Baked Bourbon French Toast with Praline Topping

 

Ingredients

· 5 eggs

· 1/3 cups half-and-half

· 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

· 1 tsp vanilla sugar

· 4 tbsp.. bourbon

· Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

· One 1-lb challah bread, cut crosswise into slices about 3/4in thick

· 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

· 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

· 2 tbsp. light corn syrup

· 1/2 cup chopped pecans

· Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)

 

Steps

1. Butter a 9x13in baking dish (or use nonstick cooking spray).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, granulated sugar,
vanilla, 2 tablespoons of the bourbon, and the salt until well combined.

3. Dip each slice of challah into the custard mixture for about 5 seconds, then arrange in an overlapping pattern in the prepared baking dish. Be sure the entire bottom of the dish is covered with bread. Pour any remaining custard evenly over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

4. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

5. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking just until smooth. Stir in the pecans. Spoon the mixture
evenly over the challah in the pan.

6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes more. Watch closely toward the end; the pecans should be crisp but not burnt. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm with maple syrup, if desired.

From: Once Upon a Chef the
Cookbook: 100 tested, perfected, and family-approved recipes
By: Jennifer Segal

Chronical Books LLC

 

Thai Butternut Soup

Ingredients

· 1 teaspoon canola oil

· 1 cup chopped onion

· 2.5 teaspoons red curry paste

· 1.5 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

· 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

· 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

· 2 teaspoons brown sugar

· 2 (12-ounce) packages frozen pureed butternut squash

· 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

· 1.5 teaspoon fish sauce

· .25 teaspoon salt

· .5 cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

· .25 cup cilantro leaves

· 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

 

Steps

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil: swirl to coat. Add onion: sauté 3 minutes. Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger: sauté 45 seconds, stirring constantly.

2. Add broth and next 5 ingredients: cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Place half of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Spoon about 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top with 2 tablespoons peanuts and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4.

 

From: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2014: A Year’s Worth of Cooking Light Magazine

Oxmoor House Publishing

 

Swedish Pancakes

Ingredients

· 2 cups milk

· 4 eggs

· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

· 3 tablespoons sugar

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· Lingonberries or raspberries

· Seedless raspberry jam or fruit spread, warmed

· Whipped topping

 

Steps

1) In a blender, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and process until blended. Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet; pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Repeat with remaining batter, adding oil to skillet as needed. Stack pancakes with waxed paper or paper towels in between. Reheat in the microwave if desired.

2) Fold pancakes into quarters; serve with berries, raspberry jam and whipped topping.

 

Yield: 20 pancakes

From: Celebrations Cookbook: A year of recipes for every occasion—from holiday feasts to family reunions

By: Taste of Home

 

Fudgy Wudgy Chocolate Cookies

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 9-10 minutes per batch

Makes: 45 cookies

 

Ingredients

· 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

· 2 tablespoons butter

· .75 cup flour

· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

· 2 cups chopped pecans

 

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 2-quart glass bowl, cook chocolate with butter in a microwave oven on High 1 to 2 minutes, or until melted and smooth when stirred. Mix in flour until well blended. Add vanilla and sweetened condensed milk and mix well.

2. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto 2 greased foil-lined cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 10 minutes (cookies will be dull on top and soft). Let cookies cool on baking sheets. Carefully remove from foil.  

 

From: 365 Great Chocolate Desserts

By: Natalie Haughton

Harper Collins Publishers

 

National Maple Syrup Day

According to Buddy the Elf, syrup is one of the 4 main food groups, so you don’t want to miss out on National Maple Syrup Day! Every year, this tasty day falls on December 17th, which happens to be a Friday this year. Syrup is commonly used as a yummy addition to pancakes, oatmeal, or toast, so It’s the perfect time to check out one of our breakfast cookbooks. Some titles we recommend include Breakfast Comforts : Enticing Recipes for the Morning, by Rick Rodgers, The Big Book of Bisquick, by Betty Crocker, and Ultimate Skillet Cookbook, by Taste of Home. Syrup also makes a delicious topping for a variety of sweet treats. Check out Tasty Dessert : All the Sweet You can Eat, or Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking by Caroline Bretherton to get recipe ideas. However you plan on celebrating National Maple Syrup day, the BPL is here to help. For these titles and more, check our website or stop in to view our nonfiction selection.

Chocolate PB Drops

 

Ingredients

· 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

· 3/4 cup butter, softened

· 3/4 granulated sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1 large egg yolk

· 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

· 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· 3 tablespoons peanut butter

· 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

 

Steps

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. line large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2) In a medium bowl with wire whisk, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

3) In large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

4) With 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, form dough into balls. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten tops lightly. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

5) Slide cookies, still on parchment, onto wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and cooled, newly lined cookie sheet.

6) Place peanut butter in small microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high for 40 to 60  seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, or until hot. When cookies have cooled, drizzle with melted chocolate and peanut butter. Refrigerate for about 1 1/2 hours, until chocolate and peanut butter set. 

From: Christmas Cookies: 75 Irresistible Holiday Treats

By: Good Housekeeping

 

Smothered Pork Chops

 

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Makes: 4 main-dish servings (395 calories each)

 

Ingredients

· 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white whole-wheat or all-purpose flour

· .5 teaspoon salt

· .5 teaspoon ground black pepper

· 4 (.75-inch-thick) boneless center-cut pork chops (5 ounces each)

· 1 tablespoon canola oil

· 2 large onions (12 ounces each), thinly sliced

· 3 garlic cloves, chopped

· 2 containers (8 ounces each) cremini mushrooms, sliced

· .5 teaspoon dried rosemary

· 1 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

· 1 bag (12 ounces) microwave-in-the-bag green beans

 

Steps

1. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon flour and .25 teaspoon each salt and pepper all over chops. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Cook pork 7 minutes or until browned, turning over once. Transfer to plate.

2. To same skillet, add onions and garlic. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and rosemary; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add 3 tablespoons flour; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add broth in slow, steady stream, stirring constantly. Heat to simmering and return pork to pan in single layer; spoon onion mixture on top. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until pork is barely pink in center; instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into thickest part of pork chop should register 145°F. Stir in remaining .25 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

4. While pork chop simmers, microwave green beans as label directs.
Arrange beans on plates with pork and sauce.

 

From: 400 Calorie Comfort Foods: Easy Mix-and-Match Recipes for a skinnier You!

By: Good Housekeeping

Hearst Communications, Inc.

 

French Toast

 

Ingredients

· 4 eggs

· A good pinch of ground cinnamon

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, plus extra for drizzling

· 12 slices of brioche, white bread, or panettone

· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

· Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

· A star shaped cookie cutter

 

Steps

1) Put the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup in a mixing bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk.

2) Lay the bread slices out on a cutting board and, using the star-shaped cutter, stamp out a star from the middle of each slice.

3) Ask an adult to help you melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4) Dip half the bread stars into the mixture and allow to soak thoroughly on both sides.

5) Add the eggy stars to the hot skillet—you will need to fry them in batches because you should have just one layer of stars in the skillet at a time. Cook for about 1 minute or until they turn golden.

6) Turn the stars over and cook the other sides for another minute.

7) Repeat with the remaining butter and stars. You will have 3 per person. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and drizzle with maple syrup to serve.

 

From: Christmas Cooking with Kids

By: Annie Rigg