EXHAUSTED WONDER WAFFLES

These are not the best waffle I have ever made, but they are the best reheated from frozen waffle I have ever made. Truly amazing, right out of the freezer I popped it into the toaster and it came out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, like I just made it fresh! Awesome. The recipe came from the Home Cooking magazine that is no longer being printed, so I went to see if I could find it on the Web and I ran into another waffle recipe that I HAVE TO TRY. It is a yeast recipe and I love working with yeast no matter how gross that sounds.

WONDER WAFFLES from Home Cooking Magazine

Now the waffles are not exhausted, I am. The boys have been cutting my sleep off at 6 hours most nights, and even that is to be considered sleeping in most days. I feel like I am not truly awake, but my body is moving around. Feeling like something the cat drug in made it a great morning to have some of these waffles still in the freezer. I toasted one up, drizzled on the syrup and cut up some strawberries...look out world I even got fancy and tried my hand at cutting a fan into one strawberry.
1 1/3 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 to 1-1/4 C milk
3 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and sugar; set aside. Beat egg whites just until stiff, moist peaks form. Without washing beaters beat egg yolks lightly in a different bowl. Stir in milk, extracts and oil into yolks; blend well. Stir yolk mixture into dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Bake waffles in waffle iron. Freeze waffles in freezer bag; reheat waffle in toaster.

Makes 10 waffles

POMPLAMOOSE AND TASTY BANANA BUNDT CAKE

I love Pomplamoose, and I want a t-shirt. I think my favorite song is, "If You Think You Need Some Lovin" but who am I kidding I love them all, and have listened to them so many times it would make any normal person's head spin around and pea soup shoot out of their mouths.

TASTY BANANA BUNDT CAKE

Courtesy of a magazine no longer in print, Home Cooking, submitted by Denise Hansen of Jackson, Minn. I love to make quick breads, and I always have bananas around. I of course had to tweek the recipe because I have a hard time leaving things alone. I would slap my own hands with a wooden spoon, but I am not into pain I would make a bad masochist.

1 (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix

1 1/4 C banana slices

2 eggs

1 C buttermilk

1/4 C cold coffee

1 tsp vanilla (my addition)

1 tsp nutmeg (my addition)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan. Combine cake mix, banana slices, eggs, buttermilk and coffee in mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until blended. Beat at medium-high speed 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until tested done. Cool in pan on wire rack for 45 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Garnish with whipped cream and additional banana slices before serving, if desired. Serves 10-12.

I love the quick ease it takes to throw this bread together and I just love nutmeg in my banana bread which is why I added it here. Yes, I am a nutmeg-in-my-banana-bread type of person as opposed to the cinnamon banana bread people, but can't we all just get along?

CINNAMON BISCUIT FANS AND BREAKFAST PUFFS

Dear Betty Crocker,

I love you, and your Best of Baking Cookbook. I made these yummy treats and ooooohhhhhhhh.

Yes I was baking this morning. I wanted to bake early when there are less children running around to pull me away from the task at hand. I made these two recipes and I love them both, although I have to say I think the Cinnamon Biscuit Fans are my favorite. They have layers of cinnamon-sugar, buttery goodness AND a glaze on top really yummy and the biscuit keeps it from being so sweet that the plaque on your teeth stand up and salute.

Cinnamon Biscuit Fans

By Betty Crocker Best of Baking

Biscuits

2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup firm butter or margarine

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1.Heat oven to 425ºF. Grease 8 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, mix flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the baking powder and salt. Cut in firm butter using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture particles resemble fine crumbs. Stir in just enough milk so dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball.

2.Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times. Roll into 12x10-inch rectangle. Spread 3 tablespoons butter over rectangle. Mix 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle over rectangle. Cut rectangle crosswise into 6 (10x2-inch) strips. Stack strips; cut crosswise into 8 pieces. Place cut sides up in muffin cups.

3.Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from muffin cups to cooling rack.

4.In medium bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over warm biscuits. Serve warm.

Makes 8 biscuits

As for the French Breakfast Puffs, I think next time I will do some slight alterations. I would add 1 tsp vanilla to the dough and maybe even some lemon zest.

French Breakfast Puffs

By Betty Crocker Best of Baking

Ingredients

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1.Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 15 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2x1 1/4 inches.

2.Mix shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and the egg thoroughly in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

3.Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

4.Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll hot muffins immediately in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot.

Makes 15 puffs