Chr-stmas Brunch Ideas

[Gator Pam]

This topic seems to be popular every year, but I don't know how many members go through the older holiday forums. Here's a post of the brunch receipts I rotate through on Chr-stmas morning (newbies, I have a reason why I hyphenate. Feel free to ask before taking offense), which I originally posted in 2005.

 

Apple French Toast

A delicious baked french toast recipe with a wonderful spicy apple syrup. It is prepared the night before and baked just before serving.

 

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

9 slices day-old french bread (3/4" thick)

 

Syrup:

1 cup applesauce

1 10 oz jar apple jelly

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

 

In small saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter and syrup until thick about 5-7 minutes. Pour into ungreased 13x9x2 pan and arrange apple slices on top.

In mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip bread into the egg mix for 1 minute and place over apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

30 minutes before baking remove from refrigerator and let sit out. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 min.

Meanwhile, prepare syrup. Combine all syrup ingredients in medium saucepan. Cook and stir until hot.

Invert french toast onto a serving platter and serve with syrup. Yield: 4 servings.

 

Blueberry French Toast

(Kimberly Amstutz)

 

12 slices day-old white bread, cut into 1” cubes

2 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, cubed

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

12 eggs

2 cups milk

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

 

Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9"-x-13" baking dish.

Place cream cheese cubes over bread.

Top with blueberries

Sprinkle remaining bread cubes on top.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and honey or maple syrup

Pour egg mixture over bread.

Cover and chill for 8 hours, or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Cover and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until golden brown and center is set.

 

For sauce:

 

1 cup sugar

2 TBS cornstarch

1 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 TBS butter or margarine

 

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium sized saucepan.

Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in blueberries.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until blueberries have burst.

Stir in butter or margarine.

Stir until butter is melted.

Serve sauce over French toast.

 

Note: Bottled blueberry syrup can be substituted for the homemade sauce.

 

Creme Brulee French Toast

Serves 6-8

 

2 TBS corn syrup (light or dark)

1/2 Cup butter (stick)

1 Cup brown sugar, packed

1 Loaf French or white bread, thickly sliced - with the crust removed.

 

5 Eggs

1-1/2 Cups half & half

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp Grand Marnier or orange baking liqueur, 70% alcohol (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

 

In a small saucepan combine the syrup, butter and brown sugar; simmer until syrupy. Pour this mixture into a 9" x 13" baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Set aside.

 

Slice the loaf into thick slices, and place the syrup in the baking pan. Place the bread on top of the syrup.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

In the morning, leave the casserole at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake at 350ºF uncovered, for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

 

Serve with maple syrup and butter. (Can be reheated)

 

Eggnog French Toast

(Debbie/Doberlady)

 

1 TBS butter, softened

2 cups eggnog

2 cups milk

6 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

10 slices (about 3/4-inch thick) good quality white bread with crusts

1 cup maple syrup

Optional: 1 tsp rum extract

2 TBS powdered sugar

 

Butter the inside of a 2 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.

 

With a large whisk, beat together eggnog, milk, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Arrange bread in the prepared baking dish, overlapping the slices. Pour batter over bread, then turn slices over, making sure that both sides are covered with batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

The next morning, bake the French toast in a preheated 400-degree oven about 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.While the dish is baking, warm maple syrup with optional rum extract over medium-low heat. Sift powdered sugar over French toast and serve with the syrup on the side. Makes 5 to 10 servings

 

Make-Ahead Chocolate French Toast

From: The Times Record News (Wichita Falls)

Recipe shared by: LyndaMc994

 

1 loaf day-old French bread

1 c milk chocolate chips or cinnamon chips

5 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 c milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Maple syrup, optional

 

Spray a 13x9" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut French bread into 6 slices, each 1 1/2" thick. Using a small sharp knife, cut 2" long slits in one side of each bread slice; cutting 3/4 of the way through the bread, to create a pocket. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of chips into the pocket of each bread slice; press to close. Place filled slices into baking pan. Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon & vanilla. Pour egg mixture evenly over

bread; carefully turn pieces over; spooning mixture in pan over top of bread. Cover pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate several hours or overnight.

 

Heat oven to 400°. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer toast to plates. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired. Serves 6.

 

Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Sauce

From: Favorite Recipes from the Mainstay Inn/PPFQP (Pam)

 

1 loaf firm white bread (Wonder bread)

10 eggs

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 1/2 cups half and half -- or milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

8 TBS butter -- melted

 

Strawberry Sauce:

2 cups sliced strawberries -- fresh or frozen

2 cups strawberry preserves

 

Cube bread and layer half in a 12-x-8.5-in pan. Cut cream cheese into small pieces and scatter across bread. Cover with remaining bread cubes. Mix eggs, half-and-half, maple syrup, and melted butter together well. Pour evenly over bread cubes and press bread cubes down to soak up egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with fresh strawberry sauce or maple syrup.

