Listen to Craig Dezern

 
Craig Dezern, Vice-President Global Brand Communications
Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc.
www.Hilton.com

All of us have favorite foods that we’ve enjoyed at hotels or resorts we’ve stayed at, and multiple Hilton brands and properties have been sharing both delicious and memorable food and drinks to travelers for many, many years.  As the Coronavirus pandemic forces all of us to navigate through the “upside down world” and curtail our regular travels, during our live national broadcast of RMWorldTravel with Robert & Mary Carey and Rudy Maxa on 16 May 2020, we invited Hilton’s VP Craig Dezern to join us, and discuss current happenings at their properties and share some popular recipes that allow everyone to “Travel The World From Your Own Kitchen.”

To hear the exclusive interview that aired across our 415+ radio affiliates nationwide airing America’s #1 Travel Radio Show, simply click the play arrow below to access the now archived audio of our live broadcast  …

 

   
Below are the recipes for DoubleTree by Hilton’s famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, Caribe Hilton’s Piña Colada, the Palmer House Hilton’s Brownie, and New York CIty’s Waldorf Astoria Salad …

DoubleTree by Hilton Signature Chocolate Chip Cookie
YOU’LL NEED
½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch cinnamon
2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ¾ cups chopped walnuts

MAKE IT
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
** Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. If you freeze, preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

Makes 26 cookies

Caribe Hilton Original Piña Colada
The birthplace of the popular tropical drink Piña Colada, created by Ramón “Monchito” Marrero in 1954…
YOU’LL NEED
2 oz. rum
1 oz. coconut cream
1 oz. heavy cream
6 oz. fresh pineapple juice
1/2 cup crushed ice

MAKE IT
Mix rum, cream of coconut, heavy cream and pineapple juice in a blender.
Add ice and mix for 15 seconds.
Serve in a 12-oz. glass and garnish with fresh pineapple and a cherry.

Palmer House Hilton Brownie
Yes, America’s favorite gooey, delicious brownie was created here in 1893…
YOU’LL NEED
14oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate (about 4 3.5 oz bars)
1lb Butter
1 1/2 cups Granulated White Sugar
4oz. Flour
8 Eggs
12oz. Crushed Walnuts
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Glaze
1 cup Water
1 cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

MAKE IT
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Mix the sugar and flour together in a bowl. Combine chocolate and flour mixtures. Stir 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and continue mixing.
3. Pour mixture into a 9×12 baking sheet. Sprinkle walnuts on top, pressing down slightly into the mixture with your hand.
Bake 30-40 minutes.
4. Brownies are done when the edges begin to crisp and has risen about 1/4 of an inch.
** Note: When the brownie is properly baked, it will remain “gooey” with a toothpick in the middle due to the richness of the mixture.

Glaze: Mix together 1 cup water, 1 cup apricot preserves and 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin in sauce pan.  Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil for two minutes. Brush hot glaze on brownies while still warm.

Makes 16 brownies

New York City Waldorf Astoria Salad
YOU’LL NEED
Lettuce
6 Tbsp mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half (or 1/4 cup of raisins)
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped, slightly toasted walnuts

MAKE IT
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Mix the sugar and flour together in a bowl. Combine chocolate and flour mixtures. Stir 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and continue mixing.
3. Pour mixture into a 9×12 baking sheet. Sprinkle walnuts on top, pressing down slightly into the mixture with your hand.
Bake 30-40 minutes.
4. Brownies are done when the edges begin to crisp and has risen about 1/4 of an inch.
** Note: When the brownie is properly baked, it will remain “gooey” with a toothpick in the middle due to the richness of the mixture.

Mix ingredients together in bowl and serve.  If using yogurt, omit the lemon juice. You may also want to add a little honey to balance the tartness of the yogurt.
Serves 4

ENJOY!  (and if you make these, send us your photos via our social media channels on Facebook, etc.)