Family-style dulce de leche crème brûlée has entered the group chat. Without the need for ramekins this dessert is ready to party.

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Was anyone else lost with their extra time yesterday without any soccer to watch? I’d like to say I don’t know what I will do with all my extra time once it’s all over in 10 days but I definitely have no problem filling my time, mostly because my to-do list is always growing faster than I can check things off.

Speaking of giving myself too many things to do lets make dessert! A thing I have been trying to eat less of (as in less than once a day) so when I do make something it’s usually for a crowd event. The most recent of which was when our neighbors had us over for carnitas and margaritas on the 4th of July and requested I bring dessert. So in honor of what is now two of the remaining eight teams, Argentina and France, I created yet another World Cup inspired recipe – dulce de leche crème brûlée!

The origins of both dulce de leche and crème brûlée are disputed. Argentina and Uruguay both claim dulce de leche but historians believe it traveled from the Indonesia with Spanish colonists. Meanwhile crème brûlée is fought over between France, Spain, and England but it is most often associated with France as they hold the earliest known printed recipe. But did you know that traditionally the caramelized sugar was achieved by using a hot iron?? That’s freaking cool but I understand how the average person is not going to want to mess around with a hot brand and now most use a kitchen torch or broiler.

Now that our history less is over, back to this dulce de leche crème brûlée. Instead of being served in individual ramekins, because while I have 8 of those hidden in a kitchen drawer I don’t expect everyone else to, I served this family-style to better feed a crowd. I assume most people have a rimmed baking sheet and a baking dish that fits inside of it to make the water bath in which it bakes.

FAMILY-STYLE DULCE DE LECHE CRÈME BRÛLÉE

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 6 hours 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tsp good vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F and line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with a damp kitchen cloth; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and vanillas until smooth; set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, combine cream, dulce de leche, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until steam rises, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Slowly drizzle hot cream into yolk mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly, until all the cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into an X baking pan.
5. Place baking pan on towel in baking sheet and move to the oven with the door ajar. Pour boiling water into the outer baking sheet until almost full. Cover whole pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake 40-45 minutes, until center is barely set and instant read thermometer placed in the center reads 170-175F. Allow to cool slightly before chilling in refrigerator 4-6 hours or overnight.
7. Before serving, sprinkle 1/4 sugar over the custard. Use a kitchen torch* (or broiler placed 3 inches away) to brown top, 2-3 minutes.

Source: Adapted from my Crème Brûlée and Family-Style Crème Brûlée from Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman.

Biscoff stuffed chocolate chip cookies don’t need much of an introduction but just in case – these dark chocolate chip cookies are filled with a molten core of spiced cookie butter.

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I decided to take a break from all my soccer ball-inspired recipes… and instead I am sharing a Biscoff stuffed chocolate chip cookies in honor of the USA vs Belgium game tonight! You thought I was done sharing recipes for the World Cup weren’t you?

Not to be confused with Biscoff chocolate chip cookies where the cookie butter is mixed into the dough (and I will make eventually as well), these are dark chocolate chip cookies with a little hint of cinnamon in the dough and a molten center of Biscoff cookie butter spread. I’ve made peanut butter, pistachio, and Nutella stuffed cookies so I figured it was time to spread the love. Pun intended.

In all seriousness though, Biscoff is a Belgium brand so I pulled a card from my recent #PBchocSat creations which were inspired by the opponents state desserts. I suppose I could have stuffed the soccer ball morsel chocolate chip cookies with Biscoff cookie butter but I had already used them in brookies – and honestly prefer my cookie dough over store bought.

BISCOFF STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 3 Hours Cooking Time: 10 Mintues 10 Mintues

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup creamy Biscoff cookie butter spread
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips, half chopped

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dollop teaspoon-sized mounds of cookie butter onto the baking sheet (about 2 dozen total) and pop in the freezer until firm, at least 2 hours.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Add both sugars to the bowl of the mixer along with the cooled melted butter. Beat on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, mixing until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
4. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), portion the dough into balls. Working with one ball at a time, use your thumb to create a well in the center of the ball. Add a dollop of frozen cookie butter to the well then seal the cookie dough around it so it's completely enclosed. Repeat with all of the dough and cookie butter.* Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and set (the centers may look underdone). Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks, allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet then remove to the wire racks.

