Overnight French toast: Perfect for Christmas morning

For the French toast:

 1 loaf French bread, torn into bite-sized pieces

8 eggs

2 cups milk (I used 2 percent)

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)

For the topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

For serving:

pure maple syrup

Grease a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Distribute the torn bread evenly in the dish. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla and bourbon (if using) until it's smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing the bread down into the mixture gently until fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To make the topping: in a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the French toast and sprinkle it evenly with all of the cinnamon crumble mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, until puffed up, browned and set in the center. Slice into squares and serve while warm with pure maple syrup. Recipe adapted from Food Network.

Maya Wilson lives in Kenai and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.

Banoffee Pie

 Recipe from Marel and Tom Stock

Banoffee Pie recipe refined according to our experience

Cover the cans of sweetened condensed milk in water in a pot, bring to a boil, then move heat to low (just high enough to keep movement in the water). Cook 4 hours, checking occasionally to ensure the water level doesn't drop below the top of the cans. After the 4 hours, wait for the water to cool for about 10 minutes and then remove the cans.

Graham cracker crust:

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 wheat bran (or another 1/4 cup of crumbs if bran not available)

1/3 cup turbinado sugar

6 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine crust ingredients and press into pan, bake at 375 for 7 minutes. Once the crust has cooled, spread 1 1/2 cans of toffee into the crust. Cut 2 bananas lengthwise, and lay on the toffee, following the curve of the pan, and cutting bananas where necessary to make them fit. For the topping mix 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of cream with several (4-6) grated truffles and a few tablespoons (2-3) of sugar and whip until it holds its shape, and then spread onto the pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I think the original banoffee pie uses a digestive biscuits ...

Basic Cream Pie (banana & coconut)

 from  The Lion House Cookbook

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup half-and-half cream

3 egg yolks

2 Tablespoons butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

baked 9 inch pie shell

Directions:

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan.  Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, stirring constantly (if you don't stir it will be grainy).  Pour a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks;  blend thoroughly, then pour back into saucepan.  Cook another 2 or 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

COCONUT CREAM:  Add 1/2 cup toasted to pie filling.  Pour into baked shell.  Chill 3 to 4 hours.  When ready to serve, whip the cream and spread over pie.  Top with another 1/2 cup coconut.

BANANA CREAM:  Slice 2 bananas into pie shell.  Pour the filling over the bananas.  Chill 3 to 4 hours.  When ready to serve, whip cream and spread over pie.  

Chocolate Cream:  Decrease sugar in pie filling to 3/4  cup.  Add 1/2 cup chocolate syrup to cooked mixture.  (or use the full cup of sugar and 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips.)  Pour into pie shell.  Chill 3 to 4 hours.  when ready to serve, whip cream and spread over pie.  Makes 6 servings.  

Kern Thanksgiving Turkey (Spatchocked and baked in a bag.)

 Brine:

1 cup salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock (I just use some better than bullion)

1 Tbsl Black Peppercorns

1 1/2 tsp allspice berries

1 1/2 tsp chopped candied ginger

`1 gallon heavily iced water.  

Turkey:

14-16 lbs

Injectables:

melted Butter

hot sauce - tabasco (put a lot in Jared's piece, but go easy on the rest of the turkey)

 

fresh garlic, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary (if desired scatter them on top of turkey before closing the turkey bag.)

Directions:

1. thaw turkey 2-3 days before roasting in the refrigerator.

2. combine vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and ginger in  large stockpot over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Then remove brine from the heat to cool to room temperature.

3. Early on the day you'd like to eat, combine the brine water and ice water.  I use less than a gallon of stock or ice water and just use my stock pot.  Cut out the backbone and save it with the innards covered in the fridge. Place the thawed turkey in the brine.  Put it in the fridge for 8  hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.  

4. Preheat oven to 500*.  Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.  Discard the brine.  Place bird on roasting rack inside a turkey bag (with flour).  Tuck wing tips behind back.  arranging so that it does not overlap the edges, pressing down on the breast bone to flattern the breasts slightly.   Leave the top part of the turkey exposed out of the bag.  Do not close it yet.

5.  Melt 4 T of butter with 4 T hot sauce.  mix together and inject into the turkey.  Inject every inch or so.  Coat the bird and skin with olive oil.

6.  Roast turkey at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove the turkey and then seal the turkey bag - cutting a few holes into the top.  Insert a prove thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and set alarm to 161.  A 14-16 lb bird should require a total of 2-2.5 hours of roasting.  Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.

 

Perfect Peach Pie

from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Ingredients

 Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust for a 2-crust 9-inch pie.

1 2/4 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 16ths: about 8 medium or 6 cups.  I use under-ripe peaches that are still firm.

