Tag: FRENCH TOAST

COOKING THURSDAY ~ DISNEY DAY ~ BLOG 365.113B

DISNEY PIMIENTO CHEESE

2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimento, drained
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, Optional
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, Optional
¼ teaspoon onion powder
FRESH ground salt and black pepper to taste

  • Place Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimento, minced jalapeño, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder in a large bowl, mixiing until thoroughly combined.
  • Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

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Some sites have said the best way to make these sandwiches is with their pimiento cheese. You decide and judge for yourself.

COPY CAT DISNEY GRILLED CHEESE (WOODY’S LUNCH BOX DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS) 
CREAM CHEESE SPREAD
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Double Gloucester or cheddar 
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

  • Combine cream cheese, cheddar, heavy cream, and salt in food processor, blending until smooth.
  • Set aside.

GARLIC SPREAD
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

  • Combine mayonnaise, garlic, and salt in small bowl and stir until blended.
  • Set aside.

SANDWICH
8 slices of artisan bread
8 cheddar cheese slices
8 provolone slices

  • Lay out artisan bread slices on parchment paper or large cutting board.
  • Place 2 slices of cheddar on 4 of the bread slices.
  • Place 2 slices of provolone on remaining bread slices. 
  • Equally spoon cream cheese spread on slices with provolone.
  • Gently smooth cream cheese spread over each slice.
  • Press cheddar side and provolone side together.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, until hot. 
  • Brush both sides of the sandwiches with garlic spread. 
  • Grill sandwiches for 2 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. 

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TONGA TOAST aka THE MAGIC KINGDOM @ HOME

Looking to start your day magically? Try this crave worthy copy cat Disney recipe of Tonga Toast, a fruit stuffed French toast that satisfies ANY & EVERY sweet tooth.

There’s a reason why it’s a fan favorite – and a taste of Disney that everyone talks about. Sweet treats like this are crave-worthy! For the full recipe, see the printable recipe card below! 

Tonga Toast is a must-have Disney breakfast, but it also makes a wonderful dessert for whoever the craving hits for sweet AND fruity!! This fruity stuffed French toast is soft, sweet, and absolutely scrumptious!  

TONGA TOAST aka THE MAGIC KINGDOM @ HOME

CINNAMON SUGAR
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons QUALITY ground cinnamon

  • In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the ¾ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to make the cinnamon-sugar. Set aside.

TOAST
4 LARGE eggs
1 1/2 cups WHOLE milk
1/4 teaspoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 loaf sourdough bread, whole
2 LARGE bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise and then in half to get 4 pieces from each banana
4 cups oil or shortening for frying

  • In a deep bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon and sugar until well combined. Set aside.
  • Slice the two ends off the loaf of bread.
  • Slice the loaf into four equal pieces.
  • In the top of each slice, use a knife to make a slit 3” long across the top and deep enough to reach the bottom crust of the bread without slicing through it.
  • Stuff two of the banana slices side by side vertically into each of the four prepared bread slices.
  • Fill a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven with at least 4 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 375°. Use a candy thermometer to continually monitor the temperature.
  • Submerge each of the prepared bread slices into the egg/milk mixture. Soak for 1-2 minutes, then turn and soak it another 1-2 minutes on the other side to permeate the bread. The thickness of the slice and structure of the sourdough should hold up to soaking for quite some time.
  • When the oil is hot enough, use a pair of tongs to lift the bread from the batter, allowing the excess batter to drip off, and then carefully transfer the bread into the hot oil.
  • Fry 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping the slice when it is golden brown.
  • When the toast is golden brown all over, lift it from the hot oil and blot it on paper towels to remove excess oil so toast doesn’t get soggy from extra moisture.
  • While the toast is still warm, set it in the bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss to coat it. Spoon sugar over top as necessary.
  • Repeat process with remaining toasts.
  • Serve warm with maple syrup, a QUALITY honey or your favorite flavor compote or jam.

NOTES:

  • You can use any artisan bread of choice, but I recommend sourdough because it’s sturdy and doesn’t get overly soggy when dipped in batter. It also does a great job holding the bananas. I recommend starting with a whole sourdough loaf instead of pre-sliced sourdough. Most pre-sliced sourdough is cut TOO thin.
  • Use large bananas that are ripe, BUT NOT TOO RIPE — they should be fully yellow with some scattered brown spots. Once they’re overripe, they will be too mushy to use.
  • The cinnamon sugar coated toast is tasty on its own, but you can enjoy it with a variety of different toppings, such as maple syrup or your favorite flavored jam. And if you like peanut butter and bananas try drizzling a little bit of peanut butter over top! 
  • Make sure your oil is at least 4 inches deep and HOT. The sourdough slices are thick and will float to the top as they cook, so a deep pot of oil will keep half of the slice submerged at all times. Just flip to cook the other half! Using a candy thermometer ensures your oil is a constant 375°. 

Be sure and watch the temperature between batches. If it dips, be sure to bring it back up before adding another slice.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ FRENCH TOAST MUFFINS ~ BLOG 365.92A

These light and fluffy streusel tops muffins taste just like French toast in muffin form!

FRENCH TOAST MUFFINS

STREUSEL
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup PACKED brown sugar
1 cup AP flour
2 tablespoons QUALITY ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup small wild blueberries, optional

  • In a bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt and mix together with a fork until crumbles form. Set aside.

MUFFINS
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • Line a JUMBO muffin tin with liners or grease the wells generously with JOY baking spray.
  • In a LARGE mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temperature
⅓ cup sour cream room temperature
1 cup whole milk room temperature

  • In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs until thoroughly combined.
  • Add the sour cream and milk and whisk JUST until incorporated.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides as you go to combine the two mixtures JUST until combined.

