Celebrity Chef

 

Anna Olsen

For those of you new to the food world, Anna Olsen is a top Food Network chef. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Anna grew up in Toronto, where she found her love of cooking. Anna studied the culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in the US and has worked at restaurants in Colorado and New Orleans. Originally trained in savory cooking, this chef is also noted for her many talents in the pastry kitchen, due to having worked for almost twenty years as a professional pastry chef. Anna views cooking and baking as a way to bring people together and to have fun while doing it!

You can find Anna on one of her many Food Network shows, such as Bake With Anna Olsen and Fresh With Anna Olsen.

Here is one of Anna's traditional recipes:

Ingredients

Muffins

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup golden yellow sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup finely grated carrot

Frosting

• 1/4 cup 2% Milk
• 1 tablespoon 2% Milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• icing sugar, sifted (3-4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease or line with paper cups 24 muffin cups.
2. Cream butter and sugars until evenly combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir into pumpkin mixture, then stir in grated carrots.
5. Spoon into prepared tins and bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the tin before removing to cool completely.

Frosting

1. Beat butter with electric beaters until fluffy. Add 2 cups of icing sugar, plus milk and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes on high speed until fluffy. Add remaining 1 to 2 cups icing sugar until frosting is a fluffy, spreadable consistency. Spread frosting generously onto each muffin.      
   

                          Much better than Mac 'n Cheese.