Amelie's Almondine Biscuits

In my book  The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer Amelie Rouen (the famous Amaline) spends a little time at the vicarage in Harelton with Aiden and assists the housekeeper Mrs. Comfrey in making her own recipe for Almondine Biscuits. Here is my version of this recipe. I hope you like it!

Amelie’s Almondine Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 180C

  

100 grams of ground almonds

120 grams of sugar (this can be all white or half white and half dark brown sugar if you prefer a toastier flavor)

300 grams of plain flour

200 grams of salted butter

2 medium eggs

¼ teaspoon of nutmeg

For the topping:

50 grams of thinly sliced or slivered almonds

2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar

 

Cream together the butter and sugars until smooth and set aside

Mix the ground almonds, flour and nutmeg in a separate bowl

Beat the eggs and add slowly to the butter and sugar mixture stirring constantly until smooth

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time until a firm dough is formed

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and using a crinkled edged cutter cut the biscuits into rounds.

If you like a thicker softer biscuit roll out the dough to approximately 8-10mm, for thinner crisper biscuit rollout the dough to approx. 5mm

Place on a greased and lightly floured baking sheet.

Add the toppings before baking: Take the slivered/sliced almonds and sprinkle on top, or form a star, a fan, or any other shape you prefer in the center of the biscuit, then sprinkle lightly with a pinch of brown sugar.

Place in the center of the oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes until a light golden brown. If you are making thinner biscuits, your cooking time will be less so watch them carefully.

Slide them from the baking sheet onto a metal rack and allow to cool.

These will be particularly good with a cold glass of champagne at the New Year or any other time for an after dinner dessert.

The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer

Making Mulled Wine

 

Did you know mulled wine can be drunk at any time of year, though we most associate it with the holidays when our thoughts turn to warm spiced drinks and good food. Have you ever wondered how to make mulled wine? In my book The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer  mulled wine is featured in several scenes, so I thought I would share a recipe.

Making mulled wine is a very subjective thing, keep your personal tastes in mind before you begin. Do you like cinnamon, cloves, honey or star anise? You don't need to add any of the spices you don't care for.

Greeks and Romans spiced and heated their wines to keep warm in winter. I'm sure they merely did it to taste.

Begin with two bottles of dry red wine in a large saucepan.

Add one large whole thinly sliced orange or two small oranges, clementines or satsumas

Add the grated zest of an orange or lemon if you like tangy citrusy flavors

You can choose to add any fruits such as pitted cherries, pomegranite seeds, cranberries or sliced apples

Half a cup of brown sugar or honey

You can grate in a small amount of nutmeg to taste

Add two cinnamon sticks, four cloves and two star anise, choose only the ones you like.

(Keep aside several sticks of cinnamon to add to your glasses as a stirer)

Simmer the ingredients on low heat stirring occasionally for forty five minutes, never boil as it will cook off the alcohol.

You can add half a cup of brandy to the pot or a small glass of port to add richness at the end.

When the fruits have cooked to a softness turn off the heat.

At this point you can either sieve the mixture providing a smooth liquid and adding back a slice of orange and a fresh cinnamon stick to each cup, or you could serve it as is in heat proof glasses or mugs.

Good Luck!

Are you ready for Winter?

Winter is here at last! I'm not a big fan of summer, I love to bundle up and stay cosy in the crisp winter air, and I love snow. I'm not great at ice skating but I can stay upright...pretty much! But I love the idea of a Regency winter house party, complete with handsome rogues, heroines who know their own mind and a midnight jaunt or two onto the frozen ice as the romance of the holiday season takes hold.

Snowball fights, ice skating, a winter frost fair, a houseparty and a pair of eligible twin rogues, what more could anyone ask for? If you're in the mood for a winter romance, check out Twin Rogues in Winter.

Twin Rogues in Winter  US

Twin Rogues in Winter  UK

Twin Rogues in Winter  Canada

Twin Rogues in Winter  Australia

Caverns

Luray Caverns

Have you ever visited a cavern? In Midnight in the Garden with Eros  John and Diana visit a local cavern together, but I won't tell you what happens there, that would be a spoiler. However, I will say that my inspiration came from several of the caverns I have been lucky enough to visit over the years. In the UK as a child I visited the Blue John Cavern in the Peak District, it seemed like a miraculous place to me as a small child! It is most famous for the Blue John stones that are mined there and used to make jewelry and small objet d'art. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out.  Blue John Cavern or https://www.bluejohn-cavern.co.uk/ 

In the US when I lived in Virginia I was lucky to visit the Luray Caverns, the largest on the east coast, it was one of the things I was determined to do before we left the State and it was well worth the visit, they also have a car and carriage museum and a small toy museum, fabulous for us history lovers! Here's the link: Luray Caverns  or https://luraycaverns.com/ 

Regency Romance and Pets

 You may notice that I have upgraded my covers lately as I wanted to make them a little more colorful, but the books inside remain exactly the same. Also, I wanted to illustrate the books which feature animals. And since we live in uncertain times when many of us have adopted pets to keep us company and bring us comfort, I thought you might enjoy reading those particular books.

