Mama’s Sweet Revenge Peach Cobbler

Mama is Doreen Gable, an important character in Marci Boudreaux's latest novel Unforgettable You, the creator of this dessert to die for.

Carrie and her mother-in-law Doreen are boarding several A-list actors in Doreen's family home while the stars film in their hometown. Unfortunately, rising star Juliet Ramirez refuses to be nice, making life miserable for Carrie and constantly insulting Doreen.

So when Doreen finds out the weight obsessed starlet's biggest weakness is Peach Cobbler, she makes this recipe as part of her plot for sweet revenge.

Cobbler:
4 cups fresh peaches pitted and cut into slices (about 2½ pounds)
¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter
4 drops almond extract
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place peach slices in a shallow baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle with sugar, almond extract, and cinnamon. Dot with butter.

Topping:
1 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ cup butter or shortening
½ cup milk

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or fingers. Stir in milk with a fork until dough clings together. Pat out dough to 1/4" thickness and place over peaches. Trim edges, crimp to seal.

Cut a hole in the top center for steam to vent.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until peaches are cooked and top is golden.

While the cobbler is baking, here's a short intro to Unforgettable You.

BLURB:
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.

Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.

The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.

EXCERPT:
“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.

Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”

“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”

“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she walked to the refrigerator and looked at the menu. She looked at the clock again and laughed bitterly. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”

“This is a lot for one person to handle.”

“I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

“Carrie.” He coaxed gently.

Turning from the fridge, she seemed to plead with her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Will?”

“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”

“How the hell do you think I’m doing?”

He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes. “Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”

“Falling apart is not an option right now.”

“Well, burying it isn’t either.”

Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink, then fill it with water.

Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What I’m thinking?” she asked and laughed softly. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning Doreen’s insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”

“The disease—”

“I know,” she said, turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”

Fresh tears shimmered in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer with the hidden stove knobs. Another preventative measure to stop Mama from turning on the heat.

Carrie tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, she slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, done the research, even talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that.” The tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks. “Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her, causing her shoulders to shake. He soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.

BUY LINK

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.