The “Hearts Around The Table” 4 movie series on Hallmark Channel was such a wonderful series! The last installment of the four movies was “Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient”, where Kiki’s character is the caterer for her sister’s upcoming wedding. So many delicious recipes in this movie, but the very first scene got me inspired right away as Kiki delivers a large batch of her famous chocolate zucchini muffins to a cafe. I loved the idea of chocolate and zucchini together, but also added my own ingredient, avocado! These muffins are decadent without too much guilt!
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-3/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1 avocado mashed
-1/3 cup applesauce
-1 egg
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2/3 cup milk (can substitute with non dairy)
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 large zucchini grated
Directions:
In a large bowl, mash avocado. Add milk, vanilla, applesauce and egg. Whisk together.
Next add the dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Mix well.
Peel zucchini, then grate it completely into batter and stir it in. Pour into muffin liners and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!
To all my “When Calls The Heart” fans out there, this is in honor of little Jack! That cute little guy had to play quite the serious role this season, and he did a great job! We are all so happy to see his character thriving, so this is for you little Jack! Unlike most Mac and cheese recipes, this one has three varieties of “Jack” cheese, and topped with cheesy biscuits, which is definitely an item that is frequently consumed at the Cafe in Hope Valley.
Ingredients:
-2 cups of macaroni (any shape)
-2 cups milk
-2 tablespoons salted butter
-3 tablespoons flour
-salt and pepper
-1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
-1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-1 cup shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
-1 box cheese biscuit mix (I like the Red Lobster brand).
-Extra 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice for biscuits
Directions:
Start by cooking the noodles and pour into a 9X13 baking dish.
In a medium sized pot, melt butter. Then add flour and create a paste.
Very slowly add the milk while whisking until you get a thicker consistency.
Lower the heat, and add the three cups of shredded cheese variations. Stir until melted. Add salt and pepper.
Pour and stir into cooked noodles in the baking dish. Let sit a few minutes.
Make cheesy biscuits according to box directions.
Pour small dollops of milk in some open pockets of the Mac and cheese, then dollop biscuit dough all over the top. Cover with more shredded cheese of your choice.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until the biscuits are fully cooked on top. Let cool a bit before serving, Enjoy!
Inspired by the first installment of “Hearts Around the Table: Jenna’s First Love”, this banana bread has it all! Angie, played by Mindy Cohn, has a heart of gold and has taken in foster children for many years. She has continued her tradition of Sunday Supper with her now grown foster kids, and you could feel the love around the table! One of the things Angie is known for is her banana bread that she used to make for the bake sales at school. I came up with my version of a cozy, heart warming banana bread that feels like a big warm hug, including browned butter, chocolate and peanut butter!
Ingredients:
-1 stick unsalted butter (melted and browned)
-3 ripe bananas
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-3 eggs
-2 cups flour
-1 cup brown sugar
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/4 cup peanut butter
-1 cup mix of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
Directions:
Start by melting the sick of butter and stir continuously until it starts to brown. Take off heat and pour in separate heat safe bowl right away to prevent burning. Let it sit and cool while preparing the other ingredients.
In another bowl, mash bananas. Add eggs, vanilla and cooled browned butter. Stir well, then add flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
Once it is all combined, stir in the mix of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
Pour half the batter in a greased loaf pan. Swirl peanut butter in the center with a toothpick. Then add the remaining batter. Add more of the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on top before baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. Enjoy!
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).
