Have a chocolate craving that you can’t seem to quench? Try these Double Chocolate Frosted cookies. There is even enough chocolate in these cookies to calm the anxiety that comes with a snowed in lodge in the heart of the Oregon Mountains. A snowed in mountain lodge is the setting for this heartfelt cozy mystery novel.
Book #3 in the Bakeshop Mystery series sends Jules to cater the Oregon Shakespeare Festival winter retreat in Lake of the Woods, OR. A cozy winter getaway turns into an isolated trap when Jules finds a body in a deep freezer. With the power out and the snow rising she serves up food cooked over a fire, investigates the murder, and tries to stay safe herself.
On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander
Double Chocolate Cookies
with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
from a cozy mystery
On Thin Icing
by Ellie Alexander
Book Outline and Tone:
I’ve watched enough crime shows to know that the 3 most popular motives for a homicide are love, money, or power. All three of these reasons are plausible in this cozy mystery. Jules is catering a conference in the mountains of Oregon. A storm has rolled in and now they are all snowed in. After she finds a body in a deep freezer, she must determine not only the motive, but who the killer is.
Suspense and isolation are heightened because not only is the conference snowed in, but the electricity goes out with just a generator to power the main building. Luckily for the guests, each cottage has a wood burning fireplace. If there hadn’t been a murder, this would be an ideal setting for a romance novel.
Speaking of romance, Jules’s estranged husband, Carlos, shows up wanting to reconcile. The readers get to decide if they are Team Carlos or Team Thomas. I have my opinion and I’m not sure if I am on the right side. Luckily for me, there are 20 more books in the series, so either I will find out that I am correct, or the author has several more books to persuade me to the other team.
The Best Quote:
“Had I really changed this much since I’d been home? I knew I was different, but having Carlos here made me feel like an entirely different person and the same all at once.”
Point of View:
The novel is told in first person from Jules’s point of view.
The Author: Ellie Alexander
Like the setting of her Bakeshop Mysteries series, author Ellie Alexander is a native of the Pacific Northwest. On her website she describes herself as a voracious storyteller and also enjoys testing pastry recipes. These passions are clearly evident with the engaging story and fabulous recipes at the end of the novel. Alexander writes several series in addition to the Bakeshop Mysteries. She has a Rom-Com series, Sloan Krause Mystery series set in a Bavarian village in Leavenworth, Washington, The Secret Bookcase series and more other books. Readers can sign up for her newsletter on the website. There are several ways to follow her and get further inspiration. She is active on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest. Her love for storytelling seems to be what also inspired her to Author Academy that has courses, webinars, and coaching. She has several videos on Youtube on how to write a novel.
What is not to like?:
I thought the resolution to the murder was wrapped up too swiftly. However, the love triangle and the what if’s for Jules’s life is what will bring me to get the next book.
The verdict:
I find this series particularly interesting for the characters that author Ellie Alexander has created. It is interesting to know that the settings are also acutely accurate. I used to live just outside Ashland, OR and the setting of Ashland and Lake of the Woods is spot on!
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).
Double Chocolate Cookies
with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Assemble the Ingredients
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cream butter and white sugar together in an electric mixer.
Add brown sugar.
Add vanilla and eggs, beat at medium speed.
Sift together dry ingredients,
Add to mixer and blend at low speed until combined.
Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
Form dough into one-inch balls and place on cookie sheets, two inches apart.
Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes. Cool and frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Directions for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
Assemble the ingredients
Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature and whip together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla.
OXO Good Grips 3- Piece Plastic Mixing Bowl Set LInk
Slowly sift in unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar, mixing on low until blended.
Spread on cooled cookies.
Double Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Assembling Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cream butter and both sugars together in an electric mixer.
- Add vanilla and eggs, beat at medium speed.
- Sift dry ingredients together.
- Blend at low speed until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
- Form dough into one-inch balls and place on cookie sheets, two inches apart.
- Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes.
- Cool and frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Frosting
- Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature and whip together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla.
- Slowly sift in unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar, mixing on low until blended.
- Spread on cooled cookies.
What would I do differently next time?
The cookies are delicious with or without the frosting. When the cookies are frosted, it is difficult to store them, so I would only make the frosting if I was taking them to an event.
More fantastic Cookies to try!
Chocolate Mint Cookies from Chocolate Cream Pie Murder
Molasses Sugar Cookies from An Appetite for Murder