Notes

*The cookie butter may soften as it sits at room temperature. If necessary, you can throw it back in the freezer to firm up.

Source: Adapted from my Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chopped cheese stuffed pull apart bread is coated in alternating white and black sesame seeds so that it resembles a soccer ball.

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Yes, another soccer themed recipe! This time I finally made something savory for watching the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina game tonight. Will we make it to the round of 16? Will we make it to the quarter finals for the first time in over 20 years? I guess I shouldn’t get ahead of myself given how Ecuador already upset Germany and I had them going all the way in my bracket – whomp.

But first, what is chopped cheese? The name comes from the ground beef and onions being chopped together while cooking and then mixed with cheese until gooey. It’s an iconic New York City sandwich which is usually served on a toasted hero roll topped with lettuce and tomatoes. It’s like a sloppy joe and a Philly cheesesteak has a baby.

While this chopped cheese pull apart bread is not as messy as it’s original form, it’s still just as delicious and easier to share while watching the game.

First you chop up the ground beef and onion in a cast iron skillet, making sure you get the pieces nice and small. Once the beef is no longer pink, four slices of American cheese singles are placed on top and allowed to melt before stirring into the beef mixture. Yes, American cheese is essential for supreme gooeyness. You could try regular cheddar but it won’t be as juicy. But the most important part is the strategic arrangement of alternating black and white sesame seed toppings to resemble a classic soccer ball in the form of chopped cheese pull apart bread.

If you want to serve this chopped cheese pull apart bread as a meal and not just an appetizer, I threw on a side of broccoli salad but would also be great with slaw, pasta salad, or go simple with French fries.

Looking for more soccer inspired recipes for your watch party? My soccer layer cake is a stunner with it’s surprise inside, which takes a little skill but has a huge payoff. My trionda soccer ball cookie cake is like playing with edible play-dough. For a simpler and smaller option you can try world cup soccer cookies, or make soccer brookies if you want something super easy.

SOCCER BALL CHOPPED CHEESE PULL APART BREAD

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Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 slices American cheese
• 1/2 cup white sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup black sesame seeds*
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 (16.3 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits**

Directions

1. Place a 12-inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onions, using a metal spatula or wooden spoon to break apart the meat while cooking. Season with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Once the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes, lay the slices of American cheese in a single layer over the top, cover the skillet for 1–2 minutes to melt the cheese, then uncover and stir until evenly distributed. Remove from heat, transfer beef mixture to a bowl, wipe skillet clean, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place sesame seeds into two separate small bowls. In another small bowl place the egg and lightly beat; set aside.
3. Slice the biscuits in half like a bun, creating 16 thin biscuits. Flatten one at a time, add a spoonful of beef mixture, and pinch closed. Brush top with egg, dip egg-side down into black sesame seeds, and place seam-side-down in the center of the skillet. Repeat with remaining dough balls: dip the next 5 stuffed dough balls into white sesame seeds and arrange around the central black sesame dough ball. Dip another 5 in black sesame seeds around the ring of 5 white sesame seeds. Dip the final 5 stuffed dough balls into white sesame seeds, and place between the outer 5 black sesame seed coated dough balls - you are adding alternate black and white to make a soccer ball design in the skillet using, 6 black and 10 white.
4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Notes

*Use poppy seeds if you cannot find black sesame seeds. **8 biscuits in a can.

Source: Inspired by Taylor Likes and Savor Recipes.

Make a soccer ball cookie cake worthy of the 2026 World Cup that resembles the new Trionda soccer ball design.

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While watching soccer for a week straight I realized something – the classic soccer ball shape we all associate the sport, the 32-panel truncated icosahedron originally introduced by Adidas for the 1970 World Cup, was updated to a 14-pannel ball by Adidas for the 2006 World Cup improve accuracy and hasn’t been seen since in professional play. And yet we still all envision that 32-panel black and white ball when we think of a soccer ball. To be fair it is still used for recreational use so it’s not completely gone.

