Baked French Toast

Twas the morning of Christmas and all through the condo, not a creature was stirring, not even a a mouse.  We like to sleep in...

After spending all day Christmas Eve cooking, I was glad I planned ahead for breakfast and had baked french toast chilling in the fridge.  All I had to do was sprinkle with pecans and sugar, pop in the oven and warm up the rum raisin maple syrup.  Holy Martha Stewart:  YUM!

Baked French Toast

 
Prep:  10 minutes
Total:  3 hours (depending on how long you let it rest)

Note

Thick brioche slices soak up the batter, while sugared pecans lend a caramelized crunch. Refrigerating the dish overnight leaves nothing to do but top it with pecans and bake it the next morning.  In step 3, I only used 1 tablespoon and it was plenty sugared.

Ingredient

• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 slices day-old brioche (about 3/4 inch thick)
• 1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped or crushed)
• Rum-Raisin Maple Syrup (see below)
  

Directions

1. Beat eggs in a bowl. Whisk in milk, heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt.
2. Working in batches, dip 10 slices day-old brioche into batter to coat. Overlap brioche slices in a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour remaining batter over top. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Top with pecans and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until top is golden brown and crunchy, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve with syrup. 

Rum-Raisin Maple Syrup

Makes about 1 cup

• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons rum (feel free to skip if you prefer)

Directions

1.     Bring raisins, syrup, and rum to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Let stand until raisins are plump, at least 15 minutes.

 

Christmas Eve

2010 was a rough year in the Snelson/Snelaker clans, so I wasn't really into the holidays this year.  After many illnesses, health issues and work dramas, I am ready for 2011 to start.  But not until I get a couple more recipes posted!

Instead of exchanging gifts Rick and I usually go on vacation.  This year we weren't up to a trek so we kept it low key.  What to do with all that time?  Cook and bake of course!  The following were the highlights of the Night Before Jesus's birthday (none of my pictures came out worth a darn):

Oven Fried Chicken

Times: Total: 1 hr 50 min

Notes

Marinating skinless chicken pieces with lemon, herbs and a bit of skim milk as a tenderizer, really gets the flavor into the chicken. Cornmeal and whole wheat bread crumbs make a crunchy coating with few calories and baking on a rack ensures no soggy bottoms on the chicken.

Ingredients

•     1 lemon

•     1/2 cup low-fat milk

•     1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

•     1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•     2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 2 whole sprigs

•     4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

•     2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken legs and thighs

•     2 slices whole wheat bread, (3-ounces)

•     1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

•     2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

•     Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemon; set aside. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk, sugar, and cayenne until the sugar and cayenne are dissolved. Add the sprigs of rosemary and garlic. Pierce each chicken piece several times with a fork, add to the milk mixture, turning to coat well. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lay the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, turning a few times, until the bread is crisp and dry, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely. Break into large pieces and pulse in the bowl of a food processor until it forms coarse crumbs.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. In a shallow dish combine the bread crumbs with the corn meal, Parmesan (if using), chopped rosemary, reserved 1 teaspoon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack. Coat the rack well with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Press into the bread crumb mixture until the chicken is well coated and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken and crumbs. Mist the chicken with nonstick cooking spray.

5. Bake until the chicken is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, about 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Food Network Recipe

Plum Skillet Cake

Active Time:  15 minutes

Total Time:  1 hour

Notes

There weren't any plums available at my favorite grocery store so I used nectarines and fresh cranberries instead.  A scoop of strawberry honey Greek yogurt on top help cut the sweetness while adding a subtle new flavor to the cake.  If you don't already own a cast iron skillet, get one!  This recipe is a must!

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for skillet
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for skillet
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Coarse salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
• 2 ripe medium plums, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter an 8-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron); dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Beat butter and 3/4 sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk.
2. Pour batter into prepared skillet, and smooth top with an offset spatula.  Fan plums on top, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let cool slightly.

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

These are super yummy! I liked the contrast between the rich chocolate and cherries. I only had sweet cherries on hand; I suggest using tart dried cherries as it would be a better contrast. Be sure to use high quality cocoa. Cheap cocoa has a very flat flavor and won't bring out the flavor of the cherries.

