Who knew that Ashland, OR, was such a hotbed of mystery? Author and novelist, Ellie Alexander recounts the latest bone-chilling adventure of mystery-solving chef, Juliet “Jules” Capshaw, proprietor of the artisan bakery, Torte. Jules’ exploits occur in the idyllic, Shakespearean, southern-Oregon town of Ashland.

While catering a mid-winter retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at The Lake of the Woods Lodge, Jules discovers the body of the lodge’s bartender chilling in the freezer.

Orange Cardamom Rolls with Grand Mariner infused icing from the book On Thin Icing

“On Thin Icing” is the third book in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mysteries series. While a page-turning yarn about solving mysteries is the main purpose of the book, throughout the story you’ll find recipes used by Jules to create the confections you would find at the Torte bakery. And what’s better is that the recipes in the story are included with the book. So rather than having to just read about the wonderful concoctions, you can make them for yourself.

Double Chocolate cookies with Rumple Minze Peppermint Schnapps infused icing from the book On Thin Icing roll

Two of the pastries found in the story recounted in “On Thin Icing” are Jules’ Orange Cardamom Rolls and her Double Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Each of the recipes found in the book are either ones that have been handed down through Ellie’s family or ones that she has discovered. Each of the recipes has been tested by Ellie in her own kitchen.

Orange Cardamom rolls from the book On Thin Icing

Since eating a book would not be sufficient substitute for actual Orange Cardamom Rolls and Double Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Shannon Scully of The Sugar Shop food cart kindly consented to bake both the rolls and the cookies. With the proviso that she be allowed to add her own special twist to each of the recipes.

As they say at the Sugar Shop, ‘we cook with booze.’ Shannon baked two versions of the rolls and cookies. One was the book recipe, the other with the Sugar Shop twist that used Grand Mariner in the roll frosting and Rumple Minze Peppermint Schnapps in the cookie icing.

Double Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting from the book On Thin Icing [roll]

As a bonus to this blog post, we’re making both versions of the recipes for the Cardamom rolls and the Double Chocolate cookies available as a downloadable PDF suitable for printing. Following is the link to download the recipes.

Download the “On Thin Icing” Recipes

Listen now as Steven Shomler and Ken Wilson talk with author Ellie Alexander about her latest mystery novel “On Thin Icing,” and Shannon Sully of The Sugar Shop food cart about creating Jules recipes in real life.

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