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

a pinch of salt

4 tsp corn starch (I'm usually generous)

1/2 tsp pure almond extract (again, I'm generous)

Directions:

1. Mix sliced peaches with lemon juice, sugar, salt.  Allow to macerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

2.  Drain and transfer peach juice (about 1 cup)  into a small non-stick saucepan.  Over medium high heat boil down the liquid until it has reduced to about 1/3 cup, or until syrupy and lightly carmelized.  Swirl pan, don't stir while doing this. (my peaches don't generate as much juice because they aren't all the way ripe.)

3.  Meanwhile toss the cornstarch and almond extract in with the peaches.  Then pour the sypup over the peaches, tossing gently.  

4. Pour filling into pie shell, and then cover with top crust.  Preheat oven to 425*and set a baking stone on the lowest oven rack.   Cover Pie loosely with plastic wrap then chill pie for at least 20 minutes - 1 hr.  

5. Place chilled pie directly on the baking stone and bake 40-50 minutes or until the juice bubble thickly.  After 30 minutes, protect the edges from overbrowning with a foil ring.

6. Cool pie on rack for at least 3 hours before cutting.  

Tamago Egg Sushi

 Mom's Sushi Rice from All Recipes

3.5 cups Japanese sushi style rice

1 (4 inch) piece konbu dried kelp

4 water

1/2 cup Sushi Seasoning

toasted sesame oil for hands

1. Place rice into a large, deep bowl. Fill with cold water and rub rice together with hands until the water turns milky white. Pour off the cloudy water, being careful not to pour out the rice. Repeat 3 or 4 times until you can see the rice through 3 inches of water.

2. Drain the rice in a fine strainer, then place into a saucepan along with konbu and 4 cups water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Stir together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved in a small bowl, set aside.

3. Cover, and bring rice to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes. (I used my instapot rice setting low white rice for 10 minutes).

4. Scrape rice into a bowl; remove and discard the konbu. Stir in vinegar mixture until well incorporated and no lumps of rice remain. Allow to cool at room temperature -or it is too hot to handle. For a shinier appearance, use an electric fan to cool the rice rapidly.  Put Toasted Sesame oil on hands when handling rice so it doesn't stick to you. 

Japanese Tamago Egg

8 eggs

1/2 cup prepared dashi stock

2 T white sugar

2 tsp mirin (Japanese Sweet Wine)

1 tsp soy sauce

vegetable oil or spray to grease pan

1. Beat eggs thoroughly in a bowl; whisk in dashi stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce until sugar has dissolved.

2. Place a nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium heat. Oil the pan with vegetable oil. Pour a thin layer of egg mixture into the hot pan and swirl to coat pan.( I don't have a special pan so I just used my griddle)

3. When egg layer is firm on the bottom but still slightly liquid on top, lift up about 1 inch of the edge of the omelet with a spatula and fold end over remaining egg layer; continue rolling the omelet to the end and push the roll to the edge of the skillet. Oil the skillet again if it looks dry; pour another thin layer of egg into the skillet and lift the roll to let the egg flow underneath the omelet roll. Fold the omelet roll over the new layer of egg, continuing to roll to the end as before. Push omelet to edge of skillet.

4. Pour a new egg layer into the skillet, oiling the pan if needed. Roll the omelet over to incorporate the next egg layer into the roll. Pour new layers and roll into the omelet until all egg mixture has been used. Remove omelet to a serving platter and cut into 6 equal pieces to serve.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

 From the Cookies and Cups Cookbook 

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar (She combines dark and light)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 (12-ounce) bag mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl beat butter and all the sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.

3.  Add the baking soda, baking, powder, and coarse sea salt.  Mix until combines. 

4. Turn the mixer speed to low and add the flour.

5. stir in the chocolate chips.  It says to cover the dough and refrigerate overnight but we never do that.

6. Using a large (3 tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

7.  Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers are almost set.  Underbaking the centers of the cookies slightly will help the cookies stay sofr. 

8.  Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rac to cool completely.

These are HUGE cookies and I usually get 14-18 in a batch.  It depends on how much dough you eat!

Kern Family Belgian Waffle Recipe (emeril lagasse)

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups milk
• non-stick cooking spray

• Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.  In one medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a second bowl use the wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow.  Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk to the eggs and whisk to combine.  Combine the egg-milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk just until blended.  Do not over mix.  In third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.  Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter.  Do not overmix!  Coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid.  Close and cook as per manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Note: I actually start with melting the butter in a large bowl and then add the separated eggs into two bowls (whites in a clean one, yolks with the melted butter) . This just saves me extra bowls.

Also I make 1.5 of this recipe for our family of 7.

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