Clear Capper’s Favorite Holiday Beverages and Baked Goods 2022

Taste buds rejoice! We’re proud to present the fourth annual Clear Capital Cookbook. This year’s cookbook is full to the brim with delicious beverages and baked goods recipes from the Clear Capital team.

Download the Clear Capital Cookbook 2022!

Beverages

Festive Red Sangria
Christmas in a Cup Hot Toddy
Spiked Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Thanksgiving Sangria
Christmas Punch

Baked Goods

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles
Not My Mom’s Peanut Butter and Butterscotch Cookies
Easy Peasy Mini Brie Bites
Not-Quite-From-Scratch Baklava
Danish Kringle
This Butterscotch Banana Bread is Bananas!
Grape Jelly Meatballs
Grandma DeEtta’s Cookies
Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
KoKo’s Kan’t Stop Kokonut & Korn Flake Kookies
Citrus Upside Down Cake
Pumpkin Dip and Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Strips
Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
Three-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

Festive Red Sangria

Submitted by Brijal Vadgama / Event Marketing Specialist

Makes 12 cups

Ingredients

2 Bottles of dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Syrah suggested)
½ cup liquor (bourbon, brandy, or orange liquor)
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup apple cider
4 (12-ounce) ginger beers
4 oranges or 8 tangerines, sliced (some used for garnish)
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 large red apples, cored and chopped or sliced (some used for garnish)
3 large cinnamon sticks
Some smaller cinnamon sticks for garnish
2 sprigs rosemary (plus some for garnish)

Instructions

1. Set aside the garnish. Save two apple slices, one orange slice, one small cinnamon stick, and one small rosemary sprig for each glass you plan to pour.
2. If making this the night before, save an apple to slice the next day. Or get a smaller red apple to cut the next day and use two apples overnight.
3. Place the fruit into a large punch bowl or carafe.
4. Add the wine, fresh juice, apple cider, and liquor.
5. Add the cinnamon sticks and rosemary.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight for better flavor).
7. When ready to serve, add the saved fruit to the glasses and top them with ginger beer. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a rosemary sprig. Cheers!

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Christmas in a Cup Hot Toddy

Submitted by Anna Poff / Real Estate Valuation Analyst

Makes 72 servings of drink mix

Ingredients

12 large eggs, separated, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound butter, softened
3 pounds confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
Spiced Rum
Brandy

Instructions

This recipe creates a large volume of drink mix. Put into smaller containers to freeze or gift to friends!

1. Beat the egg whites and salt in a large glass or metal mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift the beater or whisk straight up – the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape.
2. Beat the egg yolks in a separate large bowl.
3. Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a third large bowl until light and fluffy, beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and beaten egg whites until well blended.
4. When serving, add a heaping tablespoon of batter to a large mug.
5. Optional but essential, add 1 ounce of spiced rum and 1 ounce of brandy, which may be reduced by half. The batter also tastes amazing without alcohol and in coffee.
6. Pour boiling water over the top while stirring to combine. The eggs will foam and the drink will be amazing.
7. Garnish with ground nutmeg. Cheers!

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Spiked Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Submitted by Jancy Ulch / Content Marketing Specialist

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
⅔ cup chocolate chips – I use milk chocolate, but you can use dark chocolate if you prefer
¼ cup white sugar
pinch of salt
1 ¼ ounces peppermint schnapps per glass
1 ¼ ounces creme de cocoa per glass

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate chips, sugar, and salt.
2. Heat the mixture on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to ensure the milk doesn’t burn on the pan.
3. Allow the mixture to come to a low simmer and remove from the heat.
4. In three mugs, add the schnapps and creme de cocoa. Top with the hot chocolate and garnish with marshmallows.
5. Skip the schnapps and creme de cocoa for a classic, non-alcoholic hot chocolate. Cheers!

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Thanksgiving Sangria

Submitted by Jennifer Hoekman / Team Lead, Broker Price Opinion Milestone Management

Ingredients

1 bottle dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup apple cider
½ cup brandy
½ cup pumpkin butter or apple butter
¼ cup lemon juice
2 – 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, using more or less to taste
2 Honeycrisp apples, sliced
2 blood oranges, sliced
1 cup pomegranate arils
3 cinnamon sticks
1 – 2 (12-ounce) ginger beers
Star anise, for garnish (optional) – this really makes it look festive!

