Baked Cream Cheese French Toast

Baked Cream Cheese French Toast

12 pieces cubed white bread

12 eggs

1-2 pkg. cream cheese

2 C. milk

½ C. maple syrup 

1 t cinnamon

Mix eggs, milk, and syrup.  Layer ½ of bread cubes in a 

19 X 13 pan.  Put cream cheese on and then layer again with the rest of bread.  Pour liquid over.  

Cover tightly and refrigerate over night.

Bake @ 350, 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.

Serve with fresh fruit (peaches, strawberries or blueberries) whipped cream and Buttermilk Syrup!

*Laurie gave me this recipe and it included blueberries in the french toast and was served with a homemade blueberry syrup.  I loved it, but none of the kids did, so it has evolved to this.  I still get my fruit, it's just on top.  Compromises.  But this is such a delicious make ahead breakfast!  Usually comes out for General Conference.

Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes

Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes

1 ½ C quick oats

½ C flour

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 T powdered sugar

2 lg eggs

2 C buttermilk

¾ C pecans chopped (I like them toasted)

Mix  dry ingredients then add eggs and buttermilk.  Add pecans or leave them out. Cook on griddle. Serve with buttermilk syrup and top with slice bananas, peaches or blueberries. (It just happens to be peach season right now!)

**These have been a staple for us forever!  Thanks to Breanna who turned me on to them years ago!  We used to have them every time we went camping...such a great filling, slightly healthy pancake!

** I prefer the pecans toasted and in the batter, but when the little people are involved, it's just a little easier to add them on top and not listen to any complaints.  Ps. They love these and have no idea there's oatmeal in them!

Ebelskivers

 Ebelskivers

3 eggs seperated
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
2 C buttermilk
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder

Beat egg yolks until light and lemon colored.  Add sugar, salt and buttermilk; mix well.  Sift together flour, soda and baking powder; add to egg mixture.   Beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold into batter.  Place a small amount of shortening (or butter or pam) in each cup of ebelskiver pan, and fill 2/3 full with batter. Cook over medium low to medium heat until bubbly and slightly cooked on edges.  Turn carefully with a toothpick and finish baking on other side. If desired, ebelskivers can be filled...place small spoonful of batter in cup (1/3 full) a dollop of filling and top with another small spoonful of batter (to 2/3 full). Cooking time varies, approximately 2 minutes per side, depending on heat and amount of batter.  Filling ideas: biscoff, lemon curd, jams, nutella, apple slice, honey, mascarpone and anything!

**Above is a lemon & mascarpone, biscoff and raspberry & mascarpone! Yum!
**I took a cooking class from a neighborhood high school girl (Becca Briggs - my sister Kristi's best friend) when I was 8 or 9.  Ebelskivers was one of our favorite days! We had so much fun putting all kinds of things in them....blueberry jelly belly's were my favorite, but now I'd pick lemon curd and mascarpone! Thanks to Becca for initiating my love of the Ebelskiver!
**Hooray for Sunday after church breakfasts! When I make these for my family, I give them each a pan at a time, so they pick what they want in their 7 and that way everyone gets warm fresh ones! I usually have 2 pans going at once...it's a little tricky. And they are still amazing without filling...that is Chloe's choice!

Megan's Granola

Megan's Granola   8 C rolled oats 3/4 C wheat germ 3/4 C ground flax seed 1 1/2 C oat bran 1 1/2 C finely chopped almonds 1 1/2 C finely chopped pecans 1 1/2 t salt

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C maple syrup

3/4 C honey

1 C vegetable oil

1 T ground cinnamon

1 T vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil. Combine the oats, wheat germ, flax seed, oat bran, almonds and pecans in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, before storing in an airtight container.

**Just ANOTHER granola recipe....it's because if I just could pick one food to eat the rest of my life, it would be granola....and Greek yogurt.  So I'm always trying new recipes.  Most don't delight me, but this one was a keeper.

