Once in a Blue Moon;
Double Blue Blueberry Pancake Recipe
from a cozy mystery:
Fatal Reservations by Lucy Burdette
Hayley has found herself connected to another murder, this time it is her friend Lorenzo, the Tarot Card reader, who is the suspect. While trying to keep her boss happy with the restaurant review she is submitting, she also needs to track down Lorenzo. In the meantime she continues to cook as a way of coping with stress. Her Once in a Blue Moon Pancakes are simply delightful!
Key West’s Sunset Celebration is the setting for the mystery in this book #6 of the Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette. When all signs point to Hayley’s friend Lorenzo being a murderer, Hayley jumps into investigator mode. She must save Lorenzo who is not just her friend but her Tarot Card reader.
Fatal Reservations by Lucy Burdette
Book Outline and Tone:
This series is great fun. It has romance, family turmoil, colorful characters, plausible mysteries and of course delicious recipes. It’s only book 6 in the series and Hayley has already gone through many ups and downs in both her romantic relationships and her career. To top it off, the series is set in Key West, Florida. In this book the murder suspect is part of the Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square. This is a real event filled with entertainers and food.
Hayley’s dream job may be in trouble. She once again finds her work as a food critic being closely scrutinized and her current boyfriend appears to be on the boss’s side. It is a good thing she is such a strong woman, she charges ahead advocating for herself. What could go wrong?
The Best Quote:
“‘I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t believe me, but something’s very wrong over there. Two seconds, can I show you?’ I started back to the crypt, hoping he’d follow.”
Point of View:
The story is told in first person through Hayley
The Author: Lucy Burdette
Like so many cozy mystery authors, Lucy Burdette is a pen name for Roberta Isleib; she is a clinical psychologist and author of three book series. She has written 12 books in the Key West Food Critic series and book 13 is due to be released in 2023. She is also the author of a Golf Mystery Series and the Advice Column Mysteries. Many of her books have been on the short lists for awards and The Key Lime Crime won a bronze medal in the Florida Book Awards. She is active on many social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. She also has an active Pinterest account. On Goodreads, she does a great job answering questions. Be sure to reach out to her on some platform to let her know you enjoyed her book.
What is not to like?:
I hope the storyline involving Hayley’s job security is over. I’d like to see more about Hayley’s love life and less about whether she is going to get fired.
The verdict:
I think Hayley has the perfect job (restaurant critique) in an amazing place (Key West). She inspires me to do more of what I love with my work. Pick up this series and enjoy!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Once in a Blue Moon: Double Blue Blueberry Pancakes
Assemble the Ingredients
I didn’t have any blue corn flour in my kitchen (shocking I know). So I did some research on blue corn flour for quality and texture. I decided on Marsh Hen Mill Sea Island Blue Cornmeal and it was perfect! Not too gritty and yet enough texture to give the pancakes and added depth of flavor and texture.
Stir together the blue cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons melted butter.
Good Grips, no slip when mixing. Each bowl has a spout for easy pouring. Dishwasher safe.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the blue cornmeal mixture and stir until mostly combined.
Isn’t it so pretty! I love the color!
Heat the pan or griddle and melt some butter to cover the bottom of the skillet. Add the batter to the pan (about 1/4 cup per pancake) and drop 5 or 6 blueberries into each pancake.
Cook over medium heat until bubbles form and pop on the top, and then flip the pancakes over and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes.
This picture show the flat silicone spatula from the 3 piece set. Also in the picture is the OXO whisk and flipping spatula
Keep the finished pancakes in a warm (200°F) oven until all the batter is cooked.
Once in a Blue Moon Cornmeal Blueberry; Double Blue Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups blue cornmeal *If you'd prefer a little lighter batter, use 1 cup blue cornmeal instead of 11/3 cups and 1 cup flour instead of 2/3 cup.
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1½ cups buttermilk (or 1½ cups milk with 1 tablespoon
vinegar added. Let set for 10 minutes)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 Tbsp melted butter, plus more for greasing the griddle
- 2 cups blueberries
Instructions
- Stir together the blue cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons melted butter.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the blue cornmeal mixture and stir until mostly combined.
- Heat the pan or griddle and melt some butter to cover the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the batter to the pan (about 1/4 cup per pancake) and drop 5 or 6 blueberries into each pancake.
- Cook over medium heat until bubbles form and pop on the top, and then flip the pancakes over and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Keep the finished pancakes in a warm (200°F) oven until all the batter is cooked.
What would I do differently next time?
I will get or make some blueberry pancake syrup next time. Blueberries are my favorite fruit!
Here are some more fantastic breakfast recipes found on my blog.
Grits with Cheese from When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day.
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