Instructions

1. In a large pitcher, combine all the ingredients except the ginger beer. Stir and place in the fridge until chilled.
2. When ready to serve, add the ginger beer. Fill each glass with ice and pour the sangria over the ice. If desired, top with more ginger beer. Cheers!

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Christmas Punch

Submitted by Jennifer Hoekman / Team Lead, Broker Price Opinion Milestone Management

Makes 22 cups

Ingredients

16 cups pomegranate-cranberry juice – Ocean Spray works great!
1 can frozen limeade concentrate
6 cups Champagne or Prosecco
2 cups fresh cranberries
Pomegranate arils
2 limes, sliced

Instructions

1. Place the juice and limeade concentrate in a punch bowl and mix well. Add the Champagne or Prosecco and stir until combined.
2. Garnish with the fruits.
3. To make it without alcohol, replace the champagne with lime-flavored sparkling water. Cheers!

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Pumpkin-Cheesecake-Snickerdoodles

Submitted by Jane Carr / Director, Broker Price Opinion Operations

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Coating
½ cup white sugar
1 – 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, depending on preference

Cookie Batter
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Filling

1. Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together. Chill for an hour.

Coating

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and pumpkin pie spice and set aside.

Cookie Batter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and pinch of salt together. Set aside.
3. Beat together the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
4. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients just until combined.
5. Cover and chill the dough for an hour.
6. Once the filling and coating are prepared, take a tablespoon of the cookie batter. Flatten it like a pancake and place a teaspoon of the filling in the center. Form another tablespoon of the cookie batter into a flat pancake shape and place on top of the filling-coated cookie. Pinch the edges together, sealing in the filling, and roll into a ball.
7. Roll each dough ball in the coating and place it on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
8. Repeat until the dough is gone, then flatten the cookie dough balls slightly.
9. Bake the cookies for 10 – 15 minutes or until the tops start to crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

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Not My Mom’s Peanut Butter and Butterscotch Cookies

Submitted by Heather Smith / Real Estate Valuation Analyst

Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup peanut butter
⅔ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup butterscotch baking chips

Instructions

This recipe yields about 20 cookies and they’re different from the typical “holiday” cookies – no cinnamon in sight! These are a play on my favorite no-bake cookies that my mom makes every year.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Add the peanut butter to the melted butter and mix until both are melted and well combined.
3. Add the brown sugar and vanilla, mixing well, then add the egg. Make sure the melted butter and peanut butter mixture is not too hot or it will cook the egg.
4. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well until the ingredients form a dough.
5. Mix in the butterscotch chips.
6. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet. Flatten them out a bit, but leave at least 2 inches of space between each cookie.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. The tops don’t get a ton of obvious color but the bottoms brown nicely.
8. Let the cookies rest for at least 10 minutes before you touch or move them. If you try them, I hope you think they’re as delicious as we do!

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Easy Peasy Mini Brie Bites

Submitted by Amanda Serna / Senior Executive Assistant

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) tube crescent dough
Cooking spray, for pan
All-purpose flour, for surface
1 (8-ounce) wheel of Brie cheese
½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce – I make it with grape jelly instead, so tasty!
¼ cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup chives
6 sprigs of rosemary, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)

Other delicious combinations

Crumbled goat cheese, apricot preserves, toasted almonds, and thyme
Camembert, cherry preserves, crumbled bacon, and black pepper
Brie, hot pepper jelly, candied pecans, and thyme
Gorgonzola, fig chutney, mint, and toasted walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. If you don’t have a mini muffin tin, use a 12-cup muffin tin and cut the dough into 12 pieces instead of 24.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the crescent dough, pinch the seams together, and cut into 24 squares. Place the squares into the muffin tin slots.
3. Cut the brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, some chopped pecans, chives, and one little sprig of rosemary.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crescent pastry is golden. Enjoy!

