laid eyes on.

Jake Bentley would love to do nothing but sit back and be amused as the Cassevechia women unwittingly stir up trouble in his uptight town. But something about them thaws out his frozen rescue complex. Especially Sugar’s long, chestnut hair and sassy mouth.

Right about the time Sugar figures one steamy night in Jake’s bed won’t hurt, another skeleton joins the party in the form of a dead body in the “Belle Watling” room. And Sugar must decide if her family’s reputation—and her own heart—are safe with Jake.

~ ~ ~

www.tinaleonard.com

This recipe comes from my grandmother's kitchen, but with a bit of a modern twist. Our family has it every Christmas Eve.

~ ~ ~

Chocolate Temptation

Ingredients

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 quart, plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon chocolate creme liqueur
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 premade pie shell
• Chocolate chips, for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake pie shell in oven for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons heavy cream and chocolate liqueur. Cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract. Mix and let cool.

In a mixing bowl combine sugar and 1 quart heavy cream. Whip as if you were making whipped cream. Slowly fold the chocolate sauce into the cream.

Next pour the chocolate mixture into the pie shells. Add chocolate chips to the top of the pies. Cover and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

From the Highlands of Scotland, to the streets of Paris, to a remote castle tucked away in the mountains of Romania, travel through realms that lurk in the shadows, to worlds where wolves roam the night, where Heavenly persuasion has the power to seduce, and where one deadly kiss can make love eternal.

This captivating collection brings you three separate tales of a feral werewolf, a passionate angel, and a dangerous vampire, and when their worlds touch ours, legend becomes truth, irresistible desire takes hold, and only love can conquer the forces of darkness. Step into a forbidden world of mystery and danger, and discover what happens when two fated lovers...Embrace the Night.

~ ~ ~

http://alyssa-morgan.com/

In my younger years I didn't enjoy most store bought sweets and early on became the dessert queen in our family. This meant that I learned to make things that I didn't actually like the taste of, but the rest of the family did. One of the simplest recipes -- takes more time than effort -- is a huge hit with the family. I take it when I need a quickly made, high impact dessert.

~ ~ ~

One package Oreos

One package of Vanilla Instant Pudding

And milk or water (this depends on the Pudding package instructions which you will be following)

-Open the package of Oreos. Take three rows of cookies and put them into a plastic bag.  (Here's the fun part). Use a rolling pin -- or I've even done it with a hammer -- and crush the cookies to crumbles. It's entirely up to you how fine you want it, but I tend to pound them until they are like the size of feta cheese crumbles.

-Press these into a pie pan. Because of the cream filling this will stick to the edges more than you'd think and you'll have enough to go around though you won't think you will

-Mix the vanilla pudding per the instructions on the package. Pour into the Oreo crust.

-Take the last row of Oreos, put them in the bag and crush them up. I tend to leave these in bigger chunks.  Pour these on top of the pudding.

-Refrigerate. My aunt, who I got the recipe from, generally refrigerates per the pudding packaging instructions, but I like to hedge my bets and tend to chill it for at least 2 hours.

-EAT

Daniel Rich and Kaitlyn Dow have been friends for fifteen years, and playing an increasingly outlandish game of Truth or Dare for nearly as long. In love with her friend for longer than she’d like to admit, Kaitlyn prefers to hide in the safety of truths she can guide away from embarrassing secrets. While ladies’ man Daniel can’t help but push Kaitlyn’s boundaries with bolder, sexier dares every chance he gets in hopes that he can finally get his friend to notice how he feels.

With her bed-and-breakfast overbooked, the two are forced to spend the night together. Under the twinkle of Christmas lights and the temptation of mistletoe, Daniel is ready to move their relationship to the next level. Kaitlyn suspects he’s still playing a game, and resigns herself to a one-night stand. But she’ll soon learn that Daniel is willing to risk any dare to get Kaitlyn to see the truth—that they belong together.

~ ~ ~

www.sashadevlin.com

http://www.facebook.com/sashadevlin

Lemon meringue pie is one of my favorite treats and my mom made it often when I was a kid. This recipe is light and tart, perfect for a hot summer day.

~ ~ ~

Baked 9” pie shell:

Use your own favorite crust or-

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 to 4 tablespoon cold water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening. Sprinkle with water 1 tablespoon at a time and toss with a fork until the dough holds together but not sticky. Press into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for a half hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll the crust out until it fits your pie plate, ease gently into the plate, press out air pockets and crimp the edge. Prick the entire surface with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes. Cool.

Filling:

7 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar (This is a tart recipe, if you like sweeter, add ¼ to ½ cup more sugar.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup hot water

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Mix the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the hot water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Remove from heat, turn heat to low. Stir about a 1/2 cup hot filling into the egg yolks, stirring briskly. Stir this mixture back into the hot filling. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Add the lemon juice and peel and stir until smooth. Cool and pour into the baked pie shell.

Meringue:

3 egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons sugar (superfine, if you have it)

Beat the eggs whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar. Beat until the meringue forms firm peaks. Spread the meringue on the filling and make sure the meringue touches the piecrust all around. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes or until a delicate brown. Cool, chill in the refrigerator, and enjoy!

What’s a girl to do when her summer lover wants forever?

Haunted by dark memories of her parents’ volatile marriage, artist Kay Browning keeps her heart locked behind a free-spirit facade and contents herself with the comfortable affair she has every summer with easygoing photographer Nate Quinn.

The only trouble with her plan? This summer Nate’s come to Lake Mohave to claim the lover he can’t let go. He’s done with the endless traveling and settling for temporary homes and temporary loves. Kay’s always been more than just a vacation fling, and now he must convince this woman, who sees love as a course to certain heartbreak, to take that leap of faith and learn how safe love with the right man can be.

~ ~ ~

http://babettejames.com/

This is my grandmother's prize-winning recipe that my mom was gracious enough to let me include (and use in devilish ways) in my hockey ménage book, Head Games. I hope it becomes a staple in your recipe file like it has in ours!

~~~

Filling:

2-3 cups assorted apples (using several different types ensures a full flavor, but if you prefer one type that’s fine)

2 tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar (more if you use tart apples)

1 or 2 eggs (2 eggs make a more custard-y filling)

1 cup sour cream (some or all can be substituted w/milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ to ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

2 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 to 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

¼ cup butter or margarine, chilled

Make one crust pastry (or buy one) for a 9-inch pie pan. Prepare the topping by mixing with a fork or your fingers until crumbly and then chill. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl and add the rest of the filling ingredients, mixing well. Pour into unbaked pie crust, crumble topping over apples and bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes until the center is puffy. It cooks from the outside in, so the center will be the last to cook and puff up.

Leo Laporte and Scott Schaeffer are teammates on the ice and roommates off it who also share women. They’ve been coming into Kelly Chase’s bistro after games for months, and they know they want her. As the attraction grows, the men realize they want more than a one-night stand - they want forever.

Kelly’s not so sure. Yes, she wants both men. But a permanent ménage relationship? That’s taking giving her heart away to a whole new level, and a chance she’s hesitant to take. Then Leo is injured and Scott’s on the trading block, and she realizes this may be her only shot at true, everlasting love.

There are so many questions swirling around inside Kelly’s head. Can she believe in Leo and Scott’s love? And will her business and her reputation survive once people find out she’s with two men?

~ ~ ~

http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com