In my Seductive Regency Romance Series, The Enigmatic Earl features a lovable wolfhound named Rufus. Wolfhounds are gorgeous, loyal and affectionate giants, and very true to the time period of Regency England when they were used as both hunting dogs and protection.

In Midnight in the Garden with Eros, a lovable black cat named Artemis makes an appearance, and no, she doesn't belong to the heroine but the hero!

And don't forget each book is a complete love story in case you wanted to read them out of order.

I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that I would never write something that had an unpleasant ending for humans or animals so you can rest assured that both human and animal characters in my books have a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

The Enigmatic Earl

 US   UK   CA   AUS   

Midnight in the Garden with Eros

 US   UK   CA   AUS   

My Books

I hope you're having a fabulous week. If you haven't been here in a little while you may notice that some of my books look a little different, I've just given the covers a colorful update, they are exactly the same inside.

As you know, most of my books contain love scenes, but recently I decided to write a few short stories that were on the sweeter side. The first is very short, but quite unusual,  it is a complete Regency love story told entirely from the perspective of the hero:  An Exceptional Duchess is out now. I will be publishing another playful sweet story soon,

In the meantime, here is the quick run down of my books depending on what you are in the mood for. 

The Seductive Regency Romances

The Seductive Regency Romances are sweetly steamy and loosely linked playful romances, with determined sensual heroes and headstrong passionate heroines. Each book is a complete romance with a happily-ever-after designed to leave you smiling, and can be read as a stand-alone, but in order they are:

The Aloof Marquess

The Enigmatic Earl

The Volatile Viscount

The Curious Curate

Twin Rogues in Winter

Midnight in the Garden with Eros

My other books include:

 The Third Dance (A Sensual and Playful Regency Romance)

 The Jewel Thief (A Ghostly Regency Romance) 

 In Devlin's Arms (A Steamy Regency Romance)

These two are extremely spicy but also contain a lot of humor: 

 Simply Adored (A Spicy and Playful Regency Romance)

 An Aspiring Courtesan (A Sensual and Playful Regency Romance) This one is my most sensual and explicit.

Here are the links to some of my Amazon pages:

Amazon Author Pages

Milly Jane Maven US 

Milly Jane Maven UK 

Milly Jane Maven AUS 

Milly Jane Maven CA 

New Release.

An Exceptional Duchess: A Short Sweet Kisses Only Romance

While I usually write books with plenty of sensual love scenes, I thought this heartfelt little love story would be a lovely change of pace. It is sweet and clean and contains only kisses. And just for a change the entire story is told from the point of view of the Hero. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading.

An Exceptional Duchess

A Short Sweet Kisses Only Love Story

 

A short sweet love story told entirely from the perspective of the hero.

Maximillian Edward Grayson, Duke of Edgewater has lived a cold and privileged life. His parents married for duty and they expected him to do the same. But now that they are gone, he is dragging his feet. While he knows he must marry to secure the line, a marriage of convenience is the last thing he wants. Known as the ‘ice cold duke’, he finds it hard to shake off the years of imperious training to be the superior being he is expected to be. The debutantes are afraid of him, and the matchmaking mammas are on the hunt.

Returning to his estate, he encounters a girl who reminds him of someone he used to know many years ago, and she refuses to allow him to be even remotely imperious. Suddenly, he finds himself dipping his bare toes in the lake, running through the woods, and tossing aside convention.

 And he can’t quite believe that she is real. Is she?

You can find An Exceptional Duchess here: US  UK  AUS  CA

About Eros

Eros vs Cupid.

When I began writing my novel Midnight in the Garden with Eros  I did a little research into exactly who Eros was, and discovered that in early Greek mythology Eros was depicted as a beautiful young adult male in his prime, it was only over time that the Greek myth was hijacked by the Romans and he became younger and was eventually depicted as a winged baby.

Eros is known as the Greek god of passionate love, romance and physical desire, from which the term erotic is derived.

I needed a beautiful male figure, as my hero sculptor John Ivers Mason, has sculpted a statue of Eros (based upon his own lithe physique) to grace the gardens of Wilmington Hall that was both beautiful and sensual. And after all, a statue of Cupid, a chubby baby in a diaper wasn’t going to cut it.

A beautiful statue many consider to be Eros has graced the center of Piccadilly circus for many years. Though as it turns out, the figure was meant to be Anteros, the brother of Eros and god of mutual and selfless love. Though he does wield a bow just like his brother.

Here is the statue from Picadilly Circus.

Just a Few Pics for Fun

 A little something different. I've been looking through the photographs of my travels over the past couple of years and discovered these, I don't think I have posted them before, but I thought they were truly adorable. Did you believe in fairies when you were little? If so, these will make you smile. The were taken during the winter on a walk at Hardwick Hall. The trail was filled with lovely little fairy homes and toadstools. Look inside the little fairy house at the detail there, it's hard to believe the whole thing is just a few inches tall.

There is a link on the left to my other pics of Hardwick Hall or just click here. My Pics of Hardwick Hall

A little about my series of Seductive Regency Romances

 

How one thing leads to another.

A little about how my series of Seductive Regency Romances came about.

When I wrote The Aloof Marquess, it was intended to be a single story, I had no idea that I would be writing more of them and that it would become the first of a series. I enjoyed the way Ellena, after her sudden marriage to a man she barely knew, determinedly coaxed James, her aloof marquess, into opening up. But by the end of the story I had fallen in love with the marquess’s two best friends and felt that they deserved their own stories too. In The Enigmatic Earl, Richard Merilstone unexpectedly falls in love with an unsuitable girl, and in The Volatile Viscount, Drake Warfield’s father—much to his very animated and volatile disgust—insists he marry a blue stocking, and she is no ordinary young woman.

I thought the three stories would be the end, but when I finished writing The Volatile Viscount, I began thinking about the other characters in the books. Lord Aiden Renford made only a very brief appearance in The Volatile Viscount but somehow I was drawn to write his story. And it had to be an unusual one. Thus came about The Curious Curate (and the Opera Singer), although he appears as a curate, he has merely been sent--at his father’s insistence--to assist his Reverend Uncle for a year to curb his roguish London ways, after which he is free to do as he pleases. But only a week before his year is up, he has an unexpected encounter with a lovely opera singer.

The gathering of Aiden’s family at the conclusion of this book led me to wondering about Aiden’s playful twin brothers. And thus Twin Rogues in Winter came about. Two mischievous rogues snowed in at a winter house party? Surely there will be some love matches amid the playful winter games? Starting with the girl hiding under one twin’s bed.

The next book, just out, features one of the girls who didn’t get a match at the Wilmington’s winter house party in Midnight in the Garden with Eros, and her match is one of the most unusual. A talented artist and sculptor whose creations grace the gardens of Wilmington Hall is asked to paint the fiery Miss Diana Wilmington.

The Seductive Regency Romances are playful, light and sensual romps that are meant to leave you smiling. Each is a complete love story and can be read as a stand-alone.

But in order they are: The Aloof Marquess, The Enigmatic Earl, The Volatile Viscount, The Curious Curate (and the Opera Singer), Twin Rogues in Winter, and Midnight in the Garden with Eros.

Click this link to the page here within my blog for more info: My Books

Why not to take one of my history quizzes while you are here, I have designed three just for fun. (listed on the left) Also you can look around my site at some of the pics taken on my travels all around England in the past couple of years to some fabulous historical sites. Just in case you’ve been feeling a little cooped up lately.

Thanks for visiting,

Milly Jane Maven

Just Published--Midnight in the Garden with Eros

Midnight in the Garden with Eros

A Seductive Regency Romance

 

An eagle-eyed artist with a checkered past, a bored country Miss, a cat called Artemis, caverns, and a ‘Greeks and Romans’ costume ball.

From humble beginnings to the height of fame, talented painter and sculptor John Ivers Mason is the toast of London. Tall, lean, handsome, and in possession of a pair of startling pale blue eyes and jet black hair, he is sought after not only for his skill and artistry, but his incredibly striking good looks.

But John’s lowly Newcastle background has made him cautious. While he is invited to many ton events as a celebrated artist, he is not truly a part of that world. Until he unexpectedly falls in love with a young woman who is.

Asked by her father to paint the fiery Miss Diana Wilmington at their country estate, he agrees—on one condition—that he be allowed to paint her for his own gallery too.

