Hannah Swensen is at it again trying to solve a murder while running her bakery, “The Cookie Jar”! In this newest installment of A Hannah Swensen Mystery: “A Sprinkle of Deceit”, Hannah goes around town to all the people she is questioning, and butters them up with a large variety of delicious cookies! One that stood out to me was the butterscotch pretzel cookie. I just had to make my own!
Ingredients:
-1 box white cake mix
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup avocado oil
-1 package of instant butterscotch pudding
-2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
-2/3 cup butterscotch chips
-1 cup crushed pretzels
-Individual pretzels for the garnish
Directions:
Combine cake mix, avocado oil, and pudding mix until a thick dough turns out. Then fold in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and crushed pretzels.
Scoop out dough on a non stick baking sheet. Take a full pretzel, and press down in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Enjoy!
If you have the Hallmark Plus app, you may have seen “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert”! This show is about celebrating people who have touched other’s lives in some way. Lacey Chabert is the ring leader in this amazing show and gets to help plan the events! In the first episode, the guest of honor is given a camp-themed party, with an epic s’mores table, which inspired this party favor dessert!
How to construct:
Get a food safe jar, and wash.
Mix sprinkles with marshmallow fluff and spread around the sides of the bottom half of the jar.
Start with a layer of chocolate cake of choice, or brownie.
Layer with marshmallow fluff. Follow with a layer of graham cracker crumbs.
Follow with another layer of chocolate cake/brownie. Sprinkle with another layer of graham cracker crumbs.
Top with a layer of marshmallow fluff, followed by a drizzle of chocolate syrup and sprinkles.
Close jar and decorate with ribbon of choice. Enjoy or give as party favors!
These delicious bran muffins full of Fall flavors are inspired by Hallmark Channel movie “Falling Together” starring Ashely Williams and Paul Campbell. Main character, Natalie (Ashley Williams), is new in town, and the people who live in her new building do not get along with each other. Natalie won’t have it! She tries everything she can to bring them together, including making muffins for everyone. She presented a variety of muffins to them, and so I melded some of them together and added my own touch to make the perfect Fall muffin!
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups wheat bran
-1 cup whole milk
-1/3 cup avocado oil
-2/3 cup brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 egg
-1 cup flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 apple cubed
-1/2 cup dried cranberries
-2.25 oz package chopped walnuts
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together and soak the milk with the wheat bran. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
While that soaks, using an electric mixer, whisk together avocado oil, brown sugar, vanilla and egg.
Once that is all combined, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Next, use a spatula to stir in the cubed apple, cranberries and walnuts.
Scoop batter into muffin liners to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-18 minutes. Enjoy!
Hallmark Plus has a new series “The Chicken Sisters” based on a book! The two chicken shacks in town, Mimi’s and Frannie’s have been going head to head for many many years. In episode 2, there was a mention of Frannie’s famous biscuits, and I just had to give them a whirl! I took a guess as to what these biscuits might taste like, give that this takes place in Southern Kansas, and I made them a bit sweet and a bit salty to represent the different personalities within the main characters.
Ingredients:
-2 cups flour
-1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
-4 teaspoons baking powder
-2 tablespoons sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 stick cold, salted butter
-1 egg
-2/3 cup buttermilk
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and sugar. Cut the cold butter into cubes and using a fork or pastry blender, combine it into the flour mixture until it creates crumbles.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Then slowly add to the flour mixture. Mix until well combined. It will be sticky. Sprinkle a bit of flour as you knead the dough.
Roll out the dough and fold it four or five times to create layers. Then roll out again. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place on a nonstick baking sheet or silicone baking mat. Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes.
Any leftover dough needs to be refrigerated and only taken out when you are ready to bake. If the butter stays cold, you will get much fluffier biscuits!
I’d slather some cinnamon honey butter on these for some extra yumminess!
These two varieties of popcorn clusters are inspired by Hallmark Channel movie, “His an Hers” starring Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliot. These two together are a fan favorite! I love the scenes where they have their cozy date nights on the couch with one big bowl of popcorn split in half. One side is one flavor for Lacey’s character “Dana”, and the other half is Brennan’s character “Mark’s” preference. So for this reason, I made two types of popcorn clusters, one sweet and the other savory!
Ingredients for Cherry-Almond popcorn clusters:
-freshly popped popcorn
-1 cup dried cherries
-2.25 oz package slivered almonds
-6 squares “almond bark” white chocolate
-2 drops red food coloring
-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
Pop popcorn. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate squares 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted.
