Hayley Snow is prepping for her wedding, Thanksgiving with her family and getting the last column written for her job. Just when it seems she can’t handle anything else, a tourist passes out on the food tour that Hayley was reviewing. It’s no wonder one of the recipes for this book is for Mojito Cookies. A good drink and a sweet treat is just what she needs.
This is book #9 in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series. Protagonist Hayley Snow is living her best life as a successful food critic and is about to marry her sweetheart. Now she just needs to balance her divorced parents, step parents, no-show in-laws, finishing her final column and solving the latest murder.
A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette
Mojito Cookies
from a cozy mystery
A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette
Book Outline and Tone:
Hayley is a fantastic protagonist. She is smart, resourceful, likable, and just the right amount of stubborn. Her combination of skills keeps this series ever interesting. In this installment, Hayley and Nathan are to be married the day after Thanksgiving. While that seems to me like a crazy day to choose, it does feel fitting for the ever multitasking Hayley. As Thanksgiving approaches, her family comes into town and Hayley begins to juggle wedding plans, work and family. Add to that a tourist dying during a Key West food tour that Hayley was reviewing and now she has that mystery to add to her task of things to solve.
Author Lucy Burdette does not stop there, she also adds the intrigue of Hayley’s fiance Nathan begins to cancel activities and is a no-show to other events. Hayley can’t even get him to text back a one line response when he fails to show up to Thanksgiving dinner with her family and friends. We, the readers are left to wonder if Nathan is getting cold feet or if there is something else happening on Key West.
Not only has each book in this series been an enjoyable cozy mystery with dynamic characters, each recipe I have tried has been a big success with my family. The not-too-sweet Mojito Cookies were a perfect addition to a homemade Mojito to sip on the porch after a long day.
The Best Quote:
“This line of thinking was beginning to make me literally nauseous, fearing for Nathan’s safety. I punched in his cell number again, but it went directly to voicemail as it had all afternoon.”
Point of View:
The novel is written in first person point of view told through Hayley Snow’s experiences.
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 believe I have mentioned this before in other reviews. It’s Nathan, Hayley’s fiance. I’m glad she loves him, but I want more. I’m not sure why she is in love with him. I look forward to seeing this character grow as the series continues.
The verdict:
This series is still hot. It isn’t even cooling down. Keep reading and enjoying!
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).
Mojito Cookies
Assemble the Ingredients
**Do not preheat oven. Dough needs to chill.
Zest the lime, reserving the fruit for the icing.
Wash and dry the mint and chop it into small pieces in a food processor.
My food processor did chop the mint, but also mashed it a bit. I think I would have been better off finely chopping it. Another option would be to use a mini chopper like a coffee bean grinder.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add the vanilla,
egg, lime zest, and mint and mix well.
Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then add this to the butter/sugar and mix on low speed only until combined.
On a sheet of parchment paper, shape the dough into a log,
cover with the parchment, and refrigerate for two hours or more.
Place a second sheet of parchment on a baking sheet. Slice chilled dough into 1/4-inch slices and transfer to the prepared sheet.
- Double-sided, non-porous surfaces resist odors and won't dull knife blades
- Integrated drip-catchers and easy-pour corners minimize messes
- Non-slip feet keep boards in place while chopping and slicing
- Durable and dishwasher safe
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until bottoms and edges are a light golden brown.
Mix the powdered sugar with the lime juice and rum and beat until smooth. Ice the cookies once they are cool.
OXO Good Grips 3- Piece Plastic Mixing Bowl Set LInk
(You can adjust the amounts of lime versus rum to please your palate. And add more sugar if it seems too runny.)
Mojito Cookies from a cozy mystery: A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- Zest of 1 lime (about 1½ teaspoons)
- 1 bunch fresh mint, enough for one tablespoon chopped (or more to taste)
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
Rum Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp light rum
Instructions
- Zest the lime, reserving the fruit for the icing.
- Wash and dry the mint and chop it into small pieces in a food processor.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, egg, lime zest, and mint and mix well.
- Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then add this to the butter/sugar and mix on low speed only until combined.
- On a sheet of parchment paper, shape the dough into a log, cover with the parchment, and refrigerate for two hours or more.
After the dough has chilled
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place a second sheet of parchment on a baking sheet.
- Slice chilled dough into 1/4-inch slices and transfer to the prepared sheet.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until bottoms and edges are a light golden brown.
- Mix the powdered sugar with the lime juice and rum and beat until smooth.
- Ice the cookies once they are cool. (You can adjust the amounts of lime versus rum to please your palate. And add more sugar if it seems too runny.)
What would I do differently next time?
I was really surprised that the mint flavor was not too strong. The generous tablespoon of the fresh mint was perfect. I did not find the lime or the rum strong either. In fact I would have liked a bit more. Next time I will add a bit of lime juice to the dough as well as a tablespoon of rum. This may mean I have to increase the flour just a touch.
Lemon Tea Cookies from Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith
Red ‘N White Strawberry Cookies from The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from Death of a Pumpkin Carver by Lee Hollis
Cocoa Snaps from Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke.
