In Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves, Jake and Ellie yearn for an escape from the relentless bakery ovens amidst the bustling tourist season. Little did they know, their summer plans would take an unexpected turn when Sally Coates, convinced her husband was murdered, seeks their help in uncovering the truth behind his disappearance. Unravel this chilling mystery while enjoying these Chocolate Raspberry Scones.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- ¾ cup chocolate chips, divided
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture. (This will seem hopeless at first, but carry on bravely, cutting the butter and floury mixture together over and over until the bits are about the size of small corn kernels.) Stir in raspberries and ½ cup chocolate chips.
- In a small bowl, stir together cream and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture, stirring until combined and a shaggy and floury dough forms.
- Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and “squoosh” it together with both hands 5 or 6 times until it holds together well. Shape dough into a ball, put it on a floured surface, and use the rolling pin to roll it out into an 8-inch circle. Using a butter knife, cut dough circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges, evenly spaced, on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake scones until lightly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack.
- When scones are mostly cool, melt remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Drizzle tops of scones with melted chocolate.
Summer guests are eager to sink their teeth into the tantalizing desserts Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White serve at their bakeshop in the island village of Eastport, Maine. But attracting the wrong kind of attention can be deadly . . .
With the August heat strong enough to melt solid chocolate into syrup, Jake and Ellie crave a break from the bakery ovens, despite tourist season promising a sweet payday. But they never envisioned spending the last weeks of summer drifting around Passamaquoddy Bay searching for pirate’s treasure—and a dead body.
Sally Coates believes her husband was murdered off the coast and begs Ellie, a trusted childhood friend, to locate his remains. It’s unusual that a skilled fisherman would vanish along with the gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. And Sally isn’t the only one coveting the valuable heirloom for her own.
As Jake and Ellie island-hop for answers, they find themselves caught between hungry sharks and hungrier suspects. Can the duo tempt fate and dodge danger before there’s blood in the water—or are they destined to fall into the jaws of a killer’s trap?
Sarah Graves is the USA Today best-selling author of the Death by Chocolate Mysteries, the Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery Series, and the Lizzie Snow suspense novels. Much like Jake Tiptree, the sleuth who stars in her cozy mysteries, she lives in a 200-year-old house in Eastport, Maine. When she’s not cooking or baking something delectable (or writing about it), she tends a huge garden or shovels snow, depending upon the season. Follow Sarah Graves on Facebook at facebook.com/SarahGraves2011
