[REVIEW] [RECIPE] Shadow's Son

I read Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk for week two. This book has been hiding from me for a couple of years now, so I was pleased to uncover it when I went scouting for spooky books to read this month.

I actually met the author before I knew about the book. He visited the local Borders for a book signing and the leader of my writer's group encouraged us to come out and support a local author. I figured why not buy the book since I could get it autographed and brag to my friends that I knew him when...

Anyway, I bought the book and carefully placed it on my bookshelf to be read when I finished the book I was already reading. It was probably one of the "Wheel of Time" books, which means I had forgotten about my new acquisition when I reached the last page. When I remembered and went looking for it, it wasn't where I expected it to be. (Due to my lack of bookshelves, it somehow got squeezed between some books on French and other various languages.)

Now that you have a brief history of my disorganization, let's talk about the book. I shall try to avoid spoilers, but here goes:

The main character of this book, Caim, wraps himself in shadows of mystery to fulfill his job as an assassin. Other mysteries surround him that pull him in contradictory directions. He shifts between the shadows and the sunlight, I'll say to be cryptic and semi-poetic. True to my expectations, the book unveils worlds of intrigue. Despite being an outcast, low-born, and solitary, Caim proves to be central to many plots being woven by the people around him. Of course, his presence seems to bring lots of turmoil, which means lots of heart-racing action and plot twists to keep you reading...

The good news? The next two books in the series, Shadow's Lure and Shadow's Master, are already available (on Amazon), so you'll miss out on the annoying wait for answers if you buy all three of them at once. Or you can just start with the first one...

In the meantime, get in the mood to learn about the shadow's son by making something delicious:

Double Chocolate Shadow Cookies

(I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. These cookies are very similar to Thin Mints but not as crunchy. If you don't like mint in your chocolate, you can leave out the peppermint extract. You can also do half a batch with and half without, but you'll probably want to do the plain batch first and then add half the peppermint  extract suggested by the recipe since peppermint has great strength. I'd also sprinkle some crushed up peppermint candies over the mint ones to help tell them apart.)

Cookie:
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour

Shadow coating:
4 c semisweet chocolate chips (use 2 fresh, unopened bags)
1/4 c shortening
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1. Beat butter until creamy.
2. Add sugar and blend together.
3. Add cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well-blended.
4. Add egg and stir until combined.
5. Add vanilla and mix.
6. Add flour slowly until combined. (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, but if you are using a hand mixer, you may want to incorporate the last 1/2 cup by hand.)
7. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a log and wrap in cling wrap or wax paper.
8. Let chill in refrigerator until firm enough to slice (at least an hour).
9. When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
10. Unwrap chilled dough and slice into 1/4 inch disks. Place disks about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Edges should be firm.
12. Allow to cool on wire rack.
13. Open the bags of chocolate and resist the urge to eat them. Pour into microwavable bowl. Add shortening.
14. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
15. Repeat until chips are melted and smooth.
16. Add extract if desired and stir in completely.
17. Dip cookies into melted chocolate, gently scraping excess chocolate. You just want a thin coat.
18. Place coated cookies on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. (Sprinkle peppermint candy pieces over the mint ones if desired.)
19. Place cookie sheets in fridge to allow coating to harden.
20. When coating has hardened, store in airtight container between layers of wax paper (if you and your lucky friends or family members don't devour them immediately).