Baked Apple French Toast

My friend Diane Crusco made this Baked Apple French Toast during our Quilter's Weekend in Marion in November 2012. It was yummy and it's another example of work that can be accomplished well ahead of breakfast.

Peel, core and slice 5 apples into rings - any type of apple will work although the recipe calls for Granny Smith. Diane used Macintosh.

Slice one large loaf of French bread into 1-1/2 inch slices. Place the bread tightly into one layer in a 9x13" pan that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray.

Whisk together 8 eggs, 3 cups milk, 1/4 c. sugar and 1 T. of vanilla.

Cover the bread with a one half of the egg mixture.

Place apple rings on top of bread to cover.

Pour remaining egg mixture on top of the apples.

Mix 1/4 cup of sugar with 2 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the apples and dot all with 2 T. of butter.

Bake for 35 min. if you bake immediately. Bake 50-60 min if refrigerated overnight in a 350 degree oven. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

You may prepare this French toast in advance. Cover and refrigerate overnight and bake the next morning for 50 minutes. Don't put the cinnamon sugar on until ready to bake.

Potage Belgique

I used to make this wonderful soup often. It's from San Francisco a la Carte, one of my favorite cookbooks. I'm hoping to make it over the Christmas holiday this year. 4 T butter 5 large leeks washed and thinly sliced 1/2 lb mushrooms thinly sliced 4 cups chicken stock salt and pepper 4 med. pot, peeled and diced 1 cup light cream chopped chives for garnish. Saute leeks and mushrooms in butter 5 min. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and simmer 30 min. Blend all in blender until smooth, adding cream. Garnish with cream.

New England Baked Fish Stew

It's been awhile since we've posted - but we've been cooking constantly on our weekends in Marion.

Tonight, Gerry made a fish stew that we saw in the Boston Globe Magazine. It was baked in a dutch oven IN the oven It was yummy and I didn't have to lift a finger. I can't wait to have another bowl tonight after I get home from work at 9:00 p.m.

New England Fish Stew

(Adam Ried adapted it from Jasper White's 50 Chowders.

6 ounces bacon

3 large onions, halved and sliced

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

Salt and black pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

2/3 cup dry white wine

1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved, and sliced 3/8 inch thick

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 pounds thick white fish fillets (such as hake, haddock, bass, or halibut), skinned

    We also have been adding 3/4 lb. scallops (cut into bite-sized pieces) and 1 lb. shrimp, deveined and

    tails removed.) Add shrimp at end. If the stew is very, very hot, the shrimp will cook in the

    broth before serving. 

1½ cups fish stock or seafood stock or more for a brothier stew.

2/3 cup heavy cream or more for a brothier stew.

4 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

With the oven rack in the lower-middle position, heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 4 to 7 minutes. Drain the bacon, then crumble it and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat, adjust to medium-high heat, add the onions, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt, and saute until vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and wine, bring to a simmer, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dissolve the fond and cook off the alcohol, about 2½ minutes. Set the pot aside off heat; remove half the onion mixture to a bowl and reserve.

Cover the onions in the pot with half the potatoes, drizzle with half the butter, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Arrange the fish over the potatoes and sprinkle more salt and black pepper. Spread the reserved onion mixture over the fish and repeat layering with the remaining potatoes and butter; lightly season with salt and black pepper. Pour the fish stock into the pot, cover, and bake until potatoes are just tender, about 40 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with reserved bacon, and pour cream over the top. Adjust heat to 425 and bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are very tender and the stew is beginning to brown around the edges, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, partially cover, and rest for 10 minutes. Stir just to mix, taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary, sprinkle with the scallions, and serve.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

In 1979 the Junior League of San Francisco published the wonderful San Francisco a la Carte cookbook and I received it from my good friend, Betsy, in 1980 for Christmas. My worn book has seen many splatters and has suffered many dog-eared pages over the years and one of my very favorite recipes is the Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. I decided to make it for Gerry's birthday which was this weekend because it is that delicious and pretty impressive in three layers, frosted top and sides with chopped pecans encrusting the sides. We had 12 guests for brunch and there was very little cake left!

Line the bottom of three baking pans (8 inch rounds) with parchment or waxed paper and also spray the sides and bottom with PAM for Baking. Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Thoroughly stir together:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon

Set aside.

