Breakfast French Toast Muffins plus Two of my Favorite Baked French Toast Recipes

I did a post on Muffin Tin Recipes. I'm fascinated with the concept of individual servings of great recipes converted to Muffin Tins.
Here's another example of that.
I have to give credit to several people for this one. This is my version, adapted from Pampered Chef who adapted it from Two Peas in a Pod, who's inspiration came from a recipe that Ree Drummond made for Baked French Toast. That's how we all get inspired to create new recipes/ I also have my favorite Best of the Best recipe for Baked French Toast. I'll re- post it here.

Terry's Breakfast French Toast Muffins:

Here's what you'll need:
1 - 12 C Muffin Tin
Brush with my Pan Release Mix. ( equal parts of Crisco, Flour and Vegetable Oil ) Mix well in a jar.
I start with 1C of each ingredient and keep it in the refrigerator for all of my baking needs. It's a foolproof release. It works great in any detailed Bundt Pan.

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.

12 C Cubed Baguette
2 1/2 C Whole Milk
6 Eggs, beaten
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1 TBS Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon

Topping:

1/4 C Butter, cold and cubed
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Flour
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
A Pinch of Salt
1/2 C Finely Chopped Pecans
Warm Maple Syrup for serving

In a large bowl:
Milk
Eggs
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Vanilla
Nutmeg
Whisk well.

Put 1 C of Cubed Bread in each well of the Muffin Pan.
Pour Batter into each well.
Press down gently and add additional batter to fill.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to bake in the morning.

In the Morning:
Prepare the Topping.

In a mixing bowl:
Butter
Brown Sugar
Flour
Nutmeg
Salt
Pecans
Mix together well with your hands, to create a Crumble.
Sprinkle each Muffin with Topping.

Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove Pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Serve each Muffin drizzled with Warm Maple Syrup.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

This is another Best of the Best Recipe!

What a great aroma to wake up to on Christmas morning.

8 Eggs

1 1/2 C Heavy Cream

1/3 C Maple Syrup ( the good stuff)

1/3 C Packed Brown Sugar

10 - 12  1/2" slices of French Country Bread

Topping:

1 Stick of Butter

1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar

2/3 C Maple Syrup

2 C Chopped Pecans

(I never said it was healthy)

Generously butter a 9"X13" Casserole Dish

In a bowl, whisk together:

Eggs

Heavy Cream

Maple Syrup

Sugar

Place Bread slices in the Casserole dish and cover with the Egg mixture

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator

Remove and let it reach room temperature

Topping:

Melt the Butter in a saucepan

Add Sugar and Maple Syrup and cook for 1-2 minutes

Stir in the Pecans

Pour over the Bread

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving

In my book, I wrote WOW!

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

This is one of our favorite Christmas Morning Recipes.

Another Best of the Best Recipe.

We prefer this one to any other.

We had a friend that always had a Christmas Morning Brunch , she made this recipe and it became a tradition at our house on Christmas Morning!

Overnight Christmas Morning French Toast:

1 (8oz) package of Cream Cheese

12 day old Croissants

18 Eggs

1 1/2 C Heavy Cream

1 TBS vanilla

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick (8TBS) of Butter + additional for greasing the pan

Pure Maple Syrup

Confectioner's Sugar

Heavily butter a 9"X13" casserole dish.

Slice Croissants in half, horizontally.

Layer them cut side up in the dish.

Drop pieces of Cream Cheese in between the layers.

In a bowl:

Eggs

Heavy Cream

Vanilla

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Whisk Well

Pour ove the Croissants.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve topped with warm Maple Syrup and sprinkle with Confectioner's Sugar.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Easy as Pie......... Jam Pie!

How much more simple can a pie get?
This is a vintage recipe from the Amish/Mennonite Community.

1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Soft Butter
1/2 C Blackberry Jam, or your favorite. Mine is Raspberry.
1 TBS Flour
2 Eggs, beaten

Here's what you'll need:
1 unbaked single pie crust. ( I use a frozen Pillsbury Crust, thawed and transfer it to the Pie Pan)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk Sugar and Flour together in a large mixing bowl.
Cream this with the butter.
Add Eggs
Mix well
Add Jam and continue to mix until combined.

Pour into the Pie Pan.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, reduce temperature to 325.
Continue baking for 30 - 35 minutes.
The filling should be firm.

Remove from oven to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Texas Pecan Squares

I'm in the mood to create recipes today. Heres a very simple but delicious Texas Pecan recipe.

Texas Pecan Squares:

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.