Toss dried cherries and almonds into bowl with popcorn.
Add food coloring and almond extract to melted white chocolate.
Stir well and pour mixture Into popcorn. Form clusters and place on nonstick surface or silicone baking mat. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden. Enjoy!
These can be stored in a gallon ziplock bag for up to 3 days.
Ingredients for Maple-Bacon-Cheddar popcorn balls:
-freshly popped popcorn
-garlic powder
-chili powder
-smoked paprika
-bacon flavored seasoning (got mine on Amazon)
-2 teaspoons maple syrup
-1/2 tablespoon butter
-3 oz cream cheese
-finely shredded cheddar
Directions:
Pop popcorn in a large bowl. Sprinkle the desired amount of garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and bacon flavored seasoning.
In a small pot, melt maple syrup and butter. Transfer to a bowl and cool a bit. Stir in cold cream cheese. This will act as the “glue”. Add to popcorn mixture and form clusters on a non stick surface or silicone baking mat. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Due to the cream cheese and cheddar, you’ll need to serve right away or chill for a bit before serving. Enjoy!
“Head Over Heels” on Hallmark Channel inspired these beauties! So many fabulous shoes in this movie, but only one shoe was Addi’s (played by Rebecca Dalton) Inspo to design shoes, and it was the OG ‘Delaney Diaz’ red pump! These cupcakes are so fun to make and great for a birthday party or bachelorette party/bridal shower!
What you need to construct these cupcakes:
-Cupcakes of choice
-Frosting of choice
-Food coloring
-Candy melts
-Pretzel rods
-Pepperidge Farm brand Milano cookies
-Black decorating gel
-Pull and Peell Twizzlers
-Edible sugar pearls
-Edible glitter
-Piping bag and tips
Directions:
Begin by making your cupcakes of choice. You can either make them without liners, or choose a fun liner if you don’t plan to dip your cupcake bottoms in the candy melts.
Once the cupcakes are cooled. Melt the candy melts in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Dip bottom half of cupcake into the candy melts. Let it harden.
Cut a small straight edge on one end of the cupcake top. Dip the Milano cookie in the candy melt to act as ‘glue’, and insert it on an angle into the small edge you cut off. Prop something up against it until it hardens.
Next, take a pretzel rod and measure the height against the Milano cookie to make the ‘stiletto heel’. Dip the shortened pretzel rod into candy melts and let harden.
Then, dip one end of the hardened pretzel rod and attach it to the Milano cookie to make the ‘heel’. It will start to look like a shoe now!
Using a piping bag and frosting of choice, pipe a fun design on top of the cupcake. Sprinkle with edible glitter or any decoration you like.
Use the black decorating gel to cover the top of the Milano cookie to look like the ‘insole’ of the shoe. Pipe a thin line of frosting around that, and then add edible sugar pearls along the border.
Pull apart a rope from the Pull and Peel Twizzler to make a bow and place on top of cupcake. Refrigerate to let harden. Enjoy!
“The Magic of Lemon Drops” on Hallmark Channel was in fact such a magical movie to watch! The delicious ‘lemon drop pie’ was a key component in this movie. Especially the lemon drops, which possessed the power to allow you to live one day in an alternate reality and given the choice to choose which reality you would like to make permanent! I especially loved the scene where the main character, Lolly, is baking a lemon drop pie with her mother, who had actually passed in reality. It was a very special scene. The three secret ingredients they stated in the pie was “Meyer lemons, European butter, and lemon balm”. And of course garnished with lemon drops. So that’s what I made!
Ingredients:
-Frozen pie crust dough
For filling:
-1 1/4 cup sugar
-1/3 cup cornstarch
-2 tablespoons flour
-1 1/2 cups water
-5 egg yolks
-1/4 cups European butter
-1/4 cups juice from 2-3 Meyer lemons
-About 5 leaves of fresh lemon balm (chopped)
For Meringue topping:
-3 egg whites
-1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 cup sugar
-Lemon drop candies and lemon zest for garnish
Directions:
In a pie dish, take your thawed out pie dough and place in dish, crimping the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let it cool.
In a small pot, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt, and water. Stirring gently and every minute over low/medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, stir continuously for a minute and then remove from the heat.
