Orange Dreamsicle Cake

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“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!

Americano Coffee Cake

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“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!

Easy Linguine & Clams

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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!

Italian Countryside Gelato

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This very unique gelato recipe is straight out of the “Hallmark Channel” movie, “Two Scoops of Italy”! Main characters, Danielle and Giancarlo are on a mission to create an innovative, new gelato flavor for his family’s gelato shop. To carry on his mother’s tradition, Giancarlo was determined to create something new that everyone would love. The two lovebirds came up with this flavor of white chocolate and mint. With my own twist, I added white chocolate chips instead of making the gelato itself white chocolate. I also added hazelnuts. You will be amazed at how good fresh mint tastes in this gelato!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks , room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 cup  heavy whipping cream
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
  • 1/ cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

In a pot, warm the milk to a simmer. Do not boil.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Then very slowly add the simmered, hot milk to the egg mixture. Very very slowly, while whisking. This is tempering the eggs and preventing them from scrambling.

Pour entire mixture back into the pot, keeping it on low heat. Whisk continuously for up to 10 minutes until a thick custard forms. Do not let this boil.

Using a sieve (Small strainer), pour thickened custard through it into a bowl and get out any lumps. Stir occasionally out on the counter until its cooled off a bit. Then add salt and vanilla.

Refrigerate for at least three hours.

After at least three hours of cooling, when you are ready to continue, Pour the heavy whipping cream into a bowl. With an electric mixer, beat heavy whipping cream on high until whipped cream forms.

Gently fold whipped cream into cooled custard.

Chop mint leaves and hazelnuts. Add those and the white chocolate chips to the mixture and fold those in.

Pour into a glass container with a lid and place in freezer. Stir every couple of hours. Freeze overnight and let sit out for a few minutes before scooping to serve. Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

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Growing up, my parents would always make stuffed mushrooms. It’s pretty much the only way I ate mushrooms for a long time! They are great for any occasion, casual Mondays or the holidays! I decided to make this recipe in honor of Hallmark Channel movie, “Whitewater Romance”. There is a scene where the two love interests played by Cindy Busby and Benjamin Hollingsworth are forced to forage for mushrooms in the forest to help create a big meal with some other members of their group. Also, don’t miss my episode of “Hungry For Hallmark” on my YouTube channel, where I make these with Cindy Busby!

Ingredients:

-Large mushrooms

-2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 bunch Italian parsley

-Good quality olive oil

-OPTIONAL, shredded Romano- Parmesan cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Wash mushrooms thoroughly, pat dry, and carve out the stems.

Mince the garlic and chop parsley.

In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and olive oil until a paste forms. Keep adding olive oil until you get a paste consistency.

Fill the cavity of each mushroom with the filling, packing it in. Sprinkle cheese on top if you wish. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Enjoy!

Greek Koulouri

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”A Greek Recipe For Romance” on Hallmark Channel was definitely a feast for the eyes! Both with delicious Greek food AND scenery. The inspiration for this recipe comes from the scene when main character Abby (Danielle Ryan), arrives in Greece and has her first authentic Greek snack with her mother, Koulouri. It was the beginning of a beautiful journey for her!

Ingredients:

-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

-2 teaspoons salt

-1 1/4 cup warm water

-1.8 teaspoons active dry yeast

-1 teaspoon sugar

-3 1/4 teaspoons lemon infused olive oil

-sesame seeds

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, mix together warm water. sugar and yeast. Once combined, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. You will see it bloom, and bubbles form.

In a separate bowl, mix four and salt.

Next, place dough hook attachment onto electric mixer. Add lemon infused olive oil to bloomed yeast mixture. Then slowly add flour mixture a little bit at a time. Mix that dough for 7-8 minutes until a ball of dough forms.

Cover ball of dough again and place in warm spot for 30 minutes.

After it has sat for 30 minutes, break up the large ball of dough into 12 small balls. Roll into a rope and then create a ring. Pinch ends together with a bit of water to seal. Dip in water and then dip in sesame seeds. Cover one last time and let sit for another 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes

Let cool for 10 minutes. Best to eat warm.

