Currently Snackin' On...

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies & Coconut Milk

I've been on the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and good golly Miss Molly I think I've found it! I kind of gave up on baking chocolate chip cookies as a whole...I can't remember the last time I've made some(truthfully it's been years). But anywho this is the perfect c.c.cookie because it has a combo of various types of chocolates and nuts. I prefer my c.c.cookies this way.

About the coconut milk, well it's my new favorite beverage and I can't get enough of it. If you ask me, a nice cool glass of coconut milk pairs well with any cookie.

Go ahead and partake in this perfect mid-day/afternoon/late night snack by checking out the recipe below. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Adapted from David Lebovitz

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup  packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup nuts, chopped and toasted . (I used pecans only but you could also use walnuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts, hazelnuts or any combo.) 

1 Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped

1 Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped

1/2 Ghirardelli dark chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped  

Instructions
 

1. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in flour mixture. Mix in chocolate and nuts. 

3. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap the logs in cling-wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight.

4. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. 

5. Slice the logs into disks 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick and place the disks 3 inches (8 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.

6. Bake. Rotate the baking sheets after 5 minutes. The cookies should take 12 minutes in total to cook, but check after 10. If you like the soft centre under-bake slightly.

7. Cool and Enjoy...be warned...you just can't eat one!

Sweetheart Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a great Valentine's Day treat to give to family, friends, students, and of coarse the sweetheart in your life. I took the basic cupcake recipe and added a little umph to it. Raspberry and lemon are two complementary flavors that I felt were perfect for portraying the sweet, zesty, light side of Valentine's day...if there is such a thing.


Ingredients

Cupcake Batter
1 c. butter softened
1 tbs. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
3 c. cake flour sifted
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. of lemon zest

Frosting
1/2 stick of butter(softened)
1/2 block of 8oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/4 c. to 1/2 c. of raspberry preserves (add according to your sweetness factor/likeness)
1 c. to 2 c. of confectioner sugar (add according to your sweetness factor/likeness)
Fresh raspberries for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Prep large cupcake pan(s) with large cupcake liners.

Cream butter and oil together. Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.
(Beat 1 to 2 minutes with electric mixer or longer by hand). Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Add lemon juice and zest. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth.

Pour batter into large cupcake pan. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean if tested. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add raspberry preserves. Gradually add in confectioners sugar. Once level of sweetness and thickness of frosting is achieved to your desire frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish cupcakes with raspberries.

Handout to family, friends, students, your special someone and enjoy!

Cran-Apple Spice Cupcakes

Due to watching an abundant amount of Food Network's, Cupcake Wars, I was inspired to put a creative spend on the ordinary cupcake. Low and behold, the first of many flavors that I have come up with is the Cran-Apple Spice cupcake!  

The upcoming fall season has played a big role in inspiring such a flavor of a cupcake. For some reason spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger smell like fall. And the brightness and crispness of apples and cranberries look and taste like fall. Mix all these inspirations of fall together and what do you get...a very tasty cupcake!

Secret is you (well speaking for myself) can get away with eating these cupcakes for breakfast. They're so light (in taste that is, not so sure about calories) and it doesn't taste like your eating a cup full of sugar (as I find with most store bought cupcakes). So go ahead and try one for yourself...check out the recipe below.


Ingredients

Cupcake Batter (makes about 15 large cupcakes):

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons of cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 cups of finely chopped  Granny Smith apples (about 2-3 large apples)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Spiced Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter softened
• 1 package of cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon of orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups of confectioners sugar
• store bought caramel sauce for decoration (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cupcake pan sized for large cupcakes with large cupcake liners.

Combine sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

In a separate bowl sift cake flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together. Then add these dry ingredients to the sugar, egg, oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract mixture. Next, fold in the apples, pecans, coconut, and dried cranberries.

Fill cupcake liners half way with batter. To ensure an easy an clean job use a regular sized ice cream scooper when filling the cupcake liners with batter.

Bake for about 30 mins. or until toothpick comes out clean. If you're baking a smaller sized cupcake the baking time will likely be less. Remove cupcakes from pan and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.

For the frosting,  mix the butter, cream cheese, orange juice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract together with an electric mixer. Slowly add the confectioners sugar a cup at a time. Frost cooled cupcake then drizzle caramel sauce over the top.

Enjoy!

What Am I Snackin' On...

I don't really do the whole raw fish thing so I guess I'm not a true sushi connoisseur. I don't care though because anything (meaning meat) that has the slightest possibility of being raw freaks me out. However, I am a fan of any sushi that is either vegetarian base or contains cooked fish.

