In Hot Fudge Murder by Cynthia Baxter, owner Kate McKay serves a steady stream of delicious ice cream treats and utterly divine toppings to patrons of the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe in New York’s Hudson Valley. This hot fudge sauce is fantastic not only on ice cream, but also on scones, pound cake, strawberries, or bananas, for a chocolate fondue . . . in fact, there’s probably not a single food that couldn’t be improved by dipping it in hot fudge sauce!
TEA PAIRING
Pair this captivating read with a cup of Keemun black tea. This sumptuous tea was first produced in the 19th century. It is one of China’s most well-known teas. It is a light tea with characteristic stone fruit and slightly smoky notes in the aroma and a gentle, malty, non-astringent taste reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa. Top varieties have orchid-like fragrance and additional floral notes in the flavor.
- 2 sticks of butter
- ⅓ to ½ cup cocoa powder (Be sure to use a better-quality cocoa powder like Ghirardelli.)
- 2½ cups sugar
- 1 can of evaporated milk (12 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- A pinch of salt
- In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the butter, cocoa, sugar, and evaporated milk.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and let it boil for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend it for about 3 minutes.
- It is best served immediately, but after cooling it, it can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated right before using.
ABOUT HOT FUDGE MURDER
Just six weeks after the grand opening of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe, owner Kate McKay has been enlisted to whip up sundaes at the most decadent soiree in the Hudson Valley. If only Kate knew how deadly sticky her sweet deal will turn out . . .
Once Kate arrives at a glamorous gala hosted by world-famous fashion designer Omar DeVane, she’s instantly intimidated by the mogul’s luxurious mansion and the frosty personalities of his handlers. But the party completely loses its flavor when guests follow screams to a room that’s eerily empty—except for Omar’s freshly murdered body.
While the headline-grabbing crime brings a steady stream of journalists to the sleepy village of Wolfert’s Roost, Kate knows things won’t return to normal until Omar’s killer is brought to justice. And with the scandalous case driving customers away from Lickety Splits, she has no choice but to put down the ice cream scooper and expose the culprit on her own.
As Kate crashes high-profile photo shoots and mingles with fashion’s biggest influencers in search of clues, the puzzling truth about Omar’s fame and fortune rises to the surface—and with it, the key to his killer’s twisted motive. Kate will have to navigate the celebrity lifestyle to save her fledgling business, but her attempts to freeze cold-hearted criminals in their tracks could lead to a double scoop of deadly trouble.
Get your copy of HOT FUDGE MURDER by Cynthia Baxter HERE!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cynthia Baxter is the author of fifty-three novels. Her books have been translated into German, Swedish, and Danish. Born and raised on Long Island, she currently resides on Long Island, New York. Her favorite ice cream flavors are Peach, Coconut, and Chocolate Hazelnut. Readers can visit her website at CynthiaBaxter.com.