ASSEMBLY

  • Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter, then distribute half the streusel on top.
  • Top with more batter until the muffin cup is almost full.
  • Sprinkle the remaining streusel over each muffin.

  • Bake for 25 minutes until cooked through. Adjust timing to less if making regular size muffins.
  • Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool for another 5-10 minutes before enjoying.

BAKED MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES ~ BLOG 365.266

BAKED MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES

A good Monte Cristo is one of my very favorite sandwiches – when made to taste well. A Monte Cristo is a French toast style sandwich that is NOT traditionally baked, but baking it reduces the oils and makes for a crisper sandwich. Baking it also saves time when making multiple sandwiches. Traditionally the jam is served on the side for dipping, but you save even more time by spreading the jam into the sandwich.

8 slices bread, lightly toasted
4 slices turkey
4 slices ham
4 slices gruyere or baby Swiss cheese
4 LARGE eggs
1⁄3 cup milk
1⁄2 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Smuckers raspberry jam

  • Preheat oven to 425° and grease a cookie sheet.
  • Layout toast slices and spread with jam.
  • Top 4 slices with a slice of ham, a slice of turkey, a slice of cheese. Repeat layers and then top with remaining toast, jam side down.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, powdered sugar and nutmeg.
  • Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture, coating both sides, and place onto the well greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 15 minutes, turn sandwiches over, and continue baking 10 more minutes.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and serve with additional raspberry jam.

NOTE: The sugar in the batter will help brown the toast even more.

overnight CINNAMON ROLL FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

CINNAMON ROLL FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
TOAST
12 slices thick BRIOCHE bread
2 cups whole milk
6 LARGE eggs
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon QUALITY cinnamon

  • Cut bread into 1 inch cubes.
  • Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
  • Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon.
  • Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over bread cubes and toss.
  • Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar.
  • Pour evenly over bread cubes and toss to coat.
  • Fold in raisins.
  • Arrange an even layer in the baking dish.
  • Cover tightly with saran and chill overnight.

TOPPING
1/4 + 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon QUALITY cinnamon
6 tablespoons melted butter

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Uncover casserole.
  • Mix together 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
  • Sprinkle over casserole.
  • Drizzle melted butter over casserole.
  • Bake 35-45 minutes until browned and baked though in the center.

ICING
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
4-6 tablespoons whole milk
2+ cups powdered sugar

  • Cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla and 4 tablespoons milk, blending until smooth.
  • Gradually add powdered sugar until well incorporated.
  • Add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a pourable desired consistency.
  • Pour over slightly cooled french toast casserole and serve.

HOW THE DATE FOR EASTER IS DECIDED

Easter is going to be late this year! Do you ever wonder how the date is decided? Well, let me tell you what I found with a little research.

Unlike Christmas, the date of Easter Sunday changes every year and can fall anytime between March 22nd and April 25th.  Why is this you ask?

Because Easter Sunday is decided by complex calculations based on the moon.  Early on in Christianity different churches used different methods.  This led to disagreements that still exist today in some cultures.

Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus which according to the Bible happened around the same time as Jewish Passover.  Passover typically begins the night of the first FULL moon AFTER the spring equinox (usually March 20th or 21st) EXCEPT in months when it is the SECOND full moon.  This most recently occurred in 2016.  The FULL moon can vary in each time zone so the Church calculates Easter from the 14th day of the ecclesiastic lunar month which is known as the paschal full moon.  Easter is the Sunday that follows the paschal full moon that falls on or after the equinox so can be from 1-7 days later.

In 1818 the full moon fell on the equinox, Saturday March 21, so Easter was the next day, March 22. Easter will not be this early again until the year 2285.  The earliest recent Easter was March 23 in 2008.  In 1943 a full moon fell on March 20, just before the equinox, so the paschal full moon was the next one on April 18 which was a Sunday so Easter was seven days later on April 25. It will not be this late again until 2038. The latest recent Easter was April 23 in the year 2000.

This year Good Friday will be April 19th and Easter Sunday will be April 21st.   You can find a table for upcoming Easter Sundays here.

BANANA LEMON BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST

BANANA LEMON BLUEBERRY* FRENCH TOAST
1 16 ounce loaf DAY OLD sourdough, french or brioche bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 LARGE roasted bananas (OPTIONAL) see note
1 1/2 cup WILD small blueberries*
6 LARGE eggs
4 large egg whites
2 cups milk
1/3 cup PURE maple syrup
ZEST and juice of 1 LARGE lemon
1 tablespoon PURE vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup for serving

  • Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Spread a layer of the roasted bananas on the bottom of the baking dish

 

  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.
  • Fold in the bread pieces.
  • Pour mixture into baking dish evenly.
  • Sprinkle blueberries over bread pieces.
  • Cover the baking dish tightly with saran and refrigerate over night.

 

  • Remove baking dish from refrigerator and let sit out while you preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Bake uncovered 45-55 minutes until golden brown and center is set.
  • Serve dusted with powdered sugar or butter and maple syrup.

NOTE:*

  • You can substitute the blueberries with just about ANY other berry, peaches or even apples making this recipe just as delicious!
  • Let the bread cubes sit out on the counter overnight. The dryer they are, the more custard they will absorb. You want them to be crispy like croutons.
  • This can be frozen, but I really don’t recommend it – it always seems soggy to me.
  • This is a GREAT way to use up bananas if you need to, but the recipe works wonderfully even without them.