Overnight Baked French Toast with a Cinnamon Crumb Topping

I meant to post this recipe sooner, but apparently it got buried and sadly forgotten.  It's a shame too, because this would have made a perfect Christmas morning dish.  Either way, it needs to be shared, so here goes.....

This past weekend (about a month or two ago now) my mother-in-law was in town and I was looking for something quick and easy to make for breakfast.  Of course, the usual thoughts came to mind......French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, doughnuts, bacon, etc.

After all those thoughts, I finally settled on French toast, because let's be honest.....who doesn't like French toast? 

Overnight Baked French Toast with a Cinnamon Crumb Topping
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Serves 6-10 (depending on size of pieces)

Ingredients:
1 loaf stale challah bread (or your choice)
8 eggs
2 cups milk (I use skim)
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla

Topping:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cubed

Directions:

Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Tear the bread into pieces and place them into the prepared baking dish.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

In another bowl, mix together the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Next, cut in the butter until the topping begins to come together and little pebble size pieces start to form.  Place in a plastic bag and put in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take the baking dish, that contains the egg/bread mixture, and evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon crumb mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how soggy or done you like your French toast. 

            *Less time = more soggy

Serve warm with butter or maple syrup!

 

 Adapted from: Lovin from the oven

Guacamole

One of my favorite things about going out to eat at a Mexican restaurant is the endless amounts of chips and salsa they bring to your table.  Even better than that though, is ordering up a side dish of scrumptious guacamole.  Throughout the years I've tasted many different recipes, however, when my friend Kristen brought hers over one day, I knew that I'd never follow another recipe again.  This one is definitely the best!

Guacamole
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Ingredients:

2 avocados
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 lime, cut into two
Bunch of cilantro, about 4 or 5 stems (more if desired)
1 Tbsp. sea salt (or more, depending on taste)

Directions:

Scoop the insides out of the avocados and place in a medium bowl.  Add in the minced jalapenos, onion, and the juice squeezed from half of the lime.  Mash and stir the ingredients together until you reach desired consistency.

Add in the Tbsp. of salt, tomato, garlic, cilantro, and the juice from the other half of the lime.  Mix together until well blended.  Serve with a side of tortilla chips!

 

Old Fashioned Southern Pralines

Having lived in the South for quite a while now, I've had the chance to experience some excellent tasting pralines.  Whenever you walk into a candy shop in Charleston, Savannah, or other cities down here, they're always offering up a sample and I'm always willing to give them a taste.  The only down side to pralines is the fact that they're very expensive to purchase. 

Due to that fact, I've tried making them numerous times, using a variety of methods.  Some of the pralines have turned out, and some not so much.....instead I had a gooey, runny mess.  It wasn't until this past week though, that I finally found a recipe I loved!  Since then, I've followed this recipe 3 times, due to family requests, and I've also been asked, by friends, to please share it so that they could make a batch for the holidays.  That's when I decided to just share this recipe with everyone!  So here it is......you might notice that there's nothing healthy about pralines, but that's ok it's just one reason you know they're delicious!

Happy Holidays!

Old Fashioned Southern Pralines
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Makes about 20-50 pralines (depending on size)

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ - 2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

On the counter, lay out a piece of parchment paper (this will be used later to put the pralines on to cool).  Tip: If you use wax paper, place something underneath so that the hot paper won’t stick to your counter.

Now, Place the sugars, heavy cream, butter and vanilla into a medium size sauce pan over medium heat.  Continuously stir the ingredients around until the mixture reaches the “soft ball stage” (238-240 degrees) on a candy read thermometer.  Once ready, immediately remove from heat.

Add in the pecans and continuously stir around until the mixture becomes creamy and cloudy in texture, the pecans start to stay suspended, and it begins to thicken a little (but not too much).  This process could take about 1-2 minutes, so don’t give up.  Once ready, drop the mixture by spoonful’s onto the prepared parchment paper.  Allow to cool completely. 

**For a different taste, feel free to add roasted pecans.  To make roasted pecans, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly brown and fragrant.** 

Source: Slightly adapted from Picky Palate originally from The New Orleans School of Cooking

Scotcheroos

Tis' the season for baking, right???  Well, at least that's how it would appear around here. 

However, it's a good thing, especially for my hips sake, that the new year is coming soon.  That means time for some resolutions, and a sugar detox might just be at the top of that list. Apparently, Christmas time means stuffing yourself, or others, full of sugary goodness.  No wonder Santa's always so jolly!  He never has a chance to crash from his sugar high! 

Today's recipe is one of my favorites though!  Scotheroos are a great combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and rice krispie treats.  With those ingredients, how could one go wrong?

Scotcheroos
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Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies
1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (12 oz.) bag butterscotch chips

Directions:

Generously grease a 9x13’ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the corn syrup and brown sugar.  Continue to stir together and bring the mixture to a boil; then remove the pan from the heat.  Next, add in the peanut butter and stir around until the mixture is completely smooth.  Once ready, pour in the rice krispies, and using a wooden spoon, stir around until the cereal is completely coated.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread around.  Set the dish aside and allow to cool completely.

Once the rice krispies have cooled, combine and melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips in a microwave safe container.  Pour the melted chocolate/butterscotch over the rice krispies and evenly spread around with a spatula.  Allow the scotcheroos to cool completely before cutting to serve.

Roasted Jalapeno, Bacon, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Let me preface this post by informing everyone that I'm always on the lookout for new and intriguing foods to include when I make a grilled cheese sandwich.  Ever since I was a little girl, I've been a huge fan of the original.  Mostly due to the fact that it was easy, made a quick meal, contained cheese (I can't live without that!), and we always seemed have the ingredients on hand.  Nowadays though, I find that I feel a bit more creative when it comes to making a grilled cheese sandwich.

