If there’s one thing anyone can do safely during quarantine, it’s cooking. Cooking can allow you to fill a creative hole that you may have once been able to fill with the clubs and activities that are no longer safe to participate in during the COVID-19 quarantine. However, if you’re like me, cooking is an extremely daunting task. Luckily, this dessert recipe is extremely easy to make, and does not require a lot of cleanup. This dessert is also pretty cheap to make; my roommates created it by using ingredients we already had around our apartment. There are also a few fun variations of the dessert you can try. Let me share with you how to make these delicious treats:
Ingredients:

• Tub of Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough (my roommates and I just use the regular uncooked, tubbed dough, but if you’re a bit more cautious, Toll House also sells edible cookie dough)
• PAM or any other non-stick cooking spray 
• Neapolitan ice cream
• Chocolate syrup or hot fudge 
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Chocolate sprinkles (optional)
• Brownie chunks (optional) 
• Fresh or frozen strawberry chunks (optional)

Equipment: Waffle iron (my roommates and I have a very small waffle maker, just about the size of a large cookie; however, a regular sized waffle maker will work too, and may even provide you with more waffle cookies at once!)
Directions: 

1. Preheat waffle iron and spray thoroughly with PAM or other non-stick cooking spray.
2. Add a tablespoon-sized scoop of cookie dough (the size here isn’t an exact science; just place a scoop of cookie dough that’s a bit smaller than the desired size of your waffle cookie, as the dough will flatten out inside) to the preheated waffle iron.
3. Cook the waffle cookie for about 6 minutes, or until desired level of crunchiness is achieved (note: time will vary depending on size and type of waffle iron, and size of waffle cookie).
4. Remove the waffle cookie from the waffle iron and place onto a plate. This is where the variations come in!
   1.  For a classic waffle cookie: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, add whipped cream, and drizzle chocolate syrup on top. 
   2. For a death by chocolate waffle cookie: Add a scoop of chocolate ice cream, a dollop of hot fudge, chocolate sprinkles, and brownie chunks.
   3. For a chocolate covered strawberry inspired waffle cookie: Add a scoop of strawberry ice cream, then add hot fudge, whipped cream, and fresh or frozen strawberry chunks.

As you can see, there are many ways to be creative with this recipe. You can try it with vegan cookie dough and ice cream if you’d like, with different syrup or sprinkles flavors, or really any topping you choose! The waffle cookie is its own made-up creation, so there are no wrong answers or ideas when it comes to making this dish.
The waffle cookie is best served with a hot beverage. One drink that pairs well with the waffle cookie is coffee hot chocolate. Coffee hot chocolate is delicious, and is a tasty way to get your caffeine in for a late night study session. If you have a Keurig, coffee hot chocolate is especially easy to make. Just pop in the coffee k-cup of your choice, add powdered hot chocolate mix to the bottom of a mug, let the coffee flow over the hot chocolate mix, and stir. 
And it’s that simple! Break up your quarantine routine and begin to chip away at your cooking apprehension by making the waffle cookie. Make sure to share with your roommates, friends, and family, and to enjoy!