Worlds Best Dessert Waffle

When I was a kid, my dad (Bruce) used to have vanilla ice cream topped with maple syrup and peanuts alomost every night after dinner. I added the waffle but the idea is the same and it rocks!

Ingredients

• 2 frozen waffles
• Vanilla ice cream (a good one - don't skrimp here)
• Maple syrup
• 1 can Spanish peanuts (the kind with the red skins and salt on them)
• Powdered sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Toast your waffles (if you want to make it more romantic you can cut them into heart shapes but right out of the package works)
2. Top with a scoop - not too much - of vanilla ice cream
3. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with a handful of the peanuts
4. Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar
5. Step back and wait for the applause

Strawberry & Peach (Bread) Betty

Serves about 10

Save your old stale bread and blend or food process it into bread crumbs. They are really good and its a great way to recycle the unused bread.

Ingredients

• 4 cups bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3 cups sliced peaches
• 3 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• Juice of one lemon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and set aside
3. Mix the peaches, strawberries, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar
4. In a greased 9 X 9 inch baking dish, alternate layers of bread crumbs and peach mixture
5. Finish with bread crumbs and bake at 325 for about 60 minutes or until brown on top
6. Serve with fresh whipped cream

Pina Colada Pancakes

Makes about 10 - 12 small ones

I love flaked coconut. These can be a great dessert or breakfast treat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pancake mix (from a box)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk, canned
• 1/4 cup white rum
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• Butter
• Fresh pineapple, skinned and diced very small
• Maple syrup (optional - but don't leave it out)

Directions

1. Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium high heat
2. Combine the pancake mix with the coconut milk, rum and coconut flakes and mix well
3. Melt some butter in the pan and spoon the batter onto the butter to make small pancakes
4. While those cook cut your pineapple
5. Cook the pancakes until they are browned on one side, flip and brown the other
6. Place a nice scoop of diced pineapple onto a plate and add a small stack of the pancakes next to it
7. Drizzle the pancakes with the syrup (or you can eat them with the fruit alone if you want)

Coconut Macaroons

Makes 15 small macaroons

Mrs Cooking Guy loves these - and with only three ingredients they're so easy...and soooo good.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces coconut flakes
• 7 ounces (1/2 can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper
3. In a bowl, mix coconut, condensed milk and almond extract just well enough to bind together
4. Shape into small mounds or pyramids
5. Place on the baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown
6. Try to let cool (if you can) before eating

Sweet Potato Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie

Sweet potato pie rules.

Ingredients

• One 9 inch pie crust
• 1.5 pounds sweet potatoes
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger and all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 and pre-bake pie crust about 10 minutes, allow to cool
2. Turn oven to 425
3. Peel potatoes, cut into equal size pieces and boil until soft enough to poke a skewer through them - 15 to 20 minutes
4. Drain and then mash
5. Add remaining ingredients to potatoes and mix well
6. Pour into pie crust and bake at 425 for 5 minutes then turn down too 325 and finished baking for an additional 40 minutes
7. Allow to cool and then serve

Potato Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

These were sent in by viewer Lori and came from her Grandma Thora. Sweet, salty and crunchy - these are really really good.

Ingredients

• 4 sticks of Butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 3-5 ounces plain, thick cut potato chips - crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy
3. Add vanilla and flour until mixed well and then add crushed chips - mix
4. Drop teaspoon size-ish spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet
5. Bake until a light golden brown on the edges, approximately 10 minutes

Grandma Ruby's 7-Up Pound Cake

Serves 6 or so

This pound cake is an awesome dessert... but don't take my word for it, bake it and see for yourself.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour, sifted
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 teaspoons lemon extract
• 3 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 to 1 cup 7-Up
• LEMON GLAZE INGREDIENTS (optional)
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• Lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With a mixer beat the butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts.
4. Work in the flour and continue beating until well mixed.
5. Slowly add the lemon lime soda and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Completely coat the inside of a bundt pan with vegetable oil spray with flour in it.
7. Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 1 hour.
8. Test with a fork or wooden skewer. When it comes out clean with no batter sticking to it, it's done.
9. Let cake cool and serve with glaze drizzled over the top.
10. LEMON GLAZE DIRECTIONS (optional)
11. In a bowl, slowly add a bit of the lemon juice to the sugar and butter and begin whisking by hand.
12. Add more juice as needed and mix until glaze is thick, but not too thick to pour.

Waffles with Bourbon Pecan Butter

Serves 4

This is not your typical waffle...it's way better! And I'm not making it from scratch either, frozen all the way baby!

