Category Archives: Breakfast Food

Baked French Toast — all time best

Posted on September 10, 2013 | 4 comments

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DSCN4294I posted this originally back in October 2011 for Yom Kippur break fast. It is truly one of the best French toast recipes I’ve ever made.  I include it every year since my friend Ilene Stern gave it to me. I never have a single piece left. Delicious and decadent, perfect brunch and breakfast food. I almost always include it in my Mother’s Day Brunch as well. Once you’ve made this recipe there is no turning back, your whole family will love it and you’ll have to make it every time.

The only downside is that you must prepare and refrigerate the night before without cooking it, you cannot cook this dish till you’re ready to eat it, the bottom will get hard like a caramel candy would. So cook right before you’re going to serve. Enjoy!

*recipe as is should serve 6- 8 if you have more people make 2 trays!

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

2 tbsp. corn syrup ( I use Karo Original light corn syrup)

5 eggs (room temperature please)

1 1/2 cups milk ( you can use low-fat, I use Skim Plus)

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 package of sliced cinnamon bread. ( Pepperidge Farm is fine) if you can get thick slices it’s great , but the thin kind will work just double stack them it will be fine) You probably will use 12 slices of bread per tray. You will have 6 stacks of 2 slices each, 12 slices total, or 6 thick slices of cinnamon bread. If you can’t find just cinnamon bread use raisin cinnamon bread it’s easier to find .

Directions:

Melt butter, add brown sugar and corn syrup and combine well. Spray a 9×13 baking dish, Pyrex works well here. Pour butter mixture into baking dish and arrange bread slices flat in the mixture ( you will double stack the thin sliced bread) Unless the bread is 1″thick you will be doubling the standard sliced bread. Squeeze the bread to fit–it should hold 12 slices ( 6 double stacks), 3 on each side of a 9×13 baking dish.

In a blender mix the eggs, milk and vanilla and pour over the bread slices, covering them completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The bread will absorb all the liquid by the morning, so if you need to travel with it will be fine.

Uncover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Once it’s out of the oven you can dust with powdered sugar, but not necessary. Serve right from the baking dish.

*if you let this sit out too long before serving, the bottom may get hard like a praline candy. It never ever lasts long enough for this to happen at my table.

Look at my original recipe post on October 5 2011. More Break Fast: the all-time best Baked French Toast, I swear.

4 Comments

Posted in Baked Goods, bread, breads/cakes, breakfast, Breakfast Food, Dairy, Eggs, Holiday, Holiday Recipes

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Palisades Peach Muffins

Posted on August 17, 2013 | 3 comments

All these amazing fresh peaches from Palisades, Colorado and I am going to use them in something yummy , comforting and delicious. Part of life out here in Colorado is all the time outdoors with lots of biking and hiking. I don’t worry so much about all the calories and I have to say  with all the exercise I do out here I do indulge a wee bit more than I normally would. These muffins aren’t cloyingly sweet although I did sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top, which do add a bit of sweetness but not too much. The muffins themselves are really moist due to the buttermilk, and by all means you can use regular milk. I had low-fat buttermilk in the house and wanted to use it. These muffins would also be just delicious with blackberries, raspberries or blueberries. Who could resist these peaches though . It’s peach time for sure.

This recipe as is made 16 rather large muffins and all you need is a large bowl and a muffin tin. I didn’t use my electric mixer , this one you can do by hand.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , I like King Arthur unbleached .  I love their products.

1 teaspoon salt (regular table salt)

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups dark brown sugar packed lightly

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs ( room temperature please)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups buttermilk,  I used low-fat buttermilk but feel free to use regular milk

4 nice size peaches ( use organic because we are keeping the skin on) if you’re using berries you will need about 3 cups. Dice the peaches into small pieces but not too too small.

Granulated sugar for sprinkling on top, I used raw turbinado sugar . You can use either.photo (2) photo (3) photo (4) photo (5) photo (6)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar , allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Then fold in the wet ingredients and mix with a spoon gently. I use muffin cups and spray the whole muffin tin with cups. I really heaped the batter into the cups, they were very full. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar or just regular granulated sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, I would check on them after 25 minutes. I cooked for a full 1/2 hour.

Enjoy!

