Books, Treats & Holiday Sweets!

I’m thrilled to share that Montana Born now has two anthologies out in print, Love Me, Cowboy, filled with four fun, sexy and sweet stories by Megan Crane, Lilian Darcy, CJ Carmichael and me, and Montana Born’s gorgeous Christmas collection, A Copper Mountain Christmas, featuring warm, magical and festive romances by Katherine Garbera, Melissa McClone and JP (me again!).

acoppermountainchristmas
Coming home to a Copper Mountain Christmas…
Tis the season of mistletoe and magic in Marietta, Montana. Snuggle up with these sexy, heart-warming holiday stories by three best-selling authors, in which love at first sight and second chances prove that, at Christmas time, dreams can be realized and wishes will come true!
Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter
Widower Brock Sheenan needs things taking care of at the Copper Mountain Ranch over the holidays, and Harley Diekerhoff seems like the ideal hard-working housekeeper. Until she discovers he and his kids have never had a proper Christmas together. Suddenly, the ranch is full of festive cheer—and the passion between Brock and Harley steams like mulled wine! But Harley’s not looking forward to the New Year… because she’ll be saying goodbye to this handsome, taciturn Montana cowboy, who doesn’t know how to open up, or share or love…
A Cowboy for Christmas by Katherine Garbera
Annie Prudhomme may have lost almost everything, and she’s daunted by having to return to her native Montana, penniless and alone. But seeing cowboy Carson Scott again, the guy she dated in her teens, soon injects some sparkle into her homecoming—his eyes are still as blue as the Big Sky. However, Annie’s still not sure if Marietta is where she truly belongs—she needs to decide over the holidays if she must move on once more. Though, when Carson helps her find the perfect pine at the annual Christmas Tree Cut, and then delivers it with some hot, hot loving, she feels that, just maybe, her deep-frozen heart might be beginning to thaw…
Home for Christmas by Melissa McClone
Rachel Murphy’s spending the holidays at the Bar V5 ranch with her older brother. She loves Christmastime and the scent of gingerbread, almost as much as she enjoys creating custom edible houses. But, after being burned in business, she’s wary when handsome venture capitalist turned dude ranch owner, Nate Vaughn shows a real interest in her baking. Then there are his tempting mistletoe kisses… he’s good enough to eat! But mixing business with anything else could be another recipe for disaster. Can Nate convince her that, here with him in the snowy mountains of Montana, she’s found her real home?

We’ve been selling the stories as ebooks but if you’re one of my readers that prefers print, you can now order both anthologies on Amazon, and here’s a link so you can order your copy for A Copper Mountain Christmas easily.

I’ve been busy this week trying to finish up on my revisions for my next Harlequin Presents.  I’d hoped to have the revisions done before leaving for Las Vegas in the morning, but it didn’t happen.  Now I’ll be writing in the hotel room during the day and then ducking out at night to catch all the rodeo action.

With the holidays approaching, things have been busy here with all things Christmas and that also includes a lot of baking.  Mac loves to bake and we’re taking a break from chocolate chip cookies this week to make some roll out sugar cookies and these pretty pink peppermint pinwheels.

I’m sharing the  Peppermint Pinwheels recipe in case you’d like to try them, too!

pinwheelsIngredients-
3/4 cup butter
softened 3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp red liquid food coloring

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Divide dough in half; add extract and red food coloring to one portion.

On a work surface, roll out each portion of dough between waxed paper into a 16-in. x 10-in. rectangle.  Remove waxed paper.  Place red rectangle over plain rectangle; roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a long side.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight or until firm.  Unwrap the dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices.  Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until set.  Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

I hope you enjoy them!   I like to roll them out very thin and cook them crispy and then dunk in hot cocoa or my morning coffee.  Yum!!

Before I sign off, I also have a fun festive giveaway to thank you for your awesome friendship and support.  The festive giveaway includes a copy of the Love Me, Cowboy anthology, a stack of books by Montana Born authors, a Starbucks giftcard, the movie DVD of Holiday and lots more!  For a chance to enter, leave a comment and tell me  if you’ve done any holiday baking so far this year?  Do you plan to?  And if yes, what will you make?  Maybe I’ll get some delicious baking ideas from you!  The Fun Festive Giveaway contest will run through Saturday and winner will be announced on Sunday!  Please check back on Sunday to see if you won.

Happy Holidays and much much love!

104 Comments

  1. I haven’t done any holiday baking, but my cousin made some lemon cookies at Thanksgiving and I hope she’ll bake something for Christmas.

  2. I’m getting ready to start, then I seem to have started a cold.. Hopefully, it will clear up quickly!! There’s still time!