**Adapted from Megan's Granola from allrecipes.com Next time I'll try it with way less oil.

Breanna's Granola

Breanna's Granola - adapted

3 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1 C shredded coconut
3/4 C chopped almonds
3/4 C chopped pecans
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
4 T butter
1/3 C honey
1 t vanilla
 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
 
In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, almonds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring.  Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined.
 
On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.  (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)  Cool granola on the pan.  Granola may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

*The only thing I do differently, is Breanna likes walnuts...she adds 1/2 C of each kind of nut. Check out her original blog post here.
*I usually just like to go to her blog for the recipe, but it has become a big enough favorite that it needs to be on this blog too! Thanks Bre, you're the best! 
*Awesome kept in the freezer and so amazing on parfaits....I buy Greek yogurt from costco and mix in honey or truvia or agave nectar and vanilla (vanilla bean for special occasions). Add any fruit, so yummy! That's what the picture was set up for....."Everybody loves a parfait!" -Donkey on Shrek

My Muesli

My Muesli

1 C oats
2/3 C Uncle Sam Cereal (wheat berry flakes)
1/3 C Quinoa Flakes (also a cereal)
4 T wheat germ
4 T ground flaxseed
1/4 C chia seeds
1/3 C golden raisins

Combine all ingredients and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat with yogurt or as a hot or cold cereal.

** 1/4 C serving is 141 calories, 4g fat, 5g fiber and 5g protein.
**When I lived in England, I loved muesli....Alpen Muesli to be exact.  You can buy it here now and it's delicious, but not particularly healthy.  So I made up my own version with less sugar and a little more umph!  I eat it mixed in greek yogurt and then topped with a little vanilla soy milk and fruit. I add the soy milk because it get's quite thick.  Traditionally, Europeans mix it with their yogurt or milk the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator over night. I like it both ways, but usually I don't think about it the night before.
**You could add anything you want to muesli...nuts, dates, dried fruit...no limit.  I change mine up all the time, but this is my base!

Liege Belgian Waffles

Liege Belgian Waffles

2 T sugar
3/4 C lukewarm milk
3 eggs
1 C melted butter
2 t vanilla
3 C flour
1 T instant yeast
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C Belgian Pearl Sugar (Lars' Own - Pirate O's in Sandy)

Whisk sugar, milk, eggs, butter and vanilla until blended.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, yeast and salt.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Mix until soft dough forms.  Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80-95 degrees) until doubled in volume.  About 30-45 minutes.  Preheat waffle iron. Gently mix in pearled sugar.  Place approximately a 1/3 C of dough on preheated waffle iron and cook until crisp, approximately 2 minutes.  Be careful taking waffles out of iron, the sugar gets scalding hot and can easily burn the fingers.  Delicious alone, but divine served with fruit and cream or biscoff spread.

**Thanks to a trip to a farmer's market and the "waffle love" truck, I was introduced to the Liege waffle.  The pearled sugar makes these waffles, truly outstanding!
**May try to reduce the amount of butter the next time I make them.  The butter was running all over the waffle iron!
**Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

My Fave Smoothie

My Fave Smoothie

1 C frozen blueberries
1 medium carrot, peeled
2 C spinach
1/2 C plain greek yogurt (Fage or Kirkland brands)
1 T wheat germ
1 T ground flaxseed
1/2 t cinnamon
water to liking (I use about 1/2 C)
Truvia to liking (it's a natural no calorie sweetener)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  I like mine with a little texture, but if you are bothered by texture, add a little more water and blend like crazy!

**This little powerhouse has 250 calories, 10 g of fiber and 18 g of protein. It's a favorite lunch for me! And supposedly most of these ingredients have crazy super powers, even the cinnamon!
**Update, as of late I haven't been using the carrot....but I've been adding in a T of Udo's oil to save my body from all the damage I'm doing running! :)

Crepes

Crepes (makes approx 15)

3 C milk
2 C flour
4 eggs
2 T oil
1/2 t salt

In a bowl or blender, combine milk, flour, eggs oil and salt. Whisk or blend until well mixed.  Heat a lightly greased skillet. Pour in a scant (little less) 1/4 C of batter into pan and tilt pan in a circle so batter spreads to a larger circle.  Cook for 1 minute or until batter seems almost dry, flip over using spatula or fingers. Cook an additional 30 seconds. Place crepe on a plate and repeat putting parchment between each crepe.Cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator.  Then next morning, fill the crepes with choice of filling (either nutella or biscoff spread) and place the whole tray of crepes in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.  Top with fruit and cream or whatever else you like! We topped these with bananas and whipped cream!

