Deborah Raney's Blog: Inspired by Life...and Fiction

Home to Chicory LaneThe first book in my new Chicory Inn Novels series from Abingdon Press has been recognized for several awards and contests recently!

• Home to Chicory Lane is a finalist in Foreward Reviews magazine's INDIEFAB Book of the Year award.

• The novel is also a finalist for the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, sponsored by the Southern Magic RWA Chapter.

• In addition, the novel has been nominated for the "2015 Christian Retailing's Best" Awards in the Contemporary Fiction category.

I'm so pleased the book is getting some attention, and I'm excited for the next novel in the series, Two Roads Home, to start showing up on bookshelves in June.
Deborah Raney

Book: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Movie: Children of a Lesser God

TV series: Without a Trace

Color: Red

Coffee drink: White Chocolate Mocha

Candy: Coffee Nips or Gobstoppers

Snack: Kettle corn

Pet: Cats

Game: Mexican Train Dominoes


Get more on Deborah Raney at SimonandSchuster.com

A recipe that's become a Christmas tradition in my family is Jewel Cookies. Some might think the recipe gets its name from the colorful egg yolk paint or frosting, but in fact, these cookies are named after a sweet neighbor from my childhood (to whom I dedicated my novel A Nest of Sparrows).
Though Jewel and her husband, Don, had no children of their own, Jewel used to invite all the kids from our little farming community to "paint" and decorate cookies at her farmhouse every Christmas. After Don and Jewel moved into town, my sister and her family moved into their farmhouse, and my sister continued the tradition for her children and mine. Jewel often stopped by as an honored guest to eat cookies and sip hot chocolate poured from her musical teapot that played "Tea for Two." Jewel was spunky into her 90s. She died a few years ago, but I think of her often, especially at Christmastime. My sisters and I inherited some of Jewel's vast collection of cookie cutters, and that teapot has an honored place in my sister's house now.

Jewel Cookies

With mixer, cream together:
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Add 2 eggs and cream again.
Measure: 1 cup sour milk
5 cups flour
With wooden spoon stir in milk and flour alternately until dough is stiff. Chill several hours or up to one week before rolling out. When ready to bake, roll 1/4 of the dough at a time to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Paint cookies with Edible Cookie Paint (see recipe below) and sprinkle with colored sugar before baking. Bake just until cookies begin to brown lightly around the edges, about 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Baking time depends on thickness of cookie dough. For crisper cookies, roll thinner and bake longer, for softer cookie, roll thicker and reduce baking time.

Edible Cookie Paint: With a fork, mix 2 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon water until smooth and frothy. Divide into several small cups and add a different shade of food coloring to each until colors are dark “jewel tones.” Apply to unbaked cookie shapes with clean paintbrushes. Bake until cookies are lightly brown around the edges.

As an alternate to painting, cookies may be baked, cooled and decorated with frosting and candy sprinkles.


Get more on Deborah Raney at SimonandSchuster.com