Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbs unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot brewed, strong coffee
• 2 tbs half & half
• 1 tsp white sugar (or more to taste)
• (optional) whipped cream, ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. In a glass or microwave-safe bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and vanilla.
2. Microwave for 1-2 minutes — remove when milk is hot and frothy.
3. Pour into tall mug or glass. Add hot coffee, cream and sugar. Stir.
4. (Optional) Add whipped cream on top and sprinkle some nutmeg.

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Frozen Hot Chocolate

• 2 cups whole milk
• 5 1.25 ounce packets of Hot Chocolate mix
• 4 cups ice
• (optional) 1 cup heavy cream
• (optional) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• (optional) 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or grated chocolate

1. Place milk into blender. Add hot chocolate packets and blend until combined. 
2. Add ice and blend until ice is blended into tiny chunks. 
3. Pour evenly into 4 glasses on top of plates to catch any dripping frozen hot chocolate.
4. Whip cream and sugar. Top each glass with whipped cream and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

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Berry Hard Lemonade

• 1 bottle hard lemonade
• 1 bag (7.2 oz) Yoplait Frozen Smoothie triple berry

Blend hard lemonade and frozen smoothie contents.

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Orange Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs (680 grams) chicken breast
• 3 well beaten eggs
• 2 tbs milk
• 1 cup cornstarch
• salt & pepper

1. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and dip the chicken pieces in egg and milk mixture. Coat in cornstarch, then dip it again in egg mixture.
2. Fry in oil heated over medium-high heat, until lightly browned on both sides. 
3. Remove and allow to cool on a paper towel before transferring to a baking sheet. To bake, make sure chicken pieces are in a single layer on baking sheet, coat with orange sauce and bake according to directions below.

Orange Sauce

• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. catsup
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/4 c. orange juice concentrate 
• 2 T. white vinegar
• 1 T. dried chives
• 1 T. red pepper flakes
• 1 T. sliced almonds

1. In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, catsup, honey, orange juice concentrate, chives and red pepper flakes. 
2. Stir together over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
3. Drizzle sauce over fried chicken. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, stirring often to coat the chicken with the glaze. Remove from oven when glaze is no longer puddled around the chicken, it should be sticky and fully coating the chicken.
4. Garnish with chives or chopped scallions, red pepper flakes, orange zest, and sliced almonds. Serve immediately over sticky rice.

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Tropical Chicken Quesadillas

Yield: 4 to 6 dinner-sized servings

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 cup avocado and mango salsa (see below for recipe)
• 8 tortillas

1. Combine the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  
2. Place the uncooked chicken pieces in a mixing bowl and season with the spices, stirring to evenly mix.  
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet.  Brown the chicken until cooked through; remove from the pan and shred into smaller pieces; set aside.  
4. In the same skillet, heat the other tablespoon olive oil then cook the onions and peppers with the salt and pepper until tender.  Add the minced garlic and sauté until just fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove the peppers and onions from the pan and set aside.
5. Spray a tortilla with cooking spray and place, spray side down, in the skillet.  On half of the tortilla, layer some cheese, chicken, onions/peppers and salsa.  Fold the other side of the tortilla over the fillings and let cook until the bottom of the tortilla is golden and crispy.  Flip and let cook until the other side is also golden and crispy.
6. Transfer the quesadilla onto a plate and cut into 4 wedges.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients. Serve immediately.

Avocado and Mango Salsa

Yield: 5 servings

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice from one fresh lime
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cover and let the flavors blend in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 15 chicken wings - rinse in cold water and pat dry

For marinade:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic - minced
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp Tabasco sauce 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed chili peppers
• 2 tbsp honey 

Seasoning:

• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzles of honey for glaze

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Season the chicken wings with salt before coating well in the marinade. Cover, refrigerate for at least an hour (overnight is best). 
2. Preheat oven to 425F.
3. Line a baking pan or broiler pan with parchment paper, and place the chicken wings on top (keep the leftover marinade still in the bowl for later). Drizzle a bit more honey over each wing for a nice light glaze. Then sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. 
4. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the chicken wings over and brush them with the remaining marinade. Bake for another 10 minutes. Then set the oven on broil and bake the chicken for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy brown. 
5. Serve warm.