**I love doing the crepes this way so that we can all eat at once, otherwise I'm at the table by myself and everyone is gone. Plus, I swear they stay warmer longer.
**One other trick, I warm up the filling and put it in a ziplock or a plastic piping bag, cut the corner with scissors and drizzle the filling over half of the crepe, then fold in half and half again.  It's way easier than spreading with a knife!

Southwestern Frittata

Southwestern Frittata

1/2 T olive oil
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1/4 t cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 roma tomatoes, diced
5 eggs, lightly beaten
salt (about 1/2 t)
pepper (about 1/4 t)
1/2 C cheddar cheese (or pepper jack for some spice!)
avocado, salsa, cilantro, sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium, oven safe, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the pepper, onion and cumin, cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add the beans and tomatoes, stir until evenly distributed.  Pour the eggs over the vegetable mixture, making sure it distributes through all the vegetables, stirring a little if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges begin to set.  Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through and mixture is slightly puffy. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese.  Return to oven just until cheese is melted.  Serve with avocado, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

**I have made a southwestern frittata a few times and was craving it the other day, and proceeded to waste an HOUR looking for the recipe and never found it.  So I recreated my own.... I might be making adjustments when I make it again.  Also, I had 8 asparagus spears in my fridge, so I chopped them up and added them in with the peppers and onions.
** I served it with a warm tortilla on the side and Tru put his in it and made a little breakfast burrito.

Power Pancakes

 Power Pancake

1/4 C old fashion oatmeal
4 egg whites
1/4 C low fat cottage cheese or tofu
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch of salt (only if using tofu)

Blend all ingredients in a blender and cook in a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray.

**My girlfriend Diana introduced me to these years ago, adapted from the South Beach Diet, and I had forgotten about them. But I decided to revive them for another MOMO! (Meal On My Own)
**These things are amazing. For that stack of pancakes (used tofu), it's about 250 calories, 6 g fat, 3g fiber and 26 g of protein!

** To this little stack above I added 1/4 C cooked quinoa to the batter (just because I had some in the fridge and I want to use it up) and then served them with 1/4 C fat free greek yogurt sweetened with truvia and blueberries.  The whole meal was about 350 calories, 5 g fiber and 33 g of protein. Seriously, this is what I needed after a 10 miler on a Monday morning. It's now close to 1:00pm and I'm not even hungry yet!

Whole Grain Waffles

Whole Grain Waffles

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 C skim milk
1/4 C applesauce
1/4 C pumpkin (canned)
1 t vanilla
1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 C flax seed meal
1/4 C wheat germ
1/4 C flour
4 t baking powder
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Beat in the flours, flax seed, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar and salt until batter is smooth.  Preheat a belgian waffle iron (probably would work in a normal waffle iron, I just don't have one), and coat with cooking spray.  Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until crisp and golden.

**I made these right along side THESE, and both Hans and I liked these better! So healthy, yet so light and crispy.  I also made a simple fruit syrup with some blueberries, raspberries, water and a couple teaspoons of sugar, boiling until thick. Oh and I added a little lemon curd...mmmm. Delightful!
**Original recipe was from allrecipes.com, but I changed it.
**Estimated 250 calories, 6 g fat, 8g fiber and 12 g protein per waffle! Fat content is high, but that's from the awesome flax seed, wheat germ and eggs! NO added oil, that's why you can add the whipped cream!