  3. No. I’m afraid I haven’t done any baking, yet. Thank you for the awesome giveaway, Jane!

    Season’s Greetings!

  4. I usually don’t do much baking. But I certainly enjoy eating the results of everyone else’s 🙂 My absolute favorite is fudge and homemade caramels.

  5. Jane,

    Have fun when you can in Vegas. I have not done any Holiday baking but I am supposed to go to a cookie exchange on Saturday. I love peppermint, so I definitely need to try these.

    Loving all the MBB!

    Merry Christmas Jane and family!

  6. I haven’t started baking yet, but now I am free to. I just finished my class for this semester and it was a nightmare. Now I can bake and read to my hearts content, well at least until my next class starts in January. My kiddos area 5 and 3, so we will probably be baking some cookies to share with friends and family. I will let them pick out what we will be making (should be interesting). Thank you for a fabulous giveaway Jane!!

  7. I thought I was done with the Christmas baking but now I’ll need to bake your peppermint pinwheels. I have been baking a lot of Danish Christmas cookies.

  8. I have already made some peanut brittle and tomorrow I will be making peanut butter crisps, cowboy cookies, and toffee bark. I’m a baking fool!!

  9. I usually do the cooking and let my sisters make the dessert. We have a big xmas eve get together. Over 30 people and lots of kids. We have a santa and exchange gifts and have great food. My sisters make buckeyes, cut out cookies, thumbprint cookies with raspberry and apricot. ( My favorite) and so much more.

  10. Hi! I bake 6+ different cookies. The chocolate chip, oatmeal & chocolate crinkle standards plus Russian tea cakes (small powdered sugar/butter/walnuts based), peanut butter with a Hershey’s kiss, sugar cookies to paint, & a crispy full of powdered sugar & butter sugar cookie that melts in your mouth & is to die for. It all happens next week or I’d eat them all!
    Hope you have a ball in Vegas!

  11. Hey Jane…no baking yet. Waiting on school to be over and my kids to get home from college. I am thinking about the almond joy cookies I have seen on pintrest. They sound yummy. Merry Christmas, and thank you for all you do for your readers…

  12. I have not done much baking. At least not for sharing with friends and the like. I probably wont do much.
    I am planning to do some covered oreos. Peanut butter/choc kiss cookies. And maybe some banana bread.
    Your peppermint things look delish!

  13. I havent baked anything yet, But this weekend I’m going to make some double chocolate snowquakes and peanut butter balls. 🙂

  14. I have not done any baking and I usually do not do much. I am not much of a baker, but I do like to bake cookies every now and again. My favorite are Ranger Cookies. I also have a Carrot Cake I like to make but I cannot locate the book which holds the recipe. Hate when that happens. I have not even found a recipe that is close so I must find the book. And it is an old cookbook so that makes it even worse. Thinking of trying your Peppermint cookies they sound good.

  15. I made fruitcake cookies, almond crescents, and peanut butter choc chip . 4 kids and 10 grandkids love the cookies 🙂

  16. Started baking this week. Choc chips ,sugar cut outs, fudge , M&M cookies, Russian Tea Cakes,and about 4-5 others depending on time. Feeling the crunch with Thanksgiving being so late.

  17. Jane,
    I just finished reading Copper Mountain Christmas. It was a touching story.
    No Christmas baking here yet. We usually do more of it when school is out.
    Have fun in Vegas!

  18. I started baking this week. So far have made chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter blossoms and spritz. The dough for the sugar cookies is in the refrigerator and I still have to make Russian tea cakes, gingerbreads, shortbreads, cappuccino cookies and Irish Cream Truffles.

  19. I haven’t even started my baking yet, but I always make pumpkin bread and lots of different cookies. And of course the pies for Christmas dinner!

  20. 🙂
    I haven’t baked anything and I likely won’t. The whole family is better off with me NOT in the kitchen!
    🙂

  21. I am the baker and candy maker in the family. I’ve made two batches (about 6 pounds) of fudge so far, and I’m not done yet.

  22. My family loves those peanut butter blossom cookies with a Hershey’s kiss in the middle. Plan on making them some very soon.

  23. I love holiday baking. So far this season I have made Surprise Kisses, sugar cookies and eggnog fudge . Making Oreo balls , peanutbutter balls and peanut butter blossoms this weekend.

