Tiramisu. The decadent combination of coffee and alcohol that translated means "pick me up." Made well, it's not for kids.

So many times you see this cool-whipped version of tiramisu that only hints at the greatness that it could be.

Let's face it. It has 2 cups of Espresso. Espresso! That will wake you up - and then 1/4 cup of rum. Now we're talking. You could literally pass out while having the shakes.

Instructions: You make this like a lasagna. It has three basic parts. The Espresso and rum mixture, the filling, and the lady-fingers (savoiardi).

Starting with the Espresso. Make 2 cups of espresso. No cheating with coffee or bottles. Make it from scratch. Set aside.
Then, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer and dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat. Stir in the espresso and rum and set aside to cool. You can do this no more than 1 day in advance if you would like.

The filling: Get a pot ready to use as a double boiler. So simmer some water in the bottom of it. Meanwhile, the top half you are going to get the yolk mixture ready. So, use a heatproof bowl to mix the 1/3 cup sugar and egg yolks until the sugar has dissolved. It should be pale yellow and creamy after about 2 minutes. Once it is dissolved, place it on the double boiler and use a hand-held mixer to beat it until it triples in volume - it takes about 6 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool completely. But while it's cooling, you need to stir it frequently.

Do you see why you shouldn't give this to children? Too much caffeine, too much alcohol, too much work. If they want tiramisu - doesn't Jell-O brand make something for kids?

While that is cooling and you are stirring it, get another bowl and whip up that cream until you make whipped cream (stiff peaks). Set aside.

Now that the yolk mixture has cooled, mix in the mascarpone and vanilla until well blended. Finally, fold that into the whipped cream until just combined.

So on yet another platter, spread briefly dip the ladyfingers in the espresso mix and set aside. Then transfer the first 15 to a square 9" pan and spread 1/3 of the creamy filling over the top. Repeat that 2 more times. Tap pan on the counter to help settle it and then wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours.

When you are ready to serve it, dust it with cocoa powder and serve from the pan. But don't serve it to the children. They get Jell-O.

 Ingredients:
Dave Hampton

The Ultimate Butter Cream Frosting

Ever since the escalation of the cupcake war battles on TV and at your local upscale mall, cupcakes and frosting have been the ammunition of choice in proving one's dominance in the Baker's Kitchen.

I can't tell you how many times I heard, "I got this recipe from Sprinkles!"

I don't care.  All of the recipes I've seen that claim to be from Sprinkles have no cream. How can it be Butter Cream Frosting without cream? Isn't that "Butter No Cream Frosting?" So lets get this right. Real Butter, Real Cream. Real Fresh. Real Happy.

Instructions:
Before you start, the butter needs to be at room temperature. It should be SOFT.  There are no shortcuts to this.  You have to let it sit out a few hours.  Putting it in the microwave guarantees failure.

Now, don't use salted butter.  Salted Butter doesn't taste the same as unsalted butter.  Even though we add salt to this recipe later, it still makes a difference.  Unsalted butter tastes more like sweet cream. I don't know why. It doesn't work the same either.  It's just not as good.

You'll need to use a stand mixer to whip it up, like a Kitchen Aid. Use the Whip Attachment and put it on high speed. Whip the awesomely fresh, hand selected butter on high for 7-8 minutes. It should look white and fluffy. You'll need to scrape down the sides every minute or so.

Add in powdered sugar, salt, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended. Now kick it back up to medium for 5-6 minutes until it gets its Fluff On again.  If it's too thick, add some more cream.  You'll need to scrape down the bowl again a few times as well.

Now that it's done, just eat it with a spoon!

I'm Kidding...

Spread it on cooled cupcakes. Now you can lick the spoon.

Ingredients:

Here's a fast and furious Dessert or afternoon snack that's low in calories and high in flavor.

When I was growing up, I visited my relatives on their farm in Oklahoma.  Rolling Hills, classic farmhouse surrounded by a porch, cool mornings and warm afternoon sun.  So green you thought you were in an ocean of grass.

In the afternoons, Emmet would come back from someplace on the farm.  Nancy (his wife), both in their 70's - would whip up this treat.  Now granted, it was homemade waffles (fresh off the press), berries from outside the garden gate, and ice cream freshly made from the milk they produced on the farm.  It was amazing.

Well, fast forward 40 years and life has sped past that lazy summer, but I hope we've grabbed a bit of it for you to enjoy.

Think of this as an ice cream Belgian waffle.  It's perfect for an afternoon snack for the kids, and great for a low calorie dessert.

Instructions: There are only three ingredients to whip this up, so quality is paramount.  Chilled Fresh Berries, a high quality Ice Cream (we use a soy Ice Cream because of lower saturated fat content and some minor milk allergies), and waffles.

Now fastest and simplest are a decent quality Organic Frozen Waffle.  But if you just so happened to have made our Raised Waffles and froze the extras - even better.

Toast up the waffles (and let cool a bit), spread no more than a ¼ cup of Ice Cream over the top and slather with fresh berries.

I told you it was fast and furious.

 Ingredients:

There is, perhaps, no finer dessert than a well made Crème Brulée.  It is not easy, yet not difficult.  Best described as a tempramental recipe, once you have it mastered, your whole life will change for the better.

Maybe that's an overstatement - but, you will find yourself hoarding the last few, telling friends and family that you're all out.  Trust me.  Been there, done that.

Instructions:
the crème anglaise: Place the cream, vanilla, and maple syrup in a large pot.Bring just to a simmer and remove from heat.