It’s off season in Maine and Jacobia and Ellie are struggling to make The Chocolate Moose bakery stay afloat. When a local man is found dead holding one of their milkshakes, their business seems even more at risk of failing.
This is book #2 for Sarah Graves’ Death by Chocolate cozy mystery series. Her characters are truly relatable.
Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake by Sarah Graves
Cozy Mystery Series with Recipes
Book Review
Outline and Tone:
Jacobia (Jake) and Ellie have settled into running their bakery, The Chocolate Moose. Jake’s step mom and daughter in law keep helping out both in the store and at home. Jake’s dad continues to cause his own trouble. Ellie keeps pushing and pushing to keep their store open until summer busy season, but Jake thinks it is hopeless. When a local man is found dead holding a milkshake with their trademarked moose shaped sprinkles, even Ellie begins to lose faith in their business.
Sarah Graves writes a complex story with relatable characters and plenty of twists and turns. Her mystery kept me guessing and the pages flew by. Her writing style generates a connection with the protagonist Jake. As a reader, I worried for her safety, was impressed by her cleverness, and hoped for a good ending so her store, The Chocolate Moose, and the cozy mystery series will continue for many more books!
The author:
Like so many authors, Sarah Graves is a pen name for novelist Mary Squibb. Like her leading lady Jacobia Tiptree, she lives in Maine and also spends time working on her very old home. In addition to the Death by Chocolate series, she has also written a series titled Home Repair is Homicide which also features Jacobia and precedes the Death by Chocolate series. Sara Graves can be followed on her Facebook profile as well as on Twitter @sarahgraves201.
What is not to like?:
I was not able to pick very many clues along the way. Then close to the ending when I thought I was right, I was wrong. So is this a negative or a positive? Depends on how you like your mysteries!
The verdict:
I am excited for the next one. The recipe will obviously involve chocolate so that is a bonus. I am anxious to see how Jake and Ellie strive in their busy season.
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Best Recipe in this Cozy Mystery
Assemble the ingredients
The most notable ingredient ins the crystalized ginger. I used NOW Foods, Organic Crystallized Ginger Dices, Low-Sodium, Preservative-Free and Non-GMO, 16-Ounce. I was impressed with the quality and quantity for such a great price. I did think the diced pieces were a little too big for biscotti, so I chopped them finer.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and get out a cookie sheet. You can grease the cookie sheet, but I always use the OXO Good Grips Silicone Baking Mat, no need to grease the sheet and nothing sticks to it.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and ground ginger.
In another, larger bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy.
I love the OXO Good Grips Mixing bowls because the silicone bottoms keep them from spinning.
OXO Good Grips 3 Piece Silicone Spatula Set.
mix in the crystallized ginger, and beat in the egg and the vanilla. 
Mix the dry ingredients into the moist ones and stir until well blended. Last, mix in the chocolate chips.
The use hands to form dough into a 12 inch log on the cookie sheet. 
Bake the log at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, remove from oven, cool for ten minutes, and then slice the log with a sharp knife into 12 slices, leaving the slices standing up, separate from one another on the cookie sheet.
Return them to the oven for 5 minutes to dry them out a bit (or if you like them very crunchy, for up to 10 minutes). I (Molly) returned them to the oven and baked for 10 minutes. I found them to be crispy on the outside and still little soft in the middle.
Ginger Chocolate Biscotti from: Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake a Cozy Mystery Book Series
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ cup softened butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ⅓ cup crystallized ginger, very finely chopped
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and get out a cookie sheet. I don't grease mine, but you know your own cookie sheets better than I do, so use your judgment. [Molly always bakes with a silicone baking mat]
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and ground ginger.
- In another, larger bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy,
- mix in the crystallized ginger, and beat in the egg and the vanilla.
- Then mix the dry ingredients into the moist ones and stir until well blended.
- Last, mix in the chocolate chips.
- Now take a large serving spoon and scoop all the batter up into it.
- Drop the batter from the spoon into your other hand and use both hands to form a 12-inch-long log.
- Place the log onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake the log at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, remove from oven, cool for ten minutes,
- then slice the log with a sharp knife into 12 slices, leaving the slices standing up, separate from one another on the cookie sheet.
- Return them to the oven for 5 minutes to dry them out a bit (or if you like them very crunchy, for up to 10 minutes).
What would I do differently next time with this recipe?
Definitely bake for the additional ten minutes after slicing. Serve with hot tea or coffee.
Another recipe from Sarah Graves’ Death by Chocolate Cozy Mystery Series: Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
