Book Review: The Keepsake

Book Review: The Keepsake

By Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen is another of the mystery authors that I really enjoy, with most of her books centered around the same cast of characters – Boston cops. While I don’t normally post reviews of all my mysteries (I just read them way too fast!) but this one was particularly enjoyable so I wanted to leave a little something.

The Keepsake is the story of the “anthropology killer,” a murderer who is killing women and preserving them according to ancient methods (think of the mummies…). The murder investigation was intertwined with historical facts and antidotes. What I most enjoyed about the story was its unpredictability – even up until the last few pages there were twists that made me second-guess what we already knew and what we expected to happen.

If you enjoy James Patterson, Alex Kava, or other mystery & suspense authors (authors of “murder mysteries,” as I like to call them), then I would definitely recommend The Keepsake, or any other book by Gerritsen.

January 2010 Update: This review was spotlighted on Mysteries and My Musings’ January Mystery & Crime Fiction Blog Carnival. Check it out for more mystery reviews.

Menu: Holiday Party 2009

2009 Holiday Party Menu

Every year we host a large holiday party,for about 50 people who will be wandering throughout the house. Most of the food is upstairs, but I’ll also have some snacks in the pool room and extended basement.

Thanks to all our friends who brought something to share!

Drinks:

  • Killian’s & Blue Moon in the keg
  • Lots and lots of Pinot Grigio  🙂
  • Hot apple cider, with Captain Morgan rum nearby
  • Assorted hard liquors, sodas & mixers

Our crowd isn’t big red wine drinkers, so we usually let tell them to bring their own.

Savory:

And Sweet:

Food Downstairs & in the Pool Room:

  • Spiced Nuts
  • Cheese & Cracker Platter
  • Small Cookie Platter

Pecan Pie Cookies

Pecan Pie Cookies feature a sweet shortbread cookie topped with classic pecan pie flavors. 

Pecan Pie Cookies feature a sweet shortbread cookie topped with classic pecan pie flavors.

Did you know that April 14th is National Pecan Day? There’s a food holiday for everything, and you know what? Food bloggers love to celebrate them all. I’m particularly excited about today’s selection of recipes from my blogger friends. While I was excited to host, I ended up striking out with the first recipe I made for this event. And it was much more difficult for me to come up with a recipe I was excited about – I wanted to make a non-dessert. Didn’t happen, but I’m thrilled to see some of the more savory uses for pecan below. I can’t wait to try them, and make up my own for next year!

Pecan Pie Cookies feature a sweet shortbread cookie topped with classic pecan pie flavors.

These Pecan Pie Cookies were something I had made (and blogged) years ago. These cookies were a winner when I first made them (and the second and third time, shortly after the first). I thought these cookies would become one of my holiday favorites. But then I kind of forgot about them, and when I remembered them, I got sidetracked with trying out new recipes. National Pecan Day was a good excuse to make and enjoy the cookies again (and update the lousy photos that were originally published with this recipe).

And now on to the cookies… These Pecan Pie Cookies have the wonderful sweetness of pecan pie filling, but without all of the gooeyness that I don’t care for in traditional pecan pie. The cookies stay very soft for a few days and freeze amazingly well. So make them today, save them for Thanksgiving holidays, but just make them.

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Pecan Pie Cookies feature a sweet shortbread cookie topped with classic pecan pie flavors.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Pecan Pie Cookies feature a sweet shortbread cookie topped with classic pecan pie flavors.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Liz

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Cookie:

  • 1 c. brown sugar packed
  • 3/4 c. butter at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder

Ingredients for the Pecan Filling:

  • 1 c. chopped unsalted pecans
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar packed
  • 1/3. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Make the Cookies:

  1. In a large bowl, beat at medium speed sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla until creamy. (It will take a few minutes for dough to come together.) 
  2. Lower speed and add in flour and baking powder, beating until combined.
  3. Chill for 1 hour, to prevent dough from spreading too much when baked. 

Make the Filling: 

  1. Just before removing dough from refrigerator, preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. 
  2. Then, combine all filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well.

Assemble and Bake the Cookies: 

  1. Remove dough from fridge. Roll dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, placing the balls 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
  2. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, rotating your thumb to deepen and widen the indentation slightly.
  3. Fill each cookie - indentation with 1 teaspoon of filling. I made all the cookies at once (using parchment paper on the counter for those that didn't fit on my cookie sheet) so that if there was extra filling, I could spread it around.
  4. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until lightly browned.
  5. Let sit on cookie sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Recipe Notes

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Recipe Notes: 

          • These cookies freeze well. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container, with wax paper between layers.

This recipe was adapted from Land o’ Lakes via Beantown Baker.

This post was updated in April 2018. 

Pecan Pie Cookies feature a sweet shortbread cookie topped with classic pecan pie flavors.

Mississippi Mudpie Cookies

For my wedding, a family friend gave me a lovely gift off my registry – a “cookie package” that included nice baking sheets & a cooling rack, a cookie press, a silicon baking mat, parchment paper, a silicon cookie spatula (which is awesome by the way!)… however, the hit of her gift was a cookie cookbook, Southern Living’s Best Loved Cookies. This is the second recipe I’ve tried from there (the first being Peanut Butter Caramel Turtle Cookies) and bot got outstanding reviews. So thank you, LJ, for a wonderful gift that keeps on giving. 🙂

Southern Living did not disappoint me with Mississippi Mudpie Cookies – this new recipe was probably the biggest hits of the night. Soft and chewy, all were gone at the end of the night.

Mississippi Mudpie Cookies

Source: Southern Living, Aug. 2007

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. chopped pecans (optional)
  • 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
  • 1 c. plus 2 Tbs. mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat semisweet chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave chocolate again for 15 seconds.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, beating until combined. Add vanilla and melted chocolate, beating until combined.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt to mixture, half a cup at a time.

Stir in pecans and milk chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon, portion out batter onto prepared baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows onto each mound of dough.

Bake for 10-12 minute, until cookies are set. Allow to cool briefly on baking sheets before moving cookies to a wire rack to cool.