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Not-Quite-From-Scratch Baklava

Submitted by Shannon Townsend / Training Manager

Makes 28 servings

Ingredients

2 packages (because you will mess up half of a box) frozen Filo dough (thawed)

Filling
1 cup butter
6 ounces unsalted walnuts
6 ounces unsalted pistachios
2 teaspoons cinnamon
⅔ cup white sugar
Rose water (optional)

Syrup
1 ¼ cups honey
1 ¼ cups white sugar
1 ¼ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
Fresh orange peel

Instructions

This recipe is a bit time-intensive, so be aware you want to let the baklava sit for at least 24 hours before serving! It’s good without waiting, but it is heavenly if you wait.

Filling

1. Chop the nuts with a knife or food processor, but don’t let them get powdery. Add the chopped nuts to the sugar and cinnamon and toss. Add water a few drops at a time to bind it if needed.
2. Add the rose water (optional) and some water to dilute into a small spray bottle. I sometimes like to swap out the rose water for Elderflower cordial if you can find it! You can skip this
3. step altogether if you don’t like the floral taste in baklava.

To Assemble

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Set the thawed Filo dough aside and cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out as you work. Trim the sheets to fit the pan or glass baking dish. Brush the pan with butter, lay down a single sheet of dough, and brush it with more butter. Repeat this step nine times so that you have 10 sheets in total.
3. Add a third of the filing and spread it evenly around the dough. Repeat with another six sheets of dough making sure to amply brush butter on each sheet as you go, followed by the next third of the nut mixture. Repeat with six more sheets of dough and the last of the nut mixture. Then repeat with eight sheets of dough and brush the top with loads of butter (you may need to melt a bit more butter if you’re like me; I am generous with the butter!).
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the baklava from the oven and cut it into as many uniform pieces as possible – aim for around 28 squares. It’s going to look like a mess of flakiness but trust the process! Bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 2 hours.

Syrup

1. After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, it’s time to make the syrup. Add the water, sugar, and honey to a stainless steel pot. Toss in a cinnamon stick and orange peel and begin heating. Once the syrup begins to boil, stir it constantly and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
2. Re-cut the baklava now that it’s cooled and carefully pour the syrup into the pan, making sure to pour directly into the cuts between baklava, around the edges, and over the top of the dough.
3. Cover the baklava and stare at it longingly for at least 24 hours before trying a piece. You really want to give the syrup time to soak in. Enjoy!

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Danish Kringle

Submitted by Jancy Ulch / Content Marketing Specialist

Makes 4 loaves

Ingredients

Dough
1 cup whole milk
1 packet yeast
3 tablespoons white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated

Filling
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
3 – 4 cups pecans, finely chopped

Buttercream Frosting
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

My mom makes Kringle each Christmas, and it’s always a huge hit! It’s a labor of love, but the loaves are delicious and make great gifts for friends and neighbors.

Dough

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, scald the milk by cooking it until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm.
2. In a large bowl (using a stand mixer helps majorly!), combine the lukewarm milk, yeast, and sugar. Ensure the yeast is alive and activates.
3. In a separate bowl, cut the shortening into the flour and salt using a pastry blender or pastry wire. It’s important to leave chunks of shortening in the mixture so the dough will be flaky.
4. Beat the egg yolks and add them to the yeast mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture until the ingredients are combined and form a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
5. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 4 – 6 hours or overnight.

Filling

1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and nuts in a bowl. Set aside.

Buttercream Frosting

1. Combine butter, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is smooth and thick.

To Assemble

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut it into four equal-sized pieces.
3. Roll each piece of dough into a thin rectangular sheet about ¼ inch thick.
4. Whip the egg whites until frothy in a small bowl.
5. Brush each rectangle of dough with frothy egg whites, coating to the edge.
6. Split the filling into four parts and spread the filling over each piece of egg white-coated dough.
7. Fold the dough like you would a letter – bring the bottom edge of the dough up to the middle of the rectangle, then bring the top third down to meet the folded up bottom section.
8. Pinch all the edges to seal and repeat for each rectangle of dough. This part can be tricky, but just remember it’s about how it tastes, not how it looks!
9. Put two folded Kringles on a lightly greased baking sheet, giving you two sheets of two Kringles each.
10. Bake each sheet of Kringle separately for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
11. Allow the Kringle to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Frost each cooled Kringle with a quarter of the buttercream frosting.
13. If desired, top each Kringle with chopped nuts, whole roasted nuts, or sprinkles. Enjoy!

