baked lemon & blueberry french toast

 

Happy Spring, friends!

Spring is spectacular here in Northern Virginia!

I am in awe every day at the bright colors, stunning flowering trees, daffodils, and tulips . . . and although I've taken a ton of photos over the last few weeks - they truly don't capture what the eye can see.

Spring has not only brought beauty to our landscape, but our markets are brimming with new fruits and vegetables. We've been enjoying sweet strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and asparagus - almost daily.

Spring also brought family to our neck of the woods!

We hosted family for almost 3 weeks. I had a few days in between visits to wash sheets and towels . . . and plan meals for the next family visit.

Do you plan meals when you host friends and family? I always do. It helps keep me organized, and provides a 'meal calendar,' of sorts. I would much rather spend my thoughts and energy with family and friends, rather than trying to figure out what to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A breakfast, or brunch, dish that's always on my menu is Baked French Toast. It's fast and easy to prepare  . . . and delicious, too! Since we've had the sweetest blueberries lately, I've been adding lemons and blueberries to our french toast. I recently made a version using lemons and raspberries . . . and it was crazy pretty AND yummy!

Although the recipe calls for a combination of half-and-half AND milk to the custard base, if all you have is milk, then use what you have on hand. I highly recommend using whole milk though.

The combination of half-and-half AND milk makes for an extra rich custard, but a milk-only custard base is also delicious.

The addition of vanilla and lemon zest makes the custard smell heavenly . . . and adds to the deliciousness of this dish.

And the crumble streusel and maple cream cheese glaze . . . Well, it makes this otherwise SIMPLE and HUMBLE dish unique, extra special, and crazy yummy!

Enjoy, friends! I hope it becomes a favorite with your family, too!

lemon & blueberry baked french toast

with crumble streusel & maple cream cheese glaze

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

crumble streusel

1 stick unsalted butter, melted 

3/4 cup pure cane granulated sugar 

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 

.     .     .     .     .     .     .
lemon & blueberry french toast 
1 loaf brioche or challah bread, 1-inch thick slices 

8 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

Dash salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

maple cream cheese glaze
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 - 8 ounce tub of whipped cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup pure maple syrup
.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation

For the crumble topping

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat until it begins to turn light golden brown.

Whisk in the sugar and cook until smooth.

Take the pot off the heat and add the flour and salt - and mix until clumps begin to form. Refrigerate the crumb mixture for 15 minutes.

For the lemon French toast batter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice Challah bread into 1-inch slices.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish. 

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and lemon zest --- and beat with a whisk until blended, but not too bubbly.

Pour mixture into a shallow bowl.

Grab a slice of bread and submerge it in the custard. Soak with enough custard to cover both sides of the bread, then layer it in the prepared baking pan, overlapping the slices (pictorial here).

Repeat the process until the pan is full.

Sprinkle blueberries between, and on top of, slices.

Sprinkle the top with crumble streusel.

Bake until the top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of maple cream cheese glaze.

For the glaze

Either by hand or in a stand mixer, whisk together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Slowly pour the maple syrup into the cream cheese and butter mixture until combined and smooth.

Drizzle the glaze over the baked french toast.

Another amazing baked french toast recipe . . . 

                                                      baked pumpkin french toast

with cinnamon crumb streusel & maple cream cheese glaze

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

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I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!

double chocolate dutch baby

We had a wonderfully fun and FULL Thanksgiving weekend!

I loved having my Littles home for 5 days! We slept in every day, feasted on Thanksgiving brunch left-overs (Pumpkin French Toast! Brown sugar bacon! YUM!!), started decorating for Christmas, and celebrated our oldest son's engagement to his long-time girlfriend.  Although I miss my family and friends back home terribly, we had so much to celebrate and be thankful for, even from afar.

~ Thanksgiving Brunch 2016 ~

We visited our first Tree Farm over the weekend . . . and it was so beautiful!

Snickersgap Tree Farm is nestled on a hillside in the breathtaking area of Bluemont. We bundled up . . . sweatshirts, jackets, gloves, scarves and knit caps . . . and ventured up and down the hillside looking for the perfect tree. I loved watching our Littles run free!

And that view!! Northern Virginia's landscape is breath-taking! It's one of the prettiest states I've visited in our Union.

~ Pumpkin French Toast ~

with cinnamon crumble top and maple cream cheese glaze

RECIPE COMING SOON!

~ Chili Brown Sugar Bacon ~

RECIPE COMING SOON!

~ Sweet Potato Hash  ~

with slow-cooked caramelized onions

RECIPE COMING SOON!

