Nancy Lee Badger: Maple & Butterscotch Scones

With Every Kiss , an Opportunity Falls novel, was released November 3rd. The idea for this contemporary romance grew from my personal experience growing up on Long Island in the shadow of New York City, then moving to the mountains of New Hampshire. I set the story in both Manhattan and fictional Fairfield, New Hampshire, and send the main characters on a wild chase. Abby, an artist, is bored with the city and its uptight men, while Mitch, the lawyer, hates working in his father’s company. Abby needs someplace where she can paint flowers and waterfalls. Mitch needs to bed the pretty blond artist. While waiting for her to fall for the hints he left, so that she ends up at his aunt and uncle’s campground, Mitch enjoys his Aunt Thalia’s delicious Scottish foods. One of his favorites are her sweet Scottish scones. I want to share this easy, quick recipe with my readers.
Recipe for Nancy’s Maple & Butterscotch Scones
Ingredients:2 cups all-purpose flour1 Tablespoon baking powder¾ teaspoon salt1/3 cup packed brown sugar1 stick (½ cup) chilled unsalted butter1 cup (8 oz.) butterscotch chips½ cup chilled whipping creamReal New Hampshire Maple Syrup
Directions:Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃/GasMark #6. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Dice the butter and mix in with either your fingers or a pastry blender until small peas forms. Mix in chips with a fork. Measure the ½ cream, add the egg, and mix. Add slowly into the dry mixture, stirring with a fork. The dough should be lumpy and stick together. If dry, add a little more cream. Drop the dough on a baking sheet (I always line mine with parchment paper) in balls. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted comes out clean, about 10-14 minutes, depending on size. Don’t overbake or they will be dry! Remove to a rack, cool slightly. Brush tops with maple syrup. Makes about 14-16 scones. Enjoy! *
*p.s. I shared a plate of these with fellow members of my local writer group, the Triangle Association of Freelancers 


Excerpt from With Every Kiss: an Opportunity Falls novel
“It’s near dinner time. Most of our guests are settled in, so let’s get back to the office. We can take my golf cart. You drive,” Uncle Jim said, instructing Mitch to park out front. “Fridays get a bit noisy. I drive around about ten o’clock and ask the rambunctious ones to tone it down.”They joined his Aunt Thalia in the kitchen. The mouth-watering aroma of baked lasagna hit him in the stomach, which growled accordingly. He headed toward a pot of fresh coffee, but another aroma, strangely reminiscent of past summers, tickled his nose.“Do I smell Scottish scones?” He hugged his Aunt the way he could no longer do with his own dead mother. She closed her eyes and he laughed at her obvious enjoyment within his embrace.“If you two wash up, I’ll serve your dinner then maybe, if you are good and clean your plates, I’ll let you try my scones. I also made some apple fritters for breakfast. I sleep in Saturday, remember, so breakfast isn’t until eight.” She turned and cut squares of reheated lasagna and placed them on plates. Mitchell grabbed two bottles of beer and sank into a chair at the kitchen table. A thumping from the dark recesses made him reach down to pet Frik.“I’ll take Frik with me, and we can walk around the grounds at dusk.” Maybe he’d find the slim blonde in the blue bathing suit. Or, the woman in the baseball cap. Weary from another day of hard labor, his plan sounded better than hitting the new tavern, even on a Friday night.“Sounds like a plan, son.” Damn right.
Retail: Ebook-$5.99   Print-$12.99   300 pagesRelease Date: November 3, 2017Genre: Contemporary Romance/Action     Ebook ISBN: 9781386561064Print ISBN-13: 978-1974641352
Buy Links:Amazon     Amazon UK     Amazon CAN  Amazon AUS    iBooks     NOOK     Kobo 
Author BioNancy Lee Badger, formerly of Huntington, New York, has fond memories of growing up on Long Island. Her life changed when she attended college in New Hampshire. After meeting her husband at Plymouth State, and raising two handsome sons, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers.