"This is going to be chocolatey and creamy and decadent and romantic," Damaris says of her fuss-free take on traditional pot de creme. She builds these rich beauties inside glass Mason jars for a dressed-up presentation.
Just like traditional pizzas in sauce and toppings, Damaris' wow-worthy pies are built atop savory waffles instead of a classic crust. She flavors the whole-wheat batter with Italian seasoning and nutty Parmesan before cooking them in a waffle iron and topping them with a smooth tomato-garlic sauce.
Don't let the time stamp on this recipe scare you away from making it; a whopping eight hours of it is hands-off, as it comes from letting the beans soak overnight in water. In the morning, just drain them, then simmer them in coconut water to cook them through.
Damaris says that she prefers a chewier cookie, so she includes Greek yogurt in her cherry-studded cookies to add extra moisture. She bakes the cookies in individual-serving cast-iron skillets for an extra-special presentation, and she advises, "Refrigerate or freeze any leftover cookie dough for later use."
Since Damaris' pot pies are made vegetarian, she makes sure they're plenty hearty by adding satisfying vegetables like new potatoes, parsnips and earthy mushrooms. Then she flavors the filling with fresh herbs before topping the pies with a buttery crust.
Update your usual side dish routine with Damaris' quick-fix take on everyday carrots. She sweetens up the vegetables with a squeeze of honey, then adds a chile pepper spice blend for subtle heat.
Let the slow cooker do the work of preparing the sweet and smoky pulled pork for Damaris' crowd-pleasing nachos, which she layers with homemade two-cheese Queso Sauce, plus a cool avocado cream and juicy tomatoes for freshness, to create an over-the-top party-ready dish.
Not your ordinary deli creation, this hearty sandwich is built within a round loaf of bread and features three types of meat and a duo of cheeses, but the star element is the tangy tapenade, which Damaris studs with pickled vegetables for added taste and texture.
A heavy-handed pour of cream plus a splash of white wine adds next-level decadence to Damaris' easy-to-make soup, which she opts to blend to guarantee a smooth consistency for serving.
The beauty of Damaris' big-batch cocktail is that once you make a pitcher of her sweetened bourbon-mint mixture, you can simply fill up cups with ice and serve them to your guests, so you don't have to make each guest's drink to order.
The star of Damaris' easy-to-make breakfast is her just-baked granola, featuring rolled oats, warm cinnamon and a duo of dried fruits, plus crunchy sunflower seeds, peanuts and pecans for texture.
Packed with bold flavors and meaty textures, Damaris' big-batch chili is made with ground beef and three different kinds of beans. Try adding ancho chile powder and a few drops of liquid smoke for a bold, earthy taste, and round out the meal by serving the chili atop creamy grits.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Burnt Orange Marshmallows
Skip store-bought marshmallows and stick with Damaris' orange-scented beauties instead. She sets them atop cocoa-rich cupcakes, then singes them with a torch to adhere them to the cake and offer a toasted taste.
Once these tender cardamom-laced scones have cooled, drizzle them with a simple three-ingredient glaze, and finish with coarse turbinado sugar for subtle crunch and an extra-special presentation.
Crispy on the outside and tender inside, these quick-cooking fritters hold their shape when seared, and they are best served with a sweet onion-lemon topping.
Sorghum Caramel Apples
Damaris supplements traditional caramel with a sweet Southern staple — sorghum — to make the ultimate candy-apple coating.
Made with a can of beer and a mixture of rich cheeses, beer cheese is a classic Southern ingredient, and Damaris uses it as the base of her creamy, gooey casserole.
