Summer time is for family reunions, picnics, baseball, and if you are in Lake Eden, murder. A cozy mystery with old fashioned values and lots of recipes. Rocky Road Bars are like baked S’mores. This dessert is easy to make and will remind you of summer.
This is book #10 of Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series. Hannah surrounds herself with family, excellent co-workers, and friends. In this novel, Hannah’s co-worker Lisa is having a large family reunion. Everyone is excited to be there until long lost Uncle Gus shows up.
Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Rocky Road Bars
from a cozy mystery novel:
Carrot Cake Murder
by Joanne Fluke
Book Outline and Tone:
Even though this novel is set in August, I have decided that this series is like a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Whenever you need a dose of comfort, read a Hannah Swensen novel. Whenever life seems hectic, rough, or cruel, read a Hannah Swensen novel. These novels are old-fashioned in the sense that manners matter and families come together to help each other. The novel may not be shocking or a thriller that surprises you in new ways, but the series is always an entertaining read.
Lisa’s family, that is the Herman and Beeseman families, are having a family reunion. There are so many people in town enjoying company and activities, that they have booked the cottages at Eden Lake. This is a perfect setting for a romance or contemporary fiction, but since it is a cozy mystery, a murder takes center stage in the plot.
Uncle Gus shows back up in town after not being in Lake Eden for years and it is him who ends up murdered. During Hannah’s sleuthing, the reader learns that Gus was a player in his youth. HIs past is quite intriguing! This novel does not center around Hannah’s love life, rather the juicy details of young Gus.
Point of View:
The novel is told in 3rd person. The reader only knows Hannah’s thoughts.
The Author: Joanne Fluke
Joanne Fluke published her first Hannah Swenson novel, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, in 2001. Since then she has been a New York Times bestselling author several times. Some of her books have been made into movies on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery can be found online with Hallmark Movies. Joanne Fluke is active on Facebook and Twitter. She does many interviews with her local news station and posts them on her Youtube channel.
What is not to like?:
I love good manners, my kids grew up hearing me remind them “manners matter”. Sometimes though, this series seems a bit too old fashioned.
The verdict:
This is the chicken noodle soup of the cozy mystery series. Each novel is comforting. I recommend reading this and making the Rocky Road bars. My sister couldn’t resist them!
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).
Rocky Road Bars
Assemble the Ingredients
You may notice that the recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips and cashew, but the picture has milk chocolate chips and peanuts. Each substitute has a specific reason. First, when I think of Rocky Road, I think peanuts not cashews, so that is an easy swap..
Second, I made these for my family and my sister prefers milk chocolate to semi-sweet. She even makes her chocolate chip cookies with milk chocolate chips! So I swapped that too. It worked, she said she had no willpower when it came to these bars!
Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or other non stick spray.
Chop whatever nuts you want to use into smaller bits.
Layer the graham crackers on the bottom, overlap if needed.
Top the graham crackers with marshmallows.
Then add the chocolate chips.
And then, sprinkle the nuts on top.
Then put the butter and brown sugar in a small pot. Heat until the butter is melted and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
Drizzle the contents of the saucepan evenly over the contents of the cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden on top. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
When the Rocky Road Bar Cookies are cool, cut them into brownie-sized bars and serve.
If there are any leftovers (which there won’t be unless you have less than three people) store them in the refrigerator in a covered container.
They can also be wrapped, sealed in a freezer bag, and frozen for up to two months.
Rocky Road Bars (also known as Baked S'mores)
Ingredients
- 24 graham crackers (12 double ones)
- 2 cups cups miniature marshmallows (white, not colored)
- 6 oz package chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- 1 cup nuts, chopped. I used peanuts, original recipe calls for cashews
- 1 stick butter (½ cup)
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
- Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or other non stick spray.
- Chop the nuts
- Layer the graham crackers in the baking dish, overlap if necessary
- Sprinkle the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and nuts
- In a small pot heat butter and brown sugar until sugar dissolves
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla
- Drizzle the contents of the saucepan evenly over the contents of the cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden on top.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- When the Rocky Road Bar Cookies are cool, cut them into brownie-sized bars and serve.
- If there are any leftovers (which there won't be unless you have less than three people) store them in the refrigerator in a covered container.They can also be wrapped, sealed in a freezer bag, and frozen for up to two months.
What would I do differently next time?
I would make more of the butter and brown sugar mix and do 2 layers of graham crackers with the sugar in-between.
Do you love chocolate like I do? Try these amazing recipes with chocolate.
Chocolate Mint Cookies from Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Scout’s Brownies from Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson
Hot Fudge Pie from Death in Four Courses by Lucy Burdette
Red Velvet Crunchies from Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell
