Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Guest Post with Melia Alexander: Chocolate Meet-Cute, Recipes, and a Giveaway!

Today Melia Alexander has a fun post for us: CHOCOLATE! Read on for some yummy recipes to try out. And don't forget to check out her new release, Seduced by the Soldier (out now)!







My Chocolate Indulgences





In my latest romcom, Seduced by the Soldier, Blake and Zandra are at a premiere chocolate shop in Switzerland where Zandra’s on a photography assignment. The sweet scent of chocolate fills the air as soon as they walk through the shop doors, and all manner of chocolates are spread out around them like temptation on steroids!



From dark chocolate to white chocolate and every variation in between, they walk past tables filled with chocolate flowers, chocolate toys, and even musical instruments fashioned from chocolate. But what captures Zandra’s attention is the chocolate display in the far back corner of the room. Madame Pruissard, chocolatier, created a cascading chocolate waterfall that spills onto a chocolate lake surrounded by wildlife—chocolate zebras, rhinos, lions, and elephants…those sorts of wildlife.



But the best part of all this is that customers can purchase cookies, marshmallows, fresh fruit, and pretzels to dip in the chocolate lake…YUM.



When I wrote this scene, I was well aware that my love of chocolate played a huge part in it. I mean, this book was practically fueled by chocolate! And while I totally love the store-purchased variety, I have a couple of all-time faves, too.



First, there’s the uber-simple Peanut Butter Brownie Cups. Chocolatey brownies baked with a peanut butter cup shoved in its center. Soooo good and so easy it’s almost embarrassing!



Here’s the recipe:



Peanut Butter Brownie Cups


Ingredients:

  • 1 package (21 ½ ounces) fudge brownie mix (I use dark chocolate)
  • 15 to 18 miniature peanut butter cups


Instructions:

  1. Mix brownie batter according to package directions. Fill paper-lined or foil-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
  2. Remove wrappers from peanut butter cups; set one in each muffin cup and press down until batter meets the top edge of the candy. 
  3. Bake at 350° F for 20 – 25 minutes. 
  4. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.




See? Wasn’t that too easy? I promise it’s delish, too!



For those moments when I have way more time and want something especially gooey-yummy, I bake a Better-Than-Almost-Anything Cake. Ohmigosh this is soooo good! And, like the recipe above, you get some quick help from a box mix. Cool, huh? Here’s that recipe:



Better-Than-Almost-Anything Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist German chocolate cake mix
  • Water, vegetable oil, and eggs called for in cake mix directions
  • 1 can (14 ozs.) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 jar (16 to 17 ozs.) caramel, butterscotch, or fudge topping (I use caramel)
  • 1 container (8 ozs.) whipped topping of fluffy white frosting (I whip heavy whipping cream and add a few drops of vanilla. No sweetener as I find the other ingredients have plenty of sweetness to them!)
  • 1 cup toffee chips or bits




Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F (325° for dark or nonstick pan). Make cake as directed for 13x9-inch pan; cool 15 minutes.
  2. Poke top of warm cake every ½-inch with the handle of a wooden spoon. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of cake; let stand until milk has been absorbed into cake. Drizzle with caramel, butterscotch, or fudge topping. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover and refrigerate two hours or until chilled.
  3. Spread whipped topping evenly over top of cake. Sprinkle with toffee chips. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 15 servings.




So when your sweet tooth kicks in and demands a yummy chocolate dessert, give one of these recipes a try!



Oh, and pick up a copy of Seduced by the Soldier and find out what chocolate surprise left the hero and heroine in complete shock!



~ Melia Alexander






Seduced by the Soldier by Melia Alexander
Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck (November 18, 2019)
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)


Zandra York just got her big break, photographing a major project for a travel magazine. So what if she’s never traveled out of the country before? Or that she’s more adept at deciphering fraudulent financial statements than reading German train schedules? Her brother Jackson is on his way to act as her guide, and she can’t wait to experience Europe with him.

But when Jackson’s overprotective best friend gets off the plane instead, Zandra knows this will not end well.

There isn't a damned thing Special Forces instructor Blake Monroe wouldn't do for his best friend, but babysit Zandra when Jackson is unexpectedly called away on a mission? Nope. Not on the list. Especially not when she proves to be more trouble than he can handle—and far too tempting.

Between accidentally hiring a hearse as their rideshare, an unprovoked goat attack, and photographing erotic-shaped chocolates, Blake and Zandra can’t keep their hands off each other. But Zandra’s new career is about to send her all over the world and Blake is finally ready to settle down after his next deployment.

He’ll never ask her to give up her dreams. And she’ll never ask him to give up his.



Where to Buy*:
More Info:






Seduced by the Soldier by Melia Alexander
Excerpt




   “I don’t know whether I should kiss you or yell at you.” 
     His soft words flowed through her, kicking her pulse higher. Was he offering her the choice? Because she knew which she preferred. 
     “If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer a kiss.” 
     He rumbled a laugh and moved closer. “If you change your mind, just say so and I’ll stop.” 
     “I don’t want you to stop.” That was the truth, she realized, mesmerized by his powerful gaze. 
     The kiss started out soft, slow, as they learned the feel and taste of each other. His lips were firm, inviting, so much so that Zandra tilted her head, angling for more of his taste, more of his touch. 
     She placed both hands on his T-shirt, the soft fabric covering what she’d suspected, and now knew, was a solid chest, likely chiseled and smoothed from hours of Army-required PT. 
     His hands were busy, too. One hand traced her hip, the other caressed her face so gently, slowly, methodically as his lips played on hers, teasing them apart and requesting an entry she was only all too happy to give. 
     His tongue swept in and explored, tasted, dueled for control, and she fought the heady feeling she was diving into an emotional lake and would lose herself in its depths, that she wanted to lose herself in it. Time, distance, location… none of it had any meaning in this moment. No, this moment belonged to them. Only them.









Melia Alexander is the author of sassy, sexy, fun contemporary romances, but is also fortunate to spend her week days at The Male Observation Lab (a.k.a. her job at a construction company) where she gets to observe guys in their natural habitat. Though they often behave like typical alpha males, she's often seen through their personas to the heart of who they really are - the heroes of their own stories. A native of Guam, Melia traded in warm, tropical breezes for the rainy Pacific Northwest. She's an avid reader who also loves romantic comedies - preferably with a glass of Cab Sauv and a box of dark chocolates nearby. In her free time, she's busy conquering her CrossFit fears: ring dips, power cleans, and the dreaded 800 meter run. 




Where to Find Melia:







Celebrate the release of SEDUCED BY THE SOLDIER! Enter to win one of three $5 Amazon Gift Cards from Melia Alexander!



a Rafflecopter giveaway








Thanks for stopping by, Melia! I definitely plan on making these desserts ASAP. *drools*





Enjoy!



Until Next Time,

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