A while back I was browsing in one of my favorite stores Whole Foods (a.k.a Whole Paycheck) and needed a quick snack. So I checked out the food cafe and was rather curious to try their spicy shrimp tempura. I've tried others but I figured Whole Foods probably can give those others a run for their money. My assumptions were right. Whole foods shrimp tempura sushi roll was savory, light, yet satisfying and the top quality ingredients (panko crusted shrimp, brown rice, a yummy semi-spicy sauce, a dusting of sesame seeds and scallion) were very much appreciated...so much so that I inhaled the entire roll in one sitting in less than 15 minutes. Aside from all of this, I loved how every thing was packaged and presented...very gourmet-ish but without the high cost.

The Orlando Food Truck Bazaar

Last weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing my first Food Truck Bazaar. I must say that I enjoyed the experience. The atmosphere and people were pleasant. More importantly, the variety of food was very diverse.

This is an event that host some of the best food trucks in the Central Florida area. *Sigh*...a foodie's dream! Admission is free to the public but the food is going to cost you. Speaking of the food, there was no fast food being served. I know what you're thinking, food + truck = fast food...wrong. From what I experienced and witnessed majority of the food is being made to order. Just think a mini restaurant on wheels. Hopefully next go around I'll take more pictures of what I eat. I'm sorry, I was so focused on eating and tasting everything. So definitely stayed tuned to part deux of my experience at another Food Truck Bazaar event. 


If you're in the Central Florida area or you're planning to be sometime soon and want to experience a Food Truck Bazaar for yourself, check out some of the upcoming dates and locations:  

August 2011
Sunday Aug 14, 6pm – 10pm Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Marketplace Blvd
Sunday Aug 21, 5pm – 10pm Orlando Fashion Square Mall, 3201 East Colonial Drive
Sunday Aug 28, 6pm – 10pm Parliament House Bar & Resort, 410 North Orange Blossom Trail

For more information, tips, and a bit of history on The Orlando Food Truck Bazaar check out TheDailyCity.com.

Happy Food Trucking!

Attention Fellow Foodies: New Season Of Food Network Star Is Finally Here

I'm excited about another season of one of the best shows around... Food Network Star! Apparently, this season will be "bigger and better". I'm pretty sure this will mean that the challenges will be more tougher than ever and that there's so much personality and talent among the finalist everyone will seem like the next Food Network Star! But of course there will only be one winner. I can't wait to tune in. Food Network Star premieres Sunday, June 5, 9c/8p and thereafter it will air every Sunday at 9c/8p.



*photo courtesy of foodnetwork.com*

Italian Wedding Soup

There are times when I don't want to be bothered with cooking a meal that's fussy or complicated. A soup, salad, and breadstick kind of night is the perfect quick fix solution. Soups are great to make because you basically toss everything in a pot and allow time and the ingredients to do all the work.

I recently tried out an Italian Wedding soup recipe courtesy of Ina Garten's, Barefoot Contessa ( via Food Network). I did change a few ingredients due to my personal taste preferences. Overall, this soup is tasty, light, and very satisfying. It has everything you need in a complete meal...veggies, protein, carbs, and lots of flavor!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:  

• 6 chicken italian sausage links, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
• 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil 
• 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.


In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Add the fresh basil and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

*Note: I always freeze the left-overs in a freezer safe container...perfect time saver for future meals*

What Am I Snackin' On...

I love the taste of a chewy granola bar. I guess that's why I've become a recent fan of ProBars. These delicious bites of goodness are packed with 15 whole foods (grains, nuts, and fruits), they're 70% raw/100% vegan, and contain a lot of organic ingredients (no preservatives here people). Oh, and they fit perfectly into your handbag ladies. 

Now, I know what you're thinking, something so healthy is likely lacking in the flavor department. Well, you're wrong my friends. There's plenty of good flavor to go around and back. There are unique flavors such as Koka Moka, Nutta Bannana Boom, and Cran-Lemon Twister...just to name a few. My favorite is the Whole Berry Blast (shown above). I found this awesome snack at my local Whole Foods Market but you can click here to find where ProBars are sold in your area. Happy Snackin'!

Double Chocolate Almond Cookies

This Valentine's Day I wanted to make a sweet treat for my fam. I didn't want to bake the traditional cake or cupcakes so I decided to go with cookies. However, I didn't want to bake just any old ordinary cookie. It had to be something rich, fabulous, and most importantly says "I Love You." Hmmm...a double chocolate almond cookie says all this and more.