  24. To preserve my kitchen, I do not bake or cook unfortunately. I am horrible at it and have actually caught the kitchen on fire twice. But, I did find the most amazing cookie recipe that maybe you could try. I am hoping one of my friends will feel sorry for me and make them and give them to me for Christmas. 🙂
    http://therecipecritic.com/2013/07/brown-butter-salted-caramel-snickerdoodles/

    Thanks for the great giveaway and happy holidays!
    Marlena
    charmedpoms(at)yahoo(dot)com

  25. Those peppermint pinwheels look so yummy, I’ll have to try them with some gluten free flour. I haven’t done any baking, I’m so not ready for the holidays. I am planning to make some sugar cookies and some snowball/Mexican wedding cake cookies. Soon!

  26. My sister hosts a cookie exchange every year so I know I am going to do at least that much. We bring a doz. for each person attending and take 1 of each kind home, so you might have 8 or 9 different kinds. This year was a small group and only had to do 6 doz. We spend the afternoon in her house of many Christmas trees and have a great feast and fun!!

  27. I haven’t done any Christmas baking, and haven’t for years. But this year I’ve seen so many good looking, yummy sounding, and seemingly easy recipes, I may just have to find some time in the next week or so to try my hand at baking cookies again.

    I’d really like to make some of my Mama’s recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge, but not sure I can find the recipe, or if I’d remember really how to do it.

  28. My daughter and I, and my grandson will be making snickerdoodles this week, as well as cut out cookies for frosting on Christmas eve. We also will make fantasy fudge with walnuts, and hostess caramels with pecans. I can feel the pounds crawling towards me, lol, so I will have to go swimming extra!

  29. I have dough for sugar cookies in the refrigerator but haven’t had the time to roll them out and bake them. I will bake up a storm this weekend.

  30. As part of our 25 days of Christmas, we baked sugar cookies then frosted them (completely from scratch). The Christmas tree cookies were also given a sprinkling of snow (a little flaked coconut). Of course, our favorite part has been eating them. 🙂 We’re making more next week to take to nursing homes.

  31. Thank you for the recipe. No, I have not done any holiday baking yet this year. But, I plan to make some sugar cookies and peanut butter bars. My sister makes some oreo truffles that are super good. I have not tried making them yet, but I know she will make them for Christmas. Have a great time at the rodeo in Vegas!

  32. My daughter and I bake at least two kinds of fudge, 4 or 5 kinds of cookies, pumpkin bread, Okie cracker candy, peppermint bark, and usually one or two new things. I’m seriously thinking about adding your recipe, Jane. We deliver trays to friends, family, and those without.

  33. I’ve made candy cane cookies and a frosted sugar cookie with an Andes Mint in the middle (the latter is from The Law Student’s Wife’s blog-delish!). I might try these pinwheels tomorrow. Thank you 🙂

  34. I don’t celebrate Christmas since I’m Jewish so no holiday baking for me.

    I’m reading a lot of Christmas books and it’s really fun.

    I finished reading Christmas At Copper Mountain and it was an amazing book!

    Right now I’m reading Home For Christmas.
    I also read Christmas at Tahoe by Elisabeth Barrett and the anthology A Christmas to Remember.

  35. I havent done any baking but I think ill do some no baking and make some pb oreo pie

    then maybe do some chocolate chip cookies and maybe some pezells an Italian cookie my dad used to make this is the first Christmas with out him so I’m not so sure if i can do his cookies the justice

    ty for the chance

  36. I don’t bake. I’m just not blessed by the baking fairy. 🙂 My friends keep me supplied with cookies though. God bless them.

  37. yes, I’ve done holiday baking:
    Cinnamon Rolls, Rum Balls, gingersnaps, Shortbread cookies, Sugar cookies, Chocolate TV roll, Cherry Surprise and Chocolate Cherry squares.

  38. I always try to get baking done, but every year it gets harder and harder. But I have learned easy tricks – sugar cookie recipes can be good for all kinds of decorating – one recipe, 5 -6 different looks!

    Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!

    Lisa McManus Lange

  39. Hi Jane, I have a co-worker who is team roping in Las Vegas this weekend! He is driving all the way from Texas with his horses.
    I have not done amy baking yet, but i intend to. I haven`t even decorated my house yet!

  40. Chocolate chip cookies with milk and white chips. Peanut butter cookies with mini m&ms. Oatmeal cookies with pecans and cranberries.

  41. Haven’t baked yet..would love to try making little nut rolls my Mom used to make but they are very time consuming….but so yummy! If push comes to shove..can’t go wrong with choc chip cookies! When I was young, Mom and I did make those pinwheel cookies!
    Have a Merry Christmas everyone!!!

  42. No, I haven’t baked anything yet and probably won’t. Since I have to watch my blood sugar wouldn’t dare bake because I don’t have the willpower not to try them out.

