Suzi’s Blog
Creme Brulee French Toast
How do Suzen and I pick recipes to blog? Suzen goes for strong, different, exciting. I do, too, but I also include consideration for sweetness, alcohol, and chocolate content. I’m not claiming to have a broader scope, but you can decide that for yourself.
That said, I try not to be selfish in my recipe selection. Sometimes I blog something, not because I want to, but because I feel a sense of social responsibility. Like this Cream Brulee French Toast made with challah. Do I care about French toast, or lots of cream, or an incredible number of egg yolks?
Yes, I do. But the real reason I’m blogging this is the record it sets. I have never, ever seen a recipe calling for a ¼ cup of vanilla. A teaspoon? Sure. Two? Yes. A full tablespoon? Rarely. But a full ¼ cup? I had to test this recipe, just for you.
My God, this thing is good. It’s incredibly rich. Your arteries will radiate with glee as you feel them gradually clog in oblivious delight. Every bite is intensely satisfying. I did not even try to add butter or syrup on top of this. Or, berries or sliced peaches. Those are all things you can try for an even more healthy experience.
The day after? It’s better. The vanilla permeates deeper into the cream and egg soaked bread. You can microwave this with no loss of texture or integrity. Then top it off with a sprinkling of brown sugar. Let the sugar begin to melt for a few seconds, then dig in.
I had a half dozen people taste test this recipe. Even Suzen, not a fan of sweet breakfast fare, loved it. Every single person did. They asked how it was made. They heard about the ingredients. They all stepped back with an expression of guilty shock on their face. “Well,” said one person, “it’s worth it.”
This recipe calls for challah and I used Suzen’s home made version. Her challah, based on years of experience, is exceptional and I’m sure that was as important as all that vanilla. Great bread, fresh eggs, fresh cream, and real vanilla will all make important contributions to this dish. You’ll probably, wisely, only make this a few times a year, so when you do, go all out.
Crème Brulee French Toast
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 large loaf of challah bread
- 8 large egg yolks
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
- ¾ cup plus 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar ‘
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preparation:
Grease a 2 1/2-quart oven-safe casserole or soufflé dish. Slice the challah into V2-inch slices, then into cubes. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, 3A cup sugar, salt, vanilla, and butter. Put a quarter of the bread cubes in the casserole dish. Pour in enough of the cream mixture to cover the bread. Using a spoon, press the cream mixture into the bread so that it is thoroughly soaked. Continue layering in the same way until all the bread is soaked with the cream mixture. Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the casserole in a larger baking pan and set it in the oven. Pour enough boiling water into the larger pan to reach halfway up the sides of the casserole. Bake for 1 ½ hours, until the top is light brown and set.
Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar over the top in an even layer. Use a broiler set on high (set the casserole just a few inches from the heat source) or a kitchen torch to cook the topping until the sugar becomes brown and liquefies. (It will harden as it cools.) Serve warm or at room temperature.
Source: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
I don’t like neurotic people or things. So I have never been fond of Upside Down Cakes. The world is upside down already. Who needs another reminder?
Of course, being fair, the “upside down” part could refer, not to the economy, but to yoga. I don’t do headstands – fear of a broken neck – but lying next to a wall with my feet extended straight up against the wall is actually rather comforting.
So I was so pleasantly delighted to taste this cake. And so will you. This can become a new comfort food buddy for you. The cake is luscious and the pineapple bottom and glaze are full of flavor without being sickly sweet. Turning this cake out of the skillet, before your guests, will generate some smiles and “ahs”. The lovely complexity of that pineapple top, coupled with its intense out of the oven aroma, is definitely an end of meal treat.
The success of this cake comes, in large part, from the use of real, not canned, pineapple for the topping. And then using a little rum and lots of pineapple juice in the cake itself. That cake, just the cake, is a delight.
You can amplify the experience by adding some flavored whipped cream or ice cream or by accompanying with a glass of sweet wine.
Pineapple Upside Down Skillet Cake
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the topping:
- 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cored
- 3/4 stick unsalted butter (6 Tbsps.)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons. ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons. baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ stick unsalted butter, softened (6 tablespoons)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dark rum, plus 2 tablespoons, for sprinkling over cake
- ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the topping, cut the pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add the brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Arrange the pineapple on top of the sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.
For the batter, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Add half the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in the pineapple juice, then add the remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended (batter may appear to be slightly curdled).
Spoon the batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Let the cake stand in the skillet for 5 minutes. Place a plate over the skillet and invert the cake onto the plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle rum over the cake and cool slightly.
Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
Source: Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, 2002
