Eggnog Cranberry Overnight French Toast

Eggnog Cranberry Overnight French Toast

Eggnog Cranberry Overnight French Toast

The perfect make-ahead dish to feed a crowd on Christmas morning!

Makes

12 servings

Active time:

15 minutes

Total Time:

Overnight

Good For:

Dessert, Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Way back in 2008, I received Cooking Pleasures magazine as part of my Cooking Club of America subscription. That year, their holiday edition had a recipe that caught my eye for this overnight French toast. As it happens, I was hosting Christmas breakfast that year, so I decided to try it out. It was a HIT! Usually brunch is at my mom’s house and everyone brings a dish, and every year since then, this is what I bring. 

Over the years, I’ve changed and tweaked the original recipe to fit my own preferences and my family’s size and needs, so what you see here is more inspired by that original than a direct share…but it’s become a big Christmas tradition. I joke that I might not be allowed in the house on Christmas morning if I don’t come bearing these pans of French toast!

A note: If you don’t want to prep it the night before, it’s totally fine to do everything right before you bake it as well. Follow the directions as they’re written below, except start preheating the oven as step 1 and skip the “cover and chill” step entirely. I did it all at once to get the photo for this recipe, and it was just as delicious as it was on Christmas morning, after it’s night in the fridge.

Ingredients

Instructions

Bread

  • 2 loaves bakery Italian bread, pre-sliced (you’ll use about 1.5 loaves)
  • 2 cups store-bought eggnog
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 12-oz bag of cranberries, fresh or frozen (you don’t need to use them all)

Topping

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut up
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup chopped pecans
  1. Start the night before. Lightly grease two cake pans (I like to get the disposable foil pans for easy cleanup on a busy Christmas morning.)
    .
  2. Whisk eggnog, eggs, milk, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
    .
  3. Dip each piece of bread in the mixture, making sure both sides are covered. Arrange the bread in the pans (however much will fit—I usually need a loaf and a half.)
    .
  4. Sprinkle the cranberries (whole) over the top, as many as you like. I usually use about 2/3 of the bag.
    .
  5. Cover and store in the fridge overnight.
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  6. In the morning, preheat the oven to 400º. As the oven heats, get your topping ingredients ready.
    .
  7. Make the streusel topping by cutting together the butter and brown sugar with a pastry cutter or two knives. Sprinkle over the bread.
    .
  8. Bake for 15 minutes. Pull the bread out and add the pecans, then bake for another 15 minutes, until it’s golden brown.
    .
  9. Wow your family or friends and enjoy!

From the Books

Okay, so this isn’t featured in any of my stories…but with a growing number of Christmas titles, we can assume that characters somewhere or another would enjoy this easy make-ahead breakfast on that holy morning!

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Plum Kringle Classic Dough

Plum Kringle Classic Dough

Plum Kringle Quick Dough

A classic Danish holiday recipe gets a plum twist with its traditional, tender, flaky yeast dough

Makes

2 pastries, 8 servings each

Active time:

1 hour, 20 minutes

Total Time:

9 hours, 20 minutes

Good For:

Dessert, Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Kringle is a traditional Danish pastry popular around the holidays…or anytime. Because once you get a mouthful of flaky pastry crust and an ooey-gooey fruit filling, you’re going to want more!

This traditiona Kringle dough has a lot of chilling time between steps so takes quite a while overall…but not all that much active time. If you’re doing a side-by-side taste comparison between this as the quick dough I also provide a recipe for (here), this traditional dough wins every time! (Though if you’re doing a side-by-side, you won’t find anything lacking in the quicker version).

Traditional Kringle is filled with tart cherry jam and almond paste, which you are welcome to use! You could substitute any favorite fruit jam or preserves as well. But in honor of the plum orchards at Plumford (aka Sugar Plum) Manor, I decided to create a plum version that’s featured in Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor and is sooooo tasty! Plum preserves can be difficult to find, fair warning. I had to order Bonne Maman’s from Amazon.

Ingredients

Instructions

For the Kringle

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup butter, cold, cut into pieces
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg white for the wash
  • 1 cup plum preserves

 

