by Taylor Dean
“How many victims are in the photo album?”
He has to take a deep breath before he tells me. “Eighteen.”
I feel my blood pressure drop dramatically and Jace holds onto me.
“We got her, Shay. We got her.”
I grant him a watery smile. “And I’ve got you.” I caress his cheek. “I’ve got you, Jace.”
“We have each other.”
We embrace once again and I feel like a flower growing wild on a hillside, blowing in the wind with the sun on my petals. Carefree, happy, and lighthearted.
The way I should be.
Thank you for reading Hothouse Flower. I hope you have enjoyed the Sound of Silence Series.
Just in case you missed Book One, it’s not too late to catch up on Spencer’s Story!
Book One, Spencer’s Story: STONE SILENCE
Don’t forget to catch Book Two, Mia’s Story: JAILBIRD
On the following pages, please enjoy a few of the recipes featured in Hothouse Flower. Special thanks to Corian Taylor for sharing his recipes. Please watch for his specialty cookbook, coming soon. I will announce its release on my website. It will feature gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free cooking.
WAFFLES
(Gluten-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free)
These waffles bake up crisp on the outside and tender and light on the inside.
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• ½ cup Chickpea flour
• ½ cup Coconut flour
• ½ cup Hazelnut flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoon Coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
Wet Ingredients
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened Almond Milk
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup Coconut butter
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, hand whisk dry ingredients together until completely mixed.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, hand whisk wet ingredients together until smooth.
3. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Whisk together until the batter is smooth. No lumps should remain. Let the batter sit in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (this gives the liquid time to soften the flour so the waffle does not have a grainy texture). Batter will be thick and not runny, spoonable but not pourable.
4. Heat waffle iron. Grease top and bottom generously. Spoon batter onto hot iron (amount of batter will vary depending on the size of your iron) and bake until golden brown and crisp.
5. Waffles can be frozen then heated in a microwave when ready to use.
6. When serving, to keep on the healthy side, top waffles with raw maple syrup or a purée of mixed berries (Blackberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry).
SPECIAL DARK COCOA CAKE
(Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• ¼ cup Sorghum Flour
• ¼ cup White Rice Flour
• ¼ cup Coconut Flour
• ¼ cup Potato Starch
• 1/3 cup Tapioca Starch
• 1 ½ teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 1 ½ teaspoon Arrowroot Starch
• ¾ cup Special Dark Cocoa powder
• 2 Cups coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
• ¾ cup Avocado oil
• ¼ cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 ¼ cup Coconut Milk
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13 x 9 baking pan, or two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans
• Combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl.
• Mix until creamy texture.
• Evenly spread the batter into greased baking pans.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.
• Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING FOR CAKES
(Frosting for a 13x9 cake or a standard size birthday cake)
(Gluten-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• 1 cup 100% cacao chocolate chips (can use a chopped up chocolate bar).
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons powdered Stevia (can use granulated form, just takes longer to melt).
• 3 tablespoons powdered Monk fruit (can use granulated form, just takes longer to melt).
Wet Ingredients
• ¼ cup Coconut butter (can also use most non-dairy unsweetened butters)
• ¼ cup unsweetened Almond milk (can also use unsweetened Coconut milk)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Optional: ½ to 1 teaspoon peppermint oil to add a minty taste.
Directions:
1. In a sauce pan, combine all of the dry and wet ingredients. Set the stove to medium-low heat and stir the mixture until completely melted with a smooth and creamy texture.
2. Let the pan cool until it is not hot to touch, and then put it in the refrigerator. Stir every 5 minutes, checking the firmness of its texture. Once it is firm enough to spread with a frosting knife, it is ready to use. This should take between 15 and 30 minutes based on the temperature of the refrigerator. (Note: If it is kept too long in the refrigerator it will become too hard to spread. If this happens, simply put the pan back on the stove at low heat, stirring constantly until it is soft enough to spread.)
3. When using with cupcakes, recommend putting 1 to 2 tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake according to personal taste.
4. Leftover frosting can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Before use, it will need to be reheated on low, stirring constantly, until it is soft enough to spread.
BANANA NUT MUFFINS
(Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• 1 cup Chickpea flour
• ¼ cup Coconut Flour
• ½ cup Potato starch
• ¼ cup Tapioca starch
• ½ tsp Xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts (can use any nut)
Wet Ingredients
• 1 1/3 cups mashed bananas
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin pans.
2. In a bowl, stir together all Dry Ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, using a mixer, beat banana, vinegar, oil and eggs until combined. Add honey while mixing.
4. Pour banana mixture over dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon evenly into each cup of greased muffin tins. Let stand for 30 minutes.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 26 to 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from the pan immediately and let cool completely on a rack
For traditional Banana Bread:
• For traditional Banana Bread, omit the walnuts and spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9-by 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
DARK COCOA CHEWY FUDGE BROWNIES
(Gluten-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• ¼ cup Chick Pea Flour
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
• 2 tablespoons Tapioca Flour
• 3/
4 Cup 100% Cocoa powder
• 1 to 2 Cups Coconut Sugar (1 cup for a more bitter taste, 2 cups for a sweeter taste)
• ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
• 3/4 Cup margarine
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional
• ½ to 1 cup Chopped Nuts (Cashews, Walnuts, Hazel nuts, Macadamia nuts, other)
Directions
• Combine all ingredients into mixing bowl.
• Mix until creamy texture.
• Optional: Add Chopped Nuts and mix until evenly distributed throughout batter.
• Spread into prepared baking pan.
• Let stand in baking pan on counter for at least 30 minutes before baking. (This allows the flour time to soften to remove grainy texture)
• Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 x 8 baking pan
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.
• Cool completely in pan on wire rack before serving.
• Cut into 1 inch bars for serving.
CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES
(Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free) Makes 36
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• ½ cup Chick Pea Flour
• ½ cup Almond Flour
• ¼ cup Coconut Flour
• ½ cup Tapioca Starch
• ½ teaspoon Xantham Gum
• ½ cup Cocoa powder
• 2 cups Coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking power
• ½ teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
• ½ cup Coconut Butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup Cashew milk
Optional
• 1 cup Chopped Nuts (Cashews, Walnuts, Hazel nuts, Macadamia nuts, other)
• 36 Chocolate Chips (for decorating top of cookies)
Directions:
• Put Coconut Butter and Coconut Sugar in mixer bowl and mix until smooth.
• Mix in the rest of the Wet Ingredients
• Put all Dry Ingredients in second bowl, and stir with a whisk or spoon until well mixed.
• Add dry ingredients to wet mixer bowl, one spoonful at a time, and mix until texture is creamy and smooth.
• Optional: Add Chopped Nuts and mix until evenly distributed throughout batter.
• Let stand in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (This allows the flour time to soften to remove grainy texture)
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Optional: Immediately out of oven, lightly press 1 chocolate chip into the center of each cookie.
• Remove cookies from baking sheets and place on wire rack until completely cooled before serving.
HAMBURGER BUNS
(Gluten-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free) Makes 6 buns
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients
• 1 packet (2 teaspoons) rapid rise yeast
• 1 ½ cups 15 Bean flour
• ½ cup Tapioca flour
• ½ cup Arrowroot flour
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoons Coconut Sugar granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon Munk Fruit granulated
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon Vitamin C Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
• 3/4 cup warm (about 110° F) water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
1. Whisk together water and yeast in a small bowl. Allow to stand for five minutes.
2. Put dry ingredients into a mixing bowl then hand whisk until thoroughly combined.
3. Mix all wet ingredients using the mixer’s flat paddle attachment, until they have been completely mixed.
4. Then, with the mixer on low, spoon the dry ingredients into the bowl (a spoonful at a time) until dry ingredients are wet. Then mix on medium speed until smooth (about 3 minutes). Dough should be thin, but not pourable, like a pasty batter that holds its shape.
5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place 6 greased English muffin rings evenly spaced on the baking sheet. (the parchment paper will prevent the bottom of the buns from getting too dark)
6. Spread dough evenly into the English muffin rings, until all rings are half full of dough. Grease a sheet of plastic wrap and place it loosely over the tops of all rings. Allow the dough to double in size (this takes about one hour).