Diana is no typical member of the beau monde. She is feisty, stubborn, opinionated and definitely no shrinking violet. Almost perfect for him in fact. Except that he swore he would never marry.

But rules are made to be broken. Aren’t they?

 

Assuming she is alone in the garden, Miss Diana Wilmington is quite annoyed when in a rare whimsical moment she beseeches the newly arrived statue of Eros for a love match, and is overheard by none other than the statue’s amused sculptor himself. John Ivers Mason. The man is infuriating. But intriguing.

Although she is not usually of a whimsical mindset, Diana’s sister and several of her friends have recently married and she is feeling a little left out. Her father is not a fan of going to Town, and prefers to invite Town to him by creating his own entertainments at Wilmington Hall. And while she has no intention of succumbing to ‘wedded bliss’ with one of the stuffy, boring London fops who so often frequent their house parties, she doesn’t want to become an aging spinster aunt someday either!

But now the infuriating artist will be staying to paint her. And there is so much more to the talented artist than meets the eye.

Here are the links:

Midnight in the Garden with Eros  UK

Midnight in the Garden with Eros  US

Midnight in the Garden with Eros  Australia

Midnight in the Garden with Eros  Canada

About this Blog

What is on this blog? Well, I would love to tell you! First of all, as a romance writer you will find links to all my books. I love playful sensual heroes and heroines, and lots of humor. The black moments in my books are very few, and I hope that you will be left smiling. 
But there is so much more than my books on this blog. As a writer of historical romance, I am of course, also a history lover.  My personal favorites are Regency and Tudor.

I grew up in England and I was lucky enough to be exposed to a lot of English history, not just in the school room, but in my home life, thanks to my history loving mom, as well as on school visits to many historic locations. But I left England when I was very young and have only recently returned. So in order to quench my thirst for history in all its forms, I have spent the last few years visiting as many historic locations as possible. 

Since my return I have visited Haddon Hall, Hardwick Hall, and Chatsworth House, Belton House, Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) Osborne House (former home of Queen Victoria), Carisbrooke Castle which has an amazing connection to Warrior the War Horse (who was featured in the movie War Horse), Newstead Abbey, Nottingham Castle, The Portsmouth Historic Dockyards, and many more.

I have added many of my photographs in the pages listed at the right of the home page, but I would encourage everyone to explore the official sites of these wonderful homes too.

Three Free Quizzes

Hope you are managing to stay well and sane during lockdown, I've devised three quizzes for you, just for fun. You can find them right here or click on the headings at the top of the page.
Here are the links to all three, feel free to print them and test your friends and family:
History Quiz 3    History Quiz 2    History Quiz

You will also find links at the top of the main page to photographs of my visits to some of England's beautiful historic sites, including stately homes, a lighthouse, a model village and a windmill with links for you to visit the official sites too. And if you're an animal lover like me, you'll like the pics of my visit to the Donkey Sanctuary, I just love their furry faces. Look around my site and have fun!

A Ghost, An Earl, and an Unusual Romance --The Jewel Thief

The Jewel Thief

I think many of us have watched some of the haunted house type shows where a group of intrepid paranormal investigators go into a house with cameras, sound equipment and night vision goggles to track down an errant ghost. Have you ever visited an historic mansion where you felt a certain presence, or had an affinity with the building as if you had been there before?

And most of all, have you ever actually seen a ghost? And what would you do if you did? Probably not what you think you would do! It’s easier to imagine being brave when it’s in the abstract. Being there would be so different. Imagine the hairs standing up on the back of your neck as you suddenly felt as if something or someone was there. An unusual sound. A sudden inexplicable change in temperature, or an actual shimmering apparition. Would you stay or run? And if you did run, who’s to say it wouldn’t follow you. Surely a ghost has a right to be inquisitive too? Would you try to talk to him or her? Perhaps they are as curious as you are.

In The Jewel Thief, Griffin Blackstone, the Earl of Blakenheath is staying at Tallander Castle with his sister Lissy. The last thing he expects is to discover a ghost riffling through her jewelry box while she is out walking with her nanny. Running won’t help, though he is tempted. And he can hardly have his little sister come back to a room occupied by a ghost. So he decides to confront the specter. Would you? And what exactly would you say? Would you be lost for words or full of questions? Or would you pack and get out of there?

Meeting an errant ghost is just the beginning of The Jewel Thief, and Tallander Castle has some odd surprises in store for everyone. All brought on by a jewelry loving and playful ghost. It almost makes me want to spend a little time in a haunted mansion. Almost.

