#MidweekMystery and Author Interview: Murder on Tour by V. M. Burns


Murder on Tour

Bookstore owner and Michigander Samantha Washington is thrilled to see her debut historical mystery finally on the shelves, but a killer seems determined to steal away the spotlight . . .

While Sam wraps up her first whirlwind book tour, Nana Jo has kept Market Street Mysteries running smoothly. The last stop is a prestigious book festival in Sam’s hometown of North Harbor, Michigan. But not everyone thinks the guest of honor, bestselling author Judith Hunter, deserves stellar reviews. Sam witnesses nasty arguments between Judith and two different authors—who accuse her of plagiarism and sabotage . . .

When a publicist is poisoned during a cocktail reception, Sam wonders if the killer missed the intended target. It’s a twist that echoes the plot of Sam’s mystery, Murder at Wickfield Lodge. But fact can be stranger—and deadlier—than fiction. How much collateral damage is the killer willing to risk? With feisty Nana Jo and the girls from Shady Acres Retirement Village lending a hand, Sam tries to solve the case before the festival delivers another fatality . . .


Author Interview

Today we’re thrilled to have Valerie “V. M.” Burns to talk about her latest Mystery Bookshop mystery, Murder on Tour. As both a reader and writer of cozy mysteries, I especially enjoyed the book tour setting!

Valerie, can you tell us about the protagonist, Samantha?

Samantha Washington and her late husband Leon dreamed of quitting their jobs and opening a mystery bookshop. When Leon dies, Sam realizes that life is too short not to follow your dreams. So, she quits her job and she opens the bookstore. But, the bookstore was their shared dream. Sam also dreamed of writing British historical mysteries. Sam is now realizing the culmination of all of her dreams with the publication of her first mystery, Murder at Wickfield Lodge. Her life on tour as a published author is nothing like J.B. Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote. Still, Sam has found success with her bookstore and her writing. She has also opened her heart to love and is engaged. Life is good.

Is Samantha anything like you?

Samantha Washington dreamed of quitting her job and opening a mystery bookshop and writing British historical cozy mysteries because that’s my dream, too. We both have pushy older sisters. Plus, Sam and I both have two toy poodles.

So quite a bit in common then! Also I’d love to visit your mystery bookshop when it opens. How do you think you would you feel about Samantha if you met her in real life?

If I were to meet her in real life, I think we would be best friends.

Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean? 

YES! This is how I get my victims. Whenever someone makes me angry, I add them to the list of victims. I always change the names of the victims, but I leave the initials. I find it cathartic.

I’m definitely going to pay attention to the murder victims’ initials from now on. How about the setting of your story? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?

The Mystery Bookshop Mystery series is set in the fictional town of North Harbor, Michigan. North Harbor is based on the real town of Benton Harbor. Because North Harbor is a fictional town, I can take a lot of liberties to make the setting work for my books. I have, however, included many details about the setting which are true to life.

When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?

My dream cast would be Kerry Washington as Samantha Washington. Loretta Devine as Nana Jo. Taraji P. Henson as Jenna Rutherford, and Idris Elba or Djimon Hounsou as Frank Patterson.

What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?

The worst advice I’ve received is from well-meaning people who tell me to do XXX (e.g. follow a detailed plot, get up at 4am to write, follow the trends, etc.). There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to writing. In my opinion, each person should do what makes them happy. Creating a detailed outline does not make me happy. In fact, when I tried to force myself to follow what others told me to do, it sucked all of the joy out of writing. Every person is different. Know what works for you and do that.


About the Author

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award Finalist. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers of America, and Thriller Writers International. Valerie has a Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University, a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University. In addition to writing, Valerie works as a manager at a call center, and is also a mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwest Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles.

Author Links

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16534140.V_M_Burns

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/

Website:  vmburns.com

Purchase Links

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#MidweekMystery: Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by V. M. Burns


Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder

When Maddy Montgomery’s groom is a no-show to their livestream wedding, it’s a disaster that no amount of filtering can fix. But a surprise inheritance offers a chance to regroup and rebrand—as long as Maddy is willing to live in her late, great-aunt Octavia’s house in New Bison, Michigan, for a year, running her bakery and caring for a 250-pound English mastiff named Baby.

Maddy doesn’t bake, and her Louboutins aren’t made for walking giant dogs around Lake Michigan, but the locals are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka the Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge, including Octavia’s award-winning cake recipes. That is, until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife . . .

Something strange is going on in New Bison. It seems Aunt Octavia had her suspicions, too. But Maddy’s going to need a whole lot more than a trending hashtag to save her reputation—and her life.


