Mix Up Some Romance Blog Hop

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Mix Up Some Romance Blog Hop.

Ah fall. This is my favorite time of year and the best time to be in the kitchen baking up goodies. Why? Heats up the house without any extra effort. :D At this time of year when the weather is heading toward cold, sometimes the simple act of baking and cooking leads to healing of both heart and body. It's the case in my paranormal romance, The Beltane Witch, where a little magic, mayhem, and motherhood can ease anyone's heart.

I love baking so today I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes (and Mr. SM drools each time I make these).

RECIPE: CHOCOLATE CHIP KISS COOKIES

•  48 Hershey's Kisses (I use the Special Dark, but any kind of Kisses will do)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter or margarine, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
• Chocolate Drizzle, recipe follows (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Remove rappers from Kisses.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until well-blended.
3. Add flour to butter mixture and blend until smooth. Stir in small chocolate chips.
4. Mold teaspoon's worth of dough around each chocolate Kiss, covering completely. Roll between hands into a ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I usually put them on foil).
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for two minutes, then remove from sheet to a wire rack and cool completely. Makes 48 cookies.

This is where I usually stop since the drizzle is extra and not necessary for the deliciousness of the cookies. But if you'd like to add it:
 
Directions for Chocolate Drizzle:

• Place 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl.
• Microwave at Medium (50%) for 30 seconds, stir.
• Microwave at Medium an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies.

Can you imagine eating these things with your lover? Should cure all ills. ;) And speaking of ills, check out this excerpt of magic, mayhem, and motherhood.

EXCERPT of The Beltane Witch

“What preparations do you usually make?” Darius sipped his tea as if they’d shared breakfast hundreds of times.

Sabrina rubbed her head and tried to think. “Give me a moment. My head still hurts.”

“How much?”

“Sorry?”

“How much does it hurt?” He set down his mug and stood, reaching for her head.

“More of a dull ache than anything. Oohhhh…”

The moment he touched her, comfort and heat permeated her skull and soothed the pain. She hadn’t realized how much it hurt until he relieved it. She relaxed her shoulders and leaned into his warm hands, grateful the pain had stopped.

At last he stood back and tipped her chin up. Sabrina reluctantly opened her eyes.

“Better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Darius smiled the same sincere smile she’d seen the day before. “You are welcome.”

Damn, she wanted to fall into those eyes, let him tell her everything would be all right and believe him. Why can’t life be so easy? But she knew better. She’d be alone again in a few days.

Sabrina jerked her attention back to the subject at hand. “Okay, what I usually do is make sure there’s enough firewood for the fire, attach the ribbons to the May Pole, and make two dozen Deviled Eggs.”

“Eggs seem like an odd feast item for a fertility ritual of the Goddess.”

“Maybe, but they taste so good and we have to do something with all those eggs from Easter.”

Darius raised his eyebrow. “You celebrate Easter?”

“Yes, at least dyeing the eggs and hiding them for the girls. And we have baskets full of goodies to enjoy.”

“Oh? What’s in your basket, Sabrina?”

The way he said her name sent fire into inappropriate places. Her pussy tingled and her heartbeat sped up. What is wrong with me? All he did was say my name.

She cleared her throat and sucked down her tea to buy some time. “I prefer chocolate and essential oils, but sometimes all I get are jellybean eggs.”

He leaned toward her, his gaze smoldering, and some part of her wondered how the morning had gone from comfortable to sexy. “I’d be happy pack your basket with chocolate and essential oils, Sabrina. I find it very endearing you choose to celebrate all the holidays.” His gaze dropped to her lips and her pussy clenched.

Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.

Darius tilted his head and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. A small smile curled his lips as he cupped her cheek with his hand and drew her to him.

Darius brushed his lips against hers and her arousal hit the ceiling. He tasted of crisp autumn mornings, her favorite time of year, and she wanted to fall into his sweet flavor. She would have kept kissing if she hadn’t heard the furnace rattle and the girls loudly discussing who would put which wreath where. Reality intruded and Sabrina jerked back, her face hot.

Darius wore a similar dazed expression and they stared at each other for a few moments, trying to recollect their thoughts.

What am I doing? He’s a seductive player, a gigolo, and all he wants from me is to do the rituals. None of this is real.

“What are you doing?”

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So there you have it. Now for the good parts. The Grand Prize is the KitchenAid mixer for all your cooking and baking needs, and you must sign up through the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. In addition, I'm offering a $10 Amazon gift card to a random commenter. To enter to win, please leave your Twitter handle or email address along with a comment answering this question: What is your favorite autumn baked treat?

You must be 18 years or older to win, and the mixer is only available to US residents. If you live outside the US and your name is drawn, you'll be awarded $100 Amazon gift card instead. Please void where prohibited. The drawing closes at 11:59 Eastern US Time October 10th 2014. To get to the other blogs on this hop, follow the link below. Good luck and happy reading! :)

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