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This Butterscotch Banana Bread is Bananas

Submitted by Hannah Sullivan Pence / Content Marketing Director

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
4 cups mashed overripe bananas
½ cup butterscotch chips (or chocolate, whichever)
¼ walnuts (or, whichever nut you like, or none!)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use baking spray or a stick of butter to lightly grease a 13×9-inch or two smaller 9×5-inch loaf pans. I put a toss of flour in the base and sides of the pans so that it is super easy to get the bread to come out after baked and cooled.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in the eggs and all of the mashed bananas until well blended.
4. Stir the mushy banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour the batter into the pans.
5. To make the bread stand up a bit and have a neat crust and aesthetic top, add about ½ teaspoon of baking powder. This is optional but I love the way it looks.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

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Grape Jelly Meatballs

Submitted by Amanda Serna / Senior Executive Assistant

Makes 96 mini meatballs

Ingredients

1 (48-ounce) bag frozen cocktail-sized meatballs
16 ounces grape jelly – you can substitute any kind of sweet jam or jelly (strawberry, apricot, apple, or raspberry)
12 ounces Heinz chili sauce

Instructions

These are a huge hit, so consider doubling the recipe!

1. Place the frozen meatballs into a slow cooker. Add the grape jelly and chili sauce.
2. Stir until the meatballs are coated in the sauce mixture.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 ½ – 3 hours or on low for 4 – 5 hours. Stir occasionally so the meatballs won’t burn on the edges.
4. Serve in the slow cooker with toothpicks. Enjoy!

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Grandma DeEtta’s Cookies

Submitted by Aimee Rzeplinski / People Experience Coordinator

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

½ cup shortening
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ cup quick oats
1 ¼ cup chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and both sugars together until smooth.
3. Stir the beaten egg, water, and vanilla into the shortening and sugar mixture. Combine until well blended.
4. Gradually sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips.
5. Form tablespoon-sized balls of dough, placing them on the greased baking sheet 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

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Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Submitted by Heather Johnson / Partner Support Specialist I

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons salted butter, softened
½ cup + 3 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup raspberry preserves
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the body of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment – or by hand if you are up for it – beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Add the white sugar and beat well.
4. Add in flour gradually, beating into the mix on low speed until just incorporated.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
6. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough, roll them into rounds, and place them on the cookie sheet. Lightly press your thumb into the center of each round.
7. Fill each thumb indentation with ½ teaspoon of preserves.
8. Bake for 11 – 12 minutes, or until just golden at the edges. They will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven.
9. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then very carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. As an optional last step, sprinkle cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Enjoy!

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KoKo’s Kan’t Stop Kokonut & Korn Flake Kookies

Submitted by Kiyoko Smith / Partner Support Specialist ll

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla, but almond is way better!)
3 – 4 handfuls crushed corn flakes (or more if desired)
1 cup shredded coconut (or more if desired – I use more, yum!)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a large bowl, whip the butter with a hand mixer.
3. Add both sugars to the butter and combine.
4. Add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the dough and mix well.
5. Mix in flour, milk, and almond (or vanilla) extract.
6. Crumble the corn flakes into the dough and add the shredded coconut. If the dough falls apart, add a bit more coconut.
7. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

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Citrus Upside Down Cake

Submitted by Karin Gardner / Customer Support Specialist II

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients

2 blood oranges
2 navel oranges
1 tangelo, grapefruit, or other citrus
¼ cup water
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment to cover the bottom and go up the sides of the pan. Fold the parchment to hug the sides of the pan, like an upside down hat. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
2. With the skin still on, slice the citrus ½ inch thick, then use a knife to remove the skin.
3. Microwave ½ cup white sugar and the water until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour half of the sugar water into the bottom of the pan, then line the bottom with the citrus. Once the citrus slices are arranged, pour the remaining sugar water over the citrus. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and remaining white sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly alternate folding in the flour mixture and yogurt into the wet ingredients until everything is combined – the mixture will be thick.
6. Pour the batter over the prepared citrus in the pan, spreading evenly to the edges.
7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You may need to add several minutes of baking time if the toothpick comes out wet.
8. Allow to cool completely before inverting onto a serving tray. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Dip and Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Strips

