Sugared (Misfit Brides #4) (29 page)

C
upcake base
:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (15 squares)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

P
reheat oven to 350
. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter, and distribute evenly amongst the cups – about 1 tablespoon each. Pack down, and sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of chocolate in each cup. Bake for five minutes or until crumbs are golden.

C
upcakes
:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

½ cup plus 2 teaspoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cup sugar

2/3 cup boiling water

C
ombine sugar
, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla together. Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add boiling water and mix. Fill each liner ¾ full, and sprinkle any remaining crumbs and chocolate on top. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely, then frost with marshmallow frosting.

M
arshmallow Frosting
:

½ c. sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 egg whites

1 jar marshmallow crème

½ teaspoon vanilla

W
hip egg whites
, sugar, water in double boiler and beat until soft peaks form. Whip in marshmallow crème. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pipe onto cupcakes, then toast with a kitchen torch, taking care to not burn the cupcake wrappers.

W
riting is a solitary endeavor
, but I never feel lonely with the amazing support of my writer friends. To Maria Geraci, Kelsey Browning, Sharla Lovelace, Selena Laurence, Shauna Allen, Taylor Reynolds, Angele McQuade, and my Washington Romance Writers and Tuesday Night Writes friends, thank you for all that you do. You are amazing!!

A
special thanks
to Deb Nemeth and Pauline Nolet for your fantastic advice and eagle eyes on
Sugared
. Any mistakes that remain in this book are mine and mine alone.

A
s always
, thanks to my family for your unending support. Especially Buttercup and Squeaker for telling people Mommy writes “So we go to college,” and Munchkin for asking everyone he sees if they “read adult books.” (He gets that from his daddy.)

A
huge shout
-out to my Feisty Belles Fan Club. Y’all are fabulous, and I love hanging with you on Facebook!

A
nd finally
, a huge thanks to everyone who let me add a bit of themselves to
Sugared
. To Rachel Harris for letting Charlie Tucker (from
You’re Still The One
) come to Billy Brenton’s wedding, and to A.J. Pine for letting Josh hang in the Kingston Ale House (from
The One That Got Away
). To Sacha Coutu for helping me take Kimmie’s cats to the next level. To Amber Tinsley, Amanda Ray, and Kathy Donoho for inspiring the name of the Sweet Dreams Snack Cake company. To Kiley Hansen and Stacey Perrucci for use of their names. And to Stephanie Roberts, Rosemary Anne, and Tracy Faas for inspiring the names of some of Kimmie’s special cupcakes.

J
amie Farrell is
a bestselling author of feel-good contemporary romances. She believes love, laughter, and bacon are the most powerful forces in the universe. Her debut novel,
Southern Fried Blues
, was a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards.
Blissed
, the first book in her Misfit Brides series, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly Magazine.

A
native Midwesterner
, Jamie has lived in the South the majority of her adult life. When she’s not writing, she and her military hero husband are busy raising three hilariously unpredictable children.

F
or news
and updates on Jamie’s books, and for a glimpse into her sometimes zany personal life:

Stay in touch with Jamie at

• @TheJamieFarrell
  
• JamieFarrellBooks
  

S
UGARED

C
opyright
© 2016 by Jamie Farrell

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

T
his is a work of fiction
. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

I
SBN
: 1-940517-11-7

ISBN-13: 978-1-940517-11-7

C
over Design
by Sweet ‘n Spicy Designs

Cover Photo © .shock via DepositPhotos.com