Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Juliette Sobanet has a kissable recipe for you....and a book to give away!


Introduction by Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

When she’s not busy practicing yoga, hanging out with her husband, cuddling with her two (huge!) cats, or teaching (she’s a French professor in Washington!!), Juliette Sobanet can be found nibbling un peu de chocolat and writing about her favourite place in the world: France. She’s just wrapping up the edits on her third book, and she’s here with us today to talk about her first book: “Sleeping with Paris.” She's also sharing a rather "kissable" dessert recipe!

“Sleeping with Paris” is available for download on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ibooks. Or (even better) you could win a copy here! Juliette has three e-copies of "Sleeping with Paris" to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the world.

Visit Juliette on Facebook, Twitter and her website.


Synopsis of "Sleeping with Paris":

Charlotte Summers is a sassy, young French teacher who is two days away from moving to Paris with the love of her life and from fulfilling her dream of studying at the prestigious Sorbonne University in France. But when she discovers her fiancé’s online dating profile and has a little chat with the busty red-head he’s been sleeping with on the side, she gives up on committed relationships altogether and decides to navigate Paris on her own.

Determined to stop other women from finding themselves in her shoes, Charlotte creates an anonymous blog on how to date like a man in the City of Love—that is, how to jump from bed to bed without ever falling in love. But, with a slew of Parisian men beating down her door, a hot new neighbor who feeds her chocolate in bed, and an appearance by her sleazy ex-fiancé, she isn’t so sure she can keep her promise to remain commitment-free.

And, when Charlotte agrees to write an article for a popular women’s magazine about her Parisian dating adventures—or disasters, rather—will she risk losing the one man who’s swept her off her feet and her dream job in one fell swoop?


Before I share my favorite holiday recipe with all of you lovely Chick Lit Central readers, there’s something I need to confess. I’m a chocoholic. In fact, to find inspiration for this post, I had to grab a bar of dark chocolate from the kitchen and treat myself to a few squares (read: entire bar) before I could even start writing. I know. It’s a problem. But at least around the holidays, it’s totally acceptable to eat massive quantities of chocolate (and cookies and fudge—which I am also quite fond of). After all, your friends and family members went to so much trouble with all of that baking. You can’t let it go to waste!

So, with my chocolate obsession in full force around this festive holiday season, I decided on a simple, classic recipe that includes an entire chocolate kiss in each bite: The Peanut Butter Blossom. I am certain that Charlotte Summers, my main character in Sleeping with Paris, would fully appreciate these cookies. After all, the sexy French man living two doors down feeds her chocolate in bed (men, please take note), and I’ve never heard her complain about it.


Peanut Butter Blossoms:

Topping:
48 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
1/4 cup sugar in bowl for coating

Batter:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Using a mixer, beat unsalted butter until smooth. Add in peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar, then beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Continue to beat, adding in the egg, vanilla extract and milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture to the peanut butter mixture, and beat until fully combined. If dough is too soft to roll into balls, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into one inch balls. Roll balls in sugar to coat, then place on ungreased baking sheet two inches apart. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until just golden brown. Immediately after removing from oven, place one chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down just until cookie begins to crack. Remove cookies from baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool. Makes about 48 mouth-watering, chewy cookies, perfect for chocolate and peanut-butter lovers alike.

*Note: Peanut Butter Blossoms (and all other desserts containing chocolate) become dangerously delicious when fed to you by a hot man. (Charlotte begged me to add this part in. And I have to say, I agree with her wholeheartedly).

Bon Appétit!

Thanks to Juliette for sharing her yummy recipe with us and her novel with our readers.


How to win "Sleeping with Paris":
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note:Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What is your favorite food item containing chocolate?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines, as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends December 27th at midnight EST.


26 comments:

Vicky @ A Backpack Full of Adventures said...

Wonderful recipe, I'll make sure to try it! :) And thank you so much for the giveaway.

Name: Vicky
Email: booksbiscuitsandtea(at)hotmail(dot)com

Bonus entries:
- My favourite food containing chocolate are chocolate muffins! I love them :o)
- old follower
- I tweeted about it: twitter.com/#!/alouetteuette/status/149483370303332352
-I sent a request to join you on FB (my name is Vicky's Reviews)

Elissa said...

Chocolate chip cookies
Old follower
Also a follower on FB
elissadotbull@gmail.com

Amber @ A Little Pink in the Cornfields said...

My favorite treat with chocolate is is those chocolate covered cake balls! Yum!
amber_johnson2004 at yahoo dot com

Amber @ A Little Pink in the Cornfields said...

