French Toast All Week Long!

If I can, I like to try to get ahead on the weekends as far as meal planning goes. So yesterday at the first farmers market of the season, I purchased a loaf of raisin bread and this morning I sliced it all up to make french toast sticks!

I'll keep them in the freezer and Dave and I will heat them up in the toaster oven all week for breakfast. Also if you're one of those psychos who eats breakfast in your car on your way to work, these are a good grab-and-go meal.

Not like anyone needs a recipe for french toast, but here's how I made mine!

French Toast Sticks

1 8 inch round loaf of rustic bread

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Slice the bread into about 3/4 - 1 inch slices. Then slice them in half length-wise, then again width-wise so you get 3 - 4 inch sticks... You know what I mean, just slice the bread.
2. Preheat skillet over low medium heat on the stove.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon to a nice wide bowl and beat together.
4. Dredge each slice of bread in the egg mixture and place in the pan. 
5. Let cook about 1 - 2 minutes on each side.
6. Serve with honey or syrup.

I made a nifty fruit salad to go with mine for breakfast today.

Weekly Pancake: Banana Walnut

This was actually last weeks pancake, I just never got around to posting it.

Tonight is breakfast for dinner night, so there will be a new pancake happening in my kitchen!

Until then, we have banana walnut pancakes. I especially liked these with honey instead of syrup. The original recipe called for buttermilk, but I substituted soy milk, and they came out delicious just the same.



Banana Walnut Pancakes
Adapted from yumsugar

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, brought to room temp
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups soy milk
1 large or 2 small ripe bananas, smashed with fork
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. 
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg melted butter and then the milk. 
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet mixture into the well and whisk.
4. Stir in bananas and be careful not to over mix.
5. Pour on to hot griddle or pan and sprinkle top with walnuts.
6. Flip once edges are almost cooked and bubbles begin to appear.

Christmas Things: Part 1

Truffles. Recipe here.

Putting up our tree.

Sending out our Christmas cards.

Getting ready to meringue!

Instagraming

 

 

Chocolate dipped meringue snow peaks | Chocolate syrup brownies

Gingerbread | Enormous oreo-stuff red velvet crinkle cookies

Pumpkin Maple Fudge

So good, and so very very sweet. You've been warned. Now here's the recipe!

Pumpkin Maple Fudge

Adapted from Sugar Crafter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 bag (4.4 oz) mini marshmallows
3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1. Line a 12 x 8 baking dish with foil, letting it hang over the edges. 
2. In a large sauce pan, whisk together the sugars, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, and spices.
3. Bring to a foil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 10-12 minutes or until the candy thermometer registers 235 degrees Fahrenheit – soft ball stage.
4. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the white chocolate chips, then the marshmallows and maple syrup.
5. Stir until melted, and then immediately pour into the prepared pan.
6. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cooled. 
7. To cut, lift the foil from the ends of the dish.

Holiday Tradition: Spritz Cookies

This weekend, I went down to my parents house to help out with a few things and decided it was a good time to commence Christmas cooking baking for the season!

With grandma turning 96 this year, it's getting to be a bit much for her (and my mom) to make oodles and oodles of Christmas cookies every year. There are about seven that are regulars at Christmas time and this year I'm making them all while grandma supervises! This weekend we made round one of spritz cookies, and thumbprint cookies. This post will cover spritz cookies, I'm saving thumbprint cookies for another time.

In case you don't already know spritz cookies, you need a cookie press to make them. Here's the cookie press my mom and grandma have. The recipe is super simple.

Spritz Cookies

Yield about 6 dozen

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Mix together flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
3. Cream the butter.
4. Slowly add sugar and cream mix well until fluffy.
5. Beat in the egg and extract.
6. Slowly add the flour mixture.
7. Separate the dough for coloring.
8. Fill your cookie press and press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
9. Decorate as desired with sprinkles and colored sugar!
10. Bake 10 - 12 minutes.
11. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Halloweekend Deliciousness: Fall Baking Recipes

Whoa... I haven't posted since August 24? So sad. I actually wouldn't mind jumping back to August 24 and repeating the last month and half or so for the most part.

