Eggnog French Toast Bake with Caramelized Bananas

The holidays are a time for big, over-the-top, excruciatingly sweet, and mouthwateringly savory breakfasts.

The day eggnog comes out each year should be a holiday in itself. I know that some people "don't like" eggnog, but I think they either have not actually tasted it or are simply lying. It's a sweet, creamy, flavorful beverage that can become even more exceptional with a splash of rum. What's not to enjoy?

So, the other day when I opened the fridge and was confronted with a half-filled carton of this magical liquid, I knew I had to take action. After deciding a french toast bake would be ideal I grew weary. French toast bakes are generally the worst because you want to eat it right away but you have to let it soak overnight. The anticipation can be lethal. But I hastily decided that challah bread would soak up the egg mixture super quickly and sped to the grocery store, found the bread and got to work. (After grabbing bacon... and more eggnog, obviously). You can definitely let this sit overnight to get extra juicy if you have the patience, but it is not a requirement.

The bananas were an afterthought. I felt like it needed something extra so these cinnamon-y, brown sugar, rum coated bananas really did the trick. I hope you enjoy!

Eggnog French Toast Bake

Serves 8-10 

• One Loaf of Challah Bread, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 5 Large Eggs
• 1 cup Eggnog
• 3/4 cup Whole Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cloves
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Butter an 11x7 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle the pieces of bread in the dish. Pat them down so they all fit nicely, I like to have some of the edge pieces sitting up because it looks pretty when baked.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until smooth. Add the eggnog and milk and stir till smooth. Stir in the spices and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the bread evenly so all pieces are coated. 

You can either let this sit overnight or you can preheat the oven now to 400 degrees. When ready to bake, sprinkle some cinnamon across the top. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, the french toast should no longer jiggle and should be crisp on top. Prepare Caramelized Bananas while baking.

Caramelized Bananas

• 3 Bananas, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla or Vanilla Bean Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Rum 

Place a large skillet on a burner at medium-high heat. Throw in the butter and let it melt. Add the brown sugar, spices, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and then add the bananas, tossing to coat evenly. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until the brown sugar mixture begins to bubble and thicken on the bananas. Remove from heat and add the rum. Stir lightly. Serve over french toast with syrup!

Hot Cocoa Cookies

I'm kind of majorly freaking out about these cookies.

I was just planning on making regular chocolate chip cookies. I always like to add a touch of cinnamon because yum. But, because it's fall and the weather is so extremely fall-y I sort of went a little crazy on the cinnamon. Adding in some other spices as well. Then I completely forgot I did that and kept making the batter. I was looking in the pantry for the flour and saw the cocoa powder and thought, "hmm... that might be a nice addition!" So I replaced half a cup of flour with cocoa powder. 

And, you know, if you add cocoa powder... you need white chocolate... and maybe milk chocolate. So I added those in as well. 

Then they started baking... and the cinnamon-y, autumn smell started taking over the kitchen. It was magical. And then I scarfed down about a hundred of them and am still crying over how good they were. They aren't crazy chocolatey because there isn't too much cocoa powder. They stay chewy on the inside despite them being crispy and crackly on the outside. They're light even though they sound so extremely decadent. I'm naming them hot cocoa cookies because of this. 

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

• 1 cup Salted Butter
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

On medium speed, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and spices. Mix into the butter mixture until well incorporated (this takes some time). Stir in all the chips. 

Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet about two inches apart. Place in the freezer for ten minutes. Bake cookies on the middle rack for 10-15 minutes. They will start to crack when they are ready and will no longer look wet. Let cool before eating. 

7-Layer Bars

I'd like to send out my sincerest apologies for being absent from the blogosphere (are people still using that word?) for so long. But, I am making it up to you with these drool-worthy bars.

Since I have come home for my summer break, I weirdly have hardly baked at all. What you think would be greatly appreciated by my friends and family who tend to get upset when I destroy all their dieting-hardwork with endless cookies has actually led them to more confusion than ever. "Why aren't you baking? Are you sick?"--No, I am fine. I just was out of the game for so long. But I am back! Don't you people forget about me!

A lot of people make 7-Layer Bars that only have like two or three layers. To be honest, I have never had a bar with 7-Layers until I made these. I don't know what the seventh layer is supposed to be? So I made it Oreos... because why not. They are possibly the easiest thing to make in the entire world. I wouldn't stress over these coming out right or wrong because when you combine this many sugary ingredients into a pan there is really no chance of it not tasting incredible. It requires zero expertise, I promise. But they are the perfect treat to bring to a party... perhaps a Father's Day party? 

Hope you all enjoy, and if you're a father have a wonderful day honoring you!

(oh my god)

7-Layer Bars

Yields 24 Medium-Sized Bars 

• 1 Cup Salted Butter, melted in microwave (30 second intervals)
• 2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips
• 1 1/2 Cups Butterscotch Chips
• 1 Cup Pecans, chopped
• 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Sweetened Coconut
• 10 Oreos, chopped in to 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.

Combine the butter and graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Spread evenly over pan and press down to form the crust. You can use a piece of parchment paper so you can really pack down the crust with your hand.

Sprinkle the chips, nuts, coconut, and Oreos evenly over the crust. With a spoon, drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over everything. Be generous. Don't hold back because sweetened condensed milk is excellent.

Bake for a half hour, turning the pan halfway through. If the coconut starts to brown, pull the bars out. It should be a nice golden on top. Let cool completely before cutting in to them.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Whiskey Caramel Frosting

Top of the mornin' foodies!

