Raisin Bread Crostini
With plump, juicy raisins throughout, this week’s loaf makes excellent crostini to pair with our apple butter, plus maybe even a few bacon bits on top!
Ingredients:
Raisin loaf
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Thinly slice the raisin loaf into ¼-inch-thick pieces with a serrated knife and place slices on a baking sheet.
2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then slip pan into a 375º oven and bake crostini for 10-15 minutes, until bread is golden brown and slightly crisp. Remove from oven, and serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.)
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Challah Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Drizzled with a warm bourbon sauce, this dessert is oh-so-comforting!
Ingredients:
4 cups slightly stale Challah bread with crusts, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
For bourbon sauce:
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk the eggs, milk, whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl. Place the bread chunks and pecans in the prepared dish. Pour the milk mixture over and let stand 5 minutes. Push down bread into custard. Refrigerate for 2 hours, pushing bread into custard occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375°. Place the bread pudding in a large metal baking pan. Add enough water to baking pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the dish with bread pudding. Bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown on top, approximately 50 minutes.
3. While pudding is cooking, prepare the sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly.
4. Remove dish with bread pudding from water and cool slightly. Cut into squares. Serve bread pudding warm with sauce.
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Baked Cinnamon-Raisin French Toast
This homey recipe from The Pioneer Woman can easily be done a day ahead and chilled until ready to bake.
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread
Butter, for greasing the baking pan
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping:
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
½ cup flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins
Method:
1. Cut bread into ¼-inch slices, then overlap the slices in rows in a well-buttered baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, then pour the mixture evenly over all the pieces of bread, soaking the bread as much as possible.
2. To make the topping, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and cut it all together with a pastry cutter. Stir in the raisins. Sprinkle the topping all over the casserole. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the French toast for 45 minutes to 1 hour for a softer texture, or longer for a firmer, crisper texture. Cover with foil for the first 30 minute of baking, then remove it for the remaining baking time. Serve individual helpings with butter and warm syrup
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Vanilla Bean French Toast
Prep this fragrant French toast the night before, and then bake it in the oven right before brunch—easy, peasy!
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon bread, cut into 1-inch slices
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh berries and confectioner’s sugar, for topping
Method:
1. Preheat an oven to 425°. Butter or grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside, Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until the bread is lightly golden brown and dry, about 7 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the bread slices to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. With the tip of a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the egg mixture and whisk to combine; reserve the vanilla bean halves. In batches, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, turning the slices to coat them evenly and letting the bread sit in the bowl for about 2 minutes to absorb the liquid. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Pour any remaining egg mixture in the bowl evenly over the bread in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the dish, still covered with the foil, to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, increase the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the French toast is puffed up and browned, about 15 minutes more. While the French toast is cooking, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the maple syrup and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. To serve, pour the maple syrup mixture evenly over the French toast. Garnish with the reserved vanilla bean halves, if desired, and serve with berries and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
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Rye Bread Toasts
This week’s loaf makes for excellent crostini to pair with creamy sheep’s milk cheese and some Meyer lemon relish.
Ingredients:
Jewish rye bread
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Thinly slice the rye loaf into ¼-inch-thick pieces with a serrated knife and place slices on a baking sheet.
2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then slip pan into a 375º oven and bake crostini for 10-15 minutes, until bread is golden brown and slightly crisp. Remove from oven, and serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.)
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Crostini with Blue Cheese, Honey & Hazelnuts
Fit for pairing with this week’s soup, these decadent crostini are lovely topped with fresh slices of ripe pear or apple.
Ingredients:
12, ¼-inch thick slices of bread, either from a rustic baguette or this week’s whole grain bread
4 ounces blue cheese at room temperature
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Honey
Thinly-sliced, or diced, pear or apple
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place bread slices in single layer on baking sheet. Toast in oven until barely golden, about 8 minutes. (Can be made 4 hours ahead.)
2. Spread blue cheese on the bread slices and sprinkle hazelnuts over each. Top with fruit slices and return to oven until cheese begins to melt and bread is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Drizzle each slice lightly with honey and serve.
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Rhubarb Bread Pudding
A springtime take on classic bread pudding!
Ingredients:
8 slices Challah bread, lightly toasted and cut into ½-inch cubes
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1½ cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
5 eggs
1½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Method:
1. Put bread cubes in a greased 2 quart casserole.
2. Melt butter with milk in a saucepan. Pour over bread and let sit 15 minutes.
3. Mix together the eggs, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Stir in rhubarb, then add the entire mixture to the bread mixture.
4. Top with brown sugar and pecans (if using). Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes, or until set. Serve warm.
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Spinach & Gruyère Cheese Bread Strata
Put this week’s cheesy bread loaf to good use with this spinach-kissed breakfast strata.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces spinach, washed
3 cups Gruyère cheese bread, cubed*
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
½ cup shredded white cheddar or Gruyère cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing with a rubber spatula to release as much liquid as possible. Scatter spinach and bread cubes in a buttered baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour mixture over bread and spinach and then top with ½ cup cheese. Place dish in oven and bake until set in middle and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
*The strata will turn out much better if the bread is slightly stale, so leave the loaf out on the counter overnight before preparing this recipe.
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Purple Cauliflower with Golden Raisins & Almonds
This beautiful side from Martha Stewart is topped with a delightful combination of juicy raisins, crunchy almonds and sherry vinegar.
Ingredients:
2 heads purple cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sherry or cider vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°, with racks in middle and lower third.
2. Place raisins in a measuring cup and cover with very hot water. Arrange cauliflower on two rimmed baking sheets. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Turn cauliflower and top with almonds. Bake until cauliflower is browned and tender and almonds are toasted, 10 minutes. Drain raisins. Transfer cauliflower to a serving dish; top with raisins and drizzle with sherry vinegar.
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Sweet Italian Sausage & Orzo Ribollita
This spin on the classic Italian soup features puttanesca sauce, orzo pasta and toasted Pomodoro bread.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling over the bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 quart Nonna Pat’s puttanesca sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 3-inch Parmesan cheese rind
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons combined fresh thyme leaves and chopped parsley
1 bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from ribs and torn into bite-sized pieces
½ cup orzo pasta
4-6 slices pomodoro loaf
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, sausage and minced garlic. Cook, crumbling the sausage into small pieces, until the onion is golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Add the puttanesca sauce and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, herbs and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then add the orzo and kale, and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and kale is wilted.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Drizzle the sliced pomodoro bread with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
Variation: In leiu of the pomodoro bread, free free to sub in the sourdough dinner rolls crafted from this week’s starter!
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