7. When dough has doubled in size, preheat oven to 350°F. Gently remove the plastic wrap from the top of the rings.
8. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. (If the crust gets too dark, place a piece of foil on the top of the buns to prevents the crust from getting too dark.)
9. Remove buns from the oven, lightly brush tops of buns with olive oil, and allow to cool for two minutes. Transfer buns to a wire cooling rack, remove rings, and allow to cool completely.
10. When cool, slice buns into even tops and bottoms with a serrated knife before serving.
Other books by Taylor Dean
I Have People
Missing any memories?
Holly Sinclair is happily married to the love of her life, Gabriel. Young and in love, Holly hopes to have their first child soon. Of course, Gabriel wants to wait till Holly’s health is restored, much to Holly’s dismay. She feels perfectly fine. So what if she just woke up from an eight-month coma? So what if some of her memories are missing? She remembers Gabe and that’s all that matters, right? That is, until HE enters her life again . . . she forgot about HIM.
I’m With You
Can three little words irrevocably change your life?
When the doctors inform Chloe Brennan that her pregnancy is “incompatible with life,” her subsequent choices will change her path forever.
She becomes one of the quiet, unsung heroes of this world, incredibly strong, yet somehow wrongly looked upon as damaged. Three people will pierce Chloe’s existence: her husband, a stranger, and a precious baby. One will say goodbye, one will say hello, and one will say both at the same time. I’m With You is a novel about selfless love and the sacredness of life.
For Nick
What would you do for love?
Zachary Drake had love in his life—and tragically lost it. He knows it won’t come his way again. Andie Parker would do anything for the love of her life. Even marry a total stranger. In spite of the unorthodox manner in which Zach and Andie come together, there is no denying that things are unexpectedly good between them, taking them both by surprise. However, when secrets come between them—and trust does not—Andie soon finds herself vowing to never make the same mistake again. But, she’d do it again in a heartbeat and she knows it. She’d marry a hundred strangers if it helped Nick. She’d do anything for Nick . . . anything.
Sierra
Named a Top Five Finalist by the Kindle Book Review for Best Indie Book of 2013 in the Romance Category
Have you ever been lost in the woods?
Alyssa Fontaine’s life, loved ones—everything familiar and dear—are brutally taken from her. Taken captive by two men, she endures a horrific nightmare. A new life is forced upon her and even a new name. Just when it appears that no hope is in sight, she is saved by an unlikely twist of fate. Trapped in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, life will open its arms to her again and she will embrace it. She will find love such as she never knew existed. Sierra is a heart-wrenching story of the power of the human spirit to survive amidst impossible circu
mstance and severe losses. It is a story of survival . . . and hope.
Lancaster House
A paranormal romance
Are you ever really alone?
Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard? The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.
The Middle Aisle
A sequel to Lancaster House
Zoe Grayson is back in Lancaster House, ordered to bed rest for the duration of her unexpected pregnancy. Doctor Wade Channing, her overzealous psychiatrist, is living in Lancaster House, taking care of her, waiting on her, and tending to her every need. It seems to be the perfect arrangement. There’s just one catch. She has to tell him her story—everything that has happened in her life since the moment she escaped from Serenity Hills. It’s been quite an adventure to include renovating another home and a walk down the middle aisle. But, that’s all over now. Nothing is real. It never was. How did she end up in this miserable situation?
Joshua’s Folly
Can you fall in love with a picture?
After Marisa survives a traumatic experience in her youth, she finds comfort in the form of a photograph of Joshua, her foster mother’s nephew. She falls in love with him, creating and refining an image of the man of her dreams. When Marisa has the opportunity to visit Texas for the summer, staying at Joshua’s cattle ranch outside of Amarillo, she meets Joshua in person for the first time. She quickly realizes he is someone she could really fall in love with, not just a silly childhood crush. Life is seemingly perfect for Josh and Marisa, with endless possibilities before them. That is, until Josh’s reservations take a toll on their relationship and their summertime romance ends rather unexpectedly. Will Marisa be able to forgive Josh for his folly?