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies
Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2005

Yield: 30 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2/3 cup dried tart cherries
3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven; cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Pumpkin Rolls

These didn't last long! I used canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) for this recipe and used hand grated nutmeg. Fresh spices make a big difference in baking so be sure to either use the freshest prepackaged or actual fresh spice like nutmeg, right off the "nut". If you are using out of date spices you are missing out on a lot of the flavor and depth of your baking. Also, be sure to invest in an oven thermometer. Having your oven at the correct temperature will either make or break your creations!

Pumpkin Roll

For the cake:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well blended. Line a 10 1/2" by 15" cookie sheet with parchment paper, trimming excess. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet, spread evenly. Sprinke with pecans. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Prepare a linen towel heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar. After baking, turn the cookie sheet onto the towel, parchment paper side up. The cake should slide out onto the towel. Remove paper and roll up the cake into the towel. Cool 30-40 minutes.

For the filling, stir together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, margarine and vanilla. Mix well. After the roll has cooled, unroll it and spread the filling evenly. Re-roll and slice for serving.

Cranberry and Apple Cake

Since you can still find fresh cranberries in the store I highly suggest making this super easy and very yummy cake! Be sure to serve with vanilla ice cream or whip cream to cut some of the tartness!

While you are picking up cranberries for this recipe, be sure to grab a couple extra bags to throw in the freezer. Cranberries freeze really well and don't need to be defrosted before use. Whenever I get sentimental for fall, I pull out a bag of fresh, whole cranberries, frozen at the peak of their season to assuage my "out of season" craving.

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

by Ina Garten

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and medium-diced
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a tooth-pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup

I'm finally over being sick. All I dreamt about was getting back into the kitchen and making something while I was laid up, so I have been going a little overboard with my "Holly Hobby" ways. So far, no complaints from Rick on all the food he has been having to eat.

Last night I decided to make some comfort food (who me?) ala Martha Stewart. I'm a big fan of flavorful foods made entirely in one pot. This recipe didn't disappoint! I forgot the shallots while I was at the store, so used 1 large sweet yellow onion I had on hand. I think the shallots would have given it a more complex flavor, but the yellow onion worked fine. Instead of the Burgundy, I used a Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. Any dry red wine will work. If you don't have one already, go out and buy a good quality enameled cast iron stock pot (I prefer Le Creuset). It makes a difference in making a recipe like this as it ensures a consistent temp and allows for better "bit formation" on the bottom of the pan which add a ton of flavor to the finished product. Be sure to learn how to use enameled cast iron correctly. It requires a slightly different cooking style.

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup
Martha Stewart, Living, December 2010, page 140

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Serves 6

From first bite to last slurp, you won't be able to get enough of this French bistro-style soup, made entirely in one pot.

4 bone-in short ribs (2 inches thick, 2 pounds total)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
3 carrots, 2 finely chopped and 1 cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 shallots, minced
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 strips bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 thyme sprigs
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup dry red wine, such as Burgundy
8 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium beef stock
2 cups water

1. Season ribs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Coat with cornstarch. Heatr oil in a large heavy pot (preferably enameled cast iron) over medium-high heat. Lightly brown ribs on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add mushrooms to pot. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add cubed carrots. (Nate Note: Make sure you save the "cubed" carrots and just add them to the bowl of browned mushrooms. They are added later in the recipe.)
3. Add shallots, celery, bacon, and chopped carrots to pot. Cook until caramelized , about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
4. Return ribs with plate juices to pot. Add thyme and bay leaf. Raise heat to high. Add wine. Cook, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
   
5. Remove ribs. Separate meat from bones; discard. Cut meat into bute-size pieces; return to pot. Add reserved mushroom-carrot mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until cubed carrots are tender. Season with salt.

Storage: Soup can be refrigerated for up tp 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw before using. Skim fat from top, and reheat.

Chocolate Malt Ice Cream

My mom instilled a love of malt for me at a young age. This "old fashion" flavor particularly enhances my other passion: Chocolate. This recipe comes from "The Best Ice Cream Maker Cookbook Ever" by Peggy Fallon. After sampling a few recipes from the book, this is definitely my my favorite so far. We ate the whole thing in 2 days.

Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
Malt can be a challenge to find. Check the dessert aisle of your local grocery store.

