Category: Breakfast

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Blueberries, Breakfast

A good take on french toast casserole.  We just used skim milk with a little whole milk we had leftover, a loaf of Italian bread that was getting stale and we didn’t have any blueberries …and it was great.

Cinnamon Baked French Toast; Ree Drummond

  • Butter, for greasing
  • 1 loaf crusty sourdough or French bread
  • 8 whole eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces, plus more for serving
  • Warm pancake syrup, for serving
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, for serving

For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably).

For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a re-sealable plastic bag in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour or more for a firmer, crisper texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with warm pancake syrup and sprinkle with blueberries.

 

Scones

Blueberries, Breakfast, Cranberries, Cream, Miscellaneous, Raspberry

I’ve made scones a few times using this recipe and it’s a keeper. Light on the inside, crunchy on the outside and quick and easy to make.  A bit decadent with the cream but it seems to do the trick.

It’s probably easier to do this with the food processor as the recipe calls for but I like using an old fashioned pastry-cutter-in-thingy-do. It is very satisfying.  Plus everyone is still sleeping when I have made these.
pouring in the cream
et voila

Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook via www.smittenkitchen.com

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants (Deb Comments: “I used dried cranberries, and chopped them into smaller bits”, Patrick Comments: I used raspberries once and blueberries once – both were good.  I bet chocolate chips are good… or heath bar bits )
1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper (the book’s suggestion) or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)

6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange Drop Doughnuts

Breakfast, Miscellaneous, Orange
Orange drop doughnuts

Courtney has made these doughnuts several times and made them again this snowy morning.  They are easy, tasty and there’s nothing better than a hot doughnut.

Sophie the orange zester
Oranges have been good so far this year. We have been buying them by the case at Costco.
Orange sugar
Finishing them off

Orange Drop Doughnuts – Cook’s Country

Orange-sugar coating

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Doughnuts

  • About 2 quarts vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the coating: Pulse sugar and zest in food processor until blended, about 5 pulses. Transfer to medium bowl. (If making by hand, toss zest and sugar in medium bowl using fork until evenly blended).

For the doughnuts: Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in 4-quart saucepan until temperature reaches 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar, and orange zest in large bowl. Whisk in orange juice, then butter, until well combined. Stir in flour mixture until evenly moistened.

Using two dinner teaspoons, carefully drop heaping spoonfuls of batter into hot oil. (You should be able to fit about 6 spoonfuls in pan at one time. Do not overcrowd.) Fry, maintaining temperature between 325 to 350 degrees, until doughnuts are crisp and deeply browned on all side, 3 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to plate lined with paper towels. Drain for 5 minutes. Add doughnuts to bowl with orange sugar and toss until well coated. Place on serving plate and repeat with remaining batter, regulating oil temperature as necessary. Doughnuts are best served warm.

Zucchini Quiche

Breakfast, Zucchini

 

We have had two brunches at our house the past two Sundays.  Courtney’s brother George and his fiancee Carrie were in Cleveland last Sunday and we had them over and yesterday was Mother’s Day and we have everyone over for brunch to celebrate Mother’s Day.  We made this zucchini quiche both times and think it is definately a keeper.  The ricotta makes it a bit different.

I cheated and used the pillsbury dairy aisle crusts.
I love zucchini
All done

From allrecipes.com

  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound zucchini, thinly sliced (2 small ones)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Dash pepper
  • Paprika
  1. Prick bottom of pastry with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small skillet, saute zucchini in butter until tender; drain. Place half the zucchini in the crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
  3. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream, eggs, salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder and pepper. Pour into crust. Arrange remaining zucchini slices over top. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Caramel French Toast

Breakfast, Miscellaneous
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 T. light corn syrup
  • 12 slices sandwich bread
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • ¼ t. salt

Combine sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  Pour syrup mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Place 6 slices of bread on top of syrup mixture.  Top with remaining 6 slices of bread.

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and salt, stirring until blended.  Pour egg mixture evenly over bread slices.  Cover and chill 8 hours.  Bake, uncovered at 350º for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Porridge

Breakfast, Miscellaneous, Nuts

Evie Davis

  • 3 cups water
  • ¾ t. salt
  • 1 2/3 old fashioned oats
  • 2/3 cup raisins
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup dark molasses
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 eggs beaten to blend
  • ½ t. each cinnamon and ginger
  • ¼ t. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º.  Boil water and salt in sauce pan.  Decrease heat to medium-low and cook oats for 5 minutes stirring frequently.  .  Add all remaining ingredients.  Transfer to buttered 6 cup soufflé dish.  Bake for approximately one hour or until set.

Serve with milk or ice cream

Fritatta Primavera

Breakfast, Miscellaneous, Mushrooms, Tomatoes
  • cooking spray
  • 1 ½ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup tomatoes, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ t. Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup (4 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350º.  Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add mushrooms, onion, tomato and garlic;  sauté until tender. Beat eggs, egg whites and Italian seasoning lightly.  Combine vegetable mixture, artichokes, spinach, eggs and cheese; stir.  Pour mixture into an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake 45 minutes or until firm.

Egg and Sausage Casserole

Breakfast, Cheddar Cheese, Miscellaneous, Sausage

Have lots of egg casserole recipes but everyone always likes this one the best.

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 t. dry mustard
  • 6 slices cubed bread
  • 1 lb. Bob Evans sausage
  • 8 oz. Grated cheddar cheese

Brown sausage, drain and cool.  When cool, crumble and reserve.  Beat eggs, add milk, salt, mustard and bread cubes.  Stir.  Add cheese and crumbled sausage.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Breakfast, Cranberries, Miscellaneous, Nuts

Ellen Bottiny

  • 1 10” pie plate
  • ¼ lb. butter
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 t. almond extract
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • pinch of salt

Grease pan.  Cover bottom with cranberries, walnuts, and ½ cup of the sugar.  Melt butter.  Stir in 1 cup of sugar and all other ingredients.  Pour batter over cranberries and walnuts.  Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated 350 oven.  (May take longer, watch for the middle to be done.