It's spring break! Which means...

I am going to bake non-stop for seven days!

In honor of St. Patrick's day I made these boozy treats.

These cupcakes are filled with Guinness and Jameson, making the chocolate and caramel flavors a million times richer. 

The stout and chocolate combination is just the best thing ever. These cupcakes are unbelievably fudge-y without being too dense or brownie-like. All chocolate cupcakes should be made with stout. It's just science?

The Jameson caramel frosting is piled on top. It's the kind of frosting that isn't crazy creamy or heavy. It's perfectly smooth and whipped up so that it is delicate and light. 

And like, these are just chocolate and caramel perfection.

Drink up!

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

Yields 24 Cupcakes

• 1 cup Salted Butter
• 1 cup Guinness (or another stout you prefer)
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon Baking Soda
• 2 Large Eggs
• 3/4 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray. You could also make this into a bundt cake, so you could spray a bundt pan if you prefer.

Place the butter and the Guinness in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let come to a soft boil and add the cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and remove from heat. 

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, greek yogurt, and vanilla until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk by and until completely incorporated. Gently whisk in the flour mixture. Scoop the batter into the muffin tins (or bundt pan) until they are about 3/4 full.

Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Bundt cake will take about 50-55 minutes) Let cool before frosting.

Whiskey Caramel Frosting

Prepare while cupcakes cool.

• 1/2 cup Salted Butter
• 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Irish Whiskey, I used Jameson
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2-3 cups Powdered Sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and whiskey and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Once it is entirely cooled, whisk in the heavy cream. In a medium-sized bowl, blend the caramel-mixture with the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Once you get a consistency you would like to work with you can begin frosting your cupcakes. I recommend using less powdered sugar for a bundt cake so you can drizzle the frosting over the cake. 

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

Ah, the joys of being back at school.

It actually is kind of nice to be back at good old Denison. Although I had the most amazing time abroad it's nice to get back to somewhat of a schedule. More than that I am ecstatic to see all my friends, many of whom I had not seen since last May.

Coming back to school in the Spring means getting thrown into the recruitment process. I happily took on the role of baking for the whole thang.
We made cake pops, canapes, and lots of other treats.

Soooooo so cute! 

There is not too much to report school wise. I am in an astronomy class and it is seriously making me consider dropping this whole baking thing and becoming an astronomer/astronaut.

Could be a promising career...

Anyway, I am here to tell you about these little guys

These cookies require three ingredients: Peanut Butter, Sugar, and Eggs. (Hershey Kisses can be added if you like)

Seriously like when I say these are the easiest peanut butter cookies, I am not joking.

The ratios are simple, and the baking is quick. You can whip them up in less than an hour.

They also taste amazing. They stay chewy once they've cooled and it is not one of those recipes that makes four million cookies that you do not know what to do with. You need to go make them right now. I am positive you have the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

Yields 2 Dozen

• 1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (Crunchy works too and tastes delicious!)
• 1 Cup Sugar, plus extra for rolling
• 1 Egg
• 1 Package Hershey Kisses, wrappers removed (if you desire)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Blend peanut butter, sugar, and the egg in a bowl until smooth. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in a bowl of extra sugar. Place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Here you can either leave them be or press them down with a fork making a criss-cross. If you are planning on putting Hershey Kisses on them, do not press them down with a fork.

Bake for about 10 minutes until tops have cracked and are lightly brown. When you remove them from the oven press the Hershey Kisses into their centers immediately. Let cool before serving/eating!

Nutella Marbled Banana Bread

I have an allergy to bananas.

It is seriously a travesty. 

It has been progressively getting worse and I do not know how to really cope with the situation. 

Somehow I thought making this would help. But no, it is torture.

I recently returned from a trip with some friends from college in Jupiter, Florida. We were getting together for my future roomie's 21st birthday. One would expect we were partying like crazy for this milestone in her life, however we ended up mostly just eating. How unlike me us.

Our last night we went to this restaurant called, 'The Food Shack.'

It looked just as sketchy from the outside as it sounds. However, inside held the most delicious and fresh fish I have had in my life thus far. Each night a different band plays but you should try and make it for the duet on Wednesday nights. Apparently they were close to making it on X-factor, or on X-factor... maybe it was American Idol. I have no idea. BUT. I know that they are incredible and will play any 'oldie' you desire.

I also recommend going there for the s'mores pie.

That's all.

Let's talk about banana bread! You do not have to add the Nutella swirl to this concoction, you could add a cup of chocolate chips, toasted nuts, or a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. But why would you not add Nutella to everything?

I strongly advise you use over ripe bananas. Although with a little work you can mash up regular bananas just fine, the riper they are the more the sugars in them develops. This means sweeter, stronger flavors that will certainly be apparent in your final product!

Bon appetit!

Nutella Marbled Banana Bread

Yields 12-14 Slices

• 3-4 Over Ripe Bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup Salted Butter, melted
• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Large Egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• Pinch of Cloves
• 1 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 4"x8" loaf pan.

In a large bowl stir together the mashed bananas and butter until combined. Add the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until all is mixed.

Sprinkle the baking soda and spices over the top and stir until combined. Then fold in the flour just until no flour streaks remain. 

Pour half of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Drop little balls of Nutella over the batter using a small ice cream scoop or melon baller. Pour the rest of the batter over the top of the Nutella. Gently swirl with a sharp knife. 

Place in oven for 50-60 minutes. Let cool before eating!