About the Author

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is the author of the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. Her first book, The Plot is Murder, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Debut Novel. She is the author of the Dog Club Mystery Series, the RJ Franklin Mysteries, a three-time finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and an Edgar Award-nominated short story. Her newest series, Baker Street Mysteries, will release later this year, and her Pet Detective Mystery series will release in 2023. Valerie is on the board of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She is also a member of Dog Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, and International Thriller Writers. She is a manager for a Fortune 100 company and a mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie currently lives in the southeastern United States with her two poodles. Readers can visit her website at vmburns.com.

Author Links

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16534140.V_M_Burns

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vmburns

Website:  vmburns.com

Purchase Links

#MidweekMysteries from Cheryl Hollon and Colleen J. Shogan

Death a Sketch by Cheryl Hollon

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Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company in eastern Kentucky, where sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder. Death a Sketch is the new Paint & Shine mystery by @CherylHollon

Miranda’s business—combining Appalachian adventure tours with art and a bit of moonshine—is the perfect place for an outdoor sporting goods company to hold an employee retreat. It’ll be a challenge, but the money they’re paying will definitely help with building her new distillery.

Miranda has lots of teamwork-fostering activities planned, from sketching classes to Southern cooking, but the executive running things prefers a more competitive spirit. In fact, after the workers are split into teams, they’re told that only the winners will keep their jobs, and tensions begin to spike. Even after a participant is found dead, the contest continues—while Miranda starts drawing her own conclusions about the ambitious attendees. Now she just has to find the proof …

About the Author

Cheryl Hollon

Cheryl Hollon writes full-time after leaving an engineering career. She designed and built military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Now fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for oil painting and creating glass art. Cheryl and her husband live in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Visit her online at http://cherylhollon.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @CherylHollon.

Purchase Links

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound – Kensington 


Lethal Legacies: A Washington Whodunit by Colleen J. Shogan

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Congressional staffer Kit Marshall learns the hard way that history tends to repeat itself, often with deadly consequences. Lethal Legacies is the new Washington Whodunit mystery by Colleen Shogan @CShogan276

It’s springtime in Washington, D.C. and congressional staffer Kit Marshall has more on her plate than she can handle. With her boss campaigning for an open U.S. Senate seat, Kit is left to run the office in her absence and manage a new week long American history extravaganza filled with high-profile events, lectures, and receptions.

When the Director of the Capitol Visitor’s Center ends up dead, Kit springs into action to clear a longtime friend who becomes the prime suspect in the murder. With her best pal Meg pressuring her to solve the mystery quickly, Kit must figure out how to navigate her closest relationships while keeping an eye out for the diabolical killer.

About the Author

Colleen J. Shogan

Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at several universities and previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and as a senior executive at the Library of Congress. She is currently the Senior Vice President of the White House Historical Association.

Colleen lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Rob and their beagle mutt Conan.

Author Links

 Facebook –  Twitter – Website – Goodreads

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N 

#MidweekMystery: Four Cuts Too Many

Four Cuts Too Many
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Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in culinary school serves up a main corpse in Wheaton, Alabama . . .

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Four Cuts Too Many: A Sarah Blair Mystery

Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister’s restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life’s finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she’s considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah’s more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal.

Although she wouldn’t mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef’s position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah’s business rival—and her late ex-husband’s lover. But Grace’s future lands in hot water when the school’s director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend’s name, Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer . . .

Includes quick and easy recipes!

About the Author

Debra H. Goldstein

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (One Taste Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, Three Treats Too Many ). She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and IPPY winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place and Derringer Finalist Pig Lickin’ Good, have appeared in numerous publications. Debra serves on the national boards of SinC and MWA and is president of SEMWA.

Find out more about Debra and sign up for her newsletter . Follow her on Twitter, Bookbub, and Facebook.

Whole Latte Murder by Lena Gregory #MidweekMystery

Ex-New Yorker and local diner owner Gia Morelli is still getting used to the sweltering Florida sun. But this summer she’ll have to deal with a more dangerous kind of heat—when she’s hot on the trail of another murderer . . .

Summer in Boggy Creek has arrived, and Gia’s best friend, successful real estate agent Savannah, is getting hitched. Now she’s enlisted Gia’s sleuthing talents in a desperate search for the perfect wedding dress. But when Savannah mysteriously vanishes after showing a mansion to a bigwig client, Gia investigates the house Savannah was trying to sell. The first clue she finds is Savannah’s car in the driveway. Inside the house, they stumble on Savannah’s potential buyer—dead. Someone had apparently closed the deal—with a two by four full of nails to the client’s head. Soon afterward, a woman’s body is fished from the lake near the same house. The townsfolk are now sweating bullets over the murders, and the heat comes down on poor Gia to find her missing friend, and track down the killer . . .

Lena Gregory

About the Author

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest.
Visit her website and sign up for her newsletter.

