M. Darusha Wehm

Science fiction and mainstream books by award-winning author M. Darusha Wehm

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The Clockwork Crown and Maple and Brown Sugar Shortbread

Today we have a guest: Beth Cato of baking and steampunk fame. Learn about her new book, The Clockwork Crown, and a mouthwatering cookie recipe. Yum!

I’m the author of The Clockwork Dagger and the forthcoming The Clockwork Crown, due out on June 9th from Harper Voyager. The books are steampunk fantasy, set on an alternate world based on post-World War I Europe with some magical and technological twists.

Part of the fun of making my own world from scratch is that I get to create my own food culture. I do my own food blog every Wednesday, Bready or Not, so this is totally my element. I based the geography of my world on western Washington state where I used to live. Therefore, it was only right that my setting’s northern neighbor has a reputation for maple-baked goodies. I LOVE maple, which makes it all the more fun to write about in my books.

In keeping with steampunk sensibilities, I’m sharing a recipe for Maple and Brown Sugar Shortbread. This is the perfect cookie for breakfast, snack, or a proper British-style tea time, and like most shortbread, it keeps for over a week and ships very well in all temperatures. Perfect for those long airship journeys!

Maple and Brown Sugar Shortbread
Print Recipe
originally posted at Bready or Not http://celestialgldfsh.livejournal.com/287005.html
Servings
1 batch
Servings
1 batch
Maple and Brown Sugar Shortbread
Print Recipe
originally posted at Bready or Not http://celestialgldfsh.livejournal.com/287005.html
Servings
1 batch
Servings
1 batch
Ingredients
Servings: batch
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
  2. Mix the softened butter and sugars until just combined. Add vanilla and maple flavoring.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and salt, then add to butter mixture. Mix on low just until dough comes together; if dough doesn't come together, add tiny amounts of water until it does so. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least thirty minutes (or freeze for future use). [I have kept it in fridge for two days without any problems.]
  4. Roll dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch and cut into individual cookies. If you want, sprinkle the tops with some additional sugar.
  5. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool before serving.
Recipe Notes

Shortbread keeps for a week or more in a sealed container, and also ships well.

OM NOM NOM!

Maple Sugar Shortbread5_sm

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To find out more about The Clockwork Dagger and The Clockwork Crown, please visit BethCato.com! You can read the first chapter of Dagger, follow links to order the books, AND get more recipes for delicious cookies.

BethCato-steampunk-headshot300x450

Beth Cato is the author of THE CLOCKWORK DAGGER steampunk fantasy series from Harper Voyager. Her short fiction is in InterGalactic Medicine Show, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Daily Science Fiction. She’s a Hanford, California native transplanted to the Arizona desert, where she lives with her husband, son, and requisite cat.

Notes

Notes
￪1 room temperature
￪2 optional

Recipes of Arkadia: Camilo’s Corn Bread

Food — growing it, preparing it, eating it — is a central part of life in the Arkadia space colony. Over the next few weeks I’m sharing recipes for some of the food mentioned in the book.

Baking is therapy for Camilo Molina. No wonder he thinks of cornbead as a vegetable.

Recipes of Arkadia: Camilo's Corn Bread
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Recipes of Arkadia: Camilo's Corn Bread
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F/200C.
  2. Mix dry ingredients together.
  3. Melt butter, then beat in first the milk, then the egg.
  4. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients, mix until combined.
  5. Cut the kernels off the corn and add them to the batter. Mix well.
  6. Pour batter into a pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden.
Recipe Notes

Based on a recipe from The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas.

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Notes

Notes
￪1 melted
￪2 kernels removed

Recipes of Arkadia: Slava’s Moroccan Chick Pea Soup

Food — growing it, preparing it, eating it — is a central part of life in the Arkadia space colony. Over the next few weeks I’m sharing recipes for some of the food mentioned in the book.

This soup is Siobhan Patel’s favourite, so Vyacheslav Haeroa makes it as often as he can in his soup café. Whatever it takes to get her to see him.

Recipes of Arkadia: Slava's Moroccan Chick Pea Soup
Print Recipe
Earth-based cooks can substitute canned tomatoes and chick peas.
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 12 hours
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 12 hours
Recipes of Arkadia: Slava's Moroccan Chick Pea Soup
Print Recipe
Earth-based cooks can substitute canned tomatoes and chick peas.
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 12 hours
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 12 hours
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Soak dried chick peas in cold water overnight. They will double in size, so use a large bowl and enough water.
  2. Saute onion and garlic.
  3. Add spices, stir until onion is translucent.
  4. Add flour, and cook a minute.
  5. Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat as broth begins to thicken.
  7. Add tomatoes and drained chickpeas, taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
  8. Simmer 60-90 minutes (or about 15 minutes if using canned or pre-cooked chick peas).
  9. Add a dash of lemon juice prior to serving.
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Notes

Notes
￪1 diced
￪2 soaked overnight
￪3 chopped
￪4 minced

Recipes of Arkadia: Chen Wu’s Seed Loaf

Food — growing it, preparing it, eating it — is a central part of life in the Arkadia space colony. Over the next few weeks I’m sharing recipes for some of the food mentioned in the book.

Chen Wu, one of Arkadia’s volunteer bakers, doesn’t think of himself as lazy — he’s efficient. He makes a lot of bread, so he does it the easy way: by letting time do the work. 

Recipes of Arkadia: Chen Wu's Seed Loaf
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 loaf 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
50 minutes 18 hours
Servings Prep Time
1 loaf 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
50 minutes 18 hours
Recipes of Arkadia: Chen Wu's Seed Loaf
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 loaf 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
50 minutes 18 hours
Servings Prep Time
1 loaf 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
50 minutes 18 hours
Ingredients
Servings: loaf
Instructions
  1. Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir them up.
  2. Add 2 cups of warm water, mix until you get a damp, doughy ball. You can do this all with a wooden spoon, there’s no need to knead! Cover with a cloth and let it sit overnight.
  3. The next day, pour the dough into a loaf pan and bake at 220C/425F for 40-60 minutes.
Recipe Notes

This seed loaf is my real-life everyday bread, using 3 cups of white flour, 1 cup of whole wheat and flax seed or meal. I’ve let the dough sit for more than 24 hours and as little as 8 hours. Longer is better, but the bread has always turned out.

You can use more or fewer seeds; I wouldn't go with more than a cup, though.

This recipe is based on Jim Lahey’s No-Work Bread, from How To Cook Everything.

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Notes

Notes
￪1 flax, sunflower, chia, sesame, whatever