Let that be your warning then.....This recipe is not for your typical grilled cheese sandwich.  In fact, it takes the idea of the original to an entirely new, exciting, and spicy level! 

"How?" you might ask. 

Well, first you use 2 thick slices of sourdough bread, then you add on a layer of the cream cheese mixture, followed by some roasted jalapeno peppers, bacon crumbles, and finally you top it off with a slice of cheddar cheese.  Absolute perfection on toasted bread!  What could be better?

Roasted Jalapeno, Bacon, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese
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Makes 1 sandwich, but feel free to double ingredients for more

Ingredients:
2 slices sourdough bread (or any bread)
2 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat)
1/8 tsp. chili powder
2-3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
Butter

Directions:

To Roast the Peppers –
Set the oven to broil and then place the jalapeno slices onto a baking sheet.  Place in the oven and bake until the skins start to blacken.  Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.  Once ready, remove the jalapenos from the oven and immediately place into a zip lock bag allowing them to steam until cool to the touch.

To Make the Cream Cheese Mixture –

Place the cream cheese into a small bowl and add in the chili powder.  Using a hand mixer beat the mixture until smooth.

To Make the Grilled Cheese –

First, you will need to take one of the two slices of sourdough bread and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly onto a side.  Next, on top of the cream cheese spread, you will need to place a layer of bacon, followed by some jalapeno peppers, and finally a slice of cheddar cheese.  Now, just spread some more of the cream cheese mixture onto one side of the other slice of bread and place it on the sandwich, cream cheese side down.  Once the sandwich has been put together, gently butter each side of the bread. Lastly, place the sandwich into a skillet, set over medium heat, and allow to toast until the bread turns that nice golden brown you long for. This should take about 2-4 minutes per side.

Source: Adapted from Basil

Twisted Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Lately, it seems that I've been all about cooking things in the crock pot.  This is mostly due to the fact that my weekends have been super busy and it's just all too easy to toss ingredients into the pot and let it do the work.  Plus, there are just so many delicious crock pot recipes out there.

As of right now, anything that contains buffalo chicken is pretty much my favorite food, so when I happened to stumble upon this recipe, I knew right away that I needed to make it.  I'll admit I was a little nervous at first though, due to the fact that the recipe called for pasta sauce to be combined with Frank's Red Hot sauce.  At the time, the mixture of these two ingredients just didn't sound very appetizing, however, I love it when I'm wrong!  Needless to say, this meal is definitely addictive and I have no shame in admitting that I went back for seconds!

Twisted Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

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Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts (cooked and chopped or shredded)
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1 jar (24 oz.) pasta sauce (I used Prego Roasted Garlic and Herb)
1 package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 container ( oz) fat free ricotta cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup water

Optional Ingredients:

Red or green pepper
Spinach
Onion

Directions:

Coat the sides and bottom of a 5 qt. crock pot with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl, combine the chicken pieces, Frank’s sauce, and pasta sauce.  Toss the ingredients together until the chicken pieces have been fully coated and the sauces are well blended.

Next, scoop a large spoonful of the chicken/pasta sauce into the crock pot.  There should be enough of the sauce to evenly coat the bottom.  After that, add on a layer of lasagna noodles…..FYI- you may need to break up some of the noodles in order for them to fit properly.  You could also choose to add on another layer of noodles, if desired.  Spread a layer of ricotta cheese over the noodles and top with the cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  This is also the step where you would add in any of the optional ingredients.  Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients, but make sure that you top the final layer with the sauce and the cheese.  Once ready, pour the ¼ cup water over the top of the lasagna.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Source: Slightly adapted from Hot Mama's Blog

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Fall is definitely my favorite season!  I absolutely love everything about it!

The other morning, when I woke up, I noticed that the leaves in our backyard have finally started turning their beautiful, vibrant colors, the mornings have begun to cool off, allowing me to get out my sweaters, jeans, and jackets, and I noticed that Starbucks has begun selling their pumpkin spice lattes again.  Added up, these things can only mean one thing......October is officially here!  And what better way to welcome it back, than with delicious, pumpkin inspired food! 

However, I hate making decisions when there are so many good options out there, and what recipe I should start this October with is always the question I ask myself year after year?  Well, after much internal debating, and seeing that I'm such a big fan of coffee, I decided that this year I would pay tribute to Starbucks and their pumpkin spice lattes by creating my own version.  The main difference being that mine would be made in cupcake form!  However, I'm not saying that it couldn't be enjoyed with a nice latte!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
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Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For cupcakes:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. espresso powder
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs
½ cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

For the frosting:

2 ¼ cups heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Garnish:

Cinnamon
Caramel sauce

Directions:

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and pre-line a cupcake pan with liners. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Set aside.  Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer, set to a medium speed, beat together the pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and applesauce until well blended.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Set the mixer on a low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until it is just incorporated.  Make sure not to over mix.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about three-quarters full.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Place the pans on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Next, remove the cupcakes from the pan and while the cupcakes are still warm, brush them over with the coffee or the espresso, repeating the step again after the first layer has absorbed into the cupcake. After that, allow them to cool completely.  

For the Frosting:

Place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.  At first, beat the cream at a medium to low speed, gradually increasing it to high.  While beating the cream, slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar, a little bit at a time.  Beat until stiff peaks form, being very careful not to overbeat.  Once the frosting is ready, use a pastry bag, fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cupcakes.  Garnish with a little cinnamon or drizzle lightly with caramel sauce (or both).

Soure: Slightly adapted from Annies Eats