Greek Style Yogurt

Greek Style Yogurt

1 gallon skim milk,  plus 1 cup (less or more)
1/3 C plain greek yogurt
1 t vanilla

Heat the milk in a heavy bottom pot (that has a lid), slowly to 180 degrees to prevent scorching. Use a candy thermometer.  Once at 180, turn off the heat and let milk cool to 110 degrees.  Stir in the yogurt. Put lid on pot and place somewhere a temp of 100 degrees can be maintained. (I have an oven that if I heat for a minute or so and then put on the oven light, my temp stays between 100 and 110... I used a meat thermometer to keep it in check.)  Let sit for 6-8 hours or until yogurt is set and yellowish liquid is on top.  Remove yogurt, scooping with a large spoon and place in a cheese cloth (4 layers) lined strainer sitting in a bowl.  The bowl should be pretty big, a lot of liquid comes off. Wrap up cheesecloth on top, spinning together.  Place in the refrigerator overnight.  The next morning, remove yogurt from cheese cloth and place in a bowl, using a hand mixer, mix in enough milk to reach desired consistency.  Mix in vanilla. If you want it sweetened, add agave to taste.  Place in tupperwares in the fridge.  My batch makes between 6 and 9 cups of yogurt. 

**So Breanna makes incredible whole milk yogurt that is to die for HERE, but I am in love with non fat Greek yogurt and didn't have great success with it the couple times I followed recipes.  That was until....I saw Bre's mom Lisa at a fruit stand and she told me a couple secrets....First,  after straining, most recipes say to stir in some of the strained off liquid to soften the consistency.  That left me with an incredibly sour yogurt.  Lisa told me to stir in more skim milk.  Wow, did that ever change it.  It was creamier with a way better flavor!  Second, other recipes use a cup of yogurt, but the 1/3 cup does what it needs to and doesn't overwhelm with a strong flavor.
**I know my picture looks like there are chunks, but I have never noticed anything but creamy, tart goodness.  However, I usually am eating this with fruit and granola.
** I did a little calculation, my last batch had 21 grams of protein per cup. Booya!
**No one eats this but me. Oh well.

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

 Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

For the sugar coating:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups (I use Pam Baking Spray). Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.

**These are so yummy.  Big muffins or small mini muffins, a true fall treat.

**marthastewart.com  recipe

Egg McMuffins

 

Egg McMuffins

english muffins (or thin bagels work well too)

eggs

Tillamook medium cheddar slices

Hillshire Farm honey ham

Cook eggs in either a bowl (size of the muffin) in the microwave, or on the stove in a skillet (use a wide mouth jar ring to keep egg contained).  Break the yoke while it's cooking and swirl into the white.

Assemble with one slice of cheese and two slices of ham.  Microwave for 20 seconds or so to melt cheese.  Or, make them the night before, wrap in tin foil, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

**You can use any cheese and any ham, but these are yummy and fit perfectly to make assembly fast and easy!  And please don't use that fake cheese that McDonalds uses....those kraft single things...that is the beauty of making them yourself, they're WAY better!

**Awesome to make before a camping trip or an early road trip.  Place wrapped sandwiches in oven and warm at 300 degrees until warmed through and eat them in the car!

Granola Perfection

Granola Perfection (at least in my mind)

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 C wheat flakes  (All Bran)

1 cup shredded coconut

3/4 C cup chopped almonds (or sliced)

3/4 C cup chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together oats, wheat flakes, coconut, almonds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small saucepan melt butter over med-low heat and continue cooking until butter browns. It should be a caramel color, not dark brown.  Remove from heat and add honey and vanilla.  Stir to combine.  Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined.

On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20-25 minutes.  (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)  Cool granola on the pan.  Store in an airtight container.

**This in my opinion is my favorite combo of granola recipes....and believe me, in the last month, I've made several!  Breanna introduced me to this masterpiece, which is salty and has a few more nuts.  I have always loved this one, which is sweet, but light and crunchy from the wheat flakes.  So, I combined the two and I'm in parfait heaven!

**I prefer chopped almonds, but in a time pinch, the pre-sliced are nice.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

 Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).  In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie, or disposable piping bag and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.  In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.  Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Grease. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside. Top with cream cheese glaze.