In a separate bowl , whisk your egg yolks, then very slowly add a very small amount (around 1/4 cup) of the hot mixture into the eggs. Whisk briskly! Then slowly add THAT mixture into the pot with the rest of the hot sugar mixture and stir continuously over low/medium heat until it has thickened. Remove from heat, and add butter and lemon juice until fully incorporated.
Pour into the cooled pie crust and let it sit while making the meringue.
To make the meringue, in an electric mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tarter and vanilla until it’s frothy and starts to thicken up. With the mixer still on high, slowly add sugar a little bit at a time. You will see the meringue start to turn white, and thicken. Once you see stiff peaks form, its done!
Spread all over the top of cooled lemon filling and create small peaks with back of spoon.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until the top of the meringue has browned peaks.
Let cool and then place in fridge overnight. Garnish with lemon drop candies and lemon zest. Enjoy!
“My Dreams of You” on Hallmark Channel inspired this dreamy, fluffy cake! Have you ever had a dreamsicle? Orange and cream frozen goodness from the ice cream truck, but this is in cake form! Maybe eating this before bed will make you dream of your true love like Grace dreamed about Michael every night!
Ingredients:
FOR CAKE:
-One box yellow cake mix (plus eggs, water and oil according to box directions)
-1 tablespoon orange extract
-1 box orange jello
-1/2 cup boiling water
-1/2 cup cold water
FOR TOPPING:
-1 box instant French vanilla pudding
-1 1/2 cups cold milk
-1 tub cool whip
-1 teaspoon orange extract
-orange zest
Directions:
Make cake according to box directions and add one tablespoon orange extract. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with nonstick spray and pour batter in. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes.
Next, boil 1/2 cup water and add jello mix. Then add 1/2 cup cold water. Stir until dissolved.
Once the cake is baked, use a fork to poke holes all over the top. Then pour liquid jello all over top. Let sit in the fridge for an hour.
While that cools, mix pudding with 1 1/2 cups cold milk and whisk until thick. Fold in cool whip and 1 teaspoon orange extract. Refrigerate until the hour is up for the cake to sit in the fridge. Spread topping evenly all over top and sprinkle orange zest on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Sweet dreams!
“Junebug” on Hallmark Channel was such a sweet movie with a lovely message, to listen to your inner childlike heart. I highly recommend watching this movie on repeat! This particular recipe is inspired by Autumn Reeser’s character, Juniper, and her daily ritual of having an Americano coffee from her neighborhood coffee shop. She called it her morning “rocket fuel”! I included coffee in the cake itself, as well as the crumble on top. It will for sure be a hit for all you coffee lovers out there!
Ingredients:
FOR CAKE:
-Cinnamon swirl crumb cake mix (I use Krusteaz brand)
-2/3 cup brewed coffee
-1/4 cup greek yogurt
– 1 egg
FOR CRUMBLE:
-1/2 cup flour
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground coffee
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-pinch of salt
-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
It’s very important to know that you will NOT make the coffee cake according to the box directions. ONLY use the cake mix itself. Also, do not use the cinnamon streusel crumble mix that comes with it (unless you want to, or keep for a rainy day).
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, brewed coffee, Greek yogurt and egg. It will be a thick batter. Set aside.
In another small bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, ground coffee, cinnamon, salt and melted butter. This will form a wet crumble.
In a square baking dish, spray with nonstick spray, then pour entire cake batter in, spreading evenly. Add crumble on top to cover entire cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until golden. Enoy!
I grew up eating this dish, and it is so much easier to make than you would think! In the Hallmark Mysteries movie, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters”, you’ll see Shane offer to make linguine with clams for Oliver as a peace offering when she tells him she broke the key to his grandfather clock. He politely turns her down, but he doesn’t know what he’s missing out on! I added white wine to the recipe to deepen the flavor a bit, and as a nod to the glass of wine Shane also offered with this dish!
Ingredients:
-1 box linguine
-2 cans good quality clams
-3 cloves of garlic
-1/2 large onion
-1/4 cup chopped parsley
-1/2 cup white wine
-olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Add a generous amount of olive oil to a deep pan. Chop onion and sauté until translucent.
Mince garlic and add to pan. Then add parsley. Cook for one minute.
Next, drain 10% of the clam juice from the cans and add all clams plus remainder of juice to the pan. Add white wine.
Let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts to dry out, add olive oil.
After cooking the linguine, add small batches at a time to the clam sauce, adding a bit of the starchy pasta water. Mix it all together in the pan and top with extra parsley. Enjoy!
