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

 on Facebook

.      .      .      .      .

INSTAGRAM & Pinterest

Thank you so much for stopping by!

I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!

orange spiced crumb cake . . . a new Fall favorite

 

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you!

I discovered it last Fall while watching Brunch @ Bobby's, one of my favorite shows on Food Network.   If you know me well, or if you've followed me for very long, then you know that my favorite time of day to entertain is brunch.

I'm always looking for new recipes to add to my brunch menus . . . and this recipe for orange spiced crumb cake will be a new staple for my Fall and Winter menus.

It's moist . . . flavorful . . . and has a tender crumb. And oh! the streusel topping . . . it's perfection, too! And there's a lot of it. I think the ratio might be 50% cake / 50% streusel . . . oh my!

What makes this crumb cake a perfect recipe for any Fall gathering is the addition of cardamom and orange . . . a combination made in heaven.  And because it's baked in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, it yields enough to serve a crowd.

I noticed that it tastes even better on the second and third day. I'm sure it's even better on the fourth day, but I wouldn't know because it's always gone before that.

It's also a great recipe to bake the day before hosting a gathering, since the flavors intensify with every passing day.  You can spend the extra time you'll have the day of your gathering with your family and friends, instead of in the kitchen (smile).

My crew gobbled up the first batch within 48 hours!

It was so good that I quickly baked another batch to share with our Littles' teachers. I cut big 5 x 5-inch squares, wrapped them in cellophane sheets, and then tied them with big burnt orange-colored bows. Our youngest daughter's teacher told her that it was her favorite treat yet!

I keep oranges in our fridge these days, just so that I can make this crumb cake at a moments notice!

We have guests coming from out-of-state to stay with us soon (I'm so excited!), and I think a beautiful platter piled high with orange spiced crumb cake will surely be on our breakfast table . . . along with my favorite strata with spicy Italian sausage, Gruyere, spinach, and shallots. 

Fall entertaining can't get much easier than this! Enjoy, friends!

Crumb Topping 
1 1/2 cups pecans, optional 
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted 
3/4 cup light brown sugar 
1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar 
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
.     .     .     .     .     .     . 

  

Cake 
1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup whole milk 
1/4 cup canola oil 
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2 large eggs 
.     .     .     .     .     . 

Glaze 
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar 
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
2 teaspoons orange juice 
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  
.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation

For the crumb topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
Spread the pecans in an even layer onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring once, until lightly golden brown and just fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack and let cool slightly before coarsely chopping.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat until it begins to turn light golden brown. 
Whisk in both of the sugars and cook until smooth. 
Take the pot off the heat and add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and mix until clumps begin to form. Refrigerate the crumb mixture for 15 minutes.

For the cake
Heavily butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. 
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 
Whisk together the melted butter, milk, canola oil, orange zest, vanilla and eggs. 
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing out the surface. 
Scatter the crumbs in large clumps over the cake; the crumb layer should be quite deep.
Bake until the crumbs are golden and firm and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 55 minutes. 
Transfer to a rack to cool.

For the glaze 
Whisk together the sugar, butter, juice, zest and vanilla.
Once the cake is cool, drizzle the glaze over it and cut into 9 pieces. 
Serve on a platter.
recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

 on Facebook

.      .      .      .      .

INSTAGRAM & Pinterest

Thank you so much for stopping by!

I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!

cranberry orange muffins . . . simple bakery style muffins

Can you believe it's December?!

I took off a few days from blogging to recoup from a busy, busy Thanksgiving week.

Our 5 and 6-year-old were out of school all week, so that made for a busier house with entertaining them and working on Thanksgiving Dinner preparations.  

By the time Friday arrived, all I could do was dream of enjoying a hot vanilla brulee and relaxing on the couch.   

And so I did! I enjoyed a quiet, relaxed morning . . .  and watched lots of holiday cooking shows, which got me excited for Christmas . . . and all the amazing baking (and giving) that happens through December! 

I don't know about you, but I host more casual and formal gatherings during the holiday season than any other time of year . . . and my favorite time of day to host is late morning for brunch. 

I like to include an assortment of muffins and scones to my menu for those looking for something a little sweet to add to their plate . . . 

                and this amazing recipe from Cook's Illustrated is my 'go to' . . . and yields tender and moist bakery style muffins.

The pops of bright pinkish-red cranberries and specks of orange zest pair up with a sweet, crunchy raw sugar top . . . making this a delicious holiday-inspired muffin!

I hope you and your family and friends enjoy them as much as we do!

Happy holiday baking!

cranberry orange muffins

.     .     .     .     .     .

3 cups (15 ounces) all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups, PLUS 3 Tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups plain low fat yogurt

Zest of 1 large orange

2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped

2 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar

raw sugar

.     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heave oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray (or use liners) 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Coarsely chop cranberries and toss with 2 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in 2 additions, alternating with 3 additions of yogurt, scraping down bowl as needed.

Fold in orange zest and chopped cranberries.

Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. using a teaspoon, generously sprinkle raw sugar on top of muffin batter.

Bake until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.

Remove muffins from the time and set on a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

* I prefer baking muffins in LARGE muffin tins to give them that home-made, luscious home-baked appearance.

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

on Facebook

Sharing with . . . .

Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Baking in Pajamas, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Rustic Refined,  Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage,  Chic California, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, Sweet Bella Roos, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Everyday Enchanted Home, Pure Grace Farms A Dish of Daily Life, Bacon Time, Sunflower Supper Club, Tater Tots and Jello,  Cooking with Curls, Made from Pinterest, Simply Gloria

pumpkin scones with pumpkin spice icing

I'm crazy excited to share this amazing recipe with you!

I've been wanting to make pumpkin scones since I found this recipe in one of my cooking magazines last year, but the Fall season kept me so busy that I never got around to it.
   
          

Not this year though! I've made these several times since the start of Fall . . . and plan on making them through Thanksgiving!

So what makes these pumpkin scones so darn good?

Well, they're not only tender, light, and moist . . . but they're the prettiest shade of orange, smell like sweet pumpkin, and have an amazing pumpkin spice icing on them! Hello!

                  They're FULL of everything that Fall baking is all about!

I hope that my photos entice you to make some for yourself and your family this weekend. Be ready to fall in LOVE with them, too!

Pumpkin Scones

makes 8 scones

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Scone

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp canned pumpkin puree, chilled (don't chill in can)

wet ingredients

3 1/2 Tbsp buttermilk

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp half and half

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp half and half, then more as needed

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Pumpkin Spice Icing

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp half and half

Scone preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a food processor pulse together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended (if you don't have a food processor you can whisk by hand in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter). 

Add butter and pulse mixture several times to cut butter into mixture (large pieces of butter should no longer be visible). Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and create a well in center.

In a bowl whisk together chilled pumpkin puree, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract and honey. 

Pour mixture into well in flour/butter mixture. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then knead in bowl (or on work surface) by hand several times to bring mixture together. 

Dust a work surface with flour then invert dough onto surface. Pat and shape dough into an even 8-inch round. Using a large knife, slice into 8 equal wedges (dust knife with flour as needed while cutting, it will be fairly sticky).

Transfer scones to a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp half and half then bake in preheated oven 13 - 15 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes (no longer) before spreading with glaze.

Glaze preparation

In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar and half and half, adding more half and half as needed to reach desired consistency (it should be fairly thick not runny). 

Spoon and spread mixture scones to evenly coat tops (use all of it). 

Let glaze set at room temperature.

Pumpkin Spice glaze preparation

In another mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and half and half. Transfer mixture to a small Ziploc bag, seal bag, cut a small tip from corner and drizzle mixture over tops of scones. Allow icing to set. Best served day prepared.

Courtesy of  Fine Cooking magazine

Fall entertaining . . .

   Invite your neighbors over for a light brunch . . . These make a great addition!

 

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

on Facebook

baked eggs with spicy roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, manchego, and goat cheese

I'm sharing this wonderful recipe with you as a brunch dish; but truth be told, I've made it for Sunday dinner a few times since serving this at our son's birthday brunch a few weeks ago.

I love this dish! It's sweet & savory, slightly spicy (if you choose to add a dash of cayenne or red pepper), and creamy . . . and just delicious! I want to add crumbled spicy Italian sausage to the sweet potato mixture next time for an even heartier & flavorful dish.

I serve it out of the cast iron pan that it's baked in, along with hot buttermilk biscuits right out of the oven. Yum! It looks so rustic and home-made . . . and reminds me of something that my dad would have loved.

While creating the menu for our son's birthday brunch, I came across this baked egg recipe. Cristina's photos are so appealing that I was sold on the dish right away. It also fits my brunch menu criteria . . . easy-to-prepare and delicious.

I'm not a fan of being tied up in the kitchen cooking and baking while guests arrive. I love greeting our family and friends with a big hug when they come into our home. That's why I have an arsenal of brunch recipes that can be prepared and assembled beforehand . . . so that I can just pop them in the oven for quick baking time. And this is one of those savory dishes.

You'll fall for it, too! The roasted sweet potatoes and caramelized shallots tossed with black beans and then coated with tangy, creamy goat cheese is a delicious combination. Add thin slices of Manchego cheese (a sheep's milk cheese!) for a distinctive creamy flavor . . . and finally, top with fresh cracked eggs . . . BAKE . . . and then enjoy this incredible medley of ingredients and flavors. Even fresh topped tarragon rounds out this dish beautifully . . . leaving you wanting seconds!

Ingredients

 ~ ingredients in this dish are approximate,

if you love a particular ingredient, then add more  ~

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

Olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Cayenne pepper

1 ounce goat cheese

1/2 can of black beans, drained

1/4 cup of diced shallots (or onions)

1/8 lb Manchego, thinly sliced

10-12 large eggs

Tarragon, optional (recommended)

Preparation

Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside and leave the oven on (you'll need it again to bake the eggs).

Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet, sauté the shallots in olive oil until soft. Add in the black beans and goat cheese and stir until all of the beans are coated and the goat cheese has fully melted.

Add in the roasted sweet potatoes and season with about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Layer the Manchego over the top of the sweet potato and black bean mixture.

Crack the eggs over the top and season with freshly cracked black pepper and another sprinkle of salt.

** Egg yolks cook faster when near the edge of the pan, so be sure and crack them at least 1-inch from the edge.
** Be watchful when baking, as to not over-bake the eggs. It tastes best when the yolks are runny.

Cook for a few minutes on the stove top, until you see the eggs beginning to set around the edges.

Transfer the pan into the oven and bake until the egg whites are set, 10-12 minutes (depending on how firm you want your yolks).  Keep a close eye on them, if you prefer runny yolks.

Also keep in mind that the cast iron gets very hot and the eggs will continue to cook just a tad bit more after coming out of the oven. Garnish with tarragon, then cut into slices and serve.

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home 

on Facebook

Sharing with . . . .

Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Baking in Pajamas, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Karen's Up on the Hill, Three Kids and a Fish, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Rustic Refined,  Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co, Home Remedies,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage,  Chic California, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, Sweet Bella Roos, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Everyday Enchanted Home, Pure Grace Farms A Dish of Daily Life, Bacon Time, Sunflower Supper Club, Tater Tots and Jello,  Cooking with Curls