Baked French Toast

French toast is my favorite! Have you ever had over night baked french toast? It's not like your traditional fried french toast, it's more like a custard bread pudding-like french toast. The insides will be soft and delicious, especially with this cream cheese filling. I have posted other recipes before, but here is another version I came up with. Brown sugar, orange, pecan with cream cheese over night french toast. Mmm mmm mmm.
This would be perfect for Holiday guests staying over the weekend, just double the recipe so there will be enough to go around.

12 slices day old french bread loaf (sliced 1" thick)
5 eggs
2 1/2 Cups milk
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbl brown sugar
Zest and juice from 1 orange
1/2 Cup chopped pecans

additional pecans and zest for garnish

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; set aside. In a mixer combine cream cheese, brown sugar, zest and juice, mix well until softened. Spread some of this between half of the french bread slices, top with a second slice to make a sandwich, sprinkle with some pecans. Arrange sandwiches in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour egg mixture over all in pan (the bread will absorb most of this by morning). Cover and refrigerate for 8 hrs or overnight. Remove each sandwich from pan and place on a lined baking sheet. Garnish with additional pecans and zest. Bake uncovered at 350' for 35-40 mins.

*You can also see this at the Well Fed Network.



ready to rest and soak overnight


Space saving tip: use your cooling racks to make an extra shelf in the fridge!


ready to bake




*grrr, my photos are cut off, so click them to see it all

Sharing a Good Morning with

Whole Wheat Banana Crumb Muffins

I've had this bookmarked and decided to whip these up. Smitten Kitchen made hers as Whole Wheat Apple Muffins, but I made ours as whole wheat banana crumb muffins. These were super moist day 2. They were gobbled up fast!

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed*
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
3-5 bananas, chopped* (depending how much banana you want)
crumb topping*

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour an 18 cup muffin tin and set aside.
Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks (or bananas).

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top (or crumb topping). Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

The crumb topping I found here

¼ cup pecans (ground)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter, cold, cubed

In a food processor, grind ¼ cup of almonds. Add the flour, brown sugar and salt, and pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (you will have leftovers, just keep stored in the freezer for next use)

I saw over at Pinch My Salt, she would be a special guest on Twitter's GNO Tuesday night, so I signed up to chat, and got so lost! lol. I rarely use Twitter, but thought it'd be nice to meet other foodies and Twitterers. Then mommy duties were calling so soon and I couldn't hang around to talk about Holiday recipes and such. So if you were there in GNO, HI, sorry I couldn't reall ymeet you! I'll try to get in there every week to check it out.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I love Fall. The cooler weather, the leaves turning colors, soups and stews and just getting ready for all the Holiday baking that's to come. I mark these muffins as my first recipe of the fall season. I love pumpkin anything, so when I came across this, I decided I'd share them with you. It reminds me of a pumpkin roll and they sure make your home smell wonderful.

Muffins:

3 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

4 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

Pinch of cardamom

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Filling

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. To make the cream cheese filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted butter, then pinch the mixture until it forms pea-size clumps. Set aside.

Mix muffin ingredients together except cream cheese filling. Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) 3/4 full. Put 1-2 tsp cream cheese filling in each muffin and lightly swirl (I used a plastic bag snipped as a pastry bag to pipe it in). Top with 1 generous tablespoon of topping.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Makes 24 muffins.

This muffin recipe comes from Sheila of Musings of a Mommy. I used a cream cheese filling I had found some years ago and the crumb topping comes from Food & Wine. I adapted her recipe to accommodate this recipe. I made 12 regular muffins and 5 jumbo muffins with this recpe. See this recipe at Just Baking also!

*The ingredients of Pumpkin Pie Spice are: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. If you don't have this on hand, you can make your own!

Also did you know that a pumpkin is a fruit AND a vegetable!

so my swirling didn't work too great, but this IS the best part of the muffin!

Banana Bran and Raisin Muffins

Looking for a healthier muffin to bake, I opted for some sort of a bran muffin. I came across a few I wanted to try, but didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. I did have some bananas that needed to be used, so these were perfect! I liked the fact that these had diced bananas instead of mashed in them. I also used canola oil instead of vegetable. The kids loved these!

2 cups Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal
1-1/4 cups milk
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 banana, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with cupcake papers.
In a large mixing bowl, combine bran cereal and milk. Let stand for about 2 minutes to soften the cereal.
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Into the softened bran mix stir the egg and oil. Beat well. Stir in the banana and raisins. Add the flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups.
Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Best served warm.

~a recipe found at cookie baker lynn and also written about at Just Baking.

sneaky fingers!

A Simple Dish

A reader of my entry at Just Baking was inquiring about the dish I used to plate the Mango Bread. It's a simple rectangular ceramic glazed dish that's about 15x7". There aren't any markings to tell who what or when about it so I can only wonder if it was handmade by someone. There is a slight wobble in it when layed down. The pattern around the edge are roses and leaves. I found this little gem at a second hand store, where I have also found many other dishes seen on my blog. They have become my little collection, and for just a couple dollars each, sometimes less than $1, it's an affordable hobby. I just need some extra shelves to hold them all now.

Quaker Oatmeal Cookies

These are a simple classic oatmeal cookie. They are soft and chewy and stay that was for a few days, that is if you can make them last!

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening and granulated sugar until creamy. Add egg, water and vanilla; beat well. Add combined oats, flour, salt and baking soda; mix well.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

*Add 1 cup of any one or a combination of any of the following ingredients to basic cookie dough: raisins, chopped nuts, chocolate chips or shredded coconut.

~ A Quaker Oatmeal recipe. See this also at Just Baking!






This seems to the place that works best for my food photos in our new home, right on top of the ironing board in the laundry room nook. haha

Mango Streusel Bread

This is originally a recipe for blueberry muffins, but I changed it up by making it into a mango loaf. This bread comes out soft and moist just like a muffin. It reminds me of those ricotta muffins I made before.

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced mangoes (feel free to use more, I used 1 mango)
1 3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease & flour loaf pans. In large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, eggs and butter. Mix until flour is just incorporated. Do not over beat. Gently stir in mangoes. Pour half the batter into each pan. Top each pan with streusel. Bake for 40 minutes. Makes 2 loafs.

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

For topping, combine sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs; sprinkle half over each loaf.

Recipe found online here and streusel recipe found here. See this also at Just Baking.

A Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

I get sucked into Good Eats every now and again, sometimes he bores me with all the science, haha. When he did this show on Three Chips for Sister Marsha, about 3 different kinds of chocolate chip cookies, I just knew I had to try them for myself. I am on a quest to find a chocolate chip cookie that I like. I like them soft with a great flavor. No hard crunchy or flat cookies here, no no. So, I opted to give it a try. I don't have a #20 scooper, but after some research, I think it measures out to be about 1/4 cup, so I used that. I did not get 2 1/2 dozen cookies like they state, using 1/4 c I got 14 cookies. These are nice cookies, but I'm not a huge fan of all the brown sugar flavor. These were soft, even softer on day 2. I'm not sure about being chewy though. *sigh* I guess I keep searching.

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper Baking sheets
Mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Recipe from Alton Brown & Foodnetwork
See this also at Just Baking

cookies #13 & 14 were huge ones

Lavender Madeleines

I can't help it, but this song always comes to mind when I say Madeleine. So after my lucky win of my own homemade Madeleines, I needed to get me a pan of my own, guess you could say it was love at first bite plus they're so cute! I almost bought one online one night, but I decided to wait. Lo and behold the very next day, I found one for super cheap at a local 2nd hand shop, piled under a stack of mix match pans! I was so excited! I just love that shop, infact many of my plates and dishes you see on my blog, came from there (like the 3 for this shoot). I told my Husband that I need a hutch just for all my great finds. Anyways, we all loved these, my 14 month old especially just can't get enough of them!

5 Tb. Butter
1 Tb. edible lavender
¾ cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of half a lemon
2 large eggs
2 Tb. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt the butter with the lavender and let sit for 15 minutes to infuse. Strain but keep half of the lavender in with butter, or discard the whole amount.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Mix together in another bowl, the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers.
Working with a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and lemon zest until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the honey and vanilla and beat for one minute more.
Switch to a rubber spatula and gently incorporate the dry ingredients. Fold in the butter.
Refrigerate the batter at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (the longer chill helps form the hump that is characteristic of the madeleines).
Preheat oven at 400'. Butter and flour your madeleines molds and divide the batter evenly. Bake 12-14 minutes* until they are golden brown. Remove from pan gently prying them if needed. Dust with powdered sugar.
Best eaten the same day. Store in a sealed container.

~Dorie Greenspan "Baking: From My Home To Yours"

See this article at Just Baking too!

*my little note:
I chilled my batter overnight and baked them at 350' for about 7-8 minutes. They do not take very long. I want to say the long chill and baking powder helped with their hump. I just wish my pan had a more scalloped look.

-I also made some dark chocolate madeleines, but they did not get their hump like these (I chilled half of the recipe and baked the other half right away), nor did it have baking powder in the recipe. They also tasted like regular chocolate cake like cookies, and I found nothing special about them.

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Double Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

I had my mind set for cookies like these, so I set out to find a recipe. First I saw them at The Kitchen Sink and with more searching, I saw others at Recipe Girl. So I combined the two and added a little something more. These are a serious cookie, people! Be sure you have a big glass of milk on hand. I'm so glad that my Husband's race crew/friends come over, well, they're glad they come over because I send them home with half of what I make *wink wink.

3 cups old- fashioned oats
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Position racks in oven to divide the oven into thirds. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, cocoa, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until blended. Stir in chocolate. If you have time, chill dough for about 2 hours, or for up to 1 day (chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.)
If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded Tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded Tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about ½-inch thick.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula- they'll firm as they cool.
Repeat with remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches. When cooled, spread the peanut butter spread (see below) between 2 cookies to make a sandwich.

Yield: About 5 dozen individual cookies, about 2 -3 dozen sandwiches


Peanut Butter Spread for cookies

1 cup chunky peanut butter (do not use natural or old-fashioned)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided, room temperature
1 TBL cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TBL cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter and cream cheese in medium bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar, salt, and nutmeg, then milk and vanilla. Spread frosting between cooled cookies.

~ Dorie Greenspan for Bon Appétit

~ My side note
The cocoa powder, pecans and cream cheese were my additions to these recipes. I also just used creamy peanut butter. I used just a pinch of the spices, since I am not a huge spice fan. I chilled my dough in the freezer for about 40 minutes and in between baking. Since I prefer a soft cookie, I baked them for only 10 minutes, which seemed perfect anyways. You could just start to smell all the flavors and the edges were just turning golden. I loved these from the fridge the next day, as a single cookie. Definitely a keeper!

Check out my article on this recipe at Just Baking also!

It was also caught in the Blogher list and here! Thank you!

sharing a batch with: