Cooking Contest Part 4

Jules here-

In the tradition of Mother's Day weekend, my neighbor and I decided to host part four of our amazing cooking contest: Brunch.  We decided to hone in on our favorite morning recipe: French Toast.  With so many recipes and styles to choose from, navigating the best french toast was challenging, but I did it. I finally crushed Don in the competition and my recipe swept the votes (even the elusive kid-vote!). 

Yummy

Jules Champion French Toast

Ingredients:
2 loaves Italian bread, sliced, and stale
1 pint cream
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
1 tsp vanila
4-5 eggs
Brown sugar
1 stick melted butter, divided (maybe need more depending on your bread/pan size)
Frozen mixed berries
1 tbs sugar

Directions:
1. To stale-up my bread a bit more, toast them on cookie sheets for 10 minutes at 350° (I think this made all the difference in crispiness).  Remove bread from oven. Bump oven up to 400°.



2.  Meanwhile, prepare the batter by adding the cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs and vanilla. Blend really well. You don't want chunks of egg. Season to taste.  Stir right before dipping bread so spices are blended.

3. Foil and pour 1/2 stick butter on sided-cookie sheet (butter will drip all over oven unless you use a jelly-roll or a 9x13 pan).  Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar all over buttered-pan.  Make sure all areas have a little sugar.

4. Dip each piece of bread for 10 seconds and then place on top of prepared pans.

5. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Flip each piece of toast, bake for 10 more minutes until sugar is caramelized. 

6. On stove, add mix of frozen berries on stove.  Heat at a medium heat until berries soften. Add sugar. Stir until berries easily squish with wooden spoon. Mash berries together to make a compote for serving with toast.   Garnish with confectioner's sugar as needed.


YUM!!! The French Toast was DELICIOUS!! I was inspired by Em's version of French Toast and added some flair to make it a contest-winner! 

Now, Don's french toast was good too... but not as good as mine :)  His "filling" was awesome and could easily used in tandem with my french toast with an over the top recipe....

Stuffed French Toast

Don's Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients:

 2 lbs. Challah Bread

10 Jumbo Eggs

½ Cup ½ & ½ or Milk

¾ Cup Bailey’s Irish Cream

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

12 oz. Whipped Cream Cheese

10 oz. Jar Apricot Jam

Sliced Strawberries

12 oz. Wild Blue Berries 

Directions

 Heat griddle to high temp.

Slice the bread to desired thickness.

Whisk together eggs, ½ & ½ or Milk, ¼ Cup Bailey’s, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Mix whipped cream cheese and remaining Bailey’s in a bowl with a mixer on high speed.

Mix strawberries and blue berries together in a bowl.

Soak sliced bread in egg mixture & place on griddle turning once the first side is browned.

Once both sides of the bread have been on the griddle, transfer to a serving plate.

Coat one slice of bread with apricot jam and the other with the whipped cream cheese & Bailey’s mixture.

Place strawberry and blue berry mixture on top of apricot slice, then place the whipped cream cheese slice on top of that one. Top the creation with more berries and add whipped cream.

 French Toast is by far my favorite "ordering-out" breakfast recipe, and now I can enjoy a restaurant-quality dish at home!  Plus I had enough leftovers that I could make myself a mother's day breakfast treat!!

For those of you keeping track, the neighborhood championship is now TIED at 2:2.  If anyone has any suggestions for the next cook-off category, please comment!!

Easy Rule #5981- When all else fails, add sugar. It really does make everything taste better.

Delicious, over the top breakfast.