This installment of the Hannah Swenson mysteries was written by Alison Sweeney.
This is the first movie in the Hannah Swensen series to not include Cameron Mathison's character, Mike Kingston, due to the actor joining Great American Family, a rising competitor to Hallmark Channel.
Since each mystery is based on a book centered around a specific baked pastry or dessert, each movie attempts to drop hints related to the book's story. This movie references apples and apple dumplings, so the first time Hannah is shown teaching at the college, she's instructing her students making apple dumplings. Also, in a later scene, Hannah discovers the murder victim and a handmade card decorated with apples is clearly visible next to the body.