French Toast

Friday Honey took the kids and some of their friends to Winter Jam in Little Rock.  It's become an expected thing that I cook breakfast for the crew that emerges at odd hours the next morning, so I asked them what they wanted.  This year, my kids requested I fix french toast, bacon, and eggs.  

To start off, I enjoy watching cooking shows, but what I really love to watch or the shows that tell you the how or why behind a certain food.  That's why I love Food Network's Unwrapped, Bobby Flay's Throwdown, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Alton Brown's Good Eats, where he tells the "origins of ingredients, decodes culinary customs and presents food and equipment trends."  One of my favorite recipes is Brown's simple French Toast.  French toast is one of those simple breakfast dishes that I've eaten since a child and love, so when I saw his show on it, I had to try it.  It ended up being really tasty and I hardly ever have left-overs.

I've use everything from actual french bread, Texas Toast Bread, and Hot dog buns (my kids used to love Hot Dog French toast), but I rarely use regular sandwich bread.   This is not my recipe, but it is one that is tried and true with us and I wanted to share it with you.  I love to set out some diced pecans, powdered sugar, homemade blueberry syrup, real maple syrup, and real butter to pile on the toast, paired with creamy scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, and orange/grape juice and the family goes away full and happy. 

French Toast

Ingredients

• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

 He suggested to set the bread out the night before on a pan to let it "stale" just a bit.  

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.  

Enjoy!

Mary's Cake Donuts

Last week I experimented with three types of homemade donuts, my poor suffering family casts their votes for favorites and gladly took part in the taste tasting. Head over my blog to read my thoughts on doughnuts. But yesterday, I had to try yet another, and here it is - Mary's Cake Donuts.  I received this recipe from a friend, Melissa, who raved about her grandmother's cake donuts, so I had to try them.  Here is the 50+ year old cake Donut recipe


Mix the following Ingredients in a large bowl:
2 eggs beaten
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. Shortening/veg oil (once again, I used Olive Oil simply this is what we use)
1 C. sour milk  (typically this is buttermilk)**
            ** I do not buy buttermilk, but rather use 1 C. 2% or Whole milk and add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar. Let this  
                 sit for 5 minutes before using. - it's just like buttermilk!


Combine the following dry ingredients and gradually add to the liquid mixture. 


4 C. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg


If dough is to soft to handle, add more flour up to 1/2 C. Roll out to about 1/2 " thick and cut donuts.  You can get fancy with them and "braid" two 6" strips.  Heat oil in skillet on medium heat, not too high or they will cook too quickly.  Fry in oil till light brown. Turn only once.  While still hot, roll in cinnamon sugar or sprinkle with powdered sugar, left plain these are awesome for coffee dunking. 


I substituted vanilla for the cinnamon and nutmeg for a plain cake doughnut


They were eaten quickly enough.  Only said they were not as sweet as some of the others, but they actually fried up more like yeast donuts.  More fluffy, but still a cake doughnut.   Happy experimenting!

Yeast Type Raised Doughnuts

This last week I experimented with three types of homemade donuts, my poor suffering family casts their votes for favorites and gladly took part in the taste tasting. Head over my blog to read my thoughts on doughnuts.

The third batch I tried, I used a Yeast Type Raised Doughnuts. I don't know there is anything magical about mine (from The king Arthur Flour Comp. 200th Anniversary Cookbook) .

Unlike cake doughnuts which are leavened with baking powder, raised doughnutsare leavened with yeast and have a lighter, spongier texture. These take some time, but the yeast will do a lot of the work for you while you go about other things.

The Sponge
1 cup warm water 1/₂ cup non-fat dry milk
1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon or packet of yeast
1 1/₂ cups Flour
Making the Sponge: Pour the warm water into a mixing bowl. Dissolve in it the sugar, yeast and dry milk. Blend in the whole wheat flour. This makes a sponge which you cover and let work for 15 or 20 minutes, until it is bubbly and expanded.

Doing The Rest

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/₂ cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten

Making the Dough: After the sponge is bubbling, blend in the butter, sugar,and egg. Add the salt and unbleached flour. This should make a dough just barely firm enough to knead, but don't be afraid to add a bit more flour to make it manageable.

Kneading & Rising: Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead with floured hands for 3 to 4 minutes. Let it rest while you clean and grease your bowl. Knead the dough another 3 to 4 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. Then place it in the bowl turning it to grease the top. Let it rise for 11/₂ to 2 hours, until doubled.

Shaping: Roll dough out until it is about 1/2" thick. Using a doughnut cutter or whatever you have on hand - biscuit cutter or even a drinking glass. Cut the Hole out. If you didn't use a doughnut cutter, use what you have. I used a clean medicine bottle.

In a skillet (I used a small iron skillet) heat enough vegetable oil or shortening to about 375º to partially submerge them. It should cook a doughnut to a golden brown in about 40 seconds. If you get big a skillet, they the doughnuts can cook quickly if the oil is too hot and you won't have time to think.

Gently place the doughnuts into the heated oil. As soon as they come to the surface, or are a light golden brown, use tongs to flip them over so they'll expand evenly without cracking. When they're golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon or rubber tipped tongs and let them drain on absorbent paper. I used cookie cooling racks with paper towels under them.