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Green Tea Sweets

Yield: appx 25 2-inch cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 145g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1.5 tbsp Matcha (powdered green tea)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (for coating)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
3. Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color.
4. Add the flour and mix until well combined.
5. Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
6. Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
7. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness.
8. Cut the dough with a leaf cookie cutter.
9. Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
10. Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

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Persimmon Crème Brûlée

Yields: 8 servings

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large egg yolks
• 1 large ripe persimmon, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place eight 6-ounce crème brûlée dishes in a roasting pan; set aside. 
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat just to a simmer and remove from the heat. 
3. Stir in vanilla and cool to room temperature. 
4. Whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. 
5. Gently whisk the cream mixture into the yolk mixture. 
6. Pour the custard into the dishes and transfer to the oven’s middle rack. 
7. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the side of the dishes. 
8. Bake until set but still jiggly in the center — about 50 minutes. Cool completely. 
9. Cover and chill up to 2 days. 
10. Brûlée the tops, heat the broiler or prepare a kitchen torch. 
11. Place a persimmon slice on each crème brûlée and sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the top of each. 
12. Place dishes on a baking sheet and broil, watching carefully, or use a torch to melt the sugar until bubbling and golden brown. 
13. Let rest until the sugar hardens to a crisp shell.

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Churro Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar (see note below)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 16 tbs unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and softened
• 2 tbs cream cheese, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs melted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbs plus 2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Note: If you can’t find superfine sugar, simply process 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds, then measure out 3/4 cup for the recipe. 

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time. Continue to beat the flour-butter mixture until it looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1-2 minutes.
2. Beat in the cream cheese and vanilla until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Knead the dough in the bowl by hand a few times until it forms a large cohesive mass. 
3. Roll cookie dough into rods about 3/4-1 inch in diameter. Cut the rods into 3 inch pieces, place on a plate and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2T plus 2tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. 
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies on a baking sheet, with about an inch between each cookie. Using a pastry brush, brush each cookie with melted butter, and then sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar mixture. 
5. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and immediately place indentations lengthwise along the cookies using a wooden skewer. Let cookies cool for five minutes on the cookie sheet, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely. 
6. (Optional) For more cinnamon-sugar flavor, brush cooled cookies with more melted butter and sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar

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Bloomin’ Onion Bread

Ingredients

• 1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread
• 12-16 oz Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup green onions, finely diced
• 2 tsp poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through bottom.
3. Place bread on foil-lined baking sheet. Insert cheese slices between cuts.
4. Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread.
5. Wrap in foil and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Unwrap and bake for 10 more minutes, until cheese is melted.

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Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Prep Time: 5 min

Total Time: 6 hrs

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (2 lb) pork tenderloin (shoulder or butt)
• 1 (12 oz) can root beer
• 1 (18 oz) bottle BBQ sauce
• 8 hamburger buns

Instructions

1. Place pork tenderloin in slow cooker and pour root beer over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (until pork shreds easily with a fork).
2. After pork has cooked, drain and discard root beer.
3. Shred pork and place back in slow cooker. Pour BBQ sauce over pork and stir to combine.
4. Serve immediately on hamburger buns or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve.

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Cheesecake Brownie Bites

Yields: about 30 brownie bites

Ingredients

For brownie:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbs instant espresso powder, mixed with 2 tsp water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup flour

For cheesecake filling:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1 large egg yolk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso and water, and vanilla until well combined.
3. Stir in sugar and melted butter until well combined. Then stir in flour. Set brownie batter aside.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk until well combined. Transfer to pastry bag.
5. Grease a mini-muffin pan. Spoon 1 tbs brownie batter into each cup. Pipe a generous amount of cheesecake filling atop brownie batter, then top each with an additional tsp of brownie batter. (Swirl to create a marbled effect)
6. Bake for 12 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan. Eat warm or transfer to cooling rack.

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Pepperoni String Cheese Roll Ups

Ingredients

• 1 (8 oz) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 4 cheese sticks, halved
• 1 (3.5 oz) package sliced pepperoni
• (optional) marinara or ranch sauce for dipping
• For garlic butter glaze: 2 tbs butter (melted), 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. On each triangle of crescent roll dough, place about 6 pepperoni slices. Place half of a cheese stick on top and roll up.
3. Place seam side down on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until golden brown.
4. While rolls are cooking, combine melted butter, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and Parmesan in a small bowl.
5. When rolls are done, remove from oven and brush with garlic butter glaze.
6. Serve with marinara or ranch for dipping.

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Cranberry Bliss Bars

Ingredients

For blondie layer:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 oz white chocolate (coarsely chopped)

For frosting:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 oz white chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (coarsely chopped)
• (Optional) 1 tsp grated orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish or line with parchment paper.
2. To prepare blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar. Pour into large bowl and let cool to room temperature. 
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla with electric mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
5. Gradually add dry mixture to butter mixture.
6. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate.
7. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
8. Let cool completely.
9. To prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl until combined. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate and beat until blended.
10. Frost blondies. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries. Drizzle remaining white chocolate.
11. Let frosting set, then cut into bars. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

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