Now that you’ve had a little soccer ball history lesson, I will explain why it is relevant to this recipe. At first I was looking to create homemade soccer cookies since a few people have been having trouble finding the Pillsbury soccer ball cookie dough that I used in my World Cup Soccer Cookies. But then I thought about making a jumbo soccer ball cookie cake that would essentially look like a life-size, albeit flattened, soccer ball!

But then while scrolling Instagram I saw that Kelly of Just A Taste had already beat me to it! I could have gone ahead and still done mine but I decided to give myself a challenge and make a soccer ball cookie cake that looks like the Adidas Trionda used in the 2026 World Cup. It’s not that much harder to make but it was much harder to describe in the directions as you’re not just simply creating round balls of dough and pressing them flat. I hope you are able to figure it out based on my photos.

If I wasn’t in such a hurry to get this done in time for the USA vs Australia game today I should have hunted down Canada and Mexico flags to pair with USA for my photos as they are the three North American hosts this year. Instead I used Italy (whom isn’t even at the World Cup this year) and a Czechia hat because I was working with what I had at the moment. This is what happens when I bake on a whim at 6am before my day job.

WORLD CUP TIRONDA SOCCER BALL COOKIE CAKE

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Yield: 8-12 Servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Blue, green, and red gel food coloring
• Blue, green, and red sanding sugar (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture until it comes together into a dough.
3. Divide the dough into sixths (I used a kitchen scale). Wrap three dough balls in plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
4. Place the remaining 3 portions into three separate small mixing bowls. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to one, green to the second, and red to the third. Mix until blended. Wrap each color in plastic wrap and refrigerate all of the dough for at least 2 hours.
5. When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 10-inch springform or cake pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
6. Take out the 3 undyed dough balls and place on a clean, floured work surface*. Roll each into approximately 1/2-inch thick and 12-inch long log; set aside.
7. Take out the 3 dyed dough balls and shape each into a lowercase "b" shape** (see photos), about 1/2 inch thick.
8. Place colored sanding sugar into separate bowls. Coat each colored dough with its corresponding color. Shake off the excess and return to the work surface.
9. Pair one white log with each colored dough, wrapping the log around the long outside edge and tucking into the short edge (shaped like a 6 around the b - see photos).
10. Arrange the three doughs in a circle so that the long arms on the outsides, underlining the "b" of the adjacent color (see photos). Lightly press together. Using a cake lifter or large spatula*, transfer dough to the prepared baking pan.
11. Press cookie dough evenly into the pan to fill the spaces, but be careful not to disturb the sprinkles***. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until center is set and dough is very lightly golden.
12. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Serve and slice as desired.

Notes

*Alternatively you could work on a sheet of parchment paper and use it to lift and place in the bottom of a springform pan, cutting off the excess. **If you want to get fancy, I pinched off the tail of each and swapped them to the tails of the adjacent one to try to emulate the pattern on the real soccer ball. ***I recommend placing a piece of wax or parchment paper on top to help spread evenly while not disturbing the sprinkles.

Source: Adapted from my Cut Out Sugar Cookies and Pizza Cookie Cake.

Kicking off the World Cup with these sweet earth soccer cookies that are perfect no matter who you are cheering for – we are all on this planet together!

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Today marks the first day of the 2026 World Cup and to celebrate the occasion I whipped up these soccer ball cookies last night after seeing the Pillsbury soccer balls cookie dough at the grocery store. Nothing like a last minute recipe to keep the blog alive. But sometimes spontaneity is necessary for my creative baking juices to flow. Although in this case spontaneity also paired with a desire to be quick and easy as this bake was not part of my regularly schedule program last night.

Originally I thought I would make a chocolate chip cookie cake topped with the soccer cookies but then I remembered I basically already did that with my skillet football cookie cake. Further brainstorming brought me to cupcakes topped with green frosting piped to resemble grass but I had zero desire to process two separate bakes, let alone to make frosting and deal with a piping bag. So I decided to make a World Cup version of my double decker cookies.

