Delicious recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite Tule authors.

Credit to Ambitious Kitchen for this delicious recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• For rolling mixture:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and set aside. Over medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan until foam starts forming. During this process, keep whisking the butter. When the butter starts to brown, immediately transfer to a bowl. Let the butter cool for a few minutes.
2. Using an electric mixer to combine the butter and 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until well blended. Gradually, beat in the egg, yogurt, and vanilla.
3. Incorporate the dry mixture gradually and beat on low until combined.
4. Chill your dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon into a separate bowl.
7. Measure out 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll them into balls. Once finished, cover in cinnamon sugar.
8. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until the edges are slightly toasted.
10. Enjoy!!

Lara is a published author and public speaker with a degree in journalism.

Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor Series.

An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations such as Crossings Doubleday, YouthWorker Journal, and www.radiantlit.com.

Lover of movies, music, art, travel, baseball, CrossFit and her dog, Lara lives in California with her husband, teenage daughter, and teenage twin boys.

This was my first time writing in Marietta, Montana as well and I can’t think of a better setting to do so. And as much as I love cowboys, I enjoyed writing a wealthy businessman who finds love, even though he believes that’s the last thing he needs in his life. The St. Claire family have a home in Marietta, their home base being in New York. However, after the matriarch of the family passes away, Daniel St. Claire decides that his wife’s favorite place – Marietta – is exactly where he wants to be.

Not understanding why his father would want to completely change his life, Wes St. Claire comes to visit with the mindset of a quick trip to see family, then get back to work and his world in New York. However, his father and young niece sucker him into baking in the Bachelor Bake-Off. Although horrified at the idea, he caves when his niece gets her beautiful dance teacher, Noelle Olsen, to help Wes learn to bake.

I have to confess, I’m not much of a baker myself, so I had to refer to my daughter throughout the process. I can bake, it’s just not my strong suit. But it made A Recipe For Romance that much more fun to write. As Noelle helps Wes learn to bake, I got to be a part of it. I got to walk right along with them on their journey to each other, as well as new beginnings in Marietta.

My favorite thing to write is families. And I love the St. Claire’s. Their wealth and status is a part of their life, but it isn’t who they are. And having spent most of their lives in New York, Marietta changes each one of them in it’s own special way. The Bake-Off is just the beginning for them wanting to be a part of the community and make a difference for the town that meant so much to their mother.

As a huge fan of cookies, I couldn’t resist a series like this. It’s impossible to turn down romance mixed with decadent desserts – a perfect combination.

Lara is a published author and public speaker with a degree in journalism. Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor Series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations such as Crossings Doubleday, YouthWorker Journal, and www.radiantlit.com. Lover of movies, music, art, travel, baseball, CrossFit and her dog, Lara lives in California with her husband, teenage daughter, and teenage twin boys.

Delicious recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite Tule authors.

Ingredients

• 4 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced. Any apple will do, a baking apple makes a moister cake, an eating one a crisper one.
• 1 cup (225g) self raising flour – if using all purpose add the usual amounts of baking soda
• 2 sticks (225g) softened butter
• ½ cup golden castor sugar plus more for sprinkling
• ½ cup soft brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• 4 eggs

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 C/350 f
• Cream the butter and sugar until smooth
• Beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour and cinnamon smoothly. If your batter isn’t a dropping consistency, add a tablespoon of milk until it is.
• Line the bottom of the cupcake cases with slices of apple so the bottom is covered
• Fill each case to about ¾ full
• Top each cake with more slices of apple
• Mix several tablespoons of brown or golden castor sugar with a tablespoon of cinnamon
• Sprinkle the tops of each cake
• Bake in the oven for approximately 18 minutes. If a skewer doesn’t come away clean bake for another three-five minutes.
• Enjoy!

An ex au-pair, bookseller, marketing manager and seafront trader, Jessica now works for an environmental charity in York. Married with one daughter, one fluffy dog and two dog-loathing cats she spends her time avoiding housework and can usually be found with her nose in a book. Jessica writes emotional romance with a hint of humour, a splash of sunshine and a great deal of delicious food – and equally delicious heroes.

It has a beautiful setting, a town full of interesting folk and, best of all, ranches full of cowboys and other bachelors all waiting for the right girl to tame them – how could I resist?

Hi! I I’m Jessica Gilmore and I live in the beautiful city of York, England with my husband, ballet-mad teen daughter and our much-loved and much-spoiled dog. I’ve been a published author for nearly three years now but Baking for Keeps is my first book for Tule.

I blame Avonlea for my love of small towns. I have no idea how old I was when I first read Anne of Green Gables, or the first time I saw the iconic Megan Follows series, but it seems as if I have always known and loved first Avonlea. It’s the joy of returning to a place, to seeing recurring characters again, watching them grow and find happiness.  They feel like home, thanks to the people, the quirky traditions, the landmarks which define Avonlea and Ingleside, Stars Hollow, Capeside and Pawnee. Even Sunnydale has a certain charm although I prefer my small towns without a hellmouth if possible! That’s why I was so happy when Tule asked me if I wanted to be part of the Bachelor Bake Off series. Marietta is the quintessential small town. It has a beautiful setting, a town full of interesting folk and, best of all, ranches full of cowboys and other bachelors all waiting for the right girl to tame them – how could I resist? And one of the most fun parts for me was adding my own contribution to the Marietta canon.