Submitted by Lynn Koler / Real Estate Valuation Analyst

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Strips
8 flour tortillas
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pumpkin Dip
1 cup pumpkin
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whipped cream

Instructions

Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Strips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stack the tortillas and cut into strips or wedges.
3. Brush the cut tortillas with the melted butter.
4. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the butter-coated tortillas and place them on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until the tortillas are crispy and golden brown.

Pumpkin Dip

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well blended.
2. Serve with the tortilla strips. The dip also tastes great with cinnamon chips, apple and pear slices, or ginger snap cookies. Enjoy!

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Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

Submitted by Sandra Brenes / Partner Support Specialist lll

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

Chicken Filling
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup chicken stock

Salsa verde
10 tomatillos
¼ white onion
¼ bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
2 Poblano peppers
2 jalapeno peppers or 2 serrano peppers for more spice (optional)
Salt to taste

Enchiladas
8 corn tortillas
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 head of lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes and onion, cut into slices

Instructions

Chicken Filling

1. Heat the shredded chicken in a frying pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add ¼ cup chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Salsa Verde

1. Boil the tomatillos, garlic, onion, and jalapeno or serrano peppers for 15 minutes.
2. Add the mixture to a blender with the cilantro, 1 cup of chicken stock and pepper to taste.

To Assemble

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the tortillas in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil and cook them for 1 minute on each side.
3. Coat each tortilla in the salsa verde.
4. Fill each tortilla with the chicken filling and roll.
5. Place the rolled tortillas in a baking dish and cover with the remaining salsa verde and the mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
7. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and sour cream. Enjoy!

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Three-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by Michaelangelo Aranda / Learning & Development Partner

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 can pumpkin puree
1 box yellow cake mix
1 bag extra large chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Empty the contents of the yellow cake mix into a large bowl.
3. Mix the pumpkin puree into the cake mix until well-incorporated.
4. Add the extra large chocolate chips to the dough and combine.
5. Place 2-tablespoon sized balls of batter 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8 – 12 minutes. Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

Submitted by Lindsay Crone / Event Marketing Manager

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup white sugar plus a bit more for rolling the cookies
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup shortening
½ cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
48 Hershey’s Kisses

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, both sugars, shortening, peanut butter, and egg.
3. Add the baking soda, salt, flour, and milk to the butter mixture and stir until a dough forms.
4. Scoop teaspoon-sized balls of dough.
5. Roll each dough ball in a small amount of white sugar.
6. Place the dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
8. After removing from the oven, immediately top each cookie with a Hershey’s Kiss. Press the Kiss down firmly so the cookie cracks around the edges. Enjoy!

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Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

Submitted by Sherri Kirbis / Customer Support Specialist

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients

Cinnamon pecan coffee cake layers
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk or sour milk

Streusel topping
⅔ cup white sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup whipped topping

Instructions

Cinnamon pecan coffee cake layers

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl alternately with the buttermilk, beating until just combined.
5. Line two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper, and extend it slightly over the edge in two places so you can lift the coffee cake layer out of the pan easily after baking.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.

Streusel topping

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, pecans, and cinnamon.
2. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the two cake pans.
3. Lightly swirl with a knife.

Filling

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.
3. Fold in whipped topping.

To Assemble

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
3. Cool completely in the cake pan.
4. Work carefully as the cakes are fragile and crumble easily. Gently remove one of the cake layers from the pan and set it immediately onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the parchment paper from underneath.
5. Spread the filling over the first layer of cake.
6. Gently remove the second cake layer from the pan, remove the parchment paper, and set it over the filling-covered first layer.
7. Cut and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and enjoy!

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