I stumbled upon this recipe while watching one of my favorite chefs on the Food Network...Ina Garten (love her). This recipe was featured on her Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa. When I saw this episode I immediately (okay not immediately but a day or two later) ran out to get the ingredients.

I'm not big a fan of  anything that's chocolate but the double chocolate almond cookie just might change my mind. It was definitely a big  hit with all my love ones. So much so that my mom said she caught my dad eating some in the wee hours of the morning (most people would be asleep at the time he was up...not eating cookies).

Ingredients                                                                      

*2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 1/3 plus 4 tablespoon of cake flour)

*3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*3/4 teaspoon salt

*1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature (in addition to this I added 1 tablespoon of olive oil )1 cup sugar

*1 cup firmly packed dark or light brown sugar

*1 large egg

*1 teaspoon vanilla

*1 cup white chocolate chips

*1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

*1 cup almonds, chopped (I used 1 cup of roasted almonds)

Directions                                                                       

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and mix together. Add the flour mixture and continue mixing until just combined.

Add the chocolates and almonds and mix until combined. Using two tablespoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop the dough two inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets. The cookies should be very soft when they are removed from the oven. They will firm up as they cool. Enjoy!

Tiramisu

Due to my love for all things Italia it was mandatory that I learn the art of making a great authentic tiramisu.  It took me a while to find the right recipe but I think I found a keeper.To my surprise very few ingredients are needed. More importantly, little culinary skills required.

I did make this a non-alcoholic tiramisu and the ending result is nothing but deliziosa...that's Italian for delicious. This recipe is courtesy of Italian Desert Recipes.

Recipe As Follows:                                                                                                       

 6 egg yolks

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese

1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

2 (3 ounce) packages ladyfingers (approx 24 ladyfingers total)
1/3 cup Kahlua  or very strong coffee/espresso (see substitutions).

Topping extras

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (dust)
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate (shaved)

Directions:                                                                                                                         

*To start, chill the bowl that will be used for whipping the cream in.

*Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler. Reduce heat to low.

*Cook for about 10 minutes and don't go anywhere! Stir it constantly.

*Remove the mixture from heat and whip in the yolks until its thick.

*Add the mascarpone to the whipped yolks. Beat until combined.

*Pull your chilled bowl out of fridge and whip the cream until the stiff peaks are formed.

*Gently fold into yolk mixture and set aside.

*Line the bottom and sides of your serving bowl with the ladyfingers. Brush the lady fingers with the Kahlua (see substitutions).

*Spoon half of the cream filling over the lady fingers.

*Now you are going to layer - using ladyfingers, Kahlua and filling.

*Keep going till you run out of lady fingers.

*The top layer of filling is finished off with cocoa or chocolate curls. (Or both!)

* Enjoy! 

**BIG SUCCESS HINT: Refrigerate several hours or overnight**

BOP'S Frozen Custard...The Best Darn Custard I've Ever Tasted!




Within the last year or two while visiting fam in Mississippi it's become somewhat of a priority that I make a pit stop to Bop's. A custard shop that is so delicious it always has me returning for more. It's so funny that their slogan is "Once you bop you can't stop!" Obviously they weren't lying. The great thing is they have something to satisfy the taste buds of everyone!

Bop's frozen custard is old fashioned quality ice cream. You can tell the love that goes into it because it's made with all natural ingredients, no artificial anything, and no preservatives. "Our custard is made fresh throughout the day.Our custard is served at approximately 26 degrees compared to regular ice cream at approximately 10 degrees. This allows your taste buds to get a "true taste", unlike ice cream served at a lower temperature which tends to numb or freeze your taste buds while eating. Custard has very little air whipped in making it denser and smoother than ice cream. Custard, by definition, must have 10% butterfat and 1.4% egg (Bop's)."

I would have to say that thus far I have experienced a few items on the menu (can't wait to experience more):




Strawberry Shortcake
[picture source]



The Strawberry Shortcake (my favorite):

Light and refreshing. It's a warm layer of shortcake (tastes like a homemade pound cake), topped with strawberries, vanilla custard, and whipped cream. Yummm-O!
 



Cobbler A La Mode

 

The Cobbler A La Mode (my runner up thus far): 

Comforting and satisfying. It's a warm layer of cobbler of your choice (apple,blackberry, peach, pecan, cinnamon apple crumble crisp) topped with fresh vanilla custard. Deliciousness!





Snappy Turtle
[picture source]



 The Snappy Turtle (best seller):

Simple yet decadent. It's fresh vanilla custard drizzled with hot fudge and caramel, topped with roasted pecans. Scrumptious!

Unfortunately, the Bop's franchise is not found throughout the U.S. They are primarily in Mississippi with the exception of one location in Louisiana. However, it seems to be that they're planning to branch out. Check out Bop's website regarding exact locations and menu items. Lastly, If you're planing to be in the Mississippi area anytime soon or ever, do yourself and stomach a favor and stop by Bop's Frozen Custard.

Bake Me Crazy Chicken w/Gravy

I recently got a chance to catch up on one of my favorite foodnetwork shows, Aaron McCargo Jr.'s, Big Daddy's House. I love the food he makes and his fun, easygoing, enthusiastic attitude on the show. Nonetheless, I love that he makes my mouth water everytime I tune in to watch.

The Bake me Crazy Chicken episode was a must try for me. And the results were fabulous. This meal was simple yet wholesome. It was a hit with my parents also. I paired this chicken recipe with the Spicy Broccoli Saute  from the same episode. To round out the meal I  made mashed potatoes . I figured can't have gravy with out the mashed potatoes. Lastly, all I can say is... yum-o-licious excellence!

Cost wise this was a pretty cheap meal to make. I already had most of the ingredients on hand except for the paprika, chicken breast, and fresh organic broccoli. These three ingredient were around $10 or so.


Recipe As Follows:                                                              

• 4 (6-ounce) boneless skin-on chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

     Pan Sauce/Gravy:                                              

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock, cold
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Dash sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves (I lefted this ingredient out)      

Directions:                                                                              

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil.

Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Put the chicken, skin side down, into the hot oil and sear until nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional minute. Remove from pan and arrange them on a quarter sheet tray with a rack. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing

For the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the butter. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the flour to form a pasty roux. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn heat down to medium. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix well. Add the sherry vinegar and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir in the chopped parsley and tarragon. Transfer the sliced chicken to serving plates and drizzle with the sauce.

* Recipe acquired from Big Daddy's House at Foodnetwork.com

Chop-Chop Ginger Sesame Chicken Stir Fry

So last Monday was one of those days where I thought, what can I make that's quick but incorporates ingredients I have in the fridge and pantry and doesn't require me to go out and make a cart full of groceries at the market?  I always have basic veggies on hand like broccoli, bell peppers, onion, and garlic. I always have chicken on hand. So I figured a stir fry  made perfect sense. The only "hard" part about this recipe is "chopping" everything up. But I found the

chopping to be very therapeutic

after a long day of work.

Recipe As Follows:                                                                          


8-10 chicken breast tenderloins, cubed (the ones that are already skinned and cut into strips)
1 cup green onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup of broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cups of a good Ginger Sesame vinaigrette salad dressing
3/4  cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon of water
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:                                                                                         


Cut chicken tenderloins into cubes season with salt and pepper. Place in a Ziploc bag. Pour 1 cup of the ginger vinaigrette salad dressing into bag. Make sure all of chicken pieces are covered with dressing. Place into refrigerator so that you can prep your veggies.


Chop up green onion and bell peppers. Defrost broccoli florets. Set veggies aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, cook until done. remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

In same skillet add  1/2 cup of ginger sesame salad dressing, chicken stock, soy sauce, honey, ground ginger, and minced garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Mix together the cornstarch and  water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces and veggies, and simmer, for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with white or brown rice. Enjoy!

Simply Good Bread Pudding

This past weekend I had a serious urge to bake something. At first thought I wasn’t sure what to make. After a day of shopping with my mum she suggested bread pudding. I figured this would be simple and quick yet deliciously tasty. Bread pudding is a southern staple…so my parents tell me. It originated out of the necessity not to waste and out of the need to live frugally. It consist of basic wholesome ingredients that most kitchens have on hand. I just want to put out a warning: this recipe is not for those who are trying to watch there waistline, the ingredients are a bit rich but the dish itself is somewhat light which means you feel like you could eat more than one serving. If you are watching your waistline just remember…portion control.





Recipe As Follows:                                                         
1 day old Baguette (about 6 cups of bread)
¼ cup of butter, melted (about 4 tablespoons)
½ cup of raisins
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup of milk
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla


Instructions:                                                                     
Coat 8 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.


Cut bread into cubes and place in pan. Pour melted butter onto bread. Sprinkle Raisins over bread.


In saucepan combine milk and heavy whipping cream. Simmer on low heat until milk and cream are warm. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Stir in sugar, spices and vanilla. Stir in egg. Pour mixture over bread.


Press bread down into the milk/egg mixture so that it can absorb it. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly tapped. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!