We are continuing our month of royal recipes to celebrate the royal movies on Hallmark Channel all month long! If you’re wondering what Coronation Chicken salad is, it was created and served for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. So that makes it a royal dish! Of course, I put my own spin on this recipe, which includes using a rotisserie chicken to make it a bit easier.

Ingredients:

-Rotisserie chicken

-2 shallots

-2 1/2 teaspoons cumin

-4 tablespoons apricot jam

-1/2 cup mayonnaise

-1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

-Squeeze of lemon juice

-Red grapes

-Chopped almonds

-Chopped walnuts

Directions:

Chop and saute shallots in olive oil, add mustard powder, and cumin. Sauté until translucent. Add apricot jam until it melts in. Take off the heat.

Slice grapes in half and add those in, along with the chopped almonds and walnuts.

Add lemon juice and mayonnaise. Stir until all combined. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

As the wave of royal movies approaches on Hallmark Channel, I decided to pay homage to several royal dishes. Starting with Yorkshire pudding! I had to add a little flare of lemon to jazz them up a bit, and oh my am I glad I did! I loved watching these rise and puff up in the oven like a science experiment. The key to getting the height is to make sure you have hot oil on the bottom of each muffin tin BEFORE pouring the batter in. It makes a world of difference!

Ingredients:

-4 eggs

-1 1/2 cup milk

-1 1/4 cup flour

-pinch of flaky sea salt

-lemon zest

-olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Create a well in the center and add the eggs. Slowly whisk the eggs into the flour to fully combine into a paste.

Add milk and whisk until smooth and thin. Grate in the lemon zest from one whole lemon. Pour into a bowl or cup with a spout. Set aside.

Using a muffin tin or popover tin, pour a very thin layer of olive oil on the bottom of each muffin well. Place in hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the oil starts to pop.

Carefully remove from oven and quickly pour batter into each well about 3/4 of the way full. Batter should sizzle when it hits the oil. Place in oven immediately and bake for about 20 minutes. DO NOT open oven until baking is done. You will see tall, puffy, browned tops and there should be a hole in the center of each one. That is when you know they are done.

I like to open the oven, turn it off and let the sit with the open door for a few minutes before taking them out. Let them cool before removing from tins. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. I personally like to squeeze a bit of lemon juice on as well just before eating. Enjoy!

As the “Hannah Swenen Mysteries” continue on Hallmark Mysteries, the next installment “Reality Bites” brought some new treats to the bakery! There was a heavy blueberry theme in this one. The movie opened with Hannah making a blueberry pie, we also saw a blueberry cheesecake, and then there were Hannah’s famous blueberry muffins that no one can resist! Well, Victor Webster’s character “Chad” does resist all of the treats, because he doesn’t have a sweet tooth. However, I think over time, she’ll change that!

Ingredients:

FOR CRUMBLE:

-1/2 cup flour

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-lemon zest

-1/4 cup melted butter

-dried blueberries

FOR MUFFINS:

-2/3 cups buttermilk

-1/3 cup melted butter

-One egg

-Juice of one lemon

-Lemon zest

-1 1/2 cups flour

-1/4 cup sugar

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-Pinch of sea salt flakes

-2/3 cups frozen and thawed blueberries

Directions:

Start with the crumble because it needs time to set up in the fridge while you assemble the muffin ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, melted butter and dried blueberries. Mix together and place in refrigerator.

For the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, lemon juice, melted butter, lemon zest and egg.

Next, add flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt flakes.

Before adding the blueberries, make sure they are thawed out and the juice is drained from them. Then gently fold them into the muffin batter. Do not over mix!

Scoop one scoopful of batter into prepared muffin tin. Take crumble out of the fridge and use a fork to crumble it up. Sprinkle on top of each muffin before baking.

Top off with a few more dried blueberries and lemon zest. Then bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

I’m celebrating all things Lacey Chabert with this recipe! With over 40 Hallmark movies under her belt, Lacey is a force to be reckoned with! I’m celebrating her movies, her show on Hallmark Plus “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert”, and her new line of products coming later in 2025 with Hallmark! To celebrate Lacey, I made beautiful, dainty lace cookies for all to enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 stick unsalted butter

-1 cup brown sugar

-2 tablespoons flour

-2 teaspoons vanilla

-1 egg

-1 cup quick oats

-Flaky sea salt

-Powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large pan, melt butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat and add flour and vanilla.

