Overnight French Toast

My ultimate go-to recipe for big breakfast gatherings! This recipe is so great and versatile. You can change up the type of bread, berries, nuts, and so on to meet what you have in your pantry. Below is the version I make most often which differs from the original from Taste of Home.

Overnight French Toast
Serves: 8, Serving Size: 1/8th pan
Nutritional Info: Calories 469.0 Total Fat 16.2 g Saturated Fat 5.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 3.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 5.9 g Cholesterol 120.0 mg Sodium 316.1 mg Potassium 515.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 81.5 g Dietary Fiber 6.1 g Sugars 43.5 g Protein 12.8 g

Ingredients
12 slices bread, cubed (nutritional info is for wheat bread)
5 eggs, beaten
1-3/4 cups milk 1%
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions
1. Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle almonds over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining brown sugar and cinnamon; drizzle over the top.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with berries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with maple syrup or agave nectar.

Adapted from: Taste of Home

Chocolate Chip Scones

My mom discovered this recipe first and made it one year for our big Christmas breakfast. Since then I have made these several times. I usually have to make 2 batches since Hunter and Shane eat these up so fast!

Chocolate Chip Scones
Serves: 6, Serving Size: 1 scone
Nutritional Info (per scone):241 calories, 12 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 56 mg cholesterol, 178 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
2 tablespoons cold butter
1 egg
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine egg and cream; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into a 6-in. circle. Cut dough into 6 wedges. Separate wedges and place 1 in. on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 6 scones.

Source: Taste of Home

Dutch Apple Pie

There is something about the topping on a Dutch Apple Pie that is so addicting! I love this recipe because the filling is just as addicting as the topping. The sour cream gives the pie a "melt-in-your-mouth" flavor that will have you asking for seconds.

Dutch Apple Pie
Serves: 6-8 Serving Size: 1/6-1/8 of pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per 1/8th slice): 481 calories, 21 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 77 mg cholesterol, 194 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
3 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold butter

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over pie. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until filling is set and topping is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Taste of Home

Golden Peach Pie

One of my favorites fruits to pick up at the farmers' market are peaches. The Castro Valley Farmers' Market has a stand that always has the biggest and tastiest peaches. Every week I would pick up enough for snacking and occasionally some extra to make this pie. Also, feel free to play around with cookie cutters when making the top. I made this once for a new mommy and used duck cookie cutters and booties for the crust.

Golden Peach Pie
Serves: 8 Serving Size: 1/8 pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per slice): 425 calories, 17 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 267 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Ingredients
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
5 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches (about 5 medium)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Milk

Directions
Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, orange peel and extract. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt. Add to peach mixture; toss gently to coat. Pour into crust; dot with butter.
Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; make decorative cutouts in pastry. Set cutouts aside. Place top crust over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush pastry and cutouts with milk; place cutouts on top of pie. Cover the edges loosely with foil.
Bake at 400° for 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.


Source: Taste of Home

Classic Pie Pastry

This is the recipe I always use for pie crusts. It is super simple and the dough can always be refrigerated or frozen to use later. Even if I only need a single pie crust I usually make the double so I have another crust on hand for later.

Classic Pie Pastry (Pie Crust)


INGREDIENTS FOR SINGLE-CRUST PIE:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

INGREDIENTS FOR DOUBLE-CRUST PIE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
For a single crust, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Fill or bake shell according to recipe directions.

For a double crust, divide dough in half so one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Bake according to recipe directions.


Nutritional Analysis: 1 cooked pie pastry equals 144 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 148 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home