Dog Bone Graham Cookies (for humans)

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“Everything Puppies” on Hallmark Channel gave us SO much doggy fun and lots of doggy treats! While the movie was centered around a new delicious dog treat being introduced to pet stores, I decided to make my own version that I could eat!! Somewhere between a graham cracker and gingerbread cookie, this yummy human treat hits the spot!

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup honey

-1/2 teaspoon water

-splash of lemon juice

-1 3/4 cup flour

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

-2/3 cup brown sugar

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

In a pot, bring water, honey and lemon juice to a boil. Stir for one minute, and when it starts to have a nutty smell, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Set in fridge for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat room temp butter, brown sugar, vanilla and orange extracts, and cooled honey.

Slowly add flour mixture until fully combined. Refrigerate dough for two hours.

Roll dough out on a floured surface, and use dog bone shaped cookie cutters to create a dog bone shaped cookie.

Place on non stick baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

Honey Sesame Bars

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I had the pleasure of making these bars along side star of “For Love and Honey” on Hallmark Channel, Andrew Walker! We are celebrating this movie by making a honey-based snack to pay homage to the place this movie takes place in, which is Malta! Malta is known for their honey, and in my video with Andrew, you’ll learn about that and many other interesting facts surrounding “For Love and Honey”!

****Check out the video of this recipe on my YouTube Channel “Hungry For Hallmark”.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups honey
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

First toast up the sesame seeds in a skillet on low/medium heat until they are smelling toasty and slightly darker in color. Set aside in a bowl.

Next, add honey to the skillet and let that come to a soft boil. In the meantime, go back to the bowl of sesame seeds and add salt, cinnamon and orange zest.

Once the honey has come to a boil, add the sesame seed mixture into the honey and return to a boil. Continue to boil for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring very often, until thickened.

Line a square baking dish with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and pour hot mixture in. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula and let it sit out to set over the course of 2 hours at the least.

Once bars are hardened and set, use a sharp knife to cut them into bars. Enjoy!

Coconut Pudding

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Summer is right around the corner, so I had to pay homage to a great Summertime movie on Hallmark Channel, “Two Tickets To Paradise” starring Ashely Williams and Ryan Paevey! A funny romance taking place in beautiful Hawaii! This recipe was inspired by a few scenes featuring some yummy looking coconut drinks, but I turned it into a pudding!

Ingrediednts:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Using a whisk, mix together there cornstarch and coconut milk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Then pour that mixture plus all other ingredients EXCEPT milk into a pot. Stir on low heat until melted and well combined.

Add the milk and continue to stir occasionally for about 7 minutes and keep on low heat until it becomes a thicker “pudding-like” consistency.

Place in a heat safe container and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. You can add more shredded coconut on top, sliced bananas, whatever your heart desires!

Baby Cinnamon Churros

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I love branching out and making things I’ve never made before, and also loved the movie “Branching Out” on Hallmark Channel! It was a sweet story of a sweet little girl, Ruby, who decides to find her biological father for a family tree school project. The inspiration for these baby churros came from Ruby’s love of cinnamon and the Hispanic heritage she discovered! Oh and did I mention that I decided to air fry these? So much easier, and taste just as yummy as the traditional deep fried!

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup unsalted butter

-1 cup water

-2 tablespoons sugar

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 cup flour

-2 eggs

-1.5 teaspoons almond extract

EXTRA SUGAR and CINNAMON for rolling at the end

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine water, sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon. Bring it to a boil, then add flour. Turn off heat and stir quickly until a ball forms. Take off heat and let cool a bit.

In a large mixing bowl, transfer the dough, and add eggs and almond extract. Use an electric mixture to combine all ingredients until a yellow-ish dough forms.

Using a large star tip and pastry bag (Or ziplock gallon size bag), pipe baby churros onto a non stick silicone baking mat. Cool in refrigerator for 20 minutes before air frying.

Set air fryer to 370 degrees. Carefully place each chilled churro in air fryer basket and spray with non stick spray. Air fry for about 10 minutes.

Combine desired amount of sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and roll hot churros in this mixture immediately after removing from air fryer. Serve warm with ice cream, Nutella, strawberry sauce, etc.