by Tracy Condie

The week we have a review of a fun book perfect for the holiday season–Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook: Hannah Swenson’s Recipes from the Cookie Jar. We also have a recipe from the book that is perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner! Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook: Hannah Swenson’s Recipes from the Cookie Jar
Review by Tracy Condie

Welcome to the most unique cookbook that I have ever perused. It begins with a prologue of general tips noting that if butter is in a recipe, it is salted butter; eggs should always be large sized eggs; nuts are interchangeable but be careful of allergies; and not all types of flour can be substituted for another.

After these helpful tips, is the beginning of a story just like any other Hannah Swenson Mystery, with Hannah doing what she does best––when she isn’t sleuthing, she is baking cookies, lots of delectable cookies. It is Christmas time and Hannah’s mother, Delores, has hired The Cookie Jar to cater this year’s cookie exchange luncheon complete with champagne. If you have ever read a Hannah Swenson mystery, then you know that if Delores is involved then so is champagne. In addition to preparing the luncheon, Hannah has a long list of recipe requests to print and hand out. We, the readers, get the recipes in one compilation. This book is a treasure trove, made up of all the recipes that have appeared in each and every mystery found throughout this deliciously entertaining cozy series.

The recipes are in alphabetical order by category and include helpful tips and entertaining anecdotes. This is the same format that you see in the individual books described in the stories and then laid out at the end of the corresponding chapter. The recipe entries are written in such a way that it is as if Hannah was having a conversation with you and explains the thought behind some of the recipes and gives advice in the way of “Hannah’s notes” where needed. There are a few recipes that have been contributed by other cooks, and Hannah gives credit where credit is due, such as the Double Chocolate Puffs aka Chocolate Whippersnappers, a type of cookie that her sister Andrea makes. This is the first recipe that I remember Andrea making so it is a big deal because cooking is not Andrea’s forte. Andrea is an excellent interior decorator/real estate agent and sometime sleuthing sidekick.

The recipes are not complicated, and I have made many of them over the years. The only thing missing from this book is the usual murder or mystery. I am very happy to add this book to my collection because it will save my other Hannah Swenson mystery books from getting batter, butter, or melted chocolate on the pages.

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

MOCK APPLE PIE
Recipe by Hannah Swensen from the Lake Eden Cookbook

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F., rack in the center position.

Yes, that’s four hundred and fifty degrees F. and not a misprint. Use your favorite piecrust recipe to make enough pastry for an eight-inch double crust pie.***

Assemble the following ingredients:

• 20 salted soda crackers
• ¼ to ½ cup softened butter
• 1 and ½ cups cold water
• 1 and ½ cups white (granulated) sugar
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 and ½ teaspoons cream of tartar

Butter the soda crackers. (I ended up using just a bit over a quarter-cup of butter to do this.) Put the buttered crackers in the saucepan, and break them up into fairly large pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add the water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream of tartar. Give everything a good stir with your spoon and bring the mixture to a boil over medium to high heat on the stovetop.

Once the boil has been reached, turn down the heat and simmer for exactly two minutes.

Set the saucepan aside on a cold burner.

Divide your piecrust dough in half. Roll out the bottom crust large enough to line an 8-inch pie plate.

***If you’re in a hurry, you can use two frozen pie shells – just thaw them and use one for the bottom and one for the top.

Pour the soda cracker mixture into the lined pie plate and cover it with the top crust. Crimp the edges together. Cut a couple of slits in the top crust to let out the steam while the pie bakes.

Bake the pie at 450 degrees F., for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top crust is nicely browned.

Cool and serve.

Hannah’s Note: This pie has fooled everyone every single time I’ve served it!

Lisa says she likes this pie best with vanilla ice cream. Herb prefers it with cinnamon ice cream. Lisa’s dad likes to accompany it with a slice of sharp cheddar. Herb’s mom likes hers with sweetened whipped cream.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook: Hannah Swenson’s Recipes from the Cookie Jar, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “lake eden” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 23, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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