1-2 shots espresso
1/2 cup milk
2-3 oz milk or dark chocolate
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Creme
1 tablespoon Irish Whiskey

In a small saucepan, combine milk and chocolate and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add sugar. Pour over espresso. Add Irish Whiskey and Bailey’s. Top with whipped cream.

Alternatively, you could just heat the milk and add 2 tablespoons powdered cocoa, or Nestle’s cocoa, if you really want to make it easy.

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package lemon instant pudding
1/2 cup cooking oil
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Mix all together and beat at medium high speed 5 minutes. Bake in ungreased angel food pan 50 minutes at 350°. Invert to cool. Frost with Butter Cream Frosting or powdered sugar.

1/2 pound raw potato
1/2 pound mashed potato
1/2 pound plain flour
Milk
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Grate raw potatoes and mix with the cooked mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper and flour. Beat egg and add to mixture with just enough milk to make a batter that will drop from a spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frying pan. Cook over a moderate heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serving Size: 8

3 cups flour
1/2 cup Splenda®
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour muffin pans, or use paper liners.

Mix flour, Splenda®, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mix sour cream, milk, oil, extract, and eggs until blended.

Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. Stir in cranberries and almonds.

Bake for 30 minutes until tops slightly browned.

1 cup yogurt
1 cup milk; skim, regular or buttermilk
1 cup flour

Mix the milk and yogurt together in a glass, pottery or plastic container.(NOT metal) Keep a lid on it, but don’t seal it. (sealed starters have been known to explode!) Put this where the temperature will be 80-90°F for about 24 hours.

Then add the flour and put it back in the warm place for 3-5 days.

Stir it daily. It will bubble and have the odor of fermentation. It’s ready to use.

A starter is a live thing and must be fed. When you use it you should replace what you used. The amount you should replace will vary according to need. If you use your starter often or you know you are going to have a heavy demand soon, then you can put several cups of milk and flour (equal measures) in it. Generally though you should put in either 1/2 cup to 1 cup of both flour and milk.

If you are not going to use the starter for awhile, place it in the refrigerator. It needs to be fed once a week…just a few spoons flour or milk. If you forget and leave it in there for a long time without food, don’t just throw it out. Try first to bring it back by adding 1/2 cup of flour and milk and leave out for a day or so. It is remarkable how these things come back.

8 cups egg bread, cubed
1 cup raisins
3 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup evaporated low-fat milk
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Arrange bread and raisins in bottom of lightly greased shallow 2 quart baking dish.

Beat remaining ingredients in large bowl until well blended; pour over bread cubes in baking dish and let stand 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed.

Bake at 375° at 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Serves 8.

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
8 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Seven-Minute Frosting (below)
Fresh Roasted Coconut, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.

In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy.

With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture; stir in shredded coconut.

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping 1/4 cup batter.

Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack.

Invert cupcakes onto rack; then reinvert and let cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes with seven minute frosting, swirling to cover. Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Garnish with fresh coconut just before serving.

Makes 2 dozen

Seven-Minute Frosting

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 large egg whites, room temperature

In a small, heavy saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to make sure there is no graininess. Raise heat to bring to a boil.

Do not stir anymore. Boil, washing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water from time to time to prevent the sugar from crystallizing, until a candy thermometer registers 230° about 5 minutes. (Depending on the humidity, this can take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes.)

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes.

Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Remove the syrup from the heat when the temperature reaches 230° (it will keep rising as pan is removed from heat). Pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering) containing the egg-white mixture, with the mixer on medium-low speed.

Beat frosting on medium speed until cool, 5 to 10 minutes. The frosting should be thick and shiny. Use immediately.

Makes about 5 1/2 cups

2 cups milk
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for making crepes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raspberry jam, plus more as needed
Whipped cream for serving
Fresh raspberries for garnish

To make the crepes, in a blender, combine the milk, eggs, butter, flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt and process until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a pitcher and whisk vigorously until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as overnight.

Heat a crepe pan over medium-low heat. Coat the pan lightly with melted butter, wiping out any excess. Lift the pan at a slight angle and pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center, tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crepe is golden underneath, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, flip the crepe over and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat to make about 16 crepes.

To assemble, lay a crepe flat, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the jam into the center and fold the crepe into a triangle. Repeat with the remaining crepes and jam.

Serve the crepes with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with raspberries.

Yields 8 servings.

Cinnamon Butter (makes 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In small mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla. Beat until combined. Cover. Chill until firm.

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups peeled and chopped tart cooking apples
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Prepare cinnamon butter.

Grease a 9-inch pie plate.

In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until well-mixed. Add apples and nuts, stir until combined. Spoon into pie plate.

Bake in a 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned and top feels firm.

Serve warm with cinnamon butter on top.

Yield: 8 servings

1 (17.6 ounce) box brownie mix with milk chocolate chunks
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons hot water
1 egg
12 miniature Milky Way bars, chopped

Heat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with enough foil to overhang sides by 2 inches; coat with cooking spray.

At low speed, beat brownie mix, butter, water and egg until combined.

At medium speed, beat until mixture is lightened, 2 minutes. Stir in candy.

Spread in pan. Bake 25 minutes or until center is set. Cool 15 minutes.

Using foil, lift from pan; cool on rack. Refrigerate until set, 1 hour.

Cut into 1-inch squares.