618 better recipes

Brennan's-style banana beignets fried golden in a light beer batter, dusted with powdered sugar, and drizzled with homemade bourbon caramel sauce. A New Orleans classic you can make at home.

Banana pineapple pecan cake (Southern hummingbird-style) with crushed pineapple folded right into the batter, finished with a pineapple buttercream. Moist, fruity, and a potluck winner.

Pink maraschino cherry cake with cherry juice in the batter, chopped cherries, and nuts folded through. A retro 1950s layer cake ideal for Valentine's Day or bridal showers.

Heritage-style yeast-risen buckwheat cakes made with an overnight batter and a touch of baking soda. A pioneer-era breakfast griddle cake with deep, earthy flavor.

Beer-battered chicken breasts with a molten cheese pocket under the skin, set on a silky roasted tomato and poblano cream sauce. Pub classic meets Southwest kitchen.

Aebleskiver are Danish pancake balls cooked in a special dimpled cast iron pan, with stiffly beaten egg whites folded into a sweet cream batter. Serve dipped in sugar or jam.

Buttery coffee pecan muffins with dark brown sugar and instant coffee dissolved right into the batter. Crunchy, nutty, and ready in 40 minutes for a grab-and-go breakfast.

Cherry streusel coffeecake with almond-scented batter, cherry pie filling center, and a crunchy almond crumb top. Springform pan dessert, brunch-ready.

Mashed ripe bananas swirl through vanilla cake batter with cinnamon-almond streusel in this bundt-style brunch coffeecake. Dust with powdered sugar for an elegant finish.

Southern hush puppies with creamed corn, chopped onions, and cornmeal batter. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil, fry until golden for moist, slightly sweet cornbread fritters.

Deep-fried buttermilk-battered round steak with a shattering crust, served with classic cream gravy and mashed potatoes. This is Texas chicken fried steak done right.

Deep-fried French toast dipped in a flour and baking powder batter, fried golden in an inch of oil, then dusted with cinnamon sugar. Crispy outside, custardy inside.

Nantucket donuts: classic New England cake donuts with cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter, fried golden and tumbled in a bag of cinnamon sugar. Old-fashioned donut shop nostalgia.

Blue cornmeal breakfast cake topped with fresh blueberries and baked golden at high heat. Light and fluffy with whipped egg whites folded into the batter.

A colonial-era chocolate pie with vanilla cake batter baked under a rich unsweetened chocolate sauce and topped with chopped nuts. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

German-style applesauce crepes with a thin egg batter, filled with warm applesauce and dusted with cinnamon-sugar for a comforting breakfast or dessert in under an hour.