The Most Delicious French Toast(s) Ever

Recipe: French Toast
Source: The Pioneer Woman
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/07/french-toast-with-berry-butter/
Time: 20-30 minutes (longer if you make berry butter)
Ease: 1
Taste: 10
Leftover Value: 8
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

Snow days in New Jersey used to be a day you could stay in your pajamas all day and not feel guilty.  I think that once you pass the (used to be) two built in snow days staying in pajamas and vegging out is no longer allowed.

At least for me it isn't.

The first snow day or the twenty-first (uhh, please---no!), snow days always put me in the mood for making breakfast.  I don't ordinarily get to make a warm breakfast unless I'm serving it for dinner (and it is quite a perfect dinner option, one that should make the dinner calendar* at least every other month).

*More about the dinner calendar to come soon--I promise!

When we were in Baltimore last month, I ordered French toast at this local breakfast joint:

When we discovered that the bakery I wanted to go to didn't open until 11:30 am we scoured Google maps for a decent location for breakfast.  'Simply Marie's' came up highly rated on yelp.com making us hastily choose it in the midst of vicious hunger that was starting to turn me from sweet innocent wife into a frazzle faced Frankenstein.

When we first stepped in, I was a little apprehensive.  This place was a hole in the wall.  There was enough seating for no more than 12 people, and our order was placed standing at the back counter.  Hubby, however, was set on staying, so we ordered our meals and sat down.  I don't know what came over me, but I ordered French toast.  Ordinarily, I stay away from ordering French toast and here is why:  While pancakes, bacon, and eggs are certainly items I can also cook up at home, being that French toast comes from bread already prepared (and typically pre-sliced in a baggie) it seems to be the easiest breakfast item to make and not one for which I should pay.

I don't know what Marie does, perhaps it was the sprinkling of powdered sugar or a special type of homemade bread, but her French toast warmed my soul that day.

It was equally delicious (if not even a tad bit better???) to the French toast that I serve up on a regular basis at home.

Pioneer Woman's French Toast with Berry Butter is out of this world.  If you can make peace with the egg yolks and half and half that are used, you'll love it!  Berry butter is optional, but if you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it.  This Cranberry butter is also insanely delicious.

We also brought home some raisin bread from Baltimore, and I decided it would go perfectly as the bread for French toast (that, and, the lady who sold it to me said it is delicious as French toast).

I'm not ordinarily too keen on raisins.  They get in the way of the good stuff, like swirly cinnamon or melted buttery sugary goodness.  For French toast, the raisins brought in so much sweetness, I almost* didn't need to add syrup.

*Note: Almost.  Never, ever can I live a day in a world with breakfast sans syrup.

I add a little something extra to my French toast that Pioneer Woman doesn't:

Cinnamon and sugar!

After mixing the egg yolks and half and half together, dipping the bread pieces and tossing them on the frying pan, I sprinkle just a little coating of cinnamon and sugar on top.

Before the side facing down has a chance to brown, I flip the bread over and repeat the sprinkling process on the other side.

This is absolutely the best French toast I have ever made.  

Of course, I had to serve it up a la Marie with a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top...

okay....a lot of powdered sugar sprinkled on top.  What better topping could match a snowy day? 

Thanksgiving Delights: Part Two, Cranberry Butter

Recipe: Cranberry Butter
Source: The Orange Strainer
Time: 15 minutes, plus time in refrigerator
Ease: 2
Taste: 10
Leftover Value: 10
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

A local diner near my house serves bread with three types of butter: regular, garlic, and cranberry.  Butter and bread is classic.  Garlic butter is incredible.  Cranberry butter is an unexpected delight.

The first time I experienced this butter wonderland, I wanted to take back my dinner order and send for more bread and butter.

It was that amazing.

This cranberry butter is what made me choose to make Baked French Toast as part of my Thanksgiving breakfast.

As I started to make it, I feared that it wouldn't meet my expectations.  This is probably because I've never made anything with cranberries before.  Because of this, I decided to give a raw one a try.  The taste was so bitter, I instantly started shaking my hands and making whining noises like Will Ferrell did in Elf when he sprays Passion Fruit (perfume) Spray in his mouth.

Cranberries alone are terrible.

Cranberries in butter are mind blowing.

I chose to make it the simple way (simple = less dishes to wash), however, if you want a more whipped butter, you can mix the ingredients in a stand mixer rather than the following way.  Just remember to lightly mix in the fruit.  You want there to still be some chunks of cranberries throughout.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 cup of cranberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 T powdered sugar
2 T honey
Zest of one orange

Start by giving the cranberries a good chop.  I had frozen mine so it made them super easy to chop up.

Put your softened butter into a medium sized bowl.

Sprinkle in the powdered sugar.

Pour the honey on top.

Give it all a good mix at this point.

Then, zest the orange over top of the butter mixture.

Toss in the cranberries, but not any liquids that may have gathered at the bottom of your measuring cup.

Lightly mash the berries into the butter mixture.

Refrigerate for a few hours.  Serve with pancakes, french toast, baked french toast, fresh bread, muffins, or any delicious carb of your choosing.

If you cross your eyes, this picture is totally in focus.  I had to add it to show that each butter knife's worth is woven with bits of cranberry which have been transformed from passion fruit spray bitter to a pleasantly sweet surprise.  

Mixed with maple syrup, it is positively divine.

Because I think you're cute, I've written the recipe out below:

Cranberry Butter

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cranberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 T powdered sugar
2 T honey
Zest of one orange

Steps:

Chop up the cranberries.  

Place softened butter in the bowl.  

Add the powdered sugar and honey.  Mix well with a spoon.  

Zest one orange on top of the butter mixture.  

Add the berries.  Mix lightly.  

Refrigerate for a few hours.

Enjoy!