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#MidweekMystery: A Tourist’s Guide to Murder by V. M. Burns

Interview with V.M. Burns

Aloha, and welcome to Island Confidential! I really enjoy your protagonist, Samantha Washington, and envy what I consider to be her dream career. Can you tell the readers a little bit about her?

Samantha Washington was a high school English teacher who dreamed that one day, she and her husband, would open a mystery shop. When her husband dies, she decides life is too short not to follow her dreams. She quits her job and opens the mystery bookshop. She also dreamed that she would write British historic cozy mysteries, which she does.

There is a lot of me in Sam. She dreams of quitting her job and opening a mystery bookshop and writing British historic cozies because that’s my dream. Unfortunately, I’m not courageous enough to go “all in” like Sam. So, there’s no mystery bookshop (yet).

But fortunately for us readers, there are the cozy mysteries! If you met your protagonist in real life, how do you think you and she would get along?

If I met Samantha Washington in real life, I think we’d hit it off. We’d probably spend hours drinking tea, eating sweets, and talking about mysteries.

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder is the 6th book in the Mystery Bookshop series. Has Samantha changed as the story has progressed, or has she stayed the same? On a scale of Kinsey Millhone to Amelia Peabody.

My characters evolve. When the series started with, The Plot is Murder, Sam was still grieving for her husband, and just starting out with the bookshop. Her desire to write British historic cozies was such a closely held secret, not even those closest to her knew about that dream Over the course of the series, she has gained confidence, her bookshop is thriving, she is sharing her writing with others, and she has opened up her heart to the possibility of love.

Have you ever contemplated killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of your books, I mean? 

Actually, I find it therapeutic to murder people I know (in the pages of my books). Whenever someone makes me angry, I kill them in my books. I change the names to protect the guilty, but I usually keep the same initials. My friends and coworkers read my books to see if they recognize themselves in the victim.

The book’s setting, North Harbor, Michigan, feels like a real place. Is it? I can’t find it on Google Maps.

North Harbor is based on the town of Benton Harbor, Michigan which is on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Southwestern corner of the state. People from the area will recognize the locale, so while I change the names, the setting is true to life.

When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major roles?

I’d love to see Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures) as Samantha Washington. When I first started writing the series, I envisioned Della Reese as Nana Jo, but unfortunately, she has died. However, I believe Jackée Harry would also do an amazing job in the role.

What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author

The best advice I’ve received is to write the book that will keep your butt in the seat. Writing takes time and unless the book is something you feel passionate about, you won’t finish. I’ve been fortunate and haven’t had a lot of bad advice, but the worst advice is when people believe there is only one right way to do things—theirs. Just because something works for one person, doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. I believe each writer needs to figure out what works for them, and do that. 


A Tourist’s Guide to Murder

Sam joins Nana Jo and her Shady Acres Retirement Village friends Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae on a weeklong trip to London, England, to experience the Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour. The chance to see the sights and walk the streets that inspired Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle is a dream come true for Sam—and a perfect way to celebrate her new publishing contract as a mystery author.

But between visits to Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel district and 221B Baker Street, Major Horace Peabody is found dead, supposedly of natural causes. Despite his employer’s unfortunate demise, the tour guide insists on keeping calm and carrying on—until another tourist on their trip also dies under mysterious circumstances. Now it’s up to Sam and the Shady Acres ladies to mix and mingle among their fellow mystery lovers, find a motive, and turn up a murderer . . .


About the Author

V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in the Midwestern United States. She currently resides in the warmer region of the country in East Tennessee with her two poodles. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. Valerie is the author of the RJ Franklin Mysteries, the Dog Club Mysteries, and the Agatha Award-nominated Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.

Author Links

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/burnsvm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vmburns

Website:  vmburns.com

Purchase Links

Apple –  Amazon – Google – Kobo – Nook –  BAM –  Bookshop.org –  Hudson Booksellers –  IndieBound –  Target 

#MidweekMystery: Three Treats Too Many

When a romantic rival opens a competing restaurant in small-town Wheaton, Alabama, Sarah Blair discovers murder is the specialty of the house . . .

Three Treats Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein
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Three Treats Too Many: A Sarah Blair Mystery

Sarah never expected to be co-owner of a restaurant. Even her Siamese cat, RahRah, seems to be looking at her differently. But while Sarah and her twin sister, Chef Emily, waiting for the building inspector to get around to them, an attention-stealing new establishment—run by none other than Sarah’s late ex-husband’s mistress, Jane—is having its grand opening across the street.

When Jane’s sous-chef is murdered, Sara’s friend becomes the prime suspect. Now Sarah must turn up the heat on the real culprit, who has no reservations about committing cold-blooded murder . . .

Includes quick and easy recipes!

About the Author

Debra H. Goldstein

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (One Taste Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, Three Treats Too Many ). She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and IPPY winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place and Derringer Finalist Pig Lickin’ Good, have appeared in numerous publications. Debra serves on the national boards of SinC and MWA and is president of SEMWA. Learn more at debrahgoldstein.com

#MidweekMystery Dressed Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton


Dressed Up 4 Murder

Last one standing is the winner . . .

The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie “Phee” Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona’s Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick’s Day—with the winner starring in the St. Pat’s Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor’s yard.

The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone’s targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer . . .

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J.C. Eaton

J.C. Eaton

The Sophie Kimball Mysteries

Meet Ann and Jim, Writing as J.C. Eaton
Ann I. Goldfarb
New York native Ann I. Goldfarb spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, along with her husband, James Clapp, they have authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries (Kensington), The Wine Trail Mysteries (Kensington Lyrical Underground), and the Marcie Rayner Mysteries (Camel). In addition, Ann has nine published YA time travel mysteries under her own name. James E. Clapp
When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife, Ann I. Goldfarb. Non-fiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching. Visit the website at www.jceatonmysteries.com and the blog at www.jceatonauthor.com
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#MidweekMystery: Brewed Awakening (A Coffeehouse Mystery) by Cleo Coyle and Bookmarked for Murder by V.M. Burns

Amateur sleuth Samantha Washington’s shopping trip to Chicago takes a deadly detour when a man is murdered on her bus . . .

Bookmarked for Murder (Mystery Bookshop) by V.M. Burns
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After some post-Christmas retail therapy in the Windy City, mystery bookshop owner and historical whodunit novelist Sam Washington is returning home to North Harbor, Michigan, on a chartered bus. With Nana Jo and her gal pals Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae from Shady Acres Retirement Village along for the ride, it’s a lively trip. But one passenger is not so lively—a gentleman Irma befriended is found dead in his seat after an unscheduled stop. The ladies immediately shift gears to find out who punched his ticket, while Sam slips into the driver’s seat to make sure Nana Jo and her crew steer clear of fatal conclusions . . .

When coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi awakens on a bench in Washington Square Park, she has no idea she’s been missing for the past week.

Brewed Awakening: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle
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Now that she’s back, everyone is overjoyed, including a handsome NYPD detective who claims to be her fiancé. But to Mike Quinn’s crushing distress, Clare doesn’t remember him, or much of anything about the last decade of her life.

Clare’s missing memory is tied to a crime she witnessed. A kidnapping was captured on camera, and the authorities grow suspicious. Is Clare really a victim? Or merely acting like one?

V.M. Burns

Mystery Bookshop Mysteries

V.M. Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs, British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the Midwest, she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and a lifetime member of  Sisters in Crime. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com
Author Links:
Website:  http://www.vmburns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Twitter:  @vmburns
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Cleo Coyle

Coffeehouse Mysteries

CLEO COYLE is the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini.  CLEO COYLE grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After earning scholarships to study writing at Carnegie Mellon and American Universities, she began her career as a cub reporter for The New York Times. Now an author of popular fiction and New York Times bestselling media tie-in writer, Cleo lives and works in New York City, where she collaborates with her husband (also a bestselling author) to pen the Coffeehouse Mysteries for Penguin. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Cleo and Marc are bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, and MGM.
Visit Cleo online: www.coffeehousemystery.com
Friend Cleo on Facebook:www.Facebook.com/CleoCoyle
Follow Cleo on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/cleocoyle/
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Cleo Coyle’s Nutella Fudge Recipe

To download this recipe in a free PDF that you can print, save, or share, click here.  

Makes one 8×8 pan of fudge 

5 minutes to prepare + 3 hours to chill

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 (12 ounce) package good quality semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup Nutella (or your favorite) chocolate-hazelnut spread (room temperature)

Step 1 – Crisscross the bottom of an 8 x 8 square pan with two sheets of parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend over the sides, like handles. You’ll use these paper handles to lift the finished block of fudge from the pan. 

Step 2 – Place the milk, pieces of butter, and chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between sessions, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Be patient with this process, taking care not to burn the chocolate. Once the mixture is melted, add the salt, vanilla, and Nutella. Stir from the bottom, lifting and folding to blend everything well. Pour the mixture into your lined pan, and use a rubber spatula to level the top. 
Step 3 – Chill the pan until the block of fudge is firm. This will take about 3 hours. Remove, cut into small squares, and serve in mini cupcake liners. Match the design of the paper liners to reflect whatever you’re celebrating, and this recipe will work for almost any holiday or party that comes along. Store fudge inside an airtight container and keep in your refrigerator.