10 TBS Butter, melted
2 C Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 C Flour
1 C Chopped Pecans

Here's what you'll need:

1 - 8" X 10 " baking pan.
Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with my Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Flour and Vegetable Oil) I start with 1 C of each, mix well and keep refrigrated. I always have some available for all of my baking needs)


In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer:
Butter
Sugar
Beat until fluffy.

Add:
Eggs
Beat until well combined

Add:
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Vanilla
Flour
Continue beating just until combined
Fold in Pecans by hand.

Spread the dough evenly in the pan.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Meringue Fruit Squares with a Sauce

I've been researching Meringue. French Meringue, Swiss Meringue, Italian Meringue, Pavlova, Lost Cake, Forgotten Cake, etc.!
I had no idea what I would find and was amazed at what I did find.
I could post many recipes here, but I decided to make this one my own. The inspiration comes from a variety of things that I discovered in my research.
Here's my take on all of the above.

Meringue Fruit Squares with a Sauce!

Meringue:

6 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar
 Pinch of Salt

Fruit Topping:
1 pound of your favorite Berries.
2 TBS Granulated Sugar
In a medium bowl, toss the fruit and the sugar and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Stir occasionally.
Refrigerate unti ready to serve.

Or:  Top the squares with your favorite Pie Filling without the added Sugar.



Sauce:
1 C Chilled Heavy Cream
1/3 C Chilled Sour Cream

In a medium bowl:
Beat the Heavy Cream and the Sour Cream with an electric mixer until it holds a soft peak.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.



Here's how to make the squares:
You'll need a 6" X 10" baking pan. (We happen to have one, if you don't, use a 9"X 9" pan)
Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the pan and dust with Confectioner's Sugar.
Tap the pan to remove the excess sugar.


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a Mixing Bowl:  (I did this process in a Stand Mixer with a Whisk attachment and the Meringue was incredible)
Beat the Eggs Whites to soft peak.
Add both Sugars all at once and continue beating.
Add remaining ingredients and beat thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the pan.
Put the pan in the preheated oven, turn off the heat.
Leave the pan in the oven overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Remove from the oven.
Allow to cool completely in the pan, on a cooling rack.

To Serve:
Cut the Meringue into squares.
Transfer to individual plates.
Spread some of the sauce on top of each square and top them with some of the berries or pie filling.
Garnish with an additional dollop of  sauce.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

This is the best Meringue I have ever made.
The texture and taste are amazing.
I will use this for any recipe that calls for Meringue/

The baked Meringue. I simply trimmed the edges with a paring knife.

This is the Sauce.

Baked Jam Pudding

Here's another interesting recipe from the 60's. Simple and easy.
I think any kind of Jam would work well in this recipe. I will try a variety of Jam to see which one we like best.
I'll start with Apricot since that's my personal favorite.
I think any Marmalade or Peach Jam would be great.

Baked Jam Pudding:

Here's what you'll need:
1 - 8" X 8" baking dish
Brush the pan well with my Pan Release Mixture, equal parts of Crisco, Flour and Vegetable Oil. I start with 1 C of each. Mix well  ( I always have a jar in the refrigerator for all of my baking needs)

1/2 C butter
1 C granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 C flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 3 tsp buttermilk.
1 C apricot jam

In a large mixing bowl:
Butter
Sugar
Cream together well
Add Eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.
Add all remaining ingredients until well combined.

Pour batter into the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.
Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream or Dust with Confectioner's Sugar.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Texas Upside Down Pecan Cake

If it's made with Pecans, I consider it to be Texan! That's just how we do it here.
I certainly love Pecans and any recipe that has them as an ingredient.

Texas Upside Down Pecan Cake:

1/4 C Butter
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1 TBS Water
2/3 C Chopped Pecans
1/3 C Whole Pecans
1 C Cake Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
2 Egg Yolks
1 C Granulated Sugar
6 TBS Hot Water
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Stiffly Beaten Egg Whites


Here's what you'll need:
1 - 9"X 9" baking pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pan in the oven and melt the butter.
Add:
Brown Sugar
Water
Stir well to combine and remove from the oven.
Arrange the chopped pecans and the whole pecans in alternate rows to cover the entire bottom of the pan.

In a small mixing bowl:
Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Whisk together well.

In a medium mixing bowl:
Beat Egg Yolks until thick and creamy.
Gradually beat in granulated sugar.

Add:
Hot Water
Vanilla
Flour mixture
Mix well

Fold in beaten Egg Whites by hand.
Pour the batter evenly over the pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven to a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes.

