Long Island Iced Tina (A Catering Hall Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (February 23, 2021)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages

Synopsis

Mia Carina is back in the borough of Queens—in charge of the family catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, and keeping her nonna company. But some events—like murder—are not the kind you can schedule . . .

 

Mia’s newly pregnant friend Nicole plans to hold a shower at Belle View—but Nicole also has to attend one that her competitive (and mysteriously rich) stepmother, Tina, is throwing at the fanciest place in Queens. It’s a good chance for Mia to snoop on a competitor, especially since doing a search for “how to run a catering hall” can get you only so far.

Mia tags along at the lavish party, but the ambience suffers at Nicole’s Belle View shower when a fight breaks out—and then, oddly, a long-missing and valuable stolen painting is unwrapped by the mom-to-be. Tina is clearly shocked to see it. But not as shocked as Mia is when, soon afterward, she spots the lifeless body of a party guest floating in the marina . . .

 

Italian recipes included!

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

Recipe

I love a good recipe and this one sounds so good my mouth is watering just reading the description!  Enjoy!

Cannoli Cake

NOTE: Step one is draining the ricotta so that your filling doesn’t end up watery. I wrap mine in cheesecloth, then place it in a strainer that fits over a mixing bowl. I set a heavy can on top of the cheesecloth-wrapped ricotta and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Cake

1 package white cake mix
1⁄4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

Filling

1 16 oz tub ricotta, drained (see above instructions)
1 8 oz container mascarpone cheese (doesn’t have to be
drained if it has the consistency of cream cheese)
1 8 oz container cream cheese (regular or light)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. orange juice
1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1⁄2 cup to 1 cup of mini chocolate chips

Instructions

The cake

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat the cake mix with the yogurt, oil, and water—slowly at first to combine the ingredients, then on medium speed for two minutes. Pour the batter into two 8″ cake pans.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely.

Filling and frosting

Beat the ricotta, mascarpone, and cream cheese together until thoroughly blended. Add the vanilla, orange juice, almond extract, cinnamon, salt, and powdered sugar until all are well combined. (NOTE: add the sugar one cup at a time and mix slowly at first so that powdered sugar doesn’t go flying out of the mixing bowl. Trust me, it happens!)

Gently fold the chocolate chips into the filling mix by hand. Start with half a cup of chips. Add more if desired.

Assembly

Flip the first cake layer out of its pan onto a plate upside down, so that the flat bottom is on the top. Add a heaping amount of filling and spread it. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides with the filling.

(NOTE: add the second layer right-side up, so the flat bottom sits on top of the first layer.)

Serves 8-16, depending on the size of the slices.

About the Author

Maria DiRico was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Queens and Westchester County. She is a first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side. On her father’s side, her grandfather was a low-level Jewish mobster who disappeared in 1933 under mysterious circumstances. She also writes the award-winning, bestselling Cajun Country Mystery series under the name Ellen Byron.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway