Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes (Feature/Giveaway)

I hope you lovelies brought your appetites because today we are sharing with you some delicious excerpts from Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook!

Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes 
(Fool's Gold #12.1)
by Susan Mallery
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New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery invites you to taste the local cuisine of her beloved fictional town and share in a year's worth of deliciously seasonal recipes. 

Fool's Gold is known as the Land of Happy Endings, but it's also the land of hearty appetites. Throughout the series, the residents of Fool's Gold have found joy, comfort and good times through food. Now two local Fool's Gold chefs will also find love through food! Join them as they flirt, fight and fall in love, one season at a time. 
You'll also find favorite recipes from popular characters in the series, such as: 
Heidi's Arugula, Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese. 
Liz's Spaghetti for the Girls. 
Denise's Summer Berry Pie.  
With chapters for summer, spring, fall and winter, you can find the perfect recipe for everything from holiday get-togethers to cozy date nights, always using the freshest ingredients. And the heartwarming love story that is woven throughout is Susan Mallery at her finest. 
The more than 150 recipes and dozens of gorgeous photographs in this book will inspire you to find perfection in the simple and the seasonal. And with all of Fool's Gold with you in the kitchen, your every celebration will have a happy ending!

EXCERPTS:

Coconut Popcorn Shrimp with Mango-Lime Salsa
Don’t be daunted by the long ingredients list—everything comes together in minutes.

Serves 4

Shrimp

¾ cup canola oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain seltzer or club soda
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup panko crumbs or bread crumbs
¾ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and black pepper

tip: Panko crumbs make for a crisper crust. Find them in the Asian food section of your supermarket.

For shrimp:
1. Warm oil in a large, heavy skillet with at least 2-inch-high sides. In a bowl, whisk flour, seltzer, salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine panko and coconut. 
2. Dredge shrimp in the flour mixture, then the panko mixture. Transfer to a wire rack to dry slightly. Fry shrimp in the oil in two batches, about 2 minutes per side, until cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

For salsa:

1. While the shrimp cooks, make the salsa. In a medium serving bowl, toss mangoes, red and jalapeño peppers, scallions, oil, lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with shrimp. 

Spinach and Nectarine Salad with Pecans and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Tired of the same old tossed green salad? Wake up your taste buds with this fun flavor combination. 

Serves 4 –6

6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
2 ripe nectarines
6 ounces baby spinach
½ cup chopped toasted pecans

TIP: Make this salad in summertime, when nectarines are ripest.

1. In a large heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate; crumble. Drain off 3 tablespoons of the drippings into a small bowl. Add shallots, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper; whisk until blended. (Discard remaining drippings.)
2. Over a large serving bowl, cut nectarines into 1-inch chunks. Spoon out about 1 tablespoon of juice released from slicing; whisk into bacon dressing. In the same large bowl, toss nectarines (and any remaining juice) with spinach and pecans. Pour dressing over salad. Add bacon; toss to combine.



Baked Ziti with Butternut Squash and Ricotta 
Where is it written that baked pasta dishes have to be loaded with tomato sauce and cheese? This one stars creamy ricotta and sweet squash. 

Serves 6

Vegetable oil, to grease the pan
1 pound ziti, penne or small shells pasta
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen puréed butternut squash, thawed 
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup Parmesan, grated, and divided
½ cup prepared basil pesto

TIP: Whole-milk ricotta is best for cooking. Low-fat varieties don’t stand up to high heat as well. 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. 
2. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, place squash in a metal colander; set colander over boiling pasta to warm through.
3. In a large bowl, whisk ricotta, warm squash, eggs, salt and pepper. Fold in the cooked pasta until coated. Stir in ¼ cup of the Parmesan.
4. Spoon mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish; dot with pesto and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until lightly golden and warmed through. 

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Coconut Vanilla Snowball Cupcakes
This big-batch cupcake recipe makes enough for a winter party. The cupcakes look especially pretty on a tiered cake stand.

Makes 24

Cupcakes:
2½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure coconut extract
¾ cup sour cream
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2–2½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons sour cream
Sweetened flaked coconut, for garnish

TIP: Eggs blend into cake batter best if they’re at room temperature. 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt until combined.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and coconut extracts; beat until blended. Reduce mixer speed to low, and alternately add dry ingredients and sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Remove from mixer; fold in coconut. 
4. Drop batter into cupcake liners, filling each just over halfway full. Bake 18–20 minutes, until golden and set. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. For frosting: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt; beat until blended and fluffy. Add sour cream; beat just until blended. Fold in additional powdered sugar, if needed. 
6. Spread the frosting on cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle a generous amount of coconut over cupcakes.

GIVEAWAY:  
The piblisher is giving away 2 (printed) copies to anyone in the US or Canada of this book. To enter, just fill out the rafflecopter below. Good luck!

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