The Jewel Thief

A Regency Ghost Story

Griffin Blackstone, the Earl of Blakenheath, is resting in his room after a long journey to attend a house party at Tallander Castle with his younger sister Lissy. While she is out exploring the castle grounds with her long-time nanny, Griffin hears a strange sound in the room adjoining his own and hurries to investigate, but instead of a maid he discovers a shimmering apparition wearing his sister Lissy’s jewels.

Upon discovery, the spirit immediately disappears. Shocked but curious, he tamps down his initial alarmed instinct to dash out of there and waits for her to reappear. After all, even if he left she’d still be there and he can hardly have his sister return to a room bearing a ghost. But the playful and curious young specter is not easily deterred from her goal of acquiring the shimmering jewels, and Griffin finds himself in the strange predicament of trying to understand the ghost—that he discovers is known historically as the White Silhouette—and her motives.

He nicknames her Magpie as she is attracted to shiny objects. But his research shows her to be a young woman named Melissande DeMesurier Tallander who died of influenza a hundred years earlier.

Tallander Castle is up for sale, and not only is their hostess, the current Miss Tallander, hoping for a buyer, but she has also attracted many of the guests to the party by informing them that they are welcome to search the castle for the long missing Tallander jewels, though Griffin suspects he knows exactly who has stolen them.

A mischievous ghost, a bewildered and fascinated earl, a masquerade ball and some ghostly surprises feature in this lighthearted Regency romance.

The Jewel Thief US

The Jewel Thief UK

The Jewel Thief Australia

The Jewel Thief Canada

Stay Safe and Well

I hope if you are able to safely exercise in nearby woods you managed to see this year's blue bells. This was taken last year at Wollaton Hall, Nottinghamshire. Blue bells are such cheerful flowers, don't you think.

Thank You Essential Workers Everywhere

Just Published!

Twin Rogues in Winter

A Seductive Regency Romance

A pair of identical twins, a winter house party, a group of eligible young ladies, and the overwhelming temptation to switch identities. What could possibly go wrong?

Gareth and Callum Renford are identical twins, only the most discerning eye can tell them apart. Even their father gets them confused. But one thing sets them apart in a most dramatic way. One is a future marquess, and the other is not. So distinguishing one brother from the other is essential to any lady seeking a titled husband.

The two have always played the ‘which twin is which’ game and enjoyed confusing their friends and relatives. So when they are snowed in at a winter house party, they cannot resist. Will the guests be able to tell who is who? Not easily. And the mischievous pair are enjoying the game. Each would like to be valued for himself, regardless of his future prospects.

And while love is the greatest prize of all, they don't expect to find it.
But with a girl hiding under one twin's bed and the sudden reappearance of an old flame, the twins might get a little more than they bargained for in this cheerful Regency romp filled with secret passages, snowball fights, parlor games and a winter frost fair.
Links

Twin Rogues in Winter  US

Twin Rogues in Winter  UK

Twin Rogues in Winter  Canada

Twin Rogues in Winter  Australia

Things are Getting Curiouser and Curiouser

Well, things are getting curiouser and curiouser with the Seductive Regency Romances!

A curate who isn't a curate, but has to act like one for a year in The Curious Curate

An earl who is quite enigmatic--until he meets the love of his life, of course, in The Enigmatic Earl

A marquess who, due to the bounds of duty and war has become quite aloof--can love change that? Find out in The Aloof Marquess

And a viscount who is becoming quite volatile at the idea of marrying a bluestocking! In The Volatile Viscount

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Seductive Regency Romances, coming very soon.

Any idea who it will be? Here is a small clue. It is someone you met briefly at the end of The Curious Curate.

My Recent Visit to Blickling Hall

I have to confess I had never heard of Blickling until recently, but as we were in the area on a recent trip to Norfolk we decided to pay a visit. It's a beautiful Hall and unbeknownst to most people, the Blickling Estate is believed to be the birthplace of Anne Boleyn, most of us associate her more closely with Hever Castle where she lived while being courted by Henry VIII.

Blickling was also a spot where troops were billeted during World War II.

It's a fascinating place, and while it was wintry and cold on the day of our visit, the grounds still looked beautiful, though I will certainly go back in spring when things are coming to life.

The guides and volunteers at Blickling were wonderful, cheerful and full of information.

The best part of the Hall was actually the long gallery, which houses bookcases filled with thousands of books, a book lovers dream. I can easily imagine all of us book lovers browsing the books and walking the long gallery in winter, book in hand or sitting in a window seat reading!

I hope you'll check out the link to Blickling, Here  where you can find out more about it.