5 Killer Recipes from Josi Kilpack’s Culinary Mysteries

We love these 5 "killer" recipes from Josi Kilpack's culinary mystery novels--they're simply "to die for!"

From Blackberry Crumble; contributed by Michelle C. Jefferies

1½ cups mayonnaise

1½ cups sour cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ onion, diced

1 clove garlic, mashed

1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 round loaf artisan bread

Preheat oven to 350° F. In large bowl, combine all ingredients except bread. Hollow out round loaf of artisan bread. Set aside removed bread to use later. Spoon dip into hollowed out bread loaf and bake on cookie sheet 40 minutes. When done, use removed bread to eat dip. Makes 4 servings.

Get these and other delicious recipes in Josi Kilpack’s culinary mystery cookbook compilation,Sadie’s Little Black Recipe Book, available at Deseret Book stores and deseretbook.com.

From Baked Alaska; contributed by Debi Hanas and Shirley Solaas

2 cups salmon, cooked and flaked (not

smoked; directions below)

5 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled

and cubed (peel half, if desired)

3–4 bacon strips, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 celery ribs, diced

2 quarts milk

4 cups chicken stock

¼ cup dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

¾ cup butter

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350° F. Put salmon fillet in greased, shallow baking dish. Sprinkle fish with olive oil and salt. Bake 15–20 minutes

or until thickest part of salmon flakes easily with fork. Place potatoes in large pan, cover with salted water, and bring to boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain in colander and set aside. (Do not return potatoes to original pot.)

In pot used for potatoes, sauté bacon on medium-high heat until it just begins to crisp. Add onion and celery and sauté until vegetables are tender. Add milk, chicken stock, parsley, salt, and pepper. Heat through, but do not boil after adding milk. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly 1 minute, allowing to brown slightly. Add whipping cream slowly and stir constantly until thickened. Do not burn. Add flour-cream mixture into soup, stirring constantly. Add cooked potatoes and salmon. Let simmer 10 minutes, until soup is thick. Keep on low heat. Makes 20 servings.

Tips: A touch of mustard brings out the flavor of the salmon, and canned salmon works in a pinch. Substituting chicken, turkey, ham, or corn for the salmon creates a variety of chowders.

Get these and other delicious recipes in Josi Kilpack’s culinary mystery cookbook compilation,Sadie’s Little Black Recipe Book, available at Deseret Book stores and deseretbook.com.

From Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Filling

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 11×15-inch jelly roll pan and line bottom with parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone baking mat. Beat eggs in medium mixing bowl. Add sugar; mix well. Add pumpkin; mix well. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan (mixture will be thick). Smooth out as evenly as possible. Bake 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, spread out large dish towel on counter. Sprinkle with ¼ cup powdered sugar. After removing cake from oven, immediately turn cake out onto the sugar-coated towel. Remove parchment, wax paper, or silicone mat from bottom of cake. Roll cake and towel up together the long way. Put towel-rolled cake on a cooling rack and let cool at least 30 minutes.

While cake is cooling, make filling by beating cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well. When cake has cooled at least 30 minutes, carefully unroll it from the towel. (It’s okay if it cracks.) Spread with room-temperature cream cheese filling. Re-roll cake without the towel. Put cake on platter and cover. Refrigerate until serving—at least 1 hour, though 3 hours is best. Cake freezes well for up to 2 months when wrapped tightly in foil. Serve chilled or frozen. Makes 14 servings.

Get these and other delicious recipes in Josi Kilpack’s culinary mystery cookbook compilation,Sadie’s Little Black Recipe Book, available at Deseret Book stores and deseretbook.com.

From Devil’s Food Cake; contributed by Marle Schofield

1 cup sour milk (1 cup milk plus 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice) or 1 cup buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda 

For sour milk, mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 9×13-inch pan or two 8-inch round pans. In large bowl, mix together all ingredients except water and baking soda. Mix until batter is smooth. Add soda to boiling water, and then add mixture to batter. Mix well. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35–45 minutes or until middle is set. Let cake cool 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar or frost with your favorite frosting. Makes 12 servings.

Get these and other delicious recipes in Josi Kilpack’s culinary mystery cookbook compilation, Sadie’s Little Black Recipe Book, available at Deseret Book stores and deseretbook.com.

From English Trifle; contributed by Whit Larsen

Cookies

2 cups butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups cornstarch

Lemon Glaze

4 tablespoons butter, softened

¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ to 1/3 cup lemon juice

2½ cups powdered sugar

For cookies: Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour and cornstarch and beat until well combined. Do not refrigerate. Roll dough by hand into 1-inch balls, placing cookies about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes until bottom edges are light brown. Cool on wire racks before frosting with lemon glaze. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. For glaze: In medium bowl, combine butter, zest, juice, and sugar. Mix well. Place wax paper beneath cookies and drizzle on glaze.

Tip: For best results when juicing fresh lemons, choose a large lemon and roll it on the counter for a minute before juicing. Zest only the yellow part of the lemon peel; the white portion leaves a bitter taste.

Get these and other delicious recipes in Josi Kilpack’s culinary mystery cookbook compilation, Sadie’s Little Black Recipe Book, available at Deseret Book stores and deseretbook.com.