Pour in separate bowl to cool for about 10 minutes.

Add egg, whisking briskly so not to scramble the egg . Then add oats. Stir all together and place a small dollop per cookie, spread apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes until edges are browned and crispy. Let cool before removing from pan and then sprinkle with powdered sugar to complete the “Lacey” look. Enjoy!

“The Perfect Setting” on Hallmark Channel took place in beautiful Belgium. While main character Abby (played by Laci J. Bailey) was busy creating gorgeous jewelry, she also found the time to attempt making her grandmother’s famous stroopwafle recipe. This Dutch delight is not your typical breakfast waffle you cover in syrup. It is more of a dessert, or sweet snack you have with afternoon tea, filled with gooey deliciousness!

Ingredients:

FOR WAFFLE

-1/2 cup warm water

-1 packet rapid rise yeast

-4 cups flour

-1 cup salted butter (room temp)

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon cardamom

-1/4 cup sugar

-2 eggs

FOR FILLING

-2 sticks butter

-1 cup brown sugar

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-6 tablespoons dark corn syrup

Directions:

Start by mixing warm water with yeast and let sit and activate for at least a half hour. Set aside.

In an electric mixer, mix flour and butter until it makes a crumble. Then add cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, eggs and activated yeast. Mix until a dough forms.

Warm up your pizzelle or waffle maker. Spray with non stick spray and place small amount of dough in the center. Hold down the waffle iron tightly together, and let cook for 30 seconds or so until browned. Make all the dough. Set aside.

While those cool, make the filling. In a large sauce pan, melt butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and corn syrup. Stir constantly, and when it starts to boil, continue to stir for a minute or so. Pour in a separate heat safe bowl to avoid burning.

Slice the waffles in half and add a heaping spoonful of the filling on one side, spreading it around. Then sandwich it with the other half of the waffle. Serve with tea or coffee and enjoy!

“My Argentine Heart” on Hallmark Channel took place in beautiful Argentina, with plenty of glorious scenery, wine and delicious food. With part of the storyline surrounding the idea of opening a restaurant, you can bet there was plenty of Argentinian cuisine to go around! I didn’t know where to start, but ultimatelyI ended up pulling my inspiration from the scene where they held an “Asado”, an Argentinian barbecue, where they were cooking chorizo on an open flame. Living in the midwest, I didn’t have the choice to cook my chorizo on a open flame since its -5 outside, but the skillet worked just fine!

Ingredients:

-Chorizo pork sausage

-French bread

-2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

-3 Tablespoons water

-1 Tablespoon olive oil

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 shallot, minced

-1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

-1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

Directions:

In a small bowl, add chopped garlic, chopped shallot, rice vinegar, water, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Stir well, cover and place in fridge.

Add olive oil to skillet and cook chorizo sausage until you get a nice char on all sides. Take off heat and set aside.

Cut your French bread to the length of the chorizo sausage. Slice in the center and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on that and place face down in the same skillet you cooked the chorizo in (do not clean the skillet after cooking chorizo).

Once it’s all toasted up, place cooked chorizo sausage in the bun and top with the mixture you made earlier and placed in the fridge. Enjoy!

I love a good, hearty soup in the winter, and this one sure hits the spot! This recipe is inspired by a scene in the Hallmark Channel movie, “Love of the Irish”, where the mother-daughter duo participate in a potato peeling contest! Potatoes are a staple in Ireland, so I thought it fitting to make a warm, creamy soup to enjoy in these cold winter months, while paying homage to this great movie!

Ingredients:

– 4 large Russet potatoes

-1 large onion

-4 Tablespoons salted butter

-1 tablespoon garlic powder

-5 cups unsalted chicken stock

-1/4 cup regular OR non dairy sour cream

-Salt and pepper to taste

-Parsley

Directions:

Peel and dice potatoes. They don’t have to be any particular size because you will be blending the end product. Place potatoes in stock pot.

Dice onion and add to potatoes in the pot. Add garlic powder and butter. Stir until butter is melted and potatoes and onions are coated. Cover and lower heat to “sweat” for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.

After 10 minutes, uncover and stir one more time. Add chicken stock and let simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Let stand and cool a bit before blending.

