Baked French Toast

My mom made this for brunch a few years ago and we all thought we had died and gone to heaven. It was requested for supper this week so I pulled it out of my recipe box and made it tonight, on breakfast for supper night. It would be great for Christmas morning because you make it the night before!

Baked French Toast
Serves about 6

3 eggs
4 tbsp honey, divided
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c. milk
15 slices of French bread, sliced 3/4" thick diagonally  (recipe calls for day old but I used fresh)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp melted butter (or margarine)

Beat eggs with 2 tablespoons of honey and cinnamon. Stir in milk. Dip bread into egg mixture. In a greased 9x13x2" pan arrange 3 rows of five slices of bread, overlapping slices slightly. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.

Sprinkle brown sugar over bread; drizzle with butter and remaining honey. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Serve with maple syrup!

Peanut Butter Muffins

These muffins would be delicious with cream cheese frosting. You could also add a handful of chocolate or butterscotch chips. 

Peanut Butter Muffins
Makes 12

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. crunchy or smooth peanut butter
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in peanut butter and butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and eggs; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). 

Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tin. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Raspberry Jam

I have never canned or preserved anything in my life but wanted to give it a shot. I figured I'd start with something simple like jam because my kids love it. Also, my dad has an abundance of raspberries in his garden so it was an easy choice. Picking raspberries gave the kids something to do for an hour one afternoon (you need a lot of berries) and my dad was happy his raspberries weren't going to waste. 

Before you get started, make sure you have sterilized your jars. Put your clean jars in the oven for 10 minutes at 225*F. Let the lids and rings boil in a large pot while you are making your jam.  Make sure you are putting your jam into warm jars.

Raspberry Jam

Makes 8 cups 

Preparation of fruit

Crush berries, one layer at a time. I let the kids do this with a potato masher in a very big bowl. You can sieve half the pulp to remove some of the seeds, if desired. We like the seeds so we left them all in.

Ingredients

3 3/4 c. crushed raspberries

1/4 c. lemon juice

6 1/2 c. granulated white sugar

1 pouch of Certo liquid pectin (costs less then $3 for 2 pouches at the grocery store)

Directions

In a large saucepan stir together fruit, lemon juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Hard boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in Certo liquid pectin. 

Stir and skim for 5 minutes to prevent fruit floating. Pour into warm sterilized jars (I pour from the pot into a large measuring cup with a spout) to 1/4 inch from the rim. Cover with lids and screw rings on tightly. 

Note: This recipe came from the Certo box. They didn't pay me to tell me how great their jam recipe is, but I would be ok with it if they did.

Cranberry Banana Loaf

I figure you can't go wrong with a recipe that calls for bananas. They make for a moist and tasty loaf, muffin, cake or cookie. This recipe was a success and as always, I made my modifications. This is already pretty low calorie (131 calories/slice if you get 18 slices out of a loaf) but substituting applesauce for the butter would lower the fat and calories.

Cranberry Banana Loaf
Makes 1 loaf

1/4 c. butter (or margarine), softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. mashed banana (2 medium)
1 c. dried cranberries (I used Craisins - you could also use fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon


Beat first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Add banana and cranberries. Stir. Add remaining ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Spread into a greased or parchment paper lined loaf pan (9" x 5" x 3"). Bake at 350*F for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely. 


Adapted from "Company's Coming Cooking at Home".

"Rough" Muffins

I was looking for a muffin that "scratches your throat on the way down", as per my husband. He wanted something substantial, with nuts and loaded with raisins. The kids like them soft and they usually contain bananas and have a different texture then he likes. I scoured my recipe books and found this one, which I modified a little because I always do. This one was a winner and I will be adding it to the rotation.

Morning Glory Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 c. raisins 

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

1 apple, peeled and grated (You could use a large grated carrot as well)

3 eggs

1/2 c. cooking oil  (I will use applesauce next time to drastically lower the fat)

2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk remaining 3 ingredients together until just combined. Add to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (don't overmix). I used a bowl and spoon instead of my Kitchenaid. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350*F for 20 to 25 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Nutrition:

362 calories, 17g fat, 6g protein, 48g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber (based on using all purpose flour)

Adapted from "Company's Coming Cooking at Home".

Coconut Filled Sweet Rolls

These yummy, buttery delicious crescents get their start in the bread machine! You could do it the "traditional" way but why would you? Bread machines make life so easy. I made these for my family and they were gone in an instant. I'm not even kidding you. Pair with a fruit and they are perfect for breakfast. About 260 calories per roll. Makes 12 rolls and are delicious with a latte.

Dough

3/4 cup milk (I used 2% but will try unsweetened almond milk next time)

1 egg

3 TBSP butter, cut up

1 TBSP water

3 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combo of white or whole wheat you like)

1/4 cup sugar (I'd like to try honey)

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast

Add all dough ingredients to your bread machine, set to “dough” and press start. When the cycle completes, roll out the dough into a 12” circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread with the filling.

Filling

1/4 cup sugar

2 TBSP margarine or butter, melted

2/3 cup coconut – I used flaked sweetened

Mix all together in a small bowl.

Cut the circle into 12 wedges. Starting at the wide end of the wedge, loosely roll toward the point. Place rolls points down in a greased 9x13x2 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place (like in your oven with the light on and the door closed) for about 30 minutes or until nearly double. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pan or on a wire rack. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm.

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 to 4 tsp milk

 

Stir all together and add enough milk to make a drizzling glaze.

Whole Wheat Waffles

If you don't gobble them all up, freeze them and throw a waffle or two in the toaster for a quick breakfast! So yummy with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Makes about 10 4" square waffles

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tbls. sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3 beaten egg yolks

1 3/4 c. 2% milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1/2 c. oil (I've used olive or canola. You could also substitute with applesauce but it's just not the same in a waffle and I use applesauce in almost everything.)

3 stiffly beaten egg whites

Mix all dry ingredients. Combine yolks and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in oil and mix. GENTLY fold in beaten egg whites, do not over mix.

Pour about 1/2 cup at a time into a hot, greased waffle iron.

(adapted from "Best Waffles Ever" from Mr. Breakfast)