3 Comments

Posted in Baked Goods, breakfast, Breakfast Food, dessert, fruit, muffins

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Blueberry Banana Loaf Bread

Posted on July 24, 2013 | 2 comments

photo (3)photo (4)photo (2)photoI have the rotten bananas and this time of year I always have lots and lots of blueberries in the house. I was in the mood for a Bluebery Banana Bread cooked in a loaf pan that would be awesome for breakfast and late afternoon with an ice coffee. This came out looking a little brown and I was worried but once I cut into it, it was moist and sweet but not too sweet, really just the perfect combo of fruits. I used a whole pint of blueberries, and 2 mashed bananas. I actually had the bananas in the freezer , I had frozen them after they went bad last time. I removed bananas from freezer and they were very liquidy so I let them sit in the colander for a bit while I prepped the rest of the cake. They were perfectly fine though, and I highly recommend freezing bananas that have gone bad and you aren’t quite ready to bake with them yet. They’ll stay a while in freezer. I try to put 2 bananas in each baggie so I know how many are in there when I do go to bake.
In any event this bread came out great. I ate it for breakfast 3 days running. Did I add how really easy this was?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed to yield about 3/4 cup of mashed banana

1 pint blueberries ( rinsed and dried)

*chopped walnuts, pecans etc. – I added pecan pieces to the batter for crunch

Directions:

you’ll need a loaf pan 9x5x3 . I spray with baking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl beat the sugar, oil , eggs and vanilla until blended. Stir in the bananas and then fold in the blueberries and nuts if you’re adding them.  Add the dry ingredients and just stir until blended. Try not to crush the blueberries and don’t over mix, just till blended is good.

Pour the batter into the prepped loaf pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean from center of the loaf. I baked for an hour. Cool for a while then remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely .

2 Comments

Posted in Baked Goods, bread, breads/cakes, breakfast, Breakfast Food, Cake

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Veggie Frittata for Mothers Day

Posted on May 9, 2013 | 2 comments

This Mothers Day I am hosting a brunch for our family. This frittata is a delicious addition to any brunch. Of course we will also have Baked French Toast which is a brunch staple in this house, and lots of other tasty treats.   This is pretty delicious and a crowd pleaser. There is some prep involved so I cut up all the veggies the night before and leave them in little baggies in the fridge. I was ready to go the next day. Enjoy your Mothers Day from our house to yours.

Veggie Frittata

1 small zucchini , 1 inch diced (app)

1 red bell  pepper, seeded and diced (1 -2 ” diced)

1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced ( 1- 2″ diced)

1 red onion ( 1 – 2″ diced)

1/3 cup good olive oil

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic ( 2 cloves)

12 extra large eggs (let them sit out at room temperature)

1 cup half and half

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green ( app. 3 scallions)

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the zucchini, peppers, and onion on a sheet pan.( you want all the veggies the same size so they all cook evenly and at the same time) Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and toss well. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Add the garlic, give it a toss, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down Rome and Thanksgiving 053DSCN2293IMG_1999IMG_1438DSCN2950DSCN3141to 350 degrees.  This can be done one day ahead and leave in a container in the fridge till you’re ready to use.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half , Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a 10″ ovenproof sauté pan, melt the butter and sauté the scallions over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the roasted veggies to the pan and toss with the scallions. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and cook for 2 minutes over medium=low heat without stirring. Transfer the pan the oven and bake the frittata for 20 – 30 minutes, until it is puffed up and set in the center. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the Gruyere and bake for another 4 minutes or until the cheese is just melted.  Put the pan right on the table and cut wedges and serve hot! Enjoy and Happy Holidays.Featured Image -- 7127

2 Comments

Posted in Breakfast Food, Eggs, vegetables

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Coconut Bread

Posted on April 26, 2013 | 1 comment

I love coconut and believe it or not had a whole big bag leftover from Passover holiday. What to do with it? Of course I had  I found this recipe on the Smitten DSCN0004DSCN0006DSCN0009DSCN0012Kitchen website and thought it sounded amazing. You’ll need a 9x5x3 loaf pan and if you’re loaf pan isn’t this size you can pour some of the batter into muffin tins, just don’t fill to the tippy top, it will be a mess, 2/3 to the top is perfect. I made 2 of them and will be freezing one for another time, it should stay in freezer for at least 2 months, cool down completely then wrap with a good plastic wrap and I then put it in a large Ziploc and mark what it is and the date. This bread is not super sweet at all despite the amount of sugar that went into it. I used sweetened coconut and sugar. I ate it plain, and then I ate a slice which I toasted in the oven, and put a little jam on it. It would be awesome with a little butter, or a little honey or just plain. It’s a great bread to serve with breakfast, brunch, lunch , afternoon coffee or tea , or just any time of the day. I am working on a coconut bread with bananas and less sugar, I will keep you posted on that.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs ( at room temperature is always best)

1 1/4 cups milk ( I used whole milk) coconut milk could work well here as well

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

nonstick cooking spray for baking pan (Pam)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl , whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and coconut, and stir to incorporate. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the egg mixture, then stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Add melted butter, and stir until just smooth, do not overmix !