Beat four eggs until frothy and slowly beat in 1 cup corn oil. Add in the flour mixture and stir in 4 cups of grated raw carrots.

Pour into prepared pans and bake. Cool in pans for 1 minutes. Remove to cake racks.

When the layers have cooled, frost each layer and then the whole cake when assembled.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Blend 8 oz cream cheese, soft
4 T butter soft
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Store in refrigerator.

Butter-Rich Coffeecake

Here's another amazing recipe, a no-fail recipe, from my favorite book, Bundt Cakes. It's great with a vanilla glaze and it is so easy using a cake mix.

Step One:
Combine 3 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a prep bowl.

Step Two:
Mix dry ingredients by hand: 1 package yellow cake mix, 1 package (3-3/4 oz) instant vanilla pudding.

Step Three:
Add 2/3 c. oil, 1 c water and 4 eggs, 1 tsp, imitation butter flavoring and 1 tsp. vanilla and beat all for 5 minutes at medium speed.

Step Four:
Pour one-third batter into bundt pan prepared with baking PAM. Cover with 1/2 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat. Then top with remaining batter.

Step Five:
Bake for 40-45 minutes in 350 degree oven until done. Cool in pan 15 minutes and turn out to cool.
Top with glaze made with 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 T. milk plus 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp. butter flavoring and 1 T. light corn syrup.

Oatmeal Date Cake

Here's another amazing recipe, a no-fail recipe, from my favorite book, Bundt Cakes. Years ago I used to make this recipe with Eggbeater's egg-whites and Promise margarine for a low-cholesterol version. Whichever version, they are both delicious warm with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. Or plain and cold. It's a great alternative to gingerbread.

This recipe can be assembled in three steps just prior to mixing (step four) and baking (step five) as much as a day in advance.

Step One:
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
2 cups boiling water
1-2/3 cups pitted dates, quartered*
3/4 cup butter or margarine
*Or use the sugared, chopped version and eliminate 1/4 cup sugar from the recipe.

Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal, dates and margarine and set aside. Stir after a few moments to mix and let cool to lukewarm before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate if you are waiting to mix and bake the cake but bring the mixture up to room temperature before mixing.

Step Two:
1-1/2 cup flour, 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Mix all the dry ingredients by hand and set aside.

Step Three:
Just before mixing and baking, beat 3 eggs until thick, adding 1-1/4 c. white and 1-1/4 c. brown sugars and then 2 tsp. vanilla.

Step Four:
Blend the egg mixture into the oatmeal mixture, folding in the flour mixture.

Step Five:
Pour into a prepared pan (use PAM for Baking) and bake for 55-60 minutes in 350 degree oven until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out to cool.

Chunky Apple Cake

In 1975 my mother gave me a small paperback book titled Bundt Cakes published as an Owlswood Productions Cookbook in 1973. The book is falling apart (the cover is unattached), the pages are stained with butter, sugar and spice. I've added personal notes over the years: "delicious with sweetened whipped cream" or "delicious with topping!" It is simply one of my favorite books and it has never failed me.

This weekend we were invited to a block party in our new neighborhood in Marion, MA. We were asked to bring desserts or appetizers (along with drinks and folding chairs.) I made this cake and was disappointed when the party was postponed due to drenching rains. As consolation, Gerry and I enjoyed a small piece of cake after dinner Saturday night and he'll bring the rest of it into work tomorrow. I'm sure everyone will love it. It was as good as ever.

Glaze the cake with any sweet glaze. I used about a cup of confectioner's sugar with a tablespoon of milk and black walnut extract.

Peel and chunk five cups of apples. In a large bowl coat them with 1 T. fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar. Set them aside as early as a day before (in a Ziploc bag in the frig.)

Be sure to liberally grease the bundt pan with PAM - the Baking option. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Convection is fine.)

Wet: 2/3 cup cooking oil, 3 eggs and 2 cups sugar.

Dry: 3 c. flour, 3 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs, mixing well. Add apple chunks with a spoon.

Mix the dry ingredients separately and add with a spoon or spatula to the sugar/oil/egg/apple mix until well mixed.

Pour into the pan and bake 55-60 minutes until a cake tester (or wooden pick) comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out.

Cool before glazing.