I'm a follower of your blog!

amber_johnson2004 at yahoo dot com

Jordan said...

Chocolate covered pretzels or Reese Cups :)

Follower of the blog!

jordanweber at live dot com

Alexa S. said...

That looks so good. I just want to eat that now...

And I love the sound of the novel too! I mean, hello, it's set in PARIS - my dream city to visit.

Name: Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books
Email: alexalovesbooks(at)gmail(dot)com

Bonus:
My favorite food with chocolate in it is chocolate croissants. YUM. <3

Name: Vicky
Email: booksbiscuitsandtea(at)hotmail(dot)com

Bonus entries:
- My favourite food containing chocolate are chocolate muffins! I love them :o)

Anjana said...

Anjana Vasan
E-Mail : vasan.anjana@gmail.com

My favorite food containing chocolate are chocolate chip cookies =)

Already a follower!

Shared on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/anjana.vasan

Tweeted about it :
https://twitter.com/#!/anjanavasan/status/149516587093856256

Already joined you on FB!

Stephanie said...

My favorite food containing chocolate are chocolate caramels.

I'm a gfc follower.

Skk25@aol.com

Kimberley Troutte said...

Very fun!

I like pretty much anything with chocolate in it. Dark chocolate is the best. My little boy makes a "secret" family recipe of yummy fudge. The secret? He gets it off the back of the marshmellow jar! Shhh. Don't tell him I gave it away.

kimberleytroutte(at)verizon(dot)net

Lindsay said...

Hi now following your blog. Would love to read this.
My favourites are chocolate biscuits.
lindsayhealyATgooglemailDOTcom

Kim W. said...

I soooo am going to make this recipe!

1. Reese's peanut butter cups! All time favorite!!!

2. I follow the CLC blog

3. I posted this contest on FB

4. I belong to CLC on FB

kewalker1972@gmail.com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I absolutely love chocolate mousse. It is just too easy eat. I swear I could eat a whole tub if it was available. I'm a follower.

Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

Kristen said...

I really love Puppy Chow... The stuff with Chex, peanut butter and chocolate. Yummmm.

I follow the blog and on fb.
thanks!
Kristen
Kly(dot)327(at)gmail.com

Kath said...

Yum! Delicious! I will see if I can make them for Christmas. I hope you enjoy your holiday! XOXO

faithspage said...

brownie!!
follow on fb
follow on gfc
kyfaithw at aol dot com

Mary Preston said...

I love Chocolate/Chocolate Chip cookies: a double whammy.

GFC: Mary Preston
FB: Mary Preston

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

jeff7salter said...

I'd love to win a copy of your book!
salter8jeff[at]yahoo[dot]com

My fav. dish with choc. would have to be brownies --- moist and still warm from the oven. From scratch always seems to taste best, but I'd settle for some of the better box mixes.

I'm a total klutz in the kitchen, so your recipe wouldn't help me.

Linda Kish said...

Chocolate chip cookies

The book sounds terrific

I am a GFC follower

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Na said...

I love cake with chocolate in it, whether it's chunky pieces or flakes. Yum!

GFC: Na
Cambonified{at}yahoo{dot}com

Jeryl M. said...

I like anything containing chocolate as long as it is not dark chocolate and has no fruit or coconut in it.

I am a subscriber.

I am a Facebook follower.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

StereoQueenBee said...

1. Please tell us: What is your favorite food item containing chocolate?

EVERYTHING! Chocolate can do no wrong.

2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).

Am already a follower.

3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.

Facebook - Sabrina-Kate Eryou
Twitter - stereoqueenbee

4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines, as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

Am already a member.

queenofcrunk at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

White chocolate with oreos. Rearadmiral (at) gmail dot com. Cheers!

Dawn said...

My favourite food item containing chocolate is Reese's Pieces or Reese Peanut Butter cups!

Dawn
gleamofdawn3 at yahoo dot ca

kaewink said...

Sounds delicious.
My favouritES ARE chocolate chip cookies :)

I´m a follower of the blog and on FB.

kewinkler at gmail dot com

Margay Leah Justice said...

I just had some peanut butter blossom cookies - my mother made them for Christmas!

Bonus question: I'm still partial to chocolate chip cookies, especially homemade ones!

I'm an old follower

Margay1122ATaolDOTcom

Krystal Lynn said...

I like so many chocolatey foods...brownies, Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, Almond Joy, Samoa cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate caramels, mint chocolate ice cream.. It'd be like choosing a favorite kid!

miss_kris_11@yahoo.com

Follow blog
Follow twitter & fb group
Added Jaz V. to group
Retweeting on twitter @krystaldorkface

=)