Top it off. Which topping you choose, I suggest a shallow bowl for the glazes and only dipping one side of the doughnut, the gooey stuff will drip down the side! If you have little ones, they might enjoy some colorful sprinkles or even chopped nuts on top.

Confectioner's Sugar Glaze
Blend 4 tsp. milk or water with 1 C. powdered sugar in a bowl that would be easy for dipping your donuts in. I added a dash of salt and a hint of vanilla and it seemed to be better.

Powdered Sugar: I have a shaker filled with powdered sugar - simply shake however much you want.

Chocolate: There are many recipes out there, but this is what we finally settled on. I did mine in the microwave - I had too much going on to babysit a pan on the stove.

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4-6 tablespoons hot milk
  
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Chocolate Frosting: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted
   If you do this in the microwave, only heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between
   heating.
   
2. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Homemade biscuit donuts

This last week I experimented with three types of homemade donuts, my poor suffering family casts their votes for favorites and gladly took part in the taste tasting. Head over my blog to read my thoughts on doughnuts.

The second batch I tried, I used my favorite homemade biscuit recipe. I don't know there is anything magical about mine (from the Muffin Lady by Linda Fisher) but here it is.

2C. flour 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/4 C. milk
1 Tbsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick butter 1 egg

Sift (mix) all dry ingredients. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Add the egg. With your hands, dough hook of a mixer, or pastry blender, lightly blend or knead the dough mixture. Gradually add the milk until the mix is moist enough for both the flour and the butter to stick. It might not be mecessary to use all the milk. Take the resulting mix and form by hand into a ball. Cover it with a towel or another bowl and let sit for 30 minutes.

Roll dough out until it is about 1/2" thick. Using a doughnut cutter or whatever you have on hand - biscuit cutter or even a drinking glass. Cut the Hole out. If you didn't use a doughnut cutter, use what you have. I used a clean medicine bottle.

In a skillet (I used a small iron skillet) heat enough vegetable oil or shortening to about 375º to partially submerge them. It should cook a doughnut to a golden brown in about 40 seconds. If you get big a skillet, they the doughnuts can cook quickly if the oil is too hot and you won't have time to think.

Gently place the doughnuts into the heated oil. As soon as they come to the surface, or are a light golden brown, use tongs to flip them over so they'll expand evenly without cracking. When they're golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon or rubber tipped tongs and let them drain on absorbent paper. I used cookie cooling racks with paper towels under them.







Top it off. Which topping you choose, I suggest a shallow bowl for the glazes and only dipping one side of the doughnut, the gooey stuff will drip down the side! If you have little ones, they might enjoy some colorful sprinkles or even chopped nuts on top.







Confectioner's Sugar Glaze
Blend 4 tsp. milk or water with 1 C. powdered sugar in a bowl that would be easy for dipping your donuts in. I added a dash of salt and a hint of vanilla and it seemed to be better.


Powdered Sugar: I have a shaker filled with powdered sugar - simply shake however much you want.


Chocolate: There are many recipes out there, but this is what we finally settled on. I did mine in the microwave - I had too much going on to babysit a pan on the stove.

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4-6 tablespoons hot milk
  
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Chocolate Frosting: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted
   If you do this in the microwave, only heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between
   heating.
   
2. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Bisquick Cake Donuts

This last week I experimented with three types of donuts, my poor suffering family casts their votes for favorites and gladly took part in the taste tasting. Head over my blog to read my thoughts on doughnuts.

The first batch I tried was from a ready made mix - Bisquick:

2 1/4 C. Bisquick (I used the Low-fat type)
2/3 C. milk (I use Buttermilk and make my own by mixing 1 C. milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
2 Tbsp. sugar

								Mix above ingredients and turn onto surface dusted with Bisquick mix or flour. Knead until smooth.

Roll dough out until it is about 1/2" thick. Using a doughnut cutter or whatever you have on hand - biscuit cutter or even a drinking glass. Cut the Hole out. If you didn't use a doughnut cutter, use what you have. I used a clean medicine bottle.

In a skillet (I used a small iron skillet) heat enough vegetable oil or shortening to about 375º to partially submerge them. It should cook a doughnut to a golden brown in about 40 seconds. If you get big a skillet, they the doughnuts can cook quickly if the oil is too hot and you won't have time to think.

Gently place the doughnuts into the heated oil. As soon as they come to the surface, or are a light golden brown, use tongs to flip them over so they'll expand evenly without cracking. When they're golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon or rubber tipped tongs and let them drain on absorbent paper. I used cookie cooling racks with paper towels under them.



Top it off. Which topping you choose, I suggest a shallow bowl for the glazes and only dipping one side of the doughnut, the gooey stuff will drip down the side! If you have little ones, they might enjoy some colorful sprinkles or even chopped nuts on top.

Confectioner's Sugar Glaze
Blend 4 tsp. milk or water with 1 C. powdered sugar in a bowl that would be easy for dipping your donuts in. I added a dash of salt and a hint of vanilla and it seemed to be better.

Powdered Sugar: I have a shaker filled with powdered sugar - simply shake however much you want.

Chocolate: There are many recipes out there, but this is what we finally settled on. I did mine in the microwave - I had too much going on to babysit a pan on the stove.

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4-6 tablespoons hot milk
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Chocolate Frosting: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted
   If you do this in the microwave, only heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between
   heating.
2. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.