I used an immersion blender to blend it, but you could use a regular blender too.

Once blended, stir in sour cream, and add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop into soup bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and parsley (shredded cheese optional).

I love bread pudding, and ever since seeing Challah bread pudding on “Hanukkah On the Rocks” on Hallmark Channel, I needed to make it! Since Challah bread is a very “eggy” type of bread, I thought I would add to the egg richness by using eggnog as part of the custard base, instead of the usual milk or cream. I stepped it up a notch by using cinnamon eggnog for extra goodness!

Ingredients:

-1 loaf Challah bread

-1 cup cinnamon eggnog

-4 eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

-Pinch of salt

-Honey for drizzling

-5 pads of butter

-Holiday sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Start by ripping the Challah bread into large chunks. Dry toast the pieces in a pan with nothing in it. Just lightly toast while tossing around. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add eggnog, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well.

Add toasted Challah to the custard mixture and let soak for a few minutes.

Spray a square baking dish with nonstick spray and pour entire mixture in.

Top with pads of butter and a drizzle of honey. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Once out of the oven, drizzle with more honey, and sprinkle your favorite sprinkles on top. Serve warm and enjoy!

It’s a Christmas fountain drink like no other! “Reason for the Season” on Hallmark Mysteries inspired this tasty burst of Christmas in a glass! Main character, Evie (played by Taylor Cole), was born in a diner on Christmas Eve. This diner is known for their “cup of cheer” that they serve during the holidays. It resembles a milk shake or classic egg cream, so I went with that sort of feel.

Ingredients:

-White chocolate peppermint creamer (I use Lucerne)

-Chocolate syrup

-Vanilla ice cream

-Plain seltzer water

-Whipped cream

-Holiday sprinkles

-Little Debbie Christmas tree snack cake for garnish

Directions:

I have pretty loose measurements for this drink, as you can add as much or as little as you like of everything.

Start with filling about 1/4 of the glass with creamer and stir in chocolate syrup,

Next, add scoop of ice cream, followed by filling the rest of the glass with seltzer water. Leave a little room on top for whipped cream.

Sprinkle the top, place a festive straw in there and top with a Christmas tree cake garnish. These will be a hit at your next holiday party!

“Five Gold Rings” on Hallmark Channel was all about a quest to track down the owners of five gold rings that were once found lost on the beach. This sweet story takes place during the holidays and is full of heart. During the scene where the main characters were enjoying dinner together, they enjoyed Christmas Lasagna, which also warms your heart! Here, I’m making a delicious homemade lasagna with a Christmas twist. I wanted to add some red and green elements, so I added some pesto and sun dried tomatoes!

Ingredients:

-One box lasagna noodles

-Olive oil

-One large onion

-2 cloves garlic

-2 28 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes

-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

-2 tablespoons parsley flakes

-Fresh basil leaves

-Sea salt flakes

-Pepper

-2 large carrots

-2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

-2 15 oz containers of ricotta

-Small jar pesto (or homemade)

-Small jar sun dried tomatoes

-Sliced fresh mozzarella

Directions:

Chop onion and garlic. Saute onions is olive oil first for a few minutes, then add garlic afterwards.

Once those have softened, add cans of tomatoes (gently crush them in the pan), all the seasonings, and fresh basil. Stir and add whole carrots to soak in the sauce to release their sugars. Let simmer.

While sauce simmers, cook your lasagna noodles in a separate pot of water.

In a small bowl, stir in the ricotta and mix with 3 spoonfuls of pesto. Save the rest of the pesto for the top of the lasagna at the end.

Once the sauce has been simmering, taste to see if it is sweet enough with the carrots. If not, add a bit of sugar one teaspoon at a time. You can either remove the carrots and discard them, or cut them up and add them to the sauce.

Once the sauce is done and noodles are cooked, you can start layering.

In a square baking dish, spoon some sauce on the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of noodles, then ricotta and pesto mixture, then sauce, and keep repeating until you reach the top of the dish. Your top layer should be just noodles and sauce. On top of the sauce, spread the slices of fresh mozzarella, dollop the pesto and sprinkle the sun dried tomatoes.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes until top is crisped up and cheese has melted a bit. Garnish with fresh basil before serving. Enjoy!