Tips:

-Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!

-If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, it shouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. If it's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once you micro it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for a while until it thickens slightly.

**I loved this picture of them on the griddle!
**These were so great for a fun Sunday lunch! And I sneaked in the healthy pancake (School Pancake Mix) and they loved them.  I doubt I'll ever try the pancake recipe if it's this easy to get away with sneaking in the healthy!
** I piped my cream cheese glaze on too, but I'm sure it could be done a little prettier.

School Pancake Mix

School Pancake Mix

2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 C buttermilk powder
5 T dried egg whites
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 T baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 C flaxseed meal
1 C nonfat dry milk
1/2 C wheat bran or oat bran

Mix dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container in refrigerator.  When ready to make, mix:
2 C pancake mix
1 1/2 C skim milk
2 T canola oil
1 t vanilla
Cook on a griddle and top with favorite toppings.

** I have a silly little rule that school morning breakfasts have to have at least 5g of fiber per serving. As you can imagine, my kids live for weekend breakfasts. However, these pancakes are great (6g fiber and 9g protein per 2 - 4inch pancakes), and I let them put whatever they want on them! Tons of syrup, I don't care!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Do one batch of pancakes (2 C mix etc.)
And add:
1 C pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Mix and cook as usual. Best with buttermilk syrup.

**The pumpkin adds another gram of fiber and maybe .5 g of protein! Nice! So much good and they don't even know it!

 Gingerbread Pancakes

Do one batch of pancakes (2 C mix etc.)
And add:
1 T molasses
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t allspice
3/4 t ginger (may increase to 1 t if kids like it)
1/2 t cinnamon

Mix and cook as usual. Best with buttermilk syrup. And some cinnamon whip cream can't hurt!

**Looking at all my pancakes, they all look so different...it's because I have a grill with a mind of it's own.

Banana Pancakes

Do one batch of pancakes (2 C mix etc.)
And add:
1 C mashed bananas
Mix and cook as usual. Best with buttermilk syrup. (My kids preferred the badder blended, I used a hand blender.) Serve with sliced bananas on top.

Roll Ups

 Roll Ups

2 eggs
1 C milk
1 C Bisquick

Serve with cinnamon, sugar and fresh lemon. No other way. :)

Blend in a blender. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat, by melting a little butter (1/4 tsp) and pouring batter to make about a 4-5 inch circle. Tilt and swirl the pan to spread batter, like you are making a crepe. When mostly cooked through, ease spatula under the roll up (the middle usually has a little spot that sticks) and flip. Re-invert on to a plate.  Butter generously, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and squeeze some lemon over the sugar.  Roll up and eat.

**This recipe gives me grief. Sometimes they stick, somettimes they don't. So sometimes I add a little oil (a tablespoon to a double batch of batter) and sometimes I add a little more Bisquick to thicken the roll up a bit. But no matter what I do, the first one is always a disaster.

**This is what I ate almost every Saturday growing up.  I can see my Mom with a dish towel on her shoulder, swirling the pan, and all of us waiting impatiently because they couldn't come fast enough.  My kids love them and every once in a while they try to add syrup and I shudder. Long live the Roll Up!

Praline French Toast

Praline French Toast  (Serves 8)
8 eggs

1-1/2 cups half and half

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

10 to 12 slices soft bread, 1 inch thick

Topping:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups chopped pecans

Generously butter a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Mix the eggs, half and half, maple syrup, and sugar in a large bowl. Place the bread slices in the prepared casserole dish and cover with the egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350º degrees F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator.
Make the topping: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar and maple syrup and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the pecans. Pour the mixture over the bread and bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with whipped cream and fruit.  Bananas are awesome, but so are strawberries!

**The only way we can figure to fit that many pieces of bread into the 9x13 is to make it a double layer.  Hans likes it with the crust on, but when I made it, I cut off the crusts and it was a little prettier when the pieces were cut. But Hans said he missed the crusts....personal taste.
**My choice for Mother's Day breakfast....it's like pecan pie for breakfast, I love it!