Decadent French Toast

It's Saturday; two days after Christmas and there is an entire loaf of homemade bread left over from the gourmet dinner prepared by my sister. I freely admit the bread was my only contribution. There is an extra loaf because my thoughts wandered while I was measuring flour and I ended up making two loaves in case the first was an epic fail.

It's time for breakfast and there is no milk in my refrigerator. But I have a quart of whipping cream. My decadent self is thinking of French Toast made with whipping cream! My empirical self is thinking how many ways this can go wrong. My foodie self is going for it! The French Toast is wonderful; reminiscent of creme brûlée, the perfect Saturday brunch with a Mimosa, and worth every single calorie! There is one caveat. Use dense, homemade bread, or a good, heavy bakery bread. Don't even think of using a wimpy bread purchased in a plastic bag! And if you do--please don't tell me...

INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
6 slices (approximately) homemade bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick

Add all ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Whisk until blended. The mixture will be thick.
Place the sliced bread in 13 x 9 inch baking dish (as close together as possible). Pour the cream mixture over the bread and press down lightly with a spatula to help the bread absorb the mixture. Flip the bread with the spatula to allow both sides to absorb the cream mixture. At this stage you can cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight, or you can cook it immediately.

I recommend frying in a large skillet. This recipe is pure calorie overload, so why not fry it up in unsalted butter? Serve with fresh berries, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and maybe a bit of maple syrup. Then again, you can always add a big dollop of whipped cream! It's the holidays, calories don't count.

Bread Pudding

Bread pudding with vanilla pastry cream

My introduction to bread pudding came at the age of twenty-one while working in a restaurant.  The chef was gifted; his training received at the Culinary Institute, Hyde Park.  His bread was homemade artisan bread, not pasty grocery store bread purchased in plastic bags.  The pastry cream was made from scratch. It was decadent, sweet and rich--the way dessert should be.  In his version the bread pudding was baked, cooled, cut into bite sized pieces, folded into vanilla pastry cream and topped with copious amounts of whipped cream.  The recipe was probably in his head. He left this world too soon, but I think of him when making bread pudding.  

Preheat oven  to 350 degrees and have 8" square baking dish ready

Bread Pudding ingredients: 

6 - 1/2" slices crusty artisan, preferably two days old

2 T butter, melted

4 beaten eggs

2 cups milk (or as I prefer, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins (optional) 

1.  Break or slice bread into cubes and place in 8" square baking dish.  If desired, add raisins. Drizzle with melted butter

2.  In medium mixing bowl combine beaten eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

3.  Pour over bread cubes. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and press down with fingers until the egg/milk mixture is absorbed by the bread cubes.

4.  Bake uncovered, approximately 45 minutes at 350 degrees until the bread is golden brown and springs back to  the touch.

Serve immediately with vanilla pastry cream or vanilla sauce.

Vanilla Pastry Cream ingredients:

2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks plus one whole egg

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

2 T butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and whole egg. 

2.  In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1/3 cup sugar, then stir into eggs until smooth.

3.  In heavy saucepan, stir together milk and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.

4.  When the milk comes to a boil remove from heat and drizzle into egg/milk mixture in a thin stream to avoid "cooking" the eggs. Return mixture to saucepan and slowly bring to a boil whisking constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling and scorching the bottom of your pan.

5.  When mixture boils and thickens, remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is completely blended. 

6.  Pour in heat-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least one hour.  For faster cooling, place pan in a bowl of ice water and stir gently.

Vanilla Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1.  Combine all ingredients except vanilla in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until mixture becomes thick and comes to a full boil. Stir in vanilla. Spoon over bread pudding. Store remaining sauce in refrigerator.   

Marinated Six Bean Salad

Saturday is my favorite day of the week.  I normally sleep in and have a big breakfast because there is plenty of time to relax and cook.  Healthy eating is not on my Saturday menu most of the time because I love having a day to "cheat and eat."  Instead of a big breakfast today, I had a banana split with Reese's Peanut Butter ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, toasted walnuts and topped it with a maraschino cherry. For lunch I had popcorn. Of course, by now I'm feeling guilty, so I redeemed myself and made a six bean salad for dinner.  Low calorie, full of protein and fiber and oh so yummy.  

Six Bean Salad

Marinade:

1 cup olive or canola oil

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar or sugar substitute

2 teaspoons celery seed

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved.  

Drain and rinse the following:

1 can green beans (1 gram fiber)

1 can wax beans (1 gram fiber)

1 can Cannellini beans (6 grams fiber)

1 can light or dark kidney beans (6 grams fiber)

1 can Garbanzo beans (5 grams fiber)

1 can black beans (7 grams fiber)

Add to marinade. Stir to combine. Cover and allow one hour for flavors to meld.  Yield 18 servings

Feel free to use any combination of beans.  These just happened to be the six types of beans in my pantry today.  Of course the recipe calls for onions, but my absolute loathing of onions means they are optional.  And I opt out.  

Fried Cornmeal Mush

   Our family grew up in Ohio and one of our greatest pleasures was eating Grandma Fletcher's fried cornmeal mush with butter and maple syrup. Cornmeal mush is not to be confused with southern style grits, but rather compared to Italian polenta. A simple explanation is--cornmeal grits are coarsely ground, polenta is a finer grind and mush is made with an even finer ground cornmeal.
   One rule of thumb; don't buy cheap ground cornmeal in a round cardboard container on the grocery store shelf unless you like bland mush with no flavor. If possible, buy from an Amish store. If you must buy from the grocery I would recommend Anson Mills fine ground cornmeal and store in a plastic bag in your freezer.
   The recipe is simple because there are three ingredients: Cornmeal, salt and water.  My grandma used to shred leftover ham and blend it with the mush while cooking. I'm a purist, and prefer mine fried in Crisco in a large skillet, turning once when the edges start to get golden and crispy. My family prefers our fried mush buttered and covered in maple syrup; just like a stack of pancakes. If you prefer not to do it yourself, there is always Bob Evans--but it isn't the same as homemade.

Fried Cornmeal Mush

Ingredients:

1- cup fine ground cornmeal
3- cups cold water
1- teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Mix cornmeal in one cup of cold water and set aside.

2.  Boil two cups of cold water in a medium-size, heavy gauge pan over high heat and add salt when water is boiling briskly.

3.  Remove pan from heat (because it is going to bubble up) and slowly whisk the cornmeal/water mixture into the boiling water until smooth.  

4.  Reduce heat to medium and cover. The mixture will continue to bubble. I recommend wearing long sleeves and using a long handled wooden spoon when stirring to avoid getting burned (speaking from years of experience). Continue cooking and stirring frequently for an additional 10-12 minutes until the mixture is thick.  

5.  Pour into a loaf pan rinsed in cold water, or two clean soup cans rinsed in cold water for round loaves. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

6.  When ready to cook, remove from loaf pan or soup can and slice thinly. Heat Crisco or oil over medium high heat and add slices of mush to hot oil with a pancake rather than your fingers to avoid getting burned with hot oil. Don't crowd the slices because the edges will stick together and become difficult to flip. I recommend covering with a splatter guard while the mush is frying because it is like frying bacon! When mush is golden around the edges, flip with pancake turner and continue frying until crispy. 

7. Transfer to serving plate and serve with your choice of toppings. (I usually drain on paper towels to removed excess oil before transferring to a serving plate-just like cooking bacon). By the way, fried mush is excellent with bacon...

Chocolaty Brickle Bites

Brickle is an amusing word.  It's origins are in the 13th century from the word brekyl, meaning crisp, brittle, crumbly, or flaky.  Modern day brickle brings to mind the crunchy toffee flavored candy we know as the Heath Bar. This quick little recipe comes from a 1994 cookie book lovingly stained with my greasy fingers. These delightful little bites are made with six simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. (Five ingredients if you don't like nuts). Once hooked on whipping up these tasty treats, it's fun to be innovative. If you have 30 minutes, you've got a winning chocolaty, toffee flavored treat.

Chocolaty Brickle Bites

Ingredients

• 35  (2-inch square) soda crackers (my favorite is Zesta)
• 1/2  cup unsalted butter
• 1/2  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2  teaspoons shortening
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, pecans or almonds - optional

Directions

1. 1Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Spray with cooking spray or generously grease foil. Arrange crackers, with sides touching, over bottom of foil-lined pan.
2. 2In small saucepan, combine margarine and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour evenly over crackers; spread quickly to cover. I use an offset spatula to spread the toffee evenly.
3. 3Bake at 350°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until bubbly; cool completely.
4. 4In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly. Drizzle over cooled crackers or spread the chocolate with offset spatula. If desired, sprinkle nuts over chocolate. Let stand until set. Break into pieces between crackers.
5. For an innovative taste you can substitute graham crackers.  I love Honey Maid chocolate grahams.  You will use fewer crackers because they are larger, and the toffee won't 'soak' into the cracker as much as it does on the saltines, but who cares? Yum. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

As a fan of pumpkin and cheesecake, this is my favorite recipe.  Hint: It is as close as you can get to that famous cheesecake place.  This recipe is on the menu for Thanksgiving by special request of my dinner guests.  Cheesecake is always better baked 24 hours ahead, and will free up your oven for your big dinner.  However...you will need more refrigerator space :-)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

5 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:

3- 8oz.pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

1-cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1-cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Cloves or allspice

Whipped Cream (1 pint whipping cream sweetened with 1 T powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla)

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" spring form pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350 degrees set aside.

Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven. Allow cheesecake to reach room temperature, and then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and transfer to serving platter. Decorate with whipped cream.  Hint: Add a teaspoon of instant vanilla pudding to stabilize the whipped cream if you are not serving immediately.

Pumpkin Muffins

     Unless you have been living under a rock, you've noticed pumpkin-related dishes and beverages are the latest food trend. Yes, pumpkin...a super food packed with 280% of our daily Vitamin A requirement. Who knew? What a wonderful stroke of luck for Libby's! Pumpkin...it's not just for Thanksgiving pie. In fact, Felix Salmon, a leading financial journalist writing in New York magazine says "pumpkin is the new bacon." So what's next--a massive pumpkin shortage? Note to self...begin hoarding cans of pumpkin...
      My quest this month is achieving delicious pumpkin flavor paired with a balanced ratio of fall spices. Last week it was doughnuts. Healthy, but not enough spice to balance the pumpkin. This week my quest was the ubiquitous muffin. While mixing a fresh batch of pumpkin pie spice mix this morning, I realized what was missing from the pumpkin doughnut recipe--cloves! Mortar and pestle to the rescue. Nothing says 'aroma' quite like the smell of freshly ground cloves. Viola! Spice balance achieved!
      If you enjoy soft, moist muffins redolent with the fragrance of fall spices, this is the recipe you've been waiting for. Pure pumpkin comfort food with 10 minutes of preparation time. Parting thought: Never underestimate the value of freshly ground spices. I promise, your taste buds will thank you!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice 
(yield approximately one heaping tablespoon)

Pumpkin Muffins

2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup 100% pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.  Paper-line or spray 12 muffin cups

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
COMBINE Sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in a mixer bowl and beat with wire whisk until blended.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir with wooden spoon until moist--be gentle, don't over-mix.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

BAKE 25-30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire rack about 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool completely--if you can wait that long. Frost with cream cheese icing if desired. Store in covered container.