Almost everybody loves dessert. Studies show that out of 1,500 American consumers, 40% of them finish their meals with dessert at least twice weekly! I finish 100% of my meals with dessert. It may be just a store bought cookie or piece of candy; but I just have to follow my meals with something sweet. Heck, sometimes I just pop some cinnamon toast under the broiler for that sweet bite.
Culinary creativity extends beyond the dinner table. Several traditional sweet treats can be combined for an even more delicious dessert mashup. Here are a few.
Wonuts
A wonut is the combination of a waffle and a donut. It is created by mixing part waffle batter and part donut mix then cooking it in a waffle iron. It is then deep-fried like a donut and dusted, glazed, or garnished with similar donut toppings. Thanks to millions of Instagrammers and bloggers, the hype around the wonut started in 2014 after the cronut trend. The owner of Waffles Cafe in Chicago, Alex Hernandez, came up with this dessert hybrid. Today it can be found in many parts of the United States and several other countries worldwide.
Chocolate Chip Stuffed Pretzel
Soft pretzels are already a tasty treat, but imagine soft pretzels stuffed with chocolate chips! It’s a simple combination of salty and sweet that makes it the perfect bite. You can buy a pretzel mix or use one of the many recipes you can find on the interwebs, then simply mix in chocolate chips. The pretzel dough can be formed into a traditional shape or any shape of your choice really. I like to dip my finished pretzel into melted butter then dip in sea salt.
I’m thinking of putting these on my menu this weekend!
Pizookie
You might be wondering what this odd-sounding dessert is, but the Pizookie has been around for some time now. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery is often credited with inventing this dessert, consisting of a freshly baked cookie topped with vanilla ice cream; all served in a deep-dish pizza pan. Over the past few years, the restaurant has come up with different Pizookie flavors including a monkey bread Pizookie and a hot fudge brownie Pizookie. But, you can create your home version. Bake this Pizookie recipe and add your favorite twist.
Nutellasagna
Nutella and lasagna together? It’s an unexpected pairing but give it a chance! This dessert is made up of layered buttered lasagna noodles, roasted hazelnuts, cannoli custard, as well as finely chopped chocolate, and a huge swirl of Nutella. Everything is then topped off with marshmallows. Nutellasagna has steadily remained popular among New Yorkers who form long lines at Brooklyn-based bakery Robicelli’s for a taste of the unique dessert hybrid. But you don’t have to wait in a line for a taste. You can make it yourself. There are several recipes online for you to follow.
Research has shown that dessert can improve your overall well-being. It’s hard to be unhappy while you’re enjoying a tasty treat! Why not try something new and create a dessert mashup of your own?