Christmas Morning Eggnog Streusel Muffins from Cleo Coyle

Marc and I always look forward to the flavors of the holiday season, including (and especially) eggnog. Tender and rich, these little muffins magically capture the rich and beautiful flavor of eggnog. They are superb paired with coffee, which makes them a lovely breakfast treat, a satisfying afternoon or late-night snack, and even a delight on serving trays during the holidays. From our hearts, we wish you peace, love, joy, and a very...

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Merry Christmas!  

☕ ~ Cleo Coyle, author of 

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To download my recipe now as a free PDF, click here.

To read my full blog post, scroll down, or click on the "Read more" link below.

Iced Gingerbread Cookie Sticks: Elegant, Edible Coffee Stirrers for Holiday Trays from Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mysteries

Here is a sophisticated take on the classic gingerbread cookie. It's an elegant idea for dessert trays, holiday parties, or that cozy evening by your roaring fireplace DVD (and, yes, we have one). I have a quick, last-minute decorating tip for your holiday tables, too, but first the recipe... 

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To download my Gingerbread Cookie Sticks recipe now as a free PDF, click here.

To read my full blog post with step-by-step photos and an easy holiday decorating tip, scroll down, or click here or on the "Read more" link below, and...

Eat with holiday joy!

~ Cleo

Maple Pecan Fudge from Cleo Coyle's Haunted Bookshop Mysteries

The flavors of this marvelous Maple Pecan Fudge are perfect for fall and winter. Readers of our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries may remember this fudge as a specialty of our amateur sleuth, bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure. 

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to learn more.

Pen brought a pan of this homemade maple fudge to the housewarming of her good friend Seymour (the quirky mailman) whose odd inheritance was linked to a puzzling murder in our 5th Haunted Bookshop Mystery The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion. 

Marc and I are celebrating the publication of the 6th in our series (and the first new entry in nearly ten years) The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller, now a national bestseller! As for the fudge...

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To download my Maple Pecan Fudge recipe now as a free PDF, click here.

To read my full blog post and see my fun, mini videos, scroll down, or click here or on the "Read more" link below, and...

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo

How to Make Candy Apples with Honey (No Corn Syrup!) and How to Spike Candy Apples for Adults

Candy apples have been a favorite of mine since childhood, and they make a nice novelty dessert for adults, too. For this recipe,

Cleo Coyle has a partner in 

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

by clicking here or here.

I experimented with a combination of ingredients until I was happy with the end product, which is why there is no corn syrup in this recipe. Instead, I used honey and cinnamon sticks, which brings a more sophisticated flavor to the candy coating. 

I’m also sharing a fun, spiked version of my recipe that’s even more grown-up. It swaps out cinnamon sticks for cinnamon schnapps! 

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recipe as a free PDF.

To download a free PDF of my recipe right now, click here. To see the recipe as a blog post, click here or on the READ MORE link below.

Whether you eat your apples with spirits or without, I wish you a very...Happy Halloween Season! 


~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

King's Hawaiian Mini Hot Dogs with Pineapple Glaze by Cleo Coyle

Bring smiles to your summer cookout or holiday party with our cute mini hot dog recipe. Pair these babies with sliders for a main course or serve them as whimsical appetizers. (They’re the perfect size for children’s parties, too.) 

Any dinner roll can be used for this recipe, though we especially love the sweet, soft rolls that King’s Hawaiian makes. Simply slice the top of the roll to mimic a mini hot dog bun. Cut your hot dogs into thirds and sauté in our own pineapple-based glaze...

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To download the recipe now as a free PDF, click here. 

To read my full blog post and see my fun, mini videos, click here or on the "Read more" link below, and...

Eat with joy, aloha!

~ Cleo

How to Make a #DairyFree Coffee Milkshake and Old-Fashioned New York Egg Cream by Cleo Coyle

To celebrate National Coffee Milkshake Day, I'm sharing an "old school" New York soda fountain milkshake known as an "egg cream," and showing you how easy it is to make a dairy-free version.

For those of you new to the drink, the traditional New York egg cream is a tasty, refreshingly fizzy mix of chocolate syrup, milk, and carbonated water. You read that right. There is neither egg nor cream in a New York egg cream. 

Many stories exist about its origin, but food historians generally believe the drink is a simplified (and more affordable) version of a soda fountain beverage from the late 1800s that did use eggs and cream along with chocolate syrup and carbonated water.

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At one point, the cream was replaced with milk and the egg eliminated. By the 1920s, this simplified version was served throughout New York City. Vanilla egg creams arrived in the 1950s along with (yes) coffee flavored ones... 

To download the recipe now as a free PDF, click here. 

To continue reading my blog post, click here or on the "Read more" link below, and...

Drink with joy! 

~ Cleo

Light Strawberry Shortcake Muffins from Cleo Coyle

This is one of my favorite summertime muffins. It has the taste of a strawberry shortcake but with less fat and calories, making it a lovely breakfast or coffee-break snack. 

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Free Recipe PDF

To download the recipe now in a free PDF, click here. 

To read my full blog post, click here or on the "Read more" link below, and...

Eat with strawberry joy!

~ Cleo

Why Coffee is our Secret Ingredient to Making Amazing Baby Back or Spare Ribs by Cleo Coyle

Coffee? Yes! A quick bath in a few simple cups of coffee is our secret for making the most amazingly juicy, tender, and flavorful ribs. The reason? Most marinades contain some sort of acid—vinegar, lemon or other fruit juice, even alcohol. But too much acid makes meat mushy. (Likewise, boiling ribs robs them of flavor and destroys good texture.) But coffee contains just enough acidity to help the tenderizing process, yet preserve the meat’s texture. 

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No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake Pie - My Lazy Summer Dessert by Cleo Coyle

This cross between a no-bake cheesecake and a Key lime pie is a beautiful, light dessert for the lazy days of summer. Despite the dessert's title, don't feel you must use Key limes, which aren't always easy to find.

The larger, more common Persian limes will do a fine job on the flavor, and no one is likely to notice the difference. So what is the difference? See my note at the end of this post. 

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Coffee Quotes by Cleo Coyle

Coffee Quotes by Cleo Coyle

Coffee Shop Doughnut Muffins and a New Mystery from Cleo Coyle

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How to Make Italian Sesame Cookies (Biscotti di Regina) by Cleo Coyle

The name of this rustic, Italian sesame cookie is Biscotti di Regina (Queen's Cookies). They are light, sophisticated treats with nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Like coffeehouse biscotti, they are made for the glories of dunking, which is why they're a delicious breakfast treat with coffee and a unique addition to afternoon tea.

Italian families sometimes serve them before or after dinner. They can be eaten as an appetizer with cheese and wine, or added to a dessert tray with fine chocolates, coffee, and sweet liqueurs (like these). 

However you enjoy them, these versatile little cookies are fit for a queen...and I originally posted this recipe for the queens of our hearts Mother's Day!

(I always think of these rustic
Italian cookies as tiny bread loaves...)



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