 

To make sauce, heat sliced strawberries and strawberry preserves together (I use the microwave). Serve over french toast.

 

Some other teriffic brunch recipes that require a little more work assembling in the morning:

 

German Breakfast Pancakes

looks like http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/images/php_dutch.jpg

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Breads Breakfast German

 

6 Eggs

1/8 tsp Salt

1 cup Flour -- unsifted

1/2 cup Milk

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 lb Butter

Powdered Sugar

 

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Lightly beat eggs with salt. Gradually add flour to milk, blending until smooth. Add this mixture and the sugar to the eggs and blend well. Place the butter into the cast iron skillets and place them into the oven until butter melts. Brush butter up sides of skillet(s). Add the batter to the pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until the pancakes rise and puff and are lightly browned.

Lower the temperature to 400 degrees if pancakes are browning too fast. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately with one or more of the toppings suggested below.

Topping Suggestions: Fruit jam, fresh berries, sliced fresh fruit, sour cream, applesauce, sugar and cinnamon.

 

Apple Pancake

looks like http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/images/php_apple.jpg

 

Batter Ingredients:

6 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

 

Topping Ingredients:

4 apples, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup raisins

 

Combine dry ingredients for batter, add liquids. Blend until smooth. Melt butter in oven in a 10” cast iron skillet. Pour apples, raisins, and brown sugar into hot butter in skillet, stir until apples are coated and brown sugar is melted. Return to oven until butter is hot again, add batter. Bake for 20 minutes at 425ºF. Cut pancake into serving pieces. Serves 6-8.

 

Bagels and More Tomato Melt

(Pam/FanofPern)

 

1 bagel or bialy, split and lightly toasted (I get an ET bagel)

2 TBS scallion cream cheese (can use any type of cream cheese), divided

2 slices sweet onion

2 thick slices good beefsteak tomato

2 slices muenster cheese (can use any sliced cheese)

 

Spread 1 TBS cream cheese on each half of the bagel or bialy. Put a slice of onion, tomato, and sliced cheese on each side, in stated order, on each half.

 

Broil both halves of the bagel until sliced cheese turns bubbly and melts.

 

Serve both halves open faced.

 

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter & Jelly Syrups

(Belinda/BAR2969)

 

2 cups biscuit mix

1 cup mashed banana (2 to 3 ripe bananas)

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 TBS butter or margarine

 

Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl just until moistened.

Melt 1 TBS butter on a hot griddle.

Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto griddle.

Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Turn and cook the other side of pancakes.

Repeat procedure with remaining butter and pancake batter.

 

Peanut Butter Syrup

(Belinda/BAR2969)

 

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup peanut butter

 

Whisk together maple syrup and peanut butter until smooth.

Serve pancakes with peanut butter mixture and strawberry syrup.

 

Yield: 12 (4-inch) pancakes

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook: 12 minutes.

 

Notes: I found this recipe in an old Southern Living Magazine that I picked up out of a freebie box at a yard sale. The recipe looked pretty simple to make and even though I did not have any strawberry syrup I made them anyway. They were delicious. My daughter and I both enjoyed them. If you have any leftovers, put them in a single layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze them. When they are frozen, place in an airtight container, and return to the freezer (they will keep for a month). To reheat, broil 6 inches from heat for 2 minutes on each side.

 

Blintz Casserole

 

Filling:

(1) 6 oz package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup cottage cheese

1 egg beaten

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

Batter:

1/2 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)

1/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup orange juice

 

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter and flour a large casserole dish (9x13). In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, add cottage cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla, mix well and set aside.

 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating well. Add flour and baking powder. Mix in sour cream and yogurt and add orange juice.

 

Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared casserole dish, layer in filling and then top with remaining batter. Bake 45-50 minutes until lightly browned. Slice into squares and serve with a dollop of sour cream and yogurt and fresh berry preserves

[Kanyon71]

Paula Deen French Toast Casserole:

 

Ingredients

 

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

 

Praline Topping:

 

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions

 

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra
bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a
generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows,
overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-
half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and
beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too
bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are
covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the
mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

 

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.
Serve with maple syrup.

 

Praline Topping:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast
Casserole.

[Melissa]

I’ve been making your Creme Brûlée French Toast every year ever since you first posted the recipe!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using GottaDEAL

[Gator Pam]

I’ve been making your Creme Brûlée French Toast every year ever since you first posted the recipe!

Sent from my iPhone using GottaDEAL

:biggrin:

[jesusluvu]

I never saw the tread or to busy shopping but I have it now. Thank you. Will be doing a test run in the morning.