For the Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and mix. Add the butter and cut together, either with a pastry cutter, two knives, or a few pulses in a food processor. You want the butter to be reduced to pea-sized pieces.
    .
  2. Whisk the whole egg and milk together. Add to the dry mixture and gently fold until it comes together in a dough. (If the dough is too crumbly, add a few drops of water at a time, just until it holds together when pinched.) Shape into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 6–48 hours.
    .
  3. On a floured work surface, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 9×15 inches (you can mark it out on the underside of a piece of parchment paper and roll directly onto it for ease of measurement). Take the short ends of the dough and fold it into thirds, creating a 9×5 rectangle. Turn it 90 degrees and repeat the process. Wrap again and chill for another 30 minutes.
    .
  4. Repeat the step above. At this point you can either make and bake the Kringle, refrigerate it for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to a year (wrapped in plastic wrap and store in a zipper freezer bag).
    .
  5. When ready to assemble, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half and roll each portion into a 5×20 rectangle. Spread a thin line of preserves down the middle of each, leaving 2 inches on either side and a half inch at the ends.
    .
  6. Fold one long side of dough over the jam. Use the egg white to brush over the unfolded portion and ends. Fold that over as well, pinching and smoothing the dough closed all along the side and on the ends. Form each length of dough into a circle, pinching the ends to unite. Flip them so that the seam is downward onto the parchment lined baking sheets. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.
    .
  7. Preheat the oven to 375˚. Once the oven is hot and the dough has puffed, brush the egg wash over the top and sides of the Kringles and then bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
    .
  8. Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm pastry. Remove pastry to a wire rack to cool.
    .
  9. Best enjoyed within a day of baking, though it will keep at room-temperature for 3–4 days.

From the Books

Plum Kringle plays a rather pivotal role in Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor, when our Danish antagonist commissions this regional spin on one of his favorite holiday treats from a local baker in Castleton.

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Plum Kringle Quick Dough

Plum Kringle Quick Dough

Plum Kringle Quick Dough

A classic Danish holiday recipe gets a plum twist…and an American quick-dough for an easy breakfast or dessert!

Makes

2 pastries, 8 servings each

Active time:

1 hour

Total Time:

3 hours

Good For:

Dessert, Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Kringle is a traditional Danish pastry popular around the holidays…or anytime. Because once you get a mouthful of flaky pastry crust and an ooey-gooey fruit filling, you’re going to want more!

Traditional Kringle is made with a yeast dough that isn’t hard but is definitely time-consuming. This sour cream-based dough is yummy but also quick to come together!

Traditional Kringle is filled with tart cherry jam and almond paste, which you are welcome to use! You could substitute any favorite fruit jam or preserves as well. But in honor of the plum orchards at Plumford (aka Sugar Plum) Manor, I decided to create a plum version that’s featured in Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor and is sooooo tasty! Plum preserves can be difficult to find, fair warning. I had to order Bonne Maman’s from Amazon.

For the traditional yeast-dough recipe, you can click here or look in the back of the book!

Ingredients

Instructions

For the Kringle

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 sticks butter, chilled
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup plum preserves

 

For the Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Using a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and the vanilla.
    .
  2. In a large bowl, cut together the flour and the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives (or, alternately, pulse a few times in a food processor). You want the mixture to be pea-sized pieces. Stir in the sour cream mixture and mix to form a dough. Divide in half and shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. At this point you could also freeze the dough (if wrapped in plastic and stored in a zipper freezer bag, dough will stay fresh in the freezer for a year).
    .
  3. Preheat the oven to 450º. Whisk the egg in a small bowl or cup.
    .
  4. Cut a piece of parchment paper at least 12 inches long (a little longer for overhang) and on the reverse side, draw out two 12×6 rectangles. Flip the parchment over and, using that as your guide, roll each disk of dough into the 12×6 rectangles.
    .
  5. Spread the preserves in a thin line down the center of each rectangle, leaving 2 inches on each end. Using the parchment to help you lift, fold each long side of the dough over the preserves. Fold the ends, pressing to seal. Brush each Kringle with egg wash.
    .
  6. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. As it’s baking, whisk the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over the Kringles as soon as you take them out of the oven. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy! (Best within a day of baking but can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature.)

From the Books

Plum Kringle plays a rather pivotal role in Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor, when our Danish antagonist commissions this regional spin on one of his favorite holiday treats from a local baker in Castleton.

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Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender!

Hollandaise was once the most temperamental of sauces…but that was before blenders made it quick, easy, AND delicious!

Makes

8-12 servings

Prep time:

5 minutes

Total Time:

10 minutes

Good For:

Dinner, Breakfast, Side

Inroduction

About this Recipe

I’ll be honest. I hadn’t had Hollandaise sauce until a couple years ago…when I was inspired by my own writing to try it out, LOL. In The Lost Heiress, Brook is facing down a moody chef at Whitby Park, and he chides her for interrupting him when he’s making Hollandaise, the most temperamental of sauces. Which I chose by looking up “most temperamental dishes” or something like that. Back in the day, one whisked this sauce by hand, and you literally couldn’t stop or it would separate.

Well, thank heavens for blenders! Seriously. You can now make this “most temperamental of sauces” in half a blink, just by tossing it into a blender instead of using a whisk. Woot!

The recipe I first tried called for a tablespoon of lemon juice, and I found that to be WAY to sour for my family’s taste. I dialed it back to a teaspoon, and my husband said, “Yeah, little more than that, please.” So my instructions say to start with 2 teaspoons, but add more to taste. (I liked it with only 1 teaspoon, LOL.)

It’s also very important to note that the temperamental soul of the sauce is still there. You MUST drizzle–don’t pour all at once!–that melted butter into the egg base WHILE the blender is running! If you don’t, you’ll end up with a mess. (Ask me how I know.)

Serve over eggs benedict, aspargus, chicken, pork, or anything else that needs a jolt of salty, rich deliciousness! This recipe makes A LOT, so you’ll have plenty to try on a variety of things. 😉

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 10 tablespoons salted butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Dash of cayenne
  1. Melt the butter in a spouted measuring cup.
    .
  2. Put egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to it. Blend on medium high speed until the egg yolks lighten, about 30 seconds.
    .
  3. Turn blender to lowest setting. While running, slowly dribble in the butter. After butter is added, taste for salt and lemon juice, adding more of either if needed.
    .
  4. Transfer to a container you can pour it from and keep it warm (not hot) until you’re ready to use.

From the Books

Hollandaise Sauce is specifically mentioned in The Lost Heiress, when the Brook interrupts the chef while he’s making it and he’s none too happy about it.

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Classic Porridge

Classic Porridge

Classic Porridge

Soaked or slow-cooked oat groats create a classic porridge with a satisfying bite and familiar oat flavor, a perfect base for your fixings!

Makes

6 servings

Prep time:

2 minutes

Total Time:

Overnight

Good For:

Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

You can’t get more classic as a breakfast food than porridge! But…what is it? Oatmeal? Something different? Technically, the word “porridge” describes any hot cereal made from whole grains…but the most classic version does indeed use oats: whole oat groats!

If you’re familiar with steel-cut oats, they’re the closest to groats, just already processed. But if you’re looking for a true WHOLE grain experience, grab a bag of groats, and then either soak or slow-cook them overnight. I’ve personally found the slow-cooker version to be preferable, but if you don’t like the chew of the whole grains, processing them in a blender or food processor after an overnight soak will yield a texture more like traditional steel-cut oatmeal.

This creates a great base…that you can then dress up as desired! We’ve done peanut butter and banana…strawberries and cream…brown sugar cinnamon…even maple and bacon. All were equally delicious. If you’re a one-flavor type of person, you can mix the whole batch into that flavor. Since my family likes variety, I just make the base recipe and then we fix our individual bowls to our tastes.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1 cup oat groats
  • 4 ¼ cups water
  • Pinch of salt
  • Flavorings to taste

 

  1. Combine oat groats and water in a slow cooker the night before. Add a pinch of salt.
    .
  2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
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  3. Add cinnamon, maple syrup, brown sugar or alternative, fresh fruit, jam, cream, or any other toppings and stir-ins you desire! (Pictured with strawberry jam and fresh-cut strawberries, which pairs perfectly with a tablespoon of heavy cream.)
    .
  4. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Alternate Instructions

  1. The night before, cover oat groats with 1-2 inches of water in a large bowl. Let soak overnight.
    .
  2. In the morning, drain the groats, then combine them in a food processor blender with 2 cups of fresh water. Pulse for about 30 seconds or until the groats have broken up and resemble steel-cut oats.
    .
  3. Add mixture to a pot, add an addition 2 cups of water, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the oats reach you desire tenderness. Top or stir in your choice of flavorings, as above.

From the Books

Porridge would be enjoyed by all my English characters, and it gets a special shout-out in A Beautiful Disguise when (gasp!) the lord and lady make their own breakfast.

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Strawberry Scones

Strawberry Scones

Strawberry Scones

Nothing beats a fruity scone, especially when it’s drizzled with a fabulous strawberries-and-cream glaze!

Servings

12

Prep time:

15 minutes

Total Time:

30 minutes

Good For:

Dessert, Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

We love scones in our family. I make them every year for Mother’s Day, which means that I’ve tried a wide variety of recipes. One of my favorites, though, is this strawberry variation.

The secret to light, flaky scones is to NOT overwork the dough. It ought to be stirred until just combined and then patted into place with as few movements as possible. Do not knead, do not roll out!! Just pat into shape and cut. You can either make traditional round scones or cut the disc into triangles.

Ingredients

For the Scones

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon cream, separated
  • 1 egg
  • 8 medium sized strawberries, minced

 

Strawberry Glaze

  • 2 strawberries, minced
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cream
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    .
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some lumps the size of peas.
    .
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and 2/3 cups cream. Pour into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the minced strawberries. Transfer to a floured surface and lightly form into a disc. Cut the disc into 12 wedges or circles. Brush tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. Bake for 12 minutes.
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  4. While the scones cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the strawberries, powdered sugar, and cream until you have a have a smooth glaze. Pour 1 tablespoon of glaze over the top of each scone. Let set up and serve either warm or at warm temperature.

From the Books

Strawberry Scones were featured in All the Inn’s a Stage, but I can also imagine Ella enjoying them while she’s at the tea house in A Lady Unrivaled.

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