Hayden Haas, the author of Simply Delishaas, creates some blueberry stuffed Belgium Waffles and Mimosas…with Fruit Dip to kick off our Brunch Bites show.

Related: Gas Station Breakfast Pizza

Blueberry Stuffed Belgium Waffles

For the batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for serving)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of ground cinnamon (optional)

For the filling:

12 ounces (340g) ricotta (any fat percentage)
½ cup fresh blueberries, plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 lemon, zested and juiced, zest reserved for garnish
3 tablespoons honey, plus extra for garnish
Whipped cream for garnish

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the batter ingredients. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare everything else.
2. Preheat the waffle iron.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine the ricotta, blueberries, poppy seeds, thyme, lemon juice, and honey.
4. When the waffle iron is hot, lightly coat it with cooking spray.
5. Pour about ¼ to ½ cup batter onto the iron (depending on how big your waffle iron is; top with a healthy scoop of the filling (about ¼ cup), followed by another scoop of batter. Close the waffle iron and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Lift the lid a bit if needed to check on the waffle when you can smell it toasting.
6. When it’s ready, the waffle will come off the iron easily. If it still wants to stay in its little cast-iron bed, let it continue to cook for a few more minutes. It should be golden with maybe a few little brown spots of crispiness around the edges. Transfer the cooked waffle to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter and filling.
7. Garnish the waffles with your desired toppings and a lit bit more filling if you’d like, along with a pat of butter, whipped cream, honey or syrup, and lemon zest, and serve immediately

Tip: You can totally cheat this recipe by using your favorite pancake or waffle mix. Trader Joe’s is probably my favorite mix, but this also works with protein pancakes.

Mimosas…with Fruit Dip

For the Mimosas:

1 24-ounce (750ml) bottle champagne of choice (on nonalcoholic sparkling wine), chilled
½ ounce (15ml) orange juice or your choice juice
1/2 -1 ounce (15-30ml) vodka (you can use flavored vodka if you want)

For the fruit dip:

1 8-ounce (225g) block cream cheese, softened
1 7.5-ounce (213g) jar marshmallow fluff
3 tablespoons maraschino cherries, with some juice
Chopped fruits (honeydew, cherries, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, etc.)

1. Pitcher method: into a pitcher, pour the champagne, orange juice, and vodka, and give it a light mix. Bottle method: Pour a small amount of the champagne out into a glass to make room for the other ingredients. Using a funnel, pour the orange juice and vodka into the bottle and give it a light swirl.
2. For the dip: in a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, and maraschino cherries, with a little bit of the cherry juice, using a whisk or electric mixer. Serve immediately with the remaining fruit arranged around the dip.

Tips: Add some ice to pitcher if you’re drinking outside, but it will water down the mimosas.

You can also add some little garnishes to the pitcher. For example, float some orange slices in the pitcher.