September was busy but wonderful. I got married! And my wedding was so much fun, then Dave and I went on our honeymoon in Hawaii for a week and a half and I never wanted to come home.

It was hard coming back to work, but it has to be done. October has been pretty busy too. And now it's Halloween weekend, and we're hunkered down awaiting the arrival of hurricane Sandy!

Since it's Halloweekend, I'm very appropriately reviving my old baking blog, and linking to some of my favorite fall recipes. Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
This may be one of my favorite cupcakes I've ever made. EVER. And I've made a lot of cupcakes.



Easy Pumpkin Danish
Really stupid-easy. Whip up filling, puff pastry, bake for amazingness.



Classic Pumpkin Pie
Don't be scared of pie! It's so simple and everyone will love you! This recipe is from a book from the 1960s that belonged to my grandma called Pies Husbands Like Best. Don't hold that against them, make it anyway!



Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze
I think this is my favorite angel food cake. And you can't go wrong with salted caramel.



Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Baked Mini Donuts
I don't regret purchasing my mini donut pan. Baked donuts are a lot of fun. I made these for a brunch and every time someone walked by they grabbed one.



Pumpkin Brownie Bites
Pumpkin cheesecake meets brownie. So cute.



Classic Apple Pie
We always pick way too many apples.



Pumpkin Cinnamon French Macarons
These were my first French macarons ever. And I had a stroke of beginners luck with them. Maybe you will too.

Watermelon Sorbet

I told you this post was on its way! The other week I knew Dave would be traveling for work, but I bought a whole watermelon anyway. They looked so good! So now I was home alone with a whole watermelon to finish. So I made sorbet! And here is the recipe for you!

Caprese Salad Skewers: Bite-sized Party Appetizers

Are you going to any Memorial Day parties this weekend? I have something perfect for you to bring. Caprese salad skewers perfect for snacking while mingling!

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Last year, I decided to take on making traditional Irish soda bread. You can read it about it here on my baking blog. But this year I caved and chose a recipe closer to what most think of when they hear Irish soda bread. Good news is it turned out pretty tasty and I have a recipe to share with you!

Bake with Whiskey for St. Patrick's Day: Chocolate Irish Whiskey Ice Cream Cupcakes

Here's a little St. Patrick's day baking treat for you. Chocolate Irish whiskey cupcakes, filled with chocolate ice cream and topped with chocolate Bailey's Irish cream glaze. So good.

Being Vegetarian in an Omnivore House

I committed to being vegetarian just this past summer. It was a pretty easy transition for me since I was never into red meat in the first place, and I elected to still eat dairy and eggs (but no fish or seafood, those folks are called pescetarian). Though I live with my husband-to-be who is not vegetarian.

So what to do? I have no problem cooking dinner for us both but I had to adapt to prepare meals for both a vegetarian diet and omnivore diet simultaneously! I thought it may be helpful to share my meal plan for one week, including some recipes.

Secret to Making Simple Brownies Look Super Fancy

I'm thinking my "secret to..." posts that I introduced here may not always come on Sundays in the future, but I promise I'll keep them coming regularly.

This week's secret is how to make brownies look super fancy and impressive. Usually brownies cut up in squares and plunked down on a plate are enough to make people excited, but with a few tricks you can make them look like a gourmet dessert! I also have an easy go-to brownie recipe for you!

Peanut Butter Stars for Pooches

I bake for everyone else, why not my puppy dog too? I have a retired racing greyhound named Odie. He's 5 years old now, and we adopted him from Pocono Greyhound Adoption a little over a year ago. To celebrate his birthday this past January and one year anniversary in his forever home, I made him homemade doggie treats with peanut butter and safflower oil. And here I have the recipe for you to make for your best friend as well!

DIY Cookie Cutter Stencils & Green Tea Shortbread Recipe

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve and welcome to the year of the dragon! To celebrate I have a fun DIY post mixed with a baking post!

We're making green tea shortbread cookies shaped like little tea leaves. No leaf shaped cookie cutter needed! Here was my inspiration, and here are how mine came out, plus dipped in chocolate.