Thanksgiving Breakfast: Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday. It means family, friends, road trips and excellent food. It also means spending-as much-time-around-the-table-as-possible and complete-disregard-of-caloric-intake. And it doesn't have to stop at the turkey!

My mom and MeeMee usually make this incredible breakfast feast after Thanksgiving. Is a bit labor intensive, but completely worth it.

You will need to begin the process the night before as it should chill overnight. (Sounds intense, but trust me: this is so completely worth it. I promise.) 

For the French toast:  

12 slices French Bread cut into 1-inch cubes

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I usually just use one package) 

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

12 large eggs 

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 cups milk

For the blueberry syrup:

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp unsalted butter 

Day 1: 

Grease a 13x9 baking pan

Place half of the bread cubes evenly in the prepared pan

Scatter cream cheese cubes over bread

Sprinkle with 1 cup blueberries

Arrange remaining bread cubes over blueberries

In a large bowl, combine all 12 eggs, syrup and milk and whisk to blend.

Pour evenly over reserved bread mixture. 

Cover with foil and chill overnight.

So many eggs. 

Mmm

Day 2: 

The next morning, make yourself a cup of coffee and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake -- covered with foil in the middle of the oven -- for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan:

Combine sugar, cornstarch and water over medium-high heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until thickened. 

Stir in 1 cup blueberries and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until most berries burst. 

Add butter and stir until melted. 

Transfer to serving bowl.

Blueberries have not yet burst. 

Now they're bursting. I love this color. 

Serve on individual plates and top with blueberry syrup. Make yourself an extra large serving because you've earned it. 

Note: The syrup can be prepared up to 1 day in advance -- chill and reheat gently. 

TGIFriday: Things to cook in August

It's August you guys! Can you believe that?!

I was trolling BuzzFeed this week and came across a glorious post on 31 things to cook in August, based on the yummy things that are in season as fall approaches.

I pinned the heck outta those recipes, here are some of my favorites to try soon!

blueberry hand pies, white peach gin fizz, grilled shrimp with cilantro, lime and peanuts,

creme fraiche galette with heirloom tomatoes, Mediterranean lamb burger]

Which ones catch your eye? Take advantage of the weekend and try them out for yourself

Happy eating!
   

    

In season: Blueberries

[Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins]

It's beginning to look a lot like blueberry season! Not only are they one of the best superfoods, they're also on sale this time of year! I found them for 2 cartons for $5.

I needed to make a treat for book club, so I pulled out my favorite baking cookbook of all time (I don't know if I've ever mentioned this cookbook before, but it is my absolute favorite in the whole wide world. ever. of all time. Have I convinced you yet? Go get one now. Amazon, folks. You don't even have to leave your chair.) and flipped to the Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins recipe.

That sounds like a lot of things to have in one muffin, but the bright, fruity flavors marry so well with the subtle, nutty almonds. And look how pretty! The recipe encourages you to use sliced almonds to decorate the tops in a floral pattern. I love those little touches.

So go out and grab you some fresh blueberries (and an orange and some almonds) and whip these up today! Your friends/coworkers/family members will thank you--they are delicious and nutritious (sorta)!

Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins

from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Grated zest of one orange (this is a pain, but worth it)

1/2 cup orange juice (I used the juice of the above orange and supplemented with regular OJ)

1/2 cup milk (they suggest whole, I used 2%)

2 egg whites

4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled (so you don't scramble the eggs)

1/4 cup finely ground almonds (pulse in food processor until fine)

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (didn't toast 'em. because I'm lazy.)       

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup blueberries (I used more like 1 cup, and it turned out fine!)

sliced almonds for decoration

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare muffin pan with nonstick spray or muffin papers.

In a medium bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, milk, egg whites, and butter (if your butter isn't slightly cooled to room temperature, it will scramble the eggs. promise. and that's gross). Whisk until combined.

In another medium bowl, combine ground almonds, flour, sugar, sliced almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined (over-mixing makes tough muffins!). Fold in blueberries.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full, and decorate with sliced almonds. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Made 20 muffins