Debra Marvin's Blueberry Torte

Debra E. Marvin tries not to run too far from real life but the imagination born out of being an only child has a powerful draw. Besides, the voices in her head tend to agree with all the sensible things she says. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and serves on the board of Bridges Ministry in Seneca Falls, NY. She is published with WhiteFire Publishing, Forget Me Not Romances, and contracted with Journey Fiction and Barbour Publishing. Debra has been a judge for the Grace Awards for many years. She uses her horticulture degree in her work as a program assistant at Cornell University, and enjoys her family and grandchildren, obsessively buying fabric, watching British programming and traveling with her childhood friends.

Because writing also means being all over social media, she’d appreciate seeing you at her Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram spots, or over at her website. A great way to keep up with new fiction (and there’s four stories coming down the pike) is to follow her Amazon Author Page.

Debra's Latest Book Release SAGUARO SUNSET

No ice cream sandwich is as sweet as a long-delayed sunset kiss.

Friday night’s first phone call was the answer to Teresa Scott’s career dreams. Before she can celebrate, a second call informs her of her sister’s accident and puts Teresa in ‘the driver’s seat’ of Frosty Fingers Food Truck during the Tucson Festival of Books. Determined to keep her sister’s business out of the red, Teresa hides the painful disappointment of giving up her dream.

Fellow accountant Alan Davis sticks his do-gooder nose in, hanging around to help Teresa, the woman he’s adored since forever, not knowing the coveted board position he's just accepted is the one she had to give up. 

Nice Guy Alan isn’t really Teresa’s type, but she’s won over by his humor, adorable smile, and ice cream scooping skills. As his presence become irreplaceable, she sheds the hardened layers of her heart. Just when it’s clear she needs him in her life, Alan has to face his biggest regret and honor an old promise. Will losing this chivalrous knight in a snowman costume break Teresa’s vulnerable heart? Find it at Amazon

Debra's Blueberry Torte

Debra also hosts guests through AirBnB, and uses her go-to recipe for fruit torte to welcome them. This is the famous NY Times Plum Torte by Marian Burris which appeared decades ago but remains one of their most successful recipes. Here’s Debra’s version:

½ cup softened butter

¾ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of lemon juice or lemon zest

1 cup unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt
12 oz. frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and lemon juice (or lemon zest). In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, blending well. Spread into a greased pie dish or a spring-form pan (8,9, or 10 inches). I use a glass pie dish. Cover with frozen blueberries. Be generous, but don’t cover completely.

Bake 45 mins-1 hour depending on your oven and pan. I wish I could come over and give my opinion, but you are on your own. Remove and cool. I carefully remove the torte from the pie dish after about 10-15 minutes if I want to place it in my fancy cake dish, but it can be left in the pan if your family is just going to chow it down.