Friday, July 22, 2016

Murder Most Howl & Nutella Hot Chocolate




Laura Brennan of the Destination Mystery podcast is here matching Krista Davis' book, Murder Most Howl with the perfect drink.


I’m a big fan of Krista Davis’ cozies, particularly her Paws & Claws series, set in fictional (but wouldn’t it be great if it were real?) Wagtail, Virginia. Murder Most Howl is the third in the series, and Holly Miller continues to find trouble -- and dead bodies. 

In this third outing, her grandmother has left Holly in charge of Sugar Maple Inn, just in time to oversee a murder mystery weekend. Holly is keen to prove herself capable of running the inn -- and boy, is that going to be a challenge! She takes snow storms, crazy guests, and ex-boyfriends in stride, but when someone deliberately sabotages the mystery weekend and a real dead body turns up, she and her friends need all the help they can get.

Murder Most Howl is un-put-downable. The pace is terrific, it’s funny, and the mystery kept me guessing right up until the end. There are a ton of surprises and smaller mysteries to untangle as guests and Wagtail residents alike are revealed to have their own secrets, not to mention surprising connections to the dead man. Holly is a wonderful protagonist, smart and loyal. It’s fun to see her building a new life for herself back in Wagtail, and even better to see her succeeding.

This is a great series, and Murder Most Howl was my favorite entry to date. Loveable dogs and cats, good friends, light romance, humor, and murder -- what more could you ask for? 

Oh, yes. Recipes.

Krista provides recipes for many of the drop-dead-delicious goodies that her characters enjoy. I’m not much of a cook, but when she included hot chocolate with Nutella, I had to try it. Luckily, it’s simple enough that not even I could goof it up. Here’s her recipe. In addition, I sprinkled raw chocolate nibs on top of the whipped cream for added decadence. Enjoy!

Nutella Hot Chocolate

3 Tablespoons powdered chocolate (or the amount recommended for your brand)
2 Tablespoons cold water
¼ cup sugar (omit if chocolate powder is already sweetened)
3 cups milk
¼ cup Nutella
¼ cup hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico (optional) 
Whipped cream

Mix the chocolate with the water, then stir in the milk. Heat until the milk just starts to simmer, or microwave until hot. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Top with whipped cream. 


Enjoy!

Don't forget to check out other Drinks with Reads

5 comments:

  1. And we just happen to keep Nutella around the house at all times.... Thanks for a fun column here--and a promising recipe!

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  2. This series sounds terrific as I love dogs. I love hot chocolate too and who would have thought to add Nutella to it, genius!!

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  3. Thanks for the terrific review, Laura! It's 95 degrees here today, but I'll toast you with my Nutella Hot Chocolate as soon as a chilly breeze blows.

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    1. It's darn hot here as well lately. Ooooh, Nutella Hot Chocolate ice cream... What do you think? :)

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    2. On my way to the store for more Nutella and ice cream!

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