When completely cooled, invert onto a serving platter.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Hippy Squares

I've posted my favorite recipe for Hippy Granola, I'll repost it at the end of this recipe along with 2 other recipes. Here's my recipe for Hippy Squares.

This is a perfect recipe for The Hippy in the Kitchen!

Hippy Squares:

I found the name I chose to be quite meaningful. I've never met a "square" Hippy!

2 Ripe Bananas, thinly sliced
2 TBS Hemp Seed
2 TBS Flax Powder
1/2 C Local Honey
1/3 C of Maple Syrup  ( the good stuff, not Pancake syrup)
1 tsp Almond  Extract
3 TBS Grape Seed Oil, divided
1/2 C Chopped Mixed Nuts
2 1/2 C Quick Oats
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 Eggs
1/2 C Dried Cranberries

In a microwavable mixing bowl:
Banana's
Hemp Seeds
Flax
Mix well and microwave for 30 seconds.
Stir well to combine.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add:
Honey
Maple Syrup
Almond Extract
2 TBS Grape Seed Oil
Knead and fold by hand with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes.

Fold in:
Nuts
Cranberries

Add:
Salt
Oats
Flour
Knead by hand, in the bowl.

Add:
Eggs and continue to knead by hand.
Dust your hands with flour if the dough appears to be too sticky.

Brush a 9" X 13" baking dish with the remaining Oil and coat well.
Place the dough in the pan, gently and evenly press the dough and spread it out.
Top with Cranberries
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


1970's Hippy Granola:

I posted one Granola Recipe called Hippy Maple Pecan.

Here's another one that's Far Out and from the 70's

I toasted the Almonds, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds and Wheat Germ

in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Stir them once and watch them carefully.

If I don't have Wheat Germ I've added Flaxseed. If I don't have Raisins I've added Dried Blueberries. You can substitute Pecans for Almonds, etc.

You can substitute ingredients as long as you keep the same amounts.

When I make this recipe, I double it. It never seems to last long.

2 C Rolled Oats

1 C Toasted Almonds

1/4 C Sesame Seeds

1/2 C Toasted Sunflower Seeds

1/2 C Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1/4 C Toasted Wheat Germ

1 C Raisins

1/2 C Dried Cranberries

1/4 C Safflower Oil

1/2 C Honey

Mix together in a large bowl:

Oats

Nuts

Grains

Drizzle mixture with Oil

Drizzle with Honey

Toss together to coat evenly

Place the mixture on a rimmed sheet pan ( you know, the one with an edge), or in a Roaster.

Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees, stirring every ten minutes.

Return it to the bowl.

Add Coconut, Raisins and Cranberries, mix well.

Return to the Sheet Pan or Roaster , break up the clumps, spread evenly and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

This is Far Out Man!

Hippy Pecan Granola:

10 C Rolled Oats

2 1/2C Roughly chopped Pecans

2 1/2 C Pure Maple Syrup or Agave Syrup

2/3 C Canola Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Salt

Line 2 sheet pans ( the ones with an edge) with Parchment Paper

Mix all of the ingredients in a large hand made groovy 60's pottery bowl!  I know you all have one!

Spread the mixture evenly on the 2 sheet pans.

Bake both pans together on 2 racks at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.

Switch pans, stir and continue to bake another 15 minutes.

Stir again

Bake another hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Cool completely

Break into pieces and store in your favorite 60's covered pottery canister! You know, the one that matches that bowl!

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

We buy Granola Bites at a local Market.

I think this original recipe fits in well with the theme of this blog.

In the 60's & 70's we certainly ate  a lot of Granola. I've posted my Hippy Granola Recipe on the Blog.

This is simple and very close to the ones we buy.

Hippy Granola Bites in a Muffin Tin:

1 1/2 C Quick Rolled Oats ( not instant )

1/2 C Almond Flour

1/2 C Flax Seeds

1/2 C Chopped Walnuts

1/4 C Sunflower Seeds

1/2 C Dried Blueberries

1/2 C Dried Cranberries

1/2 C Dried Coconut

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Clove

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Egg, beaten

2/3 C Honey

1/4 C Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 tsp Almond extract

In a large bowl, mix well:

The first 12 ingredients ( the dry ingredients )

In a separate bowl, mix well:

The next 5 ingredients ( the wet ingredients )

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients  until dry ingredients are completely moistened.

Divide among 12 cups of a regular size Muffin Tin

Press down with the bottom of a glass

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until they begin to brown slightly

Cool before releasing from the pan

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!