Ok, so our relaxing weekend had me thinking about dutch baby's. 

Have you heard of them, or better yet, have you had one? It's a cross between a tender sweet pancake and a popover. Its base is humble, which makes them the perfect receptacle for syrups, fruits, jams, and powder sugar. 

I shared a recipe for an old-fashioned dutch baby several years ago; and since then - have shared a cinnamon apple and an asparagus & fontina version. They're so simple to prepare and delicious! 

For a hard-core lover of chocolate (that's me!!), I don't know why it took me so long to make a chocolate dutch baby? Well, I couldn't let another weekend pass without figuring out how to make one. 

And Friends, it was so good! So good!

It's puffs are even prettier wearing chocolate!

If you haven't made one before, then let me share again how easy they are to prepare . . . It's as simple as putting all the ingredients in a blender and blending the mixture until it's frothy.  The sizzling hot skillet and butter wait patiently in the oven for the frothy mixture . . . and that's where the magic happens . . . 15 minutes later you have pillows of yumminess!

I recently discovered the magic of flavored maple syrups, too . . .  browned butter maple syrup and chocolate maple syrup. Both are amazing!

I'm going to share the simple recipe for chocolate maple syrup below, because it's uhhhh-mazing on top of a chocolate dutch baby! It's as simple as adding a little cocoa powder and melted butter to maple syrup. Good-NESS!!! 

Add that on top of your chocolate dutch baby, along with fresh whipped cream . . . . and you have a very special breakfast, brunch, or dessert! 

Ok friends, I hope I shared enough photos in this post to send you running into your kitchen to make one!

double chocolate dutch baby

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

3 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup, 2 Tablespoons whole milk, room temperature

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

generous pinch of salt

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

chocolate maple syrup

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 Tablespoons unsalted butter

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

fresh whipped cream

1 cup chilled heave cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place butter into a cold 10-inch cast iron pan or an 8x8 baking dish and place the pan with butter into the oven while the oven is preheating.

In a blender, using a hand mixer, or using a whisk by hand, whip the flour, eggs, milk, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. Blend or beat the mixture until it is nice and frothy!

Pour the batter in the center of the hot pan. The batter should sizzle in the butter. Close the oven and watch it rise.

Bake for 15 minutes.

While the pancake is baking, mix all the ingredients for the chocolate syrup in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Set aside.

In a chilled bowl, using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a chilled bowl using a hand mixer , whip chilled heavy cream and vanilla. With the mixer running, sprinkle in confectioners sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form.

Let the dutch baby cool slightly before topping it with the chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice.

                                                         .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

old-fashioned dutch baby

cinnamon apple dutch baby

asparagus & fontina dutch baby

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

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I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!

raspberry crumble bars

Simply . . . delicious!

Easy to prepare, as well as versatile ~ this crumble bar will delight you and your friends & family. 

Not a fan of raspberry? No problem. You can substitute the preserve with one that you do like . . . . blackberry, huckleberry, gooseberry, peach, apricot, apple. The possibilities are endless.  

And if you don't have time to make your own preserves, then turn to your local market for this jarred delight. 

This dessert can simply be enjoyed by itself, or warmed slightly and served with vanilla ice cream. I promise your guests will ask for seconds.

Wrap a generous-sized bar in parchment 

paper and tie it with twine or ribbon!

It makes for a great gift!

~ hostess ~ birthday ~ party favors ~

Ingredients

12 Tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for the pan

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 medium egg, beaten

1 cup Raspberry Preserves, store bought or home-made 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

Add the flour, both sugars, oats and salt to a bowl in your stand mixer. 

Add in the butter and egg and beat at low speed. 

Stop the machine and scrape the bowl down a couple of times. Keep processing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

Keep 2 cups crumb mixture aside.

Press the remaining crumb mixture on the bottom the prepared pan. Spread the Raspberry Preserves over top, leaving 1/2-inch border. 

Crumble the rest of the oat mixture over the preserves.

Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 50 minutes. 

Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Raspberry Preserves

1 quart raspberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 3/4 cup sugar

Put your raspberries and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it's at a simmer, partially cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Pass the berry mixture through a food mill and measure the liquid that remains. You need 3 1/2 cups. Add more water if there isn't enough.

Put the berry liquid into a new saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer again. Once it simmers, start adding your sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Give it a stir to incorporate and bring it back to a simmer before adding of the next 1/2 cup sugar. Once the last 1/2 cup is added, bring the liquid to 216 to 218 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Stir constantly.

Let this cool to room temperature prior to using. If not using right away, refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

Yield: 2 cups

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

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Thank you so much for stopping by!

I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!