  43. Hi Jane,
    Have a great time in Vegas!
    I plan to start some baking this weekend. Thanks for sharing your peppermint pinwheel recipe. I might try those. I usually make the peanut butter ones with a small peanut butter cup on top, instead dof the kiss. I love a chocolate one with a Rolo in the middle also.

  44. Haven’t started baking yet but will once Kaylee is on school break. I found a snicker doodle recipe I would love to try and we’ll probably make some cookie truffle balls, buck-eye’s and whatever else is easy to keep her from being bored!

  45. I have yet to begin my holiday baking but I will need to start soon. I’m participating in a holiday cookie swap the weekend before Christmas. I’m also planning on making the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve to have for Christmas morning. I also plan on giving the extras to my neighbors. The recipe makes a lot!

  46. The recipe & book sound delicious. I have and will do holiday baking. I have made cookies, cupcakes, brownies. I will be making more peanut butter cookies, a pie, a Yule log, and pinwheel cookies. Have a great weekend! Christmas is almost here!!!

  47. my daughter and I make dozens of cookies for the holidays. Our favorites are sugar cookies and
    then no bake one’s.

  48. Haven’t done any yet but plan on making some candy, peacan logs, peanut butter fudge, fudge, and peperment pattys. Also pecan pies for Christmas eve dinner.

  49. I’ve already done one batch to fill my boyfriend’s freezer before heading home for the holidays. Now it’s time to do it down here in FL.

  50. I read “A Cooper Mountain Christmas” and I thought it was wonderful. It was wonderfully written. I read it in one evening. Couldn’t put it down.

    Thank you…………

  51. Keeping busy pre-holiday. I love making gifts and cards. Cards are made now I need to send them out. Made a calendar for my mom who just loves the pictures. Made earrings for the girls at work. Will be baking many different cookies this weekend and sending them out. We make peanut butter balls, ginger bread, fudge, decorated sugar cookies and what ever catches my eye. It is a smell good weekend! Just cruse up the coast if you want to join in Jane!

  52. I plan on doing my baking the weekend of December 22 so that they will be fresh. My daughter wants to make lots of fudge this year.

  53. Our favorite cookie,That I make are almond crescent.I have to make my husband a container just for him.Haven’t started them yet or any so far.sometime this week and next I’ll be baking away 🙂

  54. Going to amazon right now. 🙂

    The peppermint Pinwheels sound yummy. I will have to make them for the Christmas Eve family get together. I have only made peanut butter balls so far for my daughter to take to work for the holidays.

    you can skip my name in the giveaway since I won just recently.

  55. I am looking forward to two weeks vacation at home at month-end… and then… let the baking commence!

    The pinwheel cookies look pretty and sound delicious. I am definitely trying that recipe. Thank you, Jane!

  56. I always enjoy baking this time of year. Brings back wonderful memories of times spent in the kitchen with my grandmother. Just finished M&M pretzels. With three ingredients (pretzels, melted white chocolate, and red and green candies), they make an easy and cute festive gift. Happy Baking and Happy Holidays, everyone!

  57. I have not done any baking yet. Refining my list and then I have to finish gathering ingredients. We always decorate and bake sugar cookies. I also make Magic Cookie bars, Lemon Bars, cinnamon rolls, Pumpkin and Cranberry bread. I am debating adding in a few other items…I love to bake for the Holidays… I just have to finish everything else so I can get started!

  58. I usually bake like crazy but this year it seems like one thing after another keeps coming up and I’ve not done any baking!:(

  59. I really like the covers of the Montana Born Books. I haven’t baked anything for Christmas yet but I will be making some cookies and a cake unless my daughter ends up volunteering for the job.

  60. I haven’t done any holiday baking. Then again, I’ve never been much of a cook anyway. But, your recipe does sound really good.

  61. I haven’t been doing any baking. I always plan on it and then other things come up or people keep giving us baked goods and you can only eat so much. Your pinwheel cookies look really pretty.

  62. I plan to start baking next week–sugar cookies and chocolate chip. Then, I’ll make fudge, homemade chocolates, and magic bars.

  63. I don’t bake but your cookies sound yummy. Enjoy the rodeo. Hope you finish your work fast and can have more fun. Love reading your blogs.

  64. I love baking especially during this time of the year! I really like peppermint so so far I’ve done peppermint choc chip cupcakes and cookies. Next up something different with my other fav gingerbread!

  65. Not yet, but I plan to do quite a bit in the next week… choc covered pretzels, oreo cookie balls (aka oreo crack balls, lol) and possibly some buckeyes. Going to give these as gifts this year to family 🙂

  66. Jane,

    My nephew and I are baking the Betty Crocker 25 days of cookies. The candy cane ones are awesome and we really messed up the gingerbread.

