Maple Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 loaf Challah bread sliced 1″ thick

Instructions:

1 – Preheat your oven to 250º F.

2 – Melt 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir in 1 1/3 cup brown sugar and cook until smooth, shiny and pale in color (like caramel).

3 – Pour caramel mixture into a well greased 9”x13” baking pan, spreading the mixture evenly to make a thin layer on the bottom of the pan.

4 – In a separate bowl, mix 4 eggs, 1 cup half and half, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup maple syrup together to make a batter. Dip bread slices in the batter.

5 – Lay the soaked slices in the pan on top if the caramel, laying the slices right next to each other so they are packed tightly in the pan. Pour any remaining batter over the bread slices and place pan in oven.

6 – Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and while pan is still hot, carefully invert the pan onto a large serving platter. Serve immediately.

Easy Coffee Cake

Easy Coffee Cake

From Scratch:
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Butter, room temperature
1 2/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil (or Canola)
4 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Pint (16 oz) Sour Cream
2 1/4 Cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp salt

Topping:
2 Tbsp Flour
3/4 Cup Pecans
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions:
1 – Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2 -In a stand mixer, mix 2 Tbsp Butter, room temperature and 1 2/3 Cup Sugar on med-high speed for 2 min.
3 – Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine 2 1/4 Cup Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder, and 1 tsp salt.
4 – Add 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil (or Canola) to stand mixer and mix for 1 more minute.
5 – Slowly add 4 Eggs and 2 tsp Vanilla Extract to stand mixer. Once combined, add 1 Pint (16 oz) Sour Cream.
6 – Slowly add flour mixture to stand mixer, 1/3 at a time, and mix until combined.
7 – Grease 10 inch bundt cake pan.
8 – Alternate pouring the cake batter mixture, then topping, then batter, then topping, and end with the mixture.
9 – Bake at 350 for 60 min.

From Box mixes:

Instructions:
Mix ingredients below:
1 pkg yellow
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding (5.1 oz)
1 pint sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup salad oil

In separate bowl, mix topping ingredients below:
1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

-Grease 10 inch tube pan.
-Put some topping on bottom, alternate topping and mix, end with topping.
-Bake at 350 for 1 hour

Banana Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cake
350 degrees
Bake 35 minutes
Cool 10 minutes

2/3 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups or 3 fully ripe bananas
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Place shortening in mixing bowl, sift in cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed bananas and 2/3 cup buttermilk. Mix until moistened, beat 2 minutes at medium speed on electric mixer. Add 1/3 cup buttermilk and 2 eggs. Beat 2 minutes longer. If desired fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. Bake in 2 greased and lightly floured 9″ round pans.

Cream Cheese frosting

Double this

Ingredients
1 cup butter (softened)
16 oz cream cheese (softened)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 lb powdered sugar

Instructions
Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and sifted powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth. Test the consistency of the frosting. Too thin? Add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. 
Too thick? Add a teaspoon of milk at a time.
Frost cakes or cupcakes as desired.

Hanger Steak with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

For the Steak
2 7-oz hanger steaks
salt and crushed black pepper
oil
For the Wine Sauce
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter (cold)
1 small bottle (or a glassful, or the equivalent of a cupful) of dry red wine
1 small container (about 1 cup’s worth) beef stock (chicken stock will work too, if you have some lying around)
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Instructions

Season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides (I like very coarsely ground pepper for this) and leave at room temperature.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat for about 5 minutes until hot. Turn the heat to high and leave for 1 minute. Add in a splash of oil (enough to almost coat the bottom of the pan) and leave for 30 seconds. Add the steaks to the pan and cook for 2 1/2 minutes per side (for rare) or 3 minutes per side (for medium rare).
Allow the steaks to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly, and against the grain.
To make the sauce
Heat a small saucepan over medium high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan, add the shallot, and cook until just translucent. Lower the heat to medium, add the wine and cook until almost all the wine has evaporated (it should just be covering the shallots), about 5 minutes. Add in the beef stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 more minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and continue once the steak is resting.
Reheat the sauce and add the mustard. Swirl to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the final tablespoon of cold butter and swirl the pan (don’t stir!) until it’s melted into the sauce.

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
3 tbsp sour cream
4-6 tbsp ice water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten (save the yolk for filling)
2-inch deep cake pan (9-inch diameter) or Spring-form pan

For the Filling:

8 oz ground sausage
1 medium onions, chopped fine
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups whole milk
8 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch nutmeg
6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Prepare the Crust:

1)In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 tsp salt.
2) Add 12 tbsp butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas.
3) In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp sour cream and 1/4 cup of ice water. Add half of the sour cream mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times. Add remaining sour cream mixture and pulse again.
4) Pinch the dough between your fingers. If dough is crumbly and seems too dry, add 1 or 2 tbsp more ice water and pulse until dough comes together into large lumps and all the dry flour is incorporated.
5) Form the dough into a large flat disk, about 6 inches in diameter, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.
6) Line a deep 9-inch diameter cake pan or spring-form pan with 2 long pieces of aluminum foil, allowing a few inches of foil to hang off the sides of the pan. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.
7) Roll out the dough on a generously floured surface and gently place the dough into the prepared pan, pressing the dough into the bottom of the pan. Trim off any dough that hangs over the edge of the pan more than 1 inch.
8) Refrigerate dough-lined pan for 30 minutes, then freeze for 20 minutes. (Make Ahead: If you are planning to bake the quiche the next day, refrigerate the dough overnight at this point, and then continue with the remaining steps in the morning.)
9) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack set in the lower-middle position.
Line dough with aluminum foil and fill completely with pie weights. (If you don’t have enough pie weights, you can use dried beans, or I have even used spare change before.)
10) Bake 30-40 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are beginning to brown but the bottom of the crust is still light in color. Carefully remove the foil and pie weights and return the pan to the oven, baking until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. (Now is a good time to start preparing the filling.)
Remove shell from oven and brush immediately with egg white. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling:
1) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Cook 8 oz sausage in a skillet set over medium heat until browned. Drain.
2) Discard all but 2 tbsp of fat from the pan. Return to medium heat and add finely chopped onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and browned slightly, about 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool a bit.
3) In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of the milk. Whisk in the remaining milk, 8 eggs, 1 yolk, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 pepper, and pinch nutmeg. Whisk until smooth.
4) Sprinkle 6oz cheddar cheese, onions, and sausage in the bottom of the crust. Gently pour 2/3rds of the egg mixture over the top. Place a cookie sheet in bottom rack and put the quiche pan in the middle rack sticking out of the oven slightly. Pour the remaining 1/3 egg mixture over quiche, filling pan to top. 
5) Bake until top of quiche is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours.
6) Transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes. (Do not serve immediately after baking as the quiche needs time to cool and set or your slices won’t come out clean.)

Refrigerator Rolls

Ingredients

2 pkg active yeast

1 3/4 cups warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp salt

5 1/2 to 6 cups flour

1 egg

4 tbsp butter
Instructions

Proof yeast with water and sugar. 

Add salt and 2 cups of flour. Beat. Add butter and mix. Add remaining flour. 

Knead mixture until soft place into greater bowl covered tightly at least 8 hours or overnight. 

Punch it down. Knead. Break into smaller  pierce s and form into rolls. 

Place in greased round 9 inch pie dish. Let rolls raise one hour. 

Bake at 375 or 409 degrees for 17-20 min

Biscuits

Ingredients
4 cups flour

6 tbsp baking powder

6 tbsp butter, cold cut into cubes 

3/4 tsp salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)

Instructions

1) In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. 

2) Add buttermilk. Add cheese. Mix together. 

3) Rollout to approx one inch thickness and cut out biscuits into circles.

4) Place in two greased 9″ pie dish. Top with cheese.

5) Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 min. 

Oatmeal Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal, cooked
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup water
2 packets rapid rise yeast
5-6 cups flour

Instructions

1) Mix all ingredients (only 4 cups of flour) into a shaggy dough.

2) Knead dough onto floured covered surface and mix in 1-2 cups more flour.

3) Let rise 2 hours. Punch down dough and shape into loaves, and place in 2 greased loaf pans.

4) Let rise 2 more hours and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min.

Chicken and Shallots

Instructions

4 Chicken thighs
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp butter
6 shallots, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 sprigs tarragon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved.

Ingredients

1) Coat 4 Chicken thighs with 1 tbsp flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.

2) In cast iron skillet, brown the chicken in 1 tbsp butter until crisp on all sides (doesn’t need to be fully cooked). Set aside.

3) Add 6 chopped shallots to the same pan and sauté until soft (10 min). Add 1 cup white wine, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, and 2 sprigs tarragon. Add chicken thighs, cover pan and simmer for 30 min.

4) Remove lid and simmer for additional 15-20 min so sauce thickens. Add 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and serve.