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5 Minutes for Books — Sweet Caroline

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Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck tells the story of Caroline Sweeney. Caroline has always lived her life to please others. When the owner of the local cafe dies, he leaves his cafe to Caroline, with the stipulation that it be sold if she doesn’t choose to run it. Caroline’s the kind of person who makes choices with others in mind–not necessarily her own needs. She has the opportunity to move to Spain for a fabulous job opportunity, but then what would happen to the oldtimers who have always known the cafe as a part of their hometown? What about the employees who need the job at the Frogmore cafe? What about good-looking J.D., the new guy she’s been dating? What about Mitch, her high school sweetheart who has recently returned to town after starting a career in the music industry? I won’t let you know what happens, but if you read it, you’ll find out.

I always find my mouth watering when reading stories that have food as a subplot. The descriptions of the food at the Frogmore Cafe definitely provoked that response–Frogmore Stew with shrimp and corn, moist cake with buttercream frosting, coffee lightened with half and half, and most importantly, Bubba’s Buttery Biscuits.

Author Rachel Hauck has shared that recipe with us. I can’t wait to try them.

Bubba’s Buttery Biscuits

3 cups self-rising flour
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for brushing the tops
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the flour and chilled butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingertips until the butter pieces are a little larger than an English pea, but not larger than a lima bean. If you are using your fingers, work quickly so that the heat of your hands won’t melt the butter.

Pour in all of the buttermilk and, using light pressure, fold the mixture a few times with a plastic spatula until it holds together. Do not over mix. In order to make light biscuits, it is important to work the dough as little as possible.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it quickly and gently 6 to 10 times or until it begins to be almost homogenized. There will be large pieces of butter throughout. Sprinkle a little flour under the dough so that it won’t stick to the board and lightly dust the top of the dough so that it won’t stick to the board and lightly dust the top of the dough so that it won’t stick to the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Cut the dough into 2-inch rounds, place on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. I like the biscuits to be crispy and brown on the top and bottom, but not dry in the middle. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter. Serve right away. (recipe from Louis Osteen)

Find out more about the author and her books at rachelhauck.com, read what others are saying about Sweet Caroline at the blog tour post.  Are you an aspiring writer? Check out her Book Therapy blog.

Would you like to win a copy of Sweet Caroline? Leave a comment here, and we’ll announce the winner in next week’s column.

You can still enter last week’s book giveaway, for Trading Places. Because I’m out of town, I’m going to draw and post the winners on Wednesday.

Reader Interactions


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94 Comments

  12. sounds like a fabulous read. I would love to have it to curl up with while my husband watches the kids.

    Reply

  19. I love “food” books- I’ll be trying the Bubba Biscuits! I’d love to win the book too. Thanks!

    Reply

  31. This is my favorite type of book, old-timers sitting around cafes and bars, food, and romance-sounds perfect!

    Reply

  37. Please count me in for this great contest. I love to read and this sounds like a great book. Thank you for the giveaway.

    Reply

  40. ***************************************************Let me just tell everyone that I received this book on another blog contest. I am part way into the book and Rachel is an amazing writer.

    If you don’t win this copy, be blessed and march on over to amazon.com to pick this up for yourself….or how about getting this book for a summer book club for your reading galpals?

    You will be so blessed.

    Joanne

    Reply

  41. Love to win it. Like the name of the biscuits. We call my husband Bubba,and I love butterflies, so we will be sure to make the recipe.

    Reply

  56. I would love to win a copy – it sounds like a great story…and I agree, I always get hungry when reading books with lots of food in them LOL

    Reply

  59. Happy Memorial Day! I have read good things about her book. The story line sounds like an interesting one and with two men interested in her, how could it not be?! Please enter me in your drawing. I appreciate it. Many thanks,Cindi

    Reply

  69. This sounds fabulous and I am in dire need of a good summer read! Please, Please!
    Fingers, toes and eyes crossed!

    Reply

  88. Sweet Caroline sounds like an interesting book, and although I have read many novels that often have recipes in them as part of the story, I have never actually tried to replicate them!

    Reply

  90. I love food books but I’m so suggestible … if a book mentions “tea” I have to get up and make myself a cup before I can continue. 🙂

    Reply