Charm and quirkiness are two things my hero, Zac Malone, really hates. He’s also not a fan of small towns and people knowing his business so it’s a surprise to him when local radio host Lacey Hathaway persuades him to enter the Marietta Bachelor Bake-Off. But he’s no soft touch and he turns the tables on Lacey with a dare of his own – she has to learn to bake alongside him. Lacey dislikes baking almost as much as she dislikes losing but the more time she spends with Zac the more she realizes it’s not just her pride at stake – it’s her heart.

Some books are easier than others to write and Baking For Keeps was an absolute delight from the first word to the last. I adored setting a book in Marietta and had so much fun with Crooked Corner, Lacey’s home, her two delightful great- aunts, the Bake-Off scenes and, of course, with discovering Zac and Lacey’s story. I hope you love it as much as I do!

An ex au-pair, bookseller, marketing manager and seafront trader, Jessica now works for an environmental charity in York. Married with one daughter, one fluffy dog and two dog-loathing cats she spends her time avoiding housework and can usually be found with her nose in a book. Jessica writes emotional romance with a hint of humour, a splash of sunshine and a great deal of delicious food – and equally delicious heroes.

Delicious recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite Tule authors.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup Reese’s pieces
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup coarsely broken pretzels

Makes 30-32 cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add butter to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Lower heat to simmer. Continue to stir until the butter turns a caramel shade (approx. 7-9 mins). Cool pan in a cold water bath in the sink (approx. 15 mins).
3. Combine eggs, baking soda, coarse salt, and vanilla. Whisk together.
4. Whisk in cooled butter.
5. Whisk in brown sugar.
6. Stir in flour, ½ cup at a time. Stir pretzels, chocolate chips, and Reese’s Pieces.
7. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Using Tbsp take a well-rounded scoop of dough and place on tray. Space cookies an inch or two apart.
9. Bake 12-13 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Now living her dream, she resides with her very patient husband, amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats. When she’s not plotting out her next romance, you can find her curled up with a mug of tea and a book.

Take a bachelor bake-off, one ornery cowboy and a matchmaking cat and it made for a really fun book to write.

I’ve wanted to be an author since I was little and asked Santa for a typewriter…yes, I said typewriter. I was tickled pink when I got it. I immediately started to write a book of poetry that went something like Roses are red…Violets are blue…

It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I got my hands on my very first romance. From then on, I couldn’t get enough of them. In my mind, it confirmed the fact that I wanted to be a romance author when I grew up.

Fast forward to 2007 when my husband and I decided that if I was going to follow my writing dreams, I should go for it. So I traded in my position as a statistician where I played with numbers, formulas and spreadsheets all day for an opportunity to let my imagination run free.

I started off entering contests…lots of RWA contests that had a Harlequin editor as final judge. I learned so much from that experience and I thank each and every one of you who volunteer your time to judge those contests. It definitely didn’t happen overnight and it did have some setbacks along the way, but finally my dream came true.

I love how the romance subgenres span historical, paranormal, contemporary and so much more. And best of all, romances come with a happy ending. With so much unhappiness in the world, it’s nice to turn to romances where you know eventually the hero and heroine will find their happily-ever-after. Such is the case for Avery and Jillian in Sprinkled with Love, but their journey is not without a few twists, turns and bumps.

I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Tule team with my Montana Born debut, Sprinkled with Love. Take a bachelor bake-off, one ornery cowboy and a matchmaking cat and it made for a really fun book to write. And did I mention the delicious cookies, pies and cakes. Oh my!

Speaking of cookies, yes, I did bake a batch of the Montana Cowboy Cookies. After all, you do have to make sacrifices for your art, right? And I didn’t hear the husband complaining when he helped me eat them. ;-)

I hope you enjoy Sprinkled with Love as much as I enjoyed writing it. And just remember, it’s calorie-free. ;-)

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Now living her dream, she resides with her very patient husband, amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats. When she’s not plotting out her next romance, you can find her curled up with a mug of tea and a book.

Delicious recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite Tule authors.

* KC Crocker, you have won a free ebook of your choice! Please email info@thetulegroup.com to claim your prize. *

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (8 oz) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) white sugar
• 1 cup (8 oz) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups (about 18 oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 packets choc chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and sugars until uniform. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Add flour and baking powder; beat until smooth. Add choc chips.
3. For best results, refrigerate the lot for 1-2 hours.
4. Dollop lumps of dough onto a baking tray lined with foil, leaving 2 inches between.
5. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until golden, and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Kate Hardy is the award-winning author of more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Entangled and Tule Publishing.

She lives in Norwich in the east of England with her husband, two teenage children, a springer spaniel called Byron, and too many books to count. She’s a bit of a science and history nerd who loves cinema, the theatre, and baking (which is why you’ll find her in the gym five mornings a week – oh, and to ballroom dancing lessons). She loves doing research, especially if it means something hands-on and exploring. (That’s how the ballroom dancing started…)