    We have some catching up to do this weekend. I was a little disappointed as quite a few of the recipes use mixes versus from scratch.

    Hope you enjoy the rodeo finals. I was down there in October for the PBR finals and had a blast with all those bull riders. 🙂

    merry Christmas!!!

  67. I’ve made chocolate chip cookies for my husband since it’s his favorite but instead of milk chocolate, I used dark chocolate. I plan to bake some soft ginger cookies. They taste so good and even better after a few days.

  68. JANE,
    I DIDN’T SEE MY NAME SO I AM ENTERING IF I DID ALREADY ENTER I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DUPLICATE. I
    HAVE DONE ALOT OF BAKING. I START MY CHRISTMAS BAKING AS SOON AS THANKSGIVING IS OVER BECAUSE I MAKE RECIPES IN A JAR FOR NEIGHBORS. I HAVE MADE TO DATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE,
    FUDGE,CHERRY MASHES[FAMOUS HERE IN MO.]THEN THERE IS PEANUT BRITTLE,PEANUT BUTTER BALLS,PUPPY CHOW,I ALSO MAKE A MIX LIKE CHEX,ONLY NOT WITH CHEX,CHOC. CHIP COOKIES,OLD-FASHION SUGAR COOKIES,[MOM’S RECIPE],CANDY APPLES[ALSO FOR NEIGHBORS]. THEN I MADE BUTTER COOKIES,CHOC. DROPS,AND THE LIST GOES ON.MOST OF MY RECIPES HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN BY MY FAMILY. THINGS ARE RUSHED
    BUT IT TAKES ME ALL THIS TIME DUE TO MY LACK OF ENERGY. SORRY YOU DIDN’T GET YOUR WORK DONE IN TIME. BUT, I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR FAMILY.AND AS ALWAYS I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR BOOKS AND FOR HAVING SUCH GENEROSITY TOWARDS US,YOUR FANS. MERRY CHRISTMAS JANE….BARBARA

  69. Usually I have so much baking done by this time but so far I haven’t started to bake . I got hit with the Flu and it didn’t seem to want to let go but I’m finally on the mend. My daughter loves peppermint so I think we’ll make those at least along with some sugar cookies.The book looks great. Thanks for the giveaway and hope you have a wonderful Holiday.
    Carol L

  70. Hi Jane,
    I actually have been baking this season. I made some cinnamon sugar cookies. They are so delicious and moist. I plan to make some for a cookie swap party.

    Always,
    Melinda

  71. Happy Holidays! Thanks for a delicious-sounding recipe–I love peppermint, especially during the holidays.

    I will definitely be making my Gran’s recipe for ginger cookies–good to give, and good with a glass of frosty cold milk.

    Crackle-Top Ginger Cookies

    2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    2 tsp baking soda
    1 tsp ground ginger
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/2 tsp ground cloves
    1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
    1/8 tsp salt
    1 cup packed dark brown sugar (can use light brown sugar)
    3/4 cup shortening (I used soft butter)
    1/4 cup molasses
    1 egg

    Sift together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt into a small mixing bowl. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together shortening (or butter) and sugar. Blend in molasses and egg until well-blended. Add dry ingredients, stirring until well-blended. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar before placing 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Do not flatten cookies. Bake for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Do not overbake. Cookies should be crisp on the outside and still chewy on the inside. Cool on rack before placing in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

  72. Thanks Jane for the news about the books being in print for those readers like me who like to hold a real book. 😉 I am not baking this year, but am giving away things like Red Velvet Hot Chocolate mix and chocolate bars…can there ever be too much chocolate…no! Our DIL and son are having a cookie exchange party way up there in CO. Our son wanted the recipe for “Joe’s Froggers” which is a molasses cookie very like the recipe that Virginia Campbell left here, so I will not repeat it. The story is that a friend of my MIL had a relative that made the cookies for her husband Joe to take when he went fishing or frog gigging. No matter if it is true or not the cookies are really good.

  73. I’ve baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and chocolate scones and plan to make caramel brownies and pumpkin pie and perhaps another type of cookie too. I love baking this time of year.

  74. Hi everyone,

    Our winner is #4 Linda (from McKinney)!

    Linda, shoot me an email with your mailing details and I’ll get the prize out to you soon. 🙂

    Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend!

    Jane xoxoxo

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  76. Thanks for these very helpful tips about puppy chow! I thought it was ok to give them table food and other bites already. At exactly how many months is it safe to feed them people food?

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