I have a whole pile of books and recipes to share for #KidLitConfections (I started writing this one in the beginning of June!!), and the longer I go between posts, the more my brain tells me I have to have the most amazing, flawless, awe-inspiring posts ever to make up for my long absence. But that's silly. Y'all are here for delicious recipes, great books, and possibly a story or two from my life. I'm pretty sure you're not going to string me up by my toenails if I don't wow you with a long, eloquent blog post on top of it all!!
I'm trying something new (again--we'll see how long this one lasts!!) and giving myself a template for the KidLit Confections posts, so I can copy/paste the relevant information into a set format and hopefully not get overwhelmed and go silent again when the things I want to say are so much more than I have time to write and share. And as always, I reserve the right to change my mind tomorrow if this doesn't actually work for me the way I want it to, but as for now... Here goes!
The Book:
Description from the Publisher:
A teeny-tiny fairy door.
Now imagine it is magic.
Open the door.
To some, the low door in Eliza’s bedroom might look like an ordinary entrance to a crawl space under the stairs. But to a believer like Eliza of the Elves, it’s the door to the Land of UnderStair, a secret hideout all her own. In that crawl space, festooned with twinkling lights, Eliza keeps her favorite book, her collections of precious items, her stuffed animals, and her new diary. And in that crawl space is another door, a teeny-tiny one that can transport Eliza to a world of tangerine sun and lemon-pudding sky, a place where flower fairies perch on every bloom and a new flower springs up whenever you pick one. But in a far corner of that world, Eliza tries to pick a strangely beautiful flower—“Nooooo!” cries her friend Poppy—and things soon go terribly awry. Can a brave, wilting Poppy rescue Eliza from beyond the hedgerow before the Demon Wind steals all the flower fairies’ scents, leaving the snapdragons with no snap?
In this launch of a new series, Megan McDonald brings her well-honed flair for wordplay to delicious villains like the witches Wolfsbane and Belladonna as she follows a child with a big imagination to a different fairy realm in each book. Lenny Wen’s delightful, richly colored artwork brings Eliza’s world to life with fanciful details sure to have readers creating their own cozy retreats—and visiting magical lands beyond the door.
My Thoughts:
Megan McDonald is a very well-known author with lots of books... and I realized as I sat down to write this post that I hadn't read any of her books prior to FAIRY DOOR DIARIES! Now I have a growing TBR pile, with so many more books to explore, because I'm certain I will enjoy many more of her books.
This is such a fun story, and I can't wait to dive further into this series! I have only listened to the audiobook version, so I can only imagine (based on the beautiful cover) that Lenny Wen's illustrations are probably fabulous throughout the entire book (and the full series!) ... But the narration by Stephanie Willing was so spot-on that I didn't really miss the artwork (although of course now I need to go get my hands on a physical copy of the book and take a look)!
The story gave me the same vibes as the early-2000s PBS kids show, Dragon Tales that my children were obsessed with when they were young. I am certain my almost-5-year-old granddaughter is going to love this story as much as her dad loved that show, and I can't wait to share it with her the next time I visit!
The Recipe:
"Tea"gan Cookies
2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
6 eggs
4 teabags Bigelow Lavender Chamomile Tea
2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. tapioca starch
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
7 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour
Lavender Fudge Topping:
3 c. sugar
¼ c. butter
1 c. powdered milk
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. water
¼ c. cocoa powder
1 (10 oz.) pkg mini marshmallows
2 (12 oz.) pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ tsp. lavender extract
2 tsp. vanilla extract
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Cut open
teabags and pour contents into butter mixture. Add eggs, salt, tapioca starch, vanilla,
and ½ c. of the flour. Mix until combined, then turn speed up to high and beat
until light and fluffy (at least 3-5 minutes). Then stir in remaining flour,
one cup at a time, just until combined.
Scoop into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined baking
sheet about 2 inches apart, and press with the bottom of a cup or glass jar lightly
to flatten each cookie to approximately ¼ inch thick. Chill for 20 minutes to 1
hour.*
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Transfer to a
wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies in a single layer on parchment
paper to prepare for fudge topping.
To Make Fudge Topping: Put marshmallows and chocolate chips into a large metal or
glass mixing bowl. (NOT plastic!) Make sure your mixer is plugged in, with the
wire whisk attachment ready to go. Measure the vanilla extract into a small
bowl, so it will be ready when needed.
In a large pan, stir together sugar, butter, powdered milk,
cocoa powder, and water over medium heat until it reaches a full rolling boil,
stirring constantly. Continue to stir constantly, while allowing the mixture to
boil for EXACTLY 5 minutes.
Remove from heat immediately.
Pour over chocolate and marshmallows
in mixing bowl. Immediately begin mixing with your electric mixer, until both
chocolate chips and marshmallows have completely melted, and chocolate is
smooth. Add extracts. Mix thoroughly.
Working quickly, while fudge is still warm, drop generous dallops
over the top of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then store
in an airtight container, with waxed paper between layers.
*Optional: Freeze 2-4 hours or overnight. Once
frozen, transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag and return to your
freezer. You can bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14
minutes. Continue with fudge topping after baking.
This
recipe, inspired by Tegan Mecham, pairs well with FAIRY DOOR DIARIES: ELIZA AND
THE FLOWER FAIRIES by Megan McDonald and Lenny Wen.
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