chocolate baked french toast

TO MAKE:

Pastry Affair's Chocolate Banana Baked French Toast

Chocolate Banana Baked French Toast
Inspired by Top with Cinnamon

Yields 6 to 8 servings

3 ripe, medium bananas, divided
1/3 cup (70 grams) brown sugar, packed
6 large eggs
2 cups (475 mL) milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 loaf stale French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8-10 cups)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (185 grams) chocolate hazelnut spread, warmed gently until liquid in consistency
2 tablespoons demerara sugar (or brown sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a blender, blend together two bananas, brown sugar, eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, place 1/2 of the cubed bread and drizzle 1/2 of the chocolate hazelnut spread over the top. Layer the remaining bread and drizzle the remaining chocolate hazelnut spread. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the bread, making sure each piece is coated.* Slice the remaining banana and place slices on the top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until lightly browned and souffle-like in appearance. Serve immediately.

* For overnight baked French toast, wrap the pan tightly and refrigerate until the next morning. Add sliced banana and demerara sugar just before baking.

week of meals

week of meals by tracy benjamin on mothermag

tracey's blog shutterbean

PB cookies

Old-Fashioned Peanut-Butter 

Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1. 2cups creamy peanut butter (not the all-natural variety)
2. 1 1/2cups granulated sugar
3. 1/2cup packed light brown sugar
4. 2large eggs
5. 2teaspoons baking soda
6. 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
7. 1/2teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.
3. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. With a lightly floured fork, press the dough to a ⅜-inch thickness, making a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie.
4. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

lavender french toast

to try: Lavender French Toast

via here

lavender french toast
serves two

ingredients:
6 slices of bread (from the day before), halved
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. sugar
1 pinch salt
1-2 tbsp. dried lavender buds
2 tbsp. butter or coconut oil, for frying
a little confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

directions:
whisk the eggs with a fork, then add milk, vanilla, sugar, salt and lavender. bathe the bread slices one at a time in the milk mix, until well soaked. heat the butter or coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the french toast slices in batches in it, until they’re dark a golden brown. dust with a little confectioners’ sugar while still in the pan, flip them around to coat them in the melting sugar and then serve hot.

rhubarb donuts

to make: Rhubarb  Poppy Seed Doughnuts

recipe via here

Rhubarb Poppy Seed Baked Doughnuts

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 stalk very red rhubarb, washed and diced
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Stick a medium stainless-steel or glass bowl in the freezer (we're going to use this to beat the egg whites later on in the process). Liberally grease your doughnut pan with cooking spray. Note: I NEVER use cooking spray but I've found it necessary when making this recipe. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, add the sugar and vanilla bean caviar. Using your hands, vigorously rub the vanilla beans into the sugar so it's evenly dispersed. In a medium bowl, add the vanilla sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vegetable oil, water and vanilla extract. Next, in two batches, add the dry ingredients and mix until you no longer see any flecks of flour, and then mix in the poppy seeds.
4. Remove the bowl from the freezer, which by now should be very cold, and add the egg whites and pinch of salt. Using a hand-mixer with the whisk attachments, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the batter, being sure to not deflate the egg whites by going too quickly.
5. Using a teaspoon, spoon the batter into each of the cavities in the doughnut pan, filling each one almost all the way. Transfer the pan the oven to bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown and the doughnuts have risen. Run a sharp paring knife along the edge of each doughnut and invert onto a cooling rack. Repeat the process until you've baked your way through all of the batter.
6. To make the glaze, add the rhubarb and water to a small saucepan. Cover the pot and place over medium heat, simmering the mixture for about 5 minutes. After the 5-minute mark, uncover the pan and using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, press the rhubarb down. Strain the rhubarb, pressing on it to expel all of the rhubarb water; discard the rhubarb pulp and reserve the rhubarb water. Measure out 1 tablespoon. To a medium bowl, sift in the powdered sugar and pour in the 1 tablespoon of rhubarb syrup; whisk until very smooth. If needed, add a splash more of rhubarb syrup, but be careful, you want the glaze to be thick.
7. To assemble the doughnuts, dunk each doughnut into the glaze and garnish with a sprinkling of poppy seeds. Repeat until all of the doughnuts are covered in pretty glaze and a poppy seeds.