I sprayed my loaf pan with Pam Spray. Spread batter in pan and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, anywhere from 50 minutes to 1 1/4 hours. It really depends on your oven, my oven was 1 hour cooked through, I think I will cut cooking time to 55 minutes next time I make it.

Serve in thick slices, with butter, jam or honey or just plain.

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Posted in bread, breads/cakes, Breakfast Food, Cake, dessert

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Raspberry Breakfast Muffins

Posted on April 5, 2013 | 1 comment

photo (2)photo (2)photoNot sure why I said Breakfast Muffins because they would be great any time of the day, but I think of muffins as breakfast food especially muffins containing fruit. Had 2 containers of raspberries and a delicious muffin recipe from Barefoot Contessa , instead of strawberries which would also be awesome  I baked with raspberries. Can’t wait till the morning to have one with a fresh cup of coffee. I of course tasted one as it came out of the oven and it was pretty divine. Easy as could be, and no special equipment necessary! These will be on my Mother’s Day Brunch Table this May for sure.

*should make 16 – 18 muffins

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 /2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups milk ( I used whole milk)

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten ( eggs should be room temperature)

1/2 lb. ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2 containers raspberries (washed and dried)

1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Combine well.

Combine the milk, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined. There will be some lumps but don’t overmix the batter. Add the raspberries and the sugar and stir gently to combine. Obviously some of the raspberries are going to break, just try and fold in gently.

Using a 2″ ice cream scoop or a tablespoon , spoon the batter into the muffin cups to fill the liners. Do not overfill, fill almost to the top of liner.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

We ate them and I froze the rest for when I return to Colorado .

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Posted in Baked Goods, Breakfast Food, muffins

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Another French Toast Recipe – Breakfast/Brunch

Posted on September 22, 2012 | 1 comment

A subscriber of mine sent this recipe to me last Yom Kippur. It really does make me so happy when people contribute, it just sometimes takes a while for me to get around to posting it. I do try to cook everything that I post when possible but it’s not always possible.  I never did get to post it because by the time I got it, holiday was over , I plan on trying this one this year in addition to my other Baked French Toast. ( which is tried and true)  I haven’t as of yet made it, but am fairly confident that it is very good. Thanks Irene, and apparently it hails from Sally Jesse Raphael of all people! It looks super easy and not a lot of ingredients at all!

Ingredients:

1 loaf white bread, cubed

8 oz. cream cheese , cut into cubes and softened

1 dozen eggs, beaten

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup milk ( I wouldn’t use skim) use skim plus if you must

Directions:

The night before ,( spray with Pam) an 11 x 13 baking dish. Line the pan with 1/2 the bread cubes, layer all of the cream cheese on top , add remaining bread cubes. Pour Egg, Syrup and Milk mixture over the bread .  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day bake before serving in an uncovered oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes till lightly golden in color.

Enjoy!

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Posted in Baked Goods, Breakfast Food, Holiday, Holiday Recipes, meatless

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Break Fast Food – Blintz Souffle

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Here we go again…another holiday to cook for. Most of breaking the fast is taking in bagels, fish, etc. Easy to do. But I still try to make a few dishes and this recipe is an oldie but a goodie. I have been making this recipe since 1975 and it never gets old.  This dish can be assembled ahead of time, kept in the refrigerator and baked right before eating. This is a keeper and a tradition in my house. Always delicious. You can buy almost any of the frozen blintzes. Some stores have homemade ones, but it doesn’t really make that big of a difference with this recipe. Enjoy! This is super easy, with excellent results.

INGREDIENTS:

6 blintzes (you can use cheese or fruit-filled, whichever you like. Depending on how many people I’m feeding, I usually make 1 fruit and 1 cheese tray)

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine

3/4 cup sour cream (lite is fine but I wouldn’t use fat-free)

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter or margarine in saucepan. Spray baking dish with Pam spray (Original). Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl together. Place frozen blintzes in baking dish. I usually use a 9×13 size dish but anything close to that will work. You can double the recipe, in which case you’d obviously need a larger baking dish (you need room for the blintzes to expand a little and for the egg mixture to rise around it. Don’t spread it too thin.) Pour the melted butter on top of the frozen blintzes, followed by the sour cream mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30-40 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes out of the oven before cutting into it.

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Posted in breakfast, Breakfast Food, Dairy, Holiday, Holiday Recipes

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