Jennifer Moorman's Blog, page 27

Cooking Through Fiction: Frankenstein's Cake

When most people hear the name Frankenstein, they immediately imagine the monster depicted in the movies. The tall, grotesquely built lump of flesh given life by whom….? Victor Frankenstein.


Frankenstein isn’t the monster stitched together with human remains; he’s the monster’s creator. After reading the novel many times and even watching the movies, I think people are right in thinking that Frankenstein isthe monster in Mary Shelley’s novel, but only if they’re referring to Victor. He becomes...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Critters

  [image error]
If you’re passing through Mystic Water on a Tuesday, you should stop by Bea’s Bakery. On Tuesdays, Anna creates a few animal-themed treats that the after-school kids love as well as the adults.
[image error]
Feeling tired? Out of sorts? Heart-weary? Anna has a cure for you on Tuesdays. She makes turtles and bears and critters, oh my! Customers in need of a boost of happiness buy dozens of turtles (chocolate-covered pecans) every Tuesday. Those who need peace in their weary hearts buy bears (chocolate-covered walnuts).
But sometimes customers need peace, happiness, andenergy. Anna prescribes half a dozen critters as the remedy. For those who need an extra dose, purchase an even dozen.

Chocolat...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Chocolate Hazelnut & Peanut Butter Cream Donuts

[image error] I love surprises (of the good variety), but it’s difficult to surprise me. I tend to pick up on people’s shifty behavior, and I seem to know when something amiss is afoot. I don’t like to ruin surprises, honest, but if you keep acting weird around me because you’re trying to surprise me, I’ll figure it out. Your goal: play it cool, and I won’t notice a thing!

Anna, Mystic Water’s baker extraordinaire, oversleeps one morning and wakes to the smell of donuts cooking. She runs downstairs to her b...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes

[image error]
Most people have Saturday rituals, such as two cups of coffee before breakfast, reading the newspaper at the table, or sitting on the back porch watching cardinals.


I like to sleep past 6:00 a.m. (what a rebel!), think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast, and relish being a rebel who sleeps past 6:00 a.m.


Others like to rush to Bea’s Bakery on Saturdays because it’s a chocolate lover’s fest. If I lived in Mystic Water, this is exactly what I’d do on Saturdays. I’d probably find a corner booth by the window and people watch while stuffing my face full of sweets.

“Saturdays meant a hodgepodge of chocolate treats—chocolate peppermint cocoa, chocolate flavored coffees, éclairs, tarts, turtles, truffles, cookies, fudge, and mini cakes. Chocoholics came in on Saturdays just to indulge.” (The Baker’s Man, p. 79)

I’ve heard that a case of the lonelys can be cured by eating a stack of double chocolate chip pancakes. I’ll have two orders please, thank you very much.
[image error]
Double Chocolate Chip PancakesServes: 10 pancakesLevel of Difficulty: easy as eating two pancakes in less than a minute
IngredientsFor pancakes:1⅓c all-purpose flour3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder2 tsp baking powder¼ c sugar¼ tsp salt3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted1 tsp vanilla1¼ c unsweetened almond milk½ c dark chocolate almond milk1 egg½ c miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
For chocolate sauce:¾ c heavy whipping cream1 tsp butter1 c miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
How to MakeFor the p...

Cooking Through Fiction: Percy's Blue Cheesecake

[image error]
When I need comfort, there are a few items or activities that spring to mind. Just to name a few: 1) my twin-size Mickey Mouse quilt that used to be on my dorm bed in college; 2) my too-big Northwestern sweatshirt with frayed arm cuffs; 3) a long walk in nature; 4) laughing with friends and family; and 5) watching one of my favorite romantic comedies.

Food offers comfort of its own. For me, nothing quite beats a home-cooked southern meal. And then there’s homemade pizza. And melty double choco...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": American Flag Cake

[image error]
There are a couple of events to celebrate this week. First, the US Men’s National Team faces Belgium in Round of 16 at 2014 FIFA World Cup. Go USA!

The second event to celebrate is my birthday. Happy Independence Day America (and happy birthday me)! What better way to celebrate than with cake?
If I was a character in The Baker’s Manand I lived in Mystic Water, Anna and I would be great friends. This might be because we have a lot in common or because I would be a constant patron at her bak...

Cooking Through Fiction: Son of Neptune Spaghetti

[image error] I’m a sucker for happy endings and unlikely heroes who bring these happy endings. I like when the underdog wins. I release a happy sigh when the boy gets the girl or vice versa. I especially enjoy when someone doesn’t believe he or she has the stuff that heroes are made of, only to discover by story’s end that he or she is, in fact, the one who saves the day.

[image error] In Son of Neptune (a story that takes place in a continuation of the world created by Rick Riordan in the Percy Jackson series), Percy Jackson has amnesia. He can’t remember anything about his life but Annabeth. He ends up in a Roman camp for demigods, and instead of being the son of Poseidon (a Greek god), he becomes known as the son of Neptune.
Percy meets two friends (unlikely heroes), Frank Zhang, a son of Mars, and Hazel Levesque, a daughter of Pluto. The three of them go on a quest to fr...

Little Blackbird Blackberry Pie

[image error]
In celebration of publishing my second novel, Little Blackbird, I made a special pie just for Kate (and her friends, if she wants to share).

Growing up is difficult for most of us, and accepting ourselves sometimes doesn’t happen for years (and oftentimes well-past our teenage struggles). Kate Muir isn’t like others her age. She can see the future, but she’s been forbidden to change what she sees—no matter what.

But will Kate change what she sees? Will she finally make friends and find love? An...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Oreo Brownies

[image error]
Have a case of the doldrums? Feeling blah or blech or blah-blech (not a real word, but definitely a real feeling)? Lost the pep in your step? Staring out windows? Zoning out? There is a remedy! Rejoin the living!
At Bea’s Bakery in The Baker’s Man, you will find various panaceas for what ails you. If you need to get your groove back, the best choice would be Anna’s Oreo brownies, which are guaranteed to put a smile on your face, a shake in your hips, and a twinkle in your eye.
These Oreo browni...

Little Blackbird Giveaway!

.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !...