Strawberry Cream Crepes

Back in high school, I took a gourmet cooking class -- funnest class ever! I still  make some of the recipes from that class; here's one of them... Perfect for Spring. Perfect for strawberry season. Perfect for breakfast or a fancy dessert! This is an easy recipe that gets me lots of 'yums!' Enjoy.

 Strawberry Cream Crepes

12 crepes

2 pints sliced strawberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1   3 oz. package of cream cheese

1 cup whipping cream

sugar to taste

Prepare crepes using your favorite recipe. Toss the strawberries with the 1/4 cup of sugar and set aside. With a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly beat in whipping cream until smooth and thick, but not stiff. Add sugar to desired sweetness.

Place a some cream in each crepe and roll up. Chill. Serve strawberries over the crepes.

Hints:

♦  I double this recipe, especially if company's coming over.

♦ Use a *hand* mixer, not a stand mixer for this recipe.

♦  Sometimes we like strawberries inside the crepes, too.

♦  I've seen this recipe done with chocolate crepes. 
    Oo-la-la! Try it!

picture credit

Crispy French Toast

 

Hey -- here's one of the recipes from the breakfast calendar I won in the WCGL giveaway! (Thanks, Deb!) This calendar is filled with delightful, delicious, decadent breakfast recipes. We tried Crispy French  Toast the other night.

Think State Fair meets breakfast: there's a crispy coating and some deep-frying involved. Yummy -- and  a fun change from regular, ol' boring french toast. Give it a try...
 

Crispy French Toast

8 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
6 thick slices of white bread (Texas toast)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cups cornflakes

Preheat deep-fryer to 375° F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Beat well. Place cornflakes in separate bowl. Dip bread slices in egg mixture and press into cornflakes.

Carefully slide coated bread slices into hot oil. Fry on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

 Hints:

► It doesn't say to crush up the cornflakes in the original recipe. Do it. Smaller cornflake pieces make for a more uniform, crispy coating.

►  More eggs, a little less milk -- the coating will stick better.

 original recipe: Beyond Oatmeal, 2010 calendar from Carlene Duda

Baked Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

Baked Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

14 slices of Texas Toast, with the crusts removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen (then thawed) blueberries, picked over and rinsed
12 larges eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk

For the sauce:
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cups water
2 cups fresh or frozen (then thawed) bluerries
Zest of 1 lemon (optional, it just makes the flavor pop a little more)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Cut the crusts off the bread, then cut into 1 inch cubes

Arrange half the bread in a buttered 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Scatter the cream cheese over the bread, and sprinkle the blueberries over the cream cheese.

Arrange the remaining bread pieces over the blueberries and cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, maple syrup and milk. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake the French Toast, covered with foil in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes until it is puffed and golden.

To make the sauce:

In a saucepan stir together the sugar, the cornstarch, and the water and cook the mixture over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until it is thickened. Stir in the blueberries and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the berries have burst. Add the lemon zest if you want it then add the butter and stir the sauce until the butter is melted. Served topped with freshly whipped whipping cream if desired.

Recipe was slightly adapted from a recipe from Emory Creek Victorian Bed and Breakfast.