Eggo Recipe Contest Failures

Since I'm pretty much broke all the time from trying to buy a house I've been entering contests and giveaways multiple times a day.  I'm a bit addicted because so far I have won an XBOX 360 and some diet supplement (which I really need b/c being fat is depressing).

I also figured that I'm already cooking and baking all the time because we're broke and can't eat out and of course to have something to blog about that I should make it worth my while.  I made up the following two two recipes for the Eggo Waffle Off contest.  They didn't win and they were not even finalists but that doesn't mean that they should be shunned.  I thought they were very yummy and so did my Husband and roommate who devoured them. 

My first creation was a Monte Cristo sandwich made with Eggo Waffles (of course!).   I made the whole box of waffles into sandwiches so when I wrote the recipe that's how many servings I made.  Should have probably made it a one sandwich serving.  Probably should have spelled Cristo right too.  My facebook friends kept going eww!  crisco?!   Yep.  Not good.

So here is that recipe if you wanna give it a try.  My husband still asks me to make these for him so it's a good recipe.  Not interested?  Skip on to the next loser....

Eggo Waffle Monte Cristo Sandwiches

10 Eggo Homestyle Waffles, defrosted

30 slices deli sliced ham

30 slices deli sliced turkey

5 slices Swiss cheese

5 TBS Dijon mustard

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 TBS all-purpose flour

5 TBS unsalted butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

5 TBS raspberry preserves (optional)

1.Defrost 10 Eggo Homestyle waffles by placing in microwave for 15 seconds.
2.Prepare batter by whisking together eggs, milk and flour. Pour batter into a shallow pan such as a pie pan.
3.For each sandwich spread 1 TBS Dijon mustard on one side of Eggo waffle, top with alternating slices of 3 slices turkey and 3 slices ham and then top with 1 slice Swiss cheese and another Eggo waffle to complete sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make a total of 5 sandwiches.
4.Dip each side of 1 sandwich into egg batter, saturating the waffles with the egg batter.
5.Melt 1 TBS of butter in non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When butter begins to bubble place

sandwich into pan. 6.Cook each sandwich 2 minutes (or until golden brown), flip and cook 2 more minutes (or until golden brown).
7.Repeat steps 5-6 with each sandwich.
8.Sprinkle each sandwich with powder sugar and serve with dollop of raspberry preserves.
 

This one is actually my favorite of the two.  The picture just came out so pretty and the flavors are just so much more adult and sophisticated.  I found the goat cheese at Aldi of all places.  They have had a really good selection of cheeses lately.  This sandwich would also be divine prepared with brie instead of the goat cheese.  This one probably lost because it's just too fancy.  Well, that's what I tell myself anyways.

Eggo Apple & Cheese Panini

2 Eggo Homestyle Waffles, thawed
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/2 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 oz honey goat cheese, crumbled

1. Defrost Eggo waffles in microwave set to 50% power for 30 seconds.
2. Combine olive oil and rosemary in small bowl.
3. Heat non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
4. Brush one side of waffle with olive oil mixture and place oiled side down in hot pan. Arrange apple slices and then cheese on waffle. Top with remaining waffle. Brush top of sandwich with olive oil mixture.
5. Press sandwich with spatula as it cooks. Flip when bottom is golden brown (about 1-2 minutes). Flip sandwich and repeat.
6. Sandwich can be cooked in panini press if you have one.

 Makes 1 sandwich (1 serving).

Pink Lemonade Cake Donuts

Oops!  I'm a week late and missed National Doughnut Day but doughnuts deserve to be eaten everyday.  Well, maybe not everyday, unless you happen to have an awesome metabolism or great will power because I don't know about you but I can never just stop at one!

National Doughnut Day may have inspired me to make some doughnuts but it was the poor neglected doughnut tin that I bought last year that prompted me to finally make some.  I have quite a few odd shaped bake ware gifted to me that I just need to try out or condemn to Goodwill. 

I also happened to have one or two pink lemonade cake mixes languishing in the cabinet that was purchased on clearance last summer. Is there really a difference between yellow and pink lemonade other than color?  I'm pretty sure there isn't but I could swear that pink lemonade taste better.  Why would pink taste better than yellow?  My head hurts.

I think I avoided making cake donuts because I dreaded cleaning the damn pan afterwards.  But you know what these babies just fell right out my pan (from Wilton). The pan is nonstick but I did spray it really good with cooking spray in between each batch too.  Filling each cavity was a breeze too because I used a plastic zip bag as a piping bag.  Glad I could just toss that thing in the trash when I was finished with it!

At the last minute I decided to add yellow food color to the glaze and sprinkle the cakes with colored sugar.  Not sure if I like the color but they tasted great so who cares?  My stomach sure didn't!

Feel free to use your favorite cake mix to make some doughnuts of your own.  I bet chocolate would be super tasty.  These don't come out dense like traditional cake doughnuts but light and fluffy like a cupcake.  Best part?  They're baked not fried!  So maybe it's okay to eat more than one;)

I'll be linking this recipe to these great linky parties !

Pink Lemonade Cake Donuts 

Ingredients:

FOR THE DONUTS:
2¾ cups Lemon Flavored Box Cake Mix (or use Pink Lemonade if you can find it!)
¾ cup Buttermilk
2 TBS Melted Butter
2 Eggs
pink food coloring (optional)

FOR THE GLAZE:
1 cup Powdered Sugar
3 TBS Whole Milk
1 tsp Lemon Extract (or Vanilla or Orange or Almond...etc.)

 Directions:

1.  Combine donut ingredients in stand mixer with paddle attachment (or combine in large bowl and combine with rubber spatula).  Mix ingredients until all large lumps are gone.  Little lumps are okay.

2.  Transfer batter to a large freezer type zip bag.  Cut off a small portion bags corner to make itinto a piping bag.  Pipe donut batter into greased donut cake pan cavities until 2/3 full.

3. Bake donuts in preheated 425F Degree oven for 7-9 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a doughnut comes out clean.  Allow donuts to cool in pan 2-3 minutes and then remove to wire rack to continue cooling.

4.  While donuts are cooling prepare glaze by combining glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir until all lumps are gone.

5.  Dunk each donut into glaze and place on wire rack glaze side up.  If you want to add sprinkles do so immediately after dunking into glaze.  Allow glaze to harden before serving or consume immediately for a delectable mess and an opportunity to lick fingers;)