Ingredients

• 4 frozen waffles
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 2 tbs chopped Pecans
• 1 tbs Burbon
• 1 tbs powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a small pot over low heat, melt butter with Bourbon and pecans - mix well
2. Let cool then put butter mixture in fridge to set
3. toast waffles until golden brown
4. Top waffles with butter mixture and powdered sugar

Apple Tarte Tatin

A sweet upside down apple pie kinda thing...

2 small Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and cut into slices

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

• Put apple slices in a bowl with the lemon juice - and mix (the juice will help keep the slices from turning brown

• Take pastry out to thaw

• Put sugar & butter in a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet , and stir until butter & sugar melt together

• Continue stirring until it just begins to get a little darker in color, then add the slices and cook, stirring to allow the slices to soften a bit

• Cut the puff pastry into a circle a bit larger than the skillet

• Cover top of skillet with puff pastry

• Tuck in pasty edges like a pie and put a couple slits in the top

• Bake approx 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown

• On large serving plate slowly flip the skillet over onto plate so that the pastry is on the bottom

• Serve

Addie's Puff Pastry Rugelach

Serves 6-10

Viewer Addie's Rugelach

Ingredients

• 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jelly
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tsp water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Thaw pastry to room temperature
3. In a bowl mix together all ingredients except for the cream cheese jam, and egg/water
4. On a cookie sheet, place a piece of parchment paper and puff pastry opened on top of paper
5. Spread the cream cheese down the center of the pastry then the jam on top of the cream cheese
6. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of cream cheese & jam
7. With a scissor or knife, cut the dough on each side of the mixture on an angle about a half inch apart
8. Braid it starting with the first strip and overlapping side to side on top of the mixture
9. Turn the ends under or press together with a fork to seal
10. Brush the pastry with the egg/water mixture
11. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown
12. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting
13. Serve warm or at room temperature

Grandma Fran's Butter Nut Bars

Makes 2 dozen bars

This is Producer Michelle's grandma Fran. She's amazing, and so are these bars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cups butter
• 1 cup (6 oz) butterscotch morsels
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 T butter
• 1 T water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Combine flour, brown sugar and salt in medium size bowl
2. Cut in butter until everything is like a really coarse sand and press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan
3. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned
4. Combine butterscotch morsels, corn syrup, butter, water, and salt in the top of a double boiler
5. Cook over boiling water until all is melted and the mixture is smooth - stir in walnuts
6. Spread butterscotch mixture evenly over the cookie base
7. Bake 8-10 minutes until bubbly and brown on the edges
8. Let cool and cut into 2 x 1 inch bars

Raspberry & Cream Cheese Won Tons

Makes 24

Amazingly good and easy - but also amazingly hot. Let them cool down.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 24 round won ton wrappers
• powdered sugar

Directions

1. Mix cream cheese & jam in bowl well, then put in fridge for about 20 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 400
3. Put about 2 teaspoons of the mix in the center of each wrapper
4. Dip your finger into a little water, then lightly moisten the edges of each wrapper, fold in half - try to remove as much air as possibleSeal tightly and place won tons on baking sheet
5. Bake until they start to brown - about 15 to 20 minutes and remove from oven
6. Let cool a bit, then dust lightly with powdered sugar, and serve alone or with ice cream

My Grandma Ruth's Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Makes one bundt cake

This is my grandmother's super simple recipe - just mix & bake. And as easy as it is, I wish she was still around to make it for me.

Ingredients

• 1 package lemon cake mix
• 1 large package Jello lemon pudding
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup poppy seeds
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325
2. Mix all ingredients well, and pour into a greased bundt pan
3. Bake for 1 1/4 hours

German Pancake (aka Dutch Baby)

Serves 1 to 2

The most gorgeous light, puffed pancake you'll ever have. It's crazy looking and so delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cup milk

• 3 eggs

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon butter

• OPTIONAL FOR SERVING: butter, lemon juice, powdered sugar or syrup

• SAVORY version: omit sugar, add a little fresh ground pepper to the batter (I topped the pancake with crispy prosciutto, a fried egg and arugula greens)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Put a heavy ovenproof pan or a cast iron skillet in the oven for at least 10 minutes while you make the batter to get it really really hot

3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, milk, eggs, sugar and salt until smooth

4. Quickly but carefully, remove pan from oven and add butter - coat bottom and sides well then pour the batter into the hot skillet all at once, and immediately put back in the oven

5. Bake 20 minutes (check at 15 minutes), without opening the door until puffed and golden brown

6. Remove from oven and serve right away - the pancake will start to deflate when out of the oven, but that's ok

7. Optional (but you should do it), serve with butter, lemon juice and powdered sugar

Bourbon Whipped Cream

Makes about 2 cups

Would this be good on a dessert like apple pie - yes. Would this be good on a breakfast item like waffles with a scatter of chopped pecans - yes. Would this be good straight out of the bowl - yes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon

Directions

1. Put cream, sugar and bourbon in a mixer or large bowl and beat until soft peaks form
2. You can DEFINITELY over beat whipping cream, so be careful

Marcela's Mango/Guayaba Mousse

Makes 20 tequila shot glasses

This is from Marcela Valladolid (Food Network's 'Mexican Made Easy'). It's like a trifle, but using the guava or mango makes it less sweet and crazy good - and for me that's saying a lot cuz I don't really like sweets.

