Introducing…America’s Best Kid Cooks! • Meet the

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Jeffrey Fleishman

Howell, NJ

For 12-year-old Jeffrey (a.k.a. JD), cooking is all about being adventurous, which explains why he tried putting Hawaiian rolls in a waffle iron for this contest. JD is admittedly obsessed with the rolls (“They’re one of my favorite foods!” he says), and he wanted to make something new with them. His invention was a big hit in our test kitchen!

FOOD PHOTOS: MIKE GARTEN; FOOD STYLING: CHRISTINE ALBANO; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINA LANE. WAFFLE BREAKFAST SANDWICH ACTIVE: 30 min l TOTAL: 30 min l SERVES: 2

4 slices pork roll 2 tablespoons maple syrup ½ teaspoon hot sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup Butter cooking spray 16 Hawaiian sweet rolls (from a 24-pack) 4 large eggs 4 slices American cheese Salt and pepper 1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. For the pork roll: Prep a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Lay the pork roll slices on the parchment paper evenly spaced apart. Using 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, brush both sides of the pork roll generously with syrup. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping one time halfway through. The pork roll should be nicely browned on both sides. While the pork roll is cooking, prep the sauce and waffles. 2. For the sweet and tangy sauce: Mix the hot sauce, ketchup and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in a bowl. Set aside. 3. For the waffles: Heat a waffle iron to medium high. Spray with cooking spray. Take 4 Hawaiian rolls in a square, being careful not to pull them apart, and place on the waffle iron. Close the waffle iron and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully remove and repeat three more times to have a total of 4 waffles. 4. Heat a nonstick pan and spray with cooking spray. Carefully crack the eggs into the heated pan. After 3 to 4 minutes, break the yolks and cook for an additional minute. Flip when the edges of the whites get crispy and cook on the other side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 slice of American cheese to each egg. Let the cheese melt, then remove from the heat. 5. To assemble the sandwiches, generously spread the sweet and tangy sauce on all 4 waffles. Layer 2 eggs and 2 slices of pork roll on top of 1 waffle. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a second waffle to form a sandwich. Repeat for the second sandwich. Cut in half and enjoy!

Samantha Moy

New Hyde Park, NY

These mochi-filled cookies, topped with a cinnamon Hawaiian-bread crumble, are a perfect example of 17-year-old Samantha’s style of cooking: “I like to combine my Asian and American backgrounds to make desserts that both my school friends and my grandparents can enjoy,” she says. The treats aren’t always traditional, she says, “but they represent my family’s stories.”

FRENCH TOAST MOCHI COOKIES

ACTIVE: 40 min l TOTAL: 1 hr l MAKES: 16

FOR THE FRENCH TOAST TOPPING 2 slices Hawaiian sweet bread 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE MOCHI ⅓ cup glutinous rice flour ½ cup milk 4 teaspoons maple syrup Vegetable oil

FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH 2 slices Hawaiian sweet bread 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Make the French toast topping: Toast 2 slices of bread, then cut into cubes. Add the cubes to a food processor and process until crumbs form. Mix the breadcrumbs, cinnamon, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a bowl and set aside. 2. Make the mochi: Combine the glutinous rice flour, milk and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway. Remove from the microwave, stir once more, and let cool. Divide into 16 balls, using oil so the mochi doesn’t stick to your hands. Set aside. 3. Make the cookie dough: Cut the bread into cubes. Add the cubes to a food processor and process until crumbs form. Combine the breadcrumbs, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix. In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms. 4. Assemble the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Divide the cookie dough into 16 balls. Flatten a cookie dough ball into a circle with your palm, then place a mochi ball in the middle of the dough. Pinch the edges of the dough upward around the mochi to enclose the mochi, then roll the cookie gently in your palms to smooth any lumps or cracks. Roll the cookie in the bowl of French toast topping, pressing gently so the topping sticks. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy.