Nancy Naigle has some news...

Small-town baker, Kelly, gets a big surprise when she is invited to compete on a Valentine's Day baking show in New York City - and an even bigger surprise when she runs into her ex-fiance.

Starring Erin Cahill and Brendan Penny.

PREMIERING Saturday February 15 9:00 PM/8c

Wednesday February 19 10:00 PM/9c

Saturday February 22 7:00 PM/6c

Sunday February 23 2:00 PM/1c

Tuesday February 25 4:00 PM/3c

Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche

Almond Cake:

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk
• 2¼ cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ tsp. almond extract
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond meal flour
• 1½ tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. canola oil

Vanilla Honey Glaze:

• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon zest, fresh
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 4 tbsp. half and half cream

Mascarpone Crème Fraiche:

• 3 (8-oz.) packages mascarpone, room temperature
• 1¼ cups crème fraiche
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract

• As needed, sliced toasted almonds
• As needed, fresh mint sprigs
• As needed  whole Starwberries 

Directions:
Yield: 1 Three-Layer Cake
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes

1. To prepare cakes: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan; spray with cooking spray.

2. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine buttermilk, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract in bowl and mix until fully blended. With a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of bowl.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Add to buttermilk mixture and beat on low until fully blended. Scrape down sides of bowl.

4. Slowly add oil to buttermilk/flour mixture and beat on medium-low until fully blended.

5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; invert on wire rack to release cakes.

6. To prepare glaze: combine honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, confectioner’s sugar and half and half in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Brush tops and sides of warm cakes evenly with glaze. Cool cakes completely. (If making cakes ahead, wrap tightly and freeze.)

7. To prepare mascarpone crème fraiche: combine mascarpone, crème fraiche, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.

8. To assemble cake: place first cake on cake pedestal or serving plate. Spread about ¼ of mascarpone crème fraiche over top of cake. Top with second cake layer. Spread about ¼ of mascarpone crème fraiche over top of cake. Top with third cake layer. Spread about ¼ of mascarpone crème fraiche over top of cake. Spread remaining ¼ of mascarpone crème fraiche on sides of cake to make a light crumb coating. Using a bench scraper or cake spatula, lightly scrape top and sides of cake to remove excess mascarpone crème fraiche forming a smooth surface.

Get ready to fall in love with Bailey's Fork all over again. I've seen the early cut of the movie and it is so wonderful!

The settings are perfect and Erin Cahill and Brendan Penny make the perfect Kelly and Andrew.

You're going to love all the back stage scenes and Maneet Chauhan, who has been a judge on Chopped! on the Food Network, is the host of the Four Square show in this movie. Re-read the book so you'll recognize the changes. 

Mark the dates on your calendar right now, and tell your friends!

Let's make the cake and get together to watch this movie together. Shout out to my sweet friend Nancy. How many Hallmark books and Hallmark movies does this make?

PREMIERING Saturday February 15 9:00 PM/8c

Wednesday February 19 10:00 PM/9c

Saturday February 22 7:00 PM/6c

Sunday February 23 2:00 PM/1c

Tuesday February 25 4:00 PM/3c

The Christmas Club By Barbara Hinske GIVEAWAY!

Verna Lind expects Christmas of 1952 to be the best holiday she’s had since the war ended. But as she’s leaving the bank, a frigid wind off Lake Erie catches her hard-earned Christmas club savings, whisking the bills into the busy streets of downtown Cleveland and devastating her plans. Strangers come to her aid, though no one anticipates the power of their chance encounter or the seeds of happiness Verna’s lost money will sow. From Barbara Hinske, best-selling author of the Rosemont series, comes this heartwarming Christmas tale celebrating the generosity of the human spirit and the irresistible pull of love — an instant holiday classic for admirers of It’s a Wonderful Life and The Gift of the Magi.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Club-Barbara-Hinske/dp/0996274731/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1575085966&sr=8-1

Barbara Hinske is an attorney who recently left the practice of law to pursue her career as a full-time novelist. She inherited the fiction gene from her father who wrote mysteries when he retired and told her a story every night of her childhood. Barbara is the bestselling author of the beloved ‘Rosemont’ series.

She and her husband share their own Rosemont with two adorable and spoiled dogs. She is besotted with decorating, entertaining, cooking and gardening. Now that her novel The Christmas Club has been made into a Hallmark Channel movie, she is completely star-struck and thrilled to have her work on the screen.

Praise for Coming to Rosemont:

"In a category that doesn't often feature felonious crimes as a main plot point, it's somewhat surprising to see this title -- with corruption, fraud, and arson coursing through the story -- in a list of top performers. But with enough twists and turns to hook any reader's attention, an adorable dog on the cover, and some classic women's fiction tropes, Coming To Rosemont delivered more than enough firepower to win over our readers!" BookBub's Best: Women's Fiction (#4)

"In this series opener, Hinske immerses readers in a delightful small town....The joys of the tale come from the warm relationships and the story of a woman getting a second chance at life and love." Publishers Weekly (BookLife)

You can find out more by visiting www.barbarahinske.com.
Connect via FB, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, and check out images of Rosemont and places from the book on Pinterest. 

My Thoughts...

Would you give all your money to a perfect stranger? A Romance meant to be. Such a great book. Christmas and all the warm fuzzy feels. You get it all in this book.

The book is not the same as the Hallmark Movie. So be sure to read the book before watching the Hallmark movie.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.