Ingredients

• 5 ounces Maria crackers (about 32 crackers) or graham crackers (about 10 whole crackers)
• 1/2 cup minced (packed) piloncillo or dark brown sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 1/2 cups sliced fruit in syrup (guava or mango), drained (syrup reserved for another use)
• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or less if fruit is too sweet in syrup)
• 1- 0.25 ounce envelope whipped topping mix such as Dream Whip
• Purchased meringue cookies, crumbled (I like to add chocolate-mint flavored from Whole Foods, adds a nice kick)
• 2 fresh mangos, small dice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a food processor, process Maria crackers, plioncillo, and butter until well incorporated - everything should stick together when you grab it with your hand
3. Place it on a baking sheet and press it down to form a crust
4. Bake it for 10 minutes or until golden in color - remoe from oven and let cool
5. Once cooled, break into little pieces, this will be one of the layers of the trifle dish
6. In a blender, process fruit until smooth
7. Strain fruit (especially if it's guava so you can remove the seeds) into medium bowl
8. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl until fluffy
9. Mix in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and whipped topping until well sugar has completely dissolved and add reserved fruit puree
10. In a shot glass, begin with a layer of the cookie crumble, top with fruit cream and continue with meringue cookies, more cream, and cookie crumble
11. Continue layering until reaching to the top
12. Serve immediately.

Egg Nog Bread Pudding

Serves 12

To a lot of people nothing says holidays more than egg nog, which I don't happen to like. That being said - this bread pudding is stupid good.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups eggnog
• 1 loaf sliced cinnamon raisin bread, ends removed and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Lightly butter 9x11 casserole dish
3. In a large bowl beat eggs and add sugar, eggnog & bread - mix well
4. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips so they're scattered throughout
5. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until set
6. Plate and top with caramel syrup and powdered sugar

Maybe the Simplest Doughnuts Ever

Makes as many as you want

Who knew these things could be so crazy good and simple?

Ingredients

• Vegetable or canola oil for frying

• Pillsbury Buttermilk biscuits

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon

• Jelly - grape or whatever you prefer

• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Put about 1.5 inches of oil in a small pot, and heat to 360 degrees

2. Combine cinnamon with sugar well and put on a small plate

3. Remove biscuits from package and separate

4. To make regular donuts, put a 1/2 inch hole in the middle of a biscuit and cook in oil until golden brown on each side - about a minute and a half each

5. Remove from oil, dry on a paper towel briefly then put into the cinny-sugar mix on each side

6. To make jelly-filled donuts: cook the same way (but with no center hole), dry and then make a small hole in the side and using a squeeze bottle, a pastry bag or even a ziplock and a small corner cut off filled with jelly. Squeeze jelly into middle of the donut & then sprinkle with powdered sugar

Hot Buttered Doughnuts

Makes 4 servings

Once again there's truth in advertising. These are exactly as the name suggests - doughnuts that have been simply cooked in hot butter - and boy are they good.

Ingredients

• 16 glazed doughnut holes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 pint really good vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup caramel/butterscotch sauce, warmed
• Powdered sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Slice each hole in half
2. Melt butter in a non stick pan and add doughnuts
3. Cook on all sides but especially with the flat side down so they get brown, caramelized and crispy
4. Squeeze on lemon juice just before removing from pan
5. Serve with ice cream, drizzled with caramel/butterscotch sauce and dusted with powdered sugar

Pie Crust

Makes 1 crust

If you've always bought dough, stop it and start making your own. Yes really.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Directions

1. Put flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or processor) and turn on briefly to mix
2. Add the butter in cubes and mix just until the pieces are the size of small peas
3. Add water about a tablespoon at a time and mix on low only until the dough pulls together
4. Take the dough out and flatten into a disk on a lightly flour surface
5. Wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator 15 minutes up to a couple days
6. When ready to use - gently flatten the disk, dust the top with flour, and roll out into a round approximately 12 inches in diameter
7. Carefully transfer the dough onto a pie plate and use as normal for baking