Tag Archives: love at the icicle cafe

Time for Something Sweet! Check out Denise Wheatley’s Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe!

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

Happy holidays! My name is Denise N. Wheatley, and I am here to share with you one of my favorite dessert recipes—Denise’s Darling Christmas Sugar Cookies. But before I do that, here’s a bit about me:

I love the art of storytelling and happily ever afters, and published my first romance novel in 2004. Since then I have written (and ghostwritten) over twenty books. I signed with Tule Publishing in 2019 and wrote A Fearless Fairytale series, along with two holiday novels, Christmas in Full Bloom and Love at the Icicle Café

The Christmas season is by far my favorite time of the year as I love spending it with family. We gather together to share fond memories while preparing delicious recipes. For me, that’s my beloved sugar cookies. 

My joy of baking inspired Love at the Icicle Café. The book centers around a cozy café known for its savory dishes and delicious desserts. I grew up with a mother who also loved to bake, so writing a story filled with vivid descriptions of yummy treats was an absolute pleasure.

Denise’s Darling Buttercream Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies

Today I’ll be sharing details on how to prepare these buttercream frosted lemon sugar cookies, topped with red and green sparkling sugar. For this recipe, you’ll need:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature 
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon extract
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 3 cups of flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • Sparkling red and green sugar

How to prepare:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
  3. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined.
  4. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour
  5. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick, cut with holiday-shaped cookie cutters
  6. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet, then place cookies on top
  7. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned

While the cookies are baking, prepare the frosting. Below are the ingredients and instructions:

  • 2 cups of confectionery sugar
  • 1/2 stick of salted butter, room temperature 
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  1. Mix the ingredients together with a beater until light and fluffy 
  2. Ready to use!

Once your cookies have cooled, ice them, sprinkle the sugar on top, and enjoy!

– Denise

I do hope that you’ll try this recipe during the holiday season and enjoy spending time with your loved ones. If you would like to stay connected with me, here’s how:

Tule Publishing Author Page  |  TikTok  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  My Blog

LOVE AT THE ICICLE CAFÉ: Release day blog post featuring Denise N. Wheatley

Hello everyone, and happy holidays! I am so excited for my Christmas release, Love at the Icicle Café. One of the most common questions I’m asked by both readers and fellow authors is what inspired me to write the novel. There are several factors that went into shaping this story, and I’d love to share them with you!

First off, I love Christmastime. I’m that girl who’s putting up decorations way too early, shopping for gifts in the summertime, watching all the holiday movies, and listening to festive music as soon as the leaves turn colors. So for those reasons alone, I was inspired to write Love at the Icicle Café.

As I began plotting out the book, I decided to pen a story that celebrates love, family and friendship. I wanted to create characters who appear to have it all figured out, when in reality they’re experiencing some real life challenges.

The novel is based in Gosberg, which is a magical little fictitious town located in Germany. I was inspired to create this snowy village by my father, who was stationed in Germany when he served in the U.S. Army. The stories he shared about the wonderful people he met while there helped shape the town’s community.

There are messages in Love at the Icicle Café that I hope will resonate with readers. The characters affirm that it’s never too late to pursue a passion, chase a dream, or go after a lost love. My wish is that their journeys will leave readers feeling encouraged and fulfilled.

Thank you for allowing me to share the things that inspired Love at the Icicle Café. I hope you enjoy reading this sweet holiday romance as much as I enjoyed writing it!

 

Denise N. Wheatley is a lover of happily-ever-afters and the art of storytelling. She has written (and ghostwritten) numerous novels and novellas that run the romance gamut, from contemporary to paranormal, sweet to steamy. Denise strives to pen entertaining stories that embody matters of the heart, while creating characters who are strong, colorful and relatable.

She is an RWA member and received a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the city where she was born and raised. When Denise is not sitting behind a computer, you can find her in a movie theater, on a tennis court, watching true crime television or chatting on social media.