I had hoped the patriotic Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix would be available in stores since Memorial Day just past and July 4th is on the horizon but alas it was not. Halloween decor has been spotted but not patriotic Funfetti? Maybe they aren’t coming out with it this year? Either way I decided it was for the best because even with the sprinkles, Funfetti cake mix cookies would have been too similar in color to the soccer cookies on top. I wanted a pop of color and a pop is what we got!

Dyed to resemble our sweet Earth (round) instead of just one country to honor all of the humans living on this planet together – which also means they are perfect no matter which team you are supporting. I considered using matcha and blueberry pea flower to dye them instead but again I wanted something easy. Maybe you will appreciate that as well when you go to make these for yourself!

Side note: If you are unable to find these premade soccer cookie dough balls, I did find a video that shows a neat way to make your own soccer cookies. I had intended to make giant version but instead I decided to go from this easy recipe to one that required slightly more shaping skills and made a trionda soccer ball cookie cake!

Looking for ideas for a USMNT watch party that are more patriotic/red+white+blue themed? Feel free to dye these red and blue instead. My USA soccer ball cake is also super fun but does take a bit more skill as it has a surprise inside. To take advantage of all those seasonal summer berries you could made red white and berry shortcakes or hand pies.

Alternatively, if you are already sweltering in the heat this week and don’t want to turn on your oven, some great no-bake options are a patriotic dessert lasagna or patriotic rice krispie treats. And I even have a recipe for a red white and blue sangria!

WORLS CUP SOCCER COOKIES

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Yield: 20 cookies Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• Green and Blue food coloring
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (9.2 oz.) package of Pillsbury soccer ball shaped cookie dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, lightly mix together the cake mix, cocoa powder, eggs, and vegetable oil. Divide evenly into two bowls, add a few drops of green food coloring to one and blue food coloring to the other. Blend dough until thoroughly mixed and no dry pockets remain.
3. In a small bowl, place the granulated sugar; set aside.
4. Portion the dough into 3/4-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop, size 60) then combine one of each color into one medium-sized dough ball.
5. Roll dough balls in sugar, shaking of excess, and place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Place a soccer ball cookie dough ball on the top of each.
6. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until just barely golden on the edges. Let cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*This helps the food coloring be richer/darker rather but it is optional.

Source: Adapted from my Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies and Holiday Double Decker Cookies.

One small change and your classic potato casserole will never be the same. Cheetos cheesy potatoes have all the starchy cheesiness that you love but are finished off with an even cheesier topping.

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I couldn’t let my self-proclaimed birthday month of recipes go by without sharing one with Cheetos. This is simply a version of the classic cheesy potato casserole topped with Cheetos similarly to my Cheetos mac and cheese but a bit heavier on the Cheetos. It doesn’t get any cheesier than this.

These Cheetos cheesy potatoes were served at a friends BBQ cookout over Memorial Day weekend to which I also brought a more classic cheddar mac and cheese at the request of the host. Thankfully cheesy potatoes are easy to make so adding a second dish wasn’t a big deal. Of course I also brought dessert but that recipe is for another day…

Evidently cheese side dishes were in high demand because there were barely any leftovers. Guess Cheetos are like bacon – they make everything better. Who needs corn flakes on top when you can have Cheetos cheesy potatoes? I even had requests for the recipe despite the substitution being so simple. Just proves that small changes can make a difference after all.

CHEETOS CHEESY POTATOES

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

POTATO MIXTURE

• 1 (32 oz.) pkg. frozen diced hashbrowns, thawed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups sour cream*
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• Dried minced onion, to taste

TOPPING

• 2 cups crushed crunchy cheese-flavored corn snacks** (Cheetos)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the potato mixture together, stirring until evenly distributed, and pour into prepared pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed Cheetos and butter until coated. Sprinkle over the potato mixture.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and the topping is golden.

Notes

*Plain nonfat Greek yogurt also works if preferred. ** Don't completely pulverize them, but to the point that the largest pieces are pea-sized.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Cheesy Potato Casserole, inspired by my Cheetos Mac and Cheese.