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1/2 cup sugar
Dash of salt
2 egg yolks
8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped (Note: Do not skimp on the quality! Cheap chocolate will not en corporate well with the other ingredients and will be gritty.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, malted milk powder, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended and hot, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the warm malted cream. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (at least 160 degrees F. on a candy thermometer), 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil or the egg yolks will curdle. Remove from the heat.
3. Immediately add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Strain the custard into a bowl and partially cover. Let cool 1 hour at room temperature. Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until very cold, at least 6 hours or as long as 3 days.
4. Pour the custard into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a covered container and freeze at least 3 hours or as long as 3 days.
   

Natertot Casserole

With the weather randomly changing seasons every other day in Seattle, I was feeling the need for comfort food. My comfort food generally is either Italian or something white trash. Nothing says: "Welcome home to your single wide" quite like tatertots.

Natertot Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
3 cups frozen tater tots
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (You can use any "Cream of..." soup)
1 can green beans, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
Minced Herbs to taste (I used fresh thyme and sage from my garden, but anything savory works)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 package shredded cheese (I used a Swiss and Gruyere mix this time, but cheddar is traditional)

1. Sweat onion using a little olive oil until translucent. Turn heat to medium, add herbs and garlic, heating until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add beef and brown.
2. Transfer meat mixture into a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle about half the shredded cheese over the meat mixture. Add green beans. Cover meat, cheese and green beans with undiluted soup. Top with a single layer of tater tots. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over tater tots.
3. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.

Coffee-Marinated Beef Tenderloin Steaks

I made this last Sunday as an impromptu "candlelight supper". I didn't have a tenderloin so used some mid-quality bacon wrapped sirloin medallions from Costco. The previous ones from the pack had been tough so I moistened both sides of the steaks with white vinegar to help tenderize them and then marinated them for about 7 hours, turning every hour. I really liked the flavor and the steaks were much more tender this round! I served with steamed new potatoes (chicken broth, rosemary, bay leaf).

Coffee-Marinated Beef Tenderloin Steaks
Cooking Light: Fresh Food, Fast Weeknight Meals, Oxmoor House 2010

1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1/2 inch thick)
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steaks; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Remove steaks from marinade, discarding marinade. Place steaks on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degrees of doneness.

Chocolate-Swirl Gingerbread

I could have sworn I had previously posted this recipe, but maybe I just talked about it before. Either way, this is a super yummy gingerbread from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food: From the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living" cookbook, of which I am quite fond.

Chocolate-Swirl Gingerbread

Makes: 18-inch cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cloves.
2. Melt the butter in 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir the mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Stir in the molasses and lightly beaten egg.
3. Pour half the batter into the pre-pared pan. With a spoon, drizzle half the chocolate over the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top, and drizzle the remaining chocolate over the batter in a decorative pattern.
4. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Drizzling the chocolate: Using a squeeze bottle is an easy way to drizzle chocolate over cake batter.

Pastitsio

I recently picked up "America's Test Kitchen: Cooking for Two 2010" at Costco. I'm such a sucker for cookbooks at Costco. "Soy milk? Check. Juice? Check. New Cookbook? Che-e-e-e-ck!". The final 'check' sing-songed in a big ol' girl voice. Of course I do.

For my first recipe to break in the book I made "Skillet Pastitsio" on page 66. I wasn't expecting it to be so flavorful! I substituted lean ground beef since Rick doesn't like lamb (his main character fault) and was surprised it still had a fairly complex flavor. I used fresh oregano from my container garden, so that definitely gave it an extra kick. One of the things I really like about this cookbook is it cross references other recipes to help you use up left over ingredients. Very helpful when you cook for two!

Skillet Pastitsio

Ground lamb is traditional in this dish, but you can substitute 90 percent ground beef if you prefer. If using ground beef, do not drain the meat in step 1. Make sure to use a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet for this recipe.

8 ounces ground lamb (see note)
1 onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 freshly grated nutmeg
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt
1/3 ground elbow macaroni (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
Pepper

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Cook the lamb in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink and the fat has rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a strainer set over a medium bowl and let drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Hea the reserved fat in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the broth, water, 1/4 cup of the cream, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add the drained lamb and pasta. Increase the heat to high and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, 9 to 12 minutes.
4. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet and continue to simmer until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in 1/4 cup of the Pecorino Romano; season with salt and pepper to taste (author note: I didn't add any additional salt as I used regular chicken broth rather than low-sodium). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano over the top; bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve.