Childhood Memories....Christmas Bread and French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 6 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 eggs -- beaten
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 11 teaspoons salt
- Christmas Morning Stuffed French Toast with Cherry, Orange, Maple Syrup
- (click here for printable recipe)French Toast
- butter -- for greasing the pan
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated orange zest
- 4 ounces cream cheese -- softened
- 1 jar cherry preserves
- 8 slices Christmas Braided Bread or Challah Bread
- Cherry-Orange Sauce:
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet cherries -- pitted and halved
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
View Full Recipe at The Saucy Gourmet
Adding to Planner
%20I%20start%20to%20reminisce%20about%20%22the%20old%20days%22.%20Growing%20up,%20Christmas%20in%20our%20home%20was%20always%20magical.%20To%20say%20my%20parents%20love%20Christmas%20is%20putting%20it%20mildly.%20There%20is%20not%20a%20mantle,%20or%20table%20or%20shelf,%20or%20stair,%20or...you%20get%20the%20gist%20that%20is%20not%20decorated.%20They%20have%20a%20Santa%20collection,%20a%20nutcracker%20collection,%20a%20snowman%20collection....%20Christmas%20is%20everywhere%20and%20of%20course,%20has%20continued%20into%20our%20home.%20I%20have%20all%20the%20above,%20except%20a%20nutcracker%20collection%20(and%20no,%20I%20do%20not%20want%20to%20start%20one!)%20Last%20count,%20I%20had%20over%20300%20Santas,%20anywhere%20from%20a%20tiny%203%20inch%20Santa%20to%20a%20life%20sized%206%20foot+%20Santa.%20Most%20of%20my%20Santa%20hold%20some%20special%20memory,%20a%20gift%20from%20a%20dear%20friend,%20handmade%20ones%20from%20friends%20and%20family%20or%20a%20wild%20shopping%20spree%20the%20day%20after%20Christmas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20memories%20all%20over%20our%20home,%20but%20some%20of%20the%20best%20memories%20are%20the%20ones%20in%20my%20heart.%20My%20mom%20finishing%20my%20Christmas%20outfit%20in%20the%20car%20on%20the%20way%20to%20midnight%20mass,%20Christmas%20morning%20waking%20up%20and%20all%20the%20lights%20magically%20on%20in%20the%20house%20(did%20Sana%20do%20that),%20magic%20snow%20from%20the%20North%20Pole%20that%20did%20not%20melt%20and%20one%20memory%20that%20still%20brings%20back%20the%20aroma%20of%20my%20grandmom's%20kitchen.%20Christmas%20Bread.%20Not%20a%20holiday%20has%20gone%20by,%20that%20we%20have%20not%20had%20Christmas%20Bread.%20First%20my%20grandmother,%20then%20my%20mom%20made%20it%20and%20now%20I%20am%20making%20it.%20It%20is%20one%20of%20those%20no%20fail%20recipes%20that%20I%20have%20been%20making%20for%20years.%20I%20must%20admit%20though,%20I%20now%20cheat%20and%20use%20my%20KitchenAid%20Mixer%20to%20do%204%20minutes%20of%20the%20kneading,%20then%20I%20just%20knead%20it%20by%20hand%20for%20about%20one%20minute.%20Interested%20in%20winning%20a%20KitchenAid%20Mixer,%20visit%20Amanda's%20Cookin'.%20It%20is%20so%20loved%20in%20our%20family,%20that%20while%20my%20brother%20was%20at%20West%20Point,%20one%20of%20his%20Christmas%20wishes%20was%20to%20have%202%20loaves%20of%20bread%20all%20to%20his%20self,%20so%20he%20could%20take%20it%20back%20with%20him%20to%20NY.%20Then%20as%20our%20family%20grew,%20my%20children%20and%20my%20nephews%20would%20always%20remind%20their%20grandmother%20to%20make%20extra,%20so%20everyone%20could%20have%20as%20much%20as%20they%20wanted.%20Our%20traditional%20Christmas%20Dinner%20has%20always%20been%20on%20Christmas%20Eve,%20and%20it%20was%20not%20unusual%20for%20both%20loaves%20of%20the%20bread%20to%20disappear%20that%20evening%20and%20my%20mom%20would%20be%20back%20in%20the%20kitchen%20the%20next%20morning%20making%20more.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENot%20too%20long%20ago,%20I%20decided%20to%20try%20something%20different%20with%20the%20bread.%20Unbelievably%20we%20had%20a%20whole%20loaf%20left%20one%20Christmas%20morning,%20French%20Toast%20came%20to%20mind,%20stuffed%20French%20Toast%20to%20be%20exact.%20It%20is%20so%20yummy%20and%20so%20easy%20to%20do%20and%20can%20even%20be%20done%20the%20night%20before!%20I%20take%202%20slices%20of%20bread,%20spread%20one%20with%20softened%20cream%20cheese%20and%20the%20other%20with%20any%20type%20of%20preserves,%20raspberry%20or%20cherry%20are%20great%20for%20Christmas,%20but%20this%20summer%20I%20may%20experiment%20with%20peach%20or%20pineapple.%20Then%20sandwich%20the%20two%20together.%20I%20whisk%20a%20couple%20of%20eggs%20with%20some%20milk%20and%20vanilla%20extract,%20heat%20some%20butter%20in%20a%20skillet,%20dip%20the%20bread%20in%20the%20egg%20mixture,%20making%20sure%20I%20coat%20all%20sides,%20then%20fry%20them%20up%20in%20the%20pan.%20It%20is%20delicious%20served%20with%20powdered%20sugar%20or%20any%20type%20of%20syrup!%20And%20it%20is%20decedent%20served%20with%20a%20Cherry-Orange%20Maple%20Syrup.%20The%20recipe%20below%20for%20the%20bread%20is%20from%20my%20grandmother,%20known%20to%20all%20as%20Baba.%20The%20recipe%20for%20the%20French%20Toast%20is%20a%20make%20ahead%20version.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBaba's%20Christmas%20Bread%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGrease%20a%20large%2013%C3%979-inch%20baking%20pan%20with%20a%20generous%20layer%20of%20butter.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhisk%20together%20the%20eggs%20in%20a%20medium%20bowl%20with%20the%20milk,%20vanilla%20and%20orange%20zest%20until%20well%20blended.%20Pour%20into%20the%20baking%20pan%20and%20set%20aside.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESpread%204%20slices%20of%20bread%20with%20cream%20cheese%20and%204%20slices%20with%20cherry%20preserves.%20Sandwich%20together.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPlace%20the%20%22sandwiches%22%20in%20the%20egg%20mixture.%20Let%20stand%20on%20each%20side%20for%205%20minutes%20to%20absorb%20the%20egg%20mixture,%20and%20sprinkle%20the%20almonds%20over%20one%20side.%20At%20this%20point%20you%20can%20bake%20in%20a%20400%20degree%20preheated%20oven%20for%2010%20minutes,%20turn%20over%20the%20slices%20to%20bake%20for%20another%2010%20minutes%20or%20until%20golden%20brown.%20Remove%20from%20the%20oven%20and%20let%20cool%20slightly.%20Or%20you%20can%20cover%20the%20baking%20pan%20with%20foil%20and%20refridgerate%20overnight.%20In%20the%20morning,%20while%20the%20oven%20is%20preheating,%20remove%20the%20french%20toast%20from%20the%20fridge%20and%20allow%20it%20to%20come%20to%20room%20temperature.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETo%20make%20the%20cherry-orange%20sauce,%20bring%20the%20orange%20juice%20to%20a%20boil%20in%20a%20small%20saucepan%20over%20medium%20heat.%20Add%20the%20cherries%20and%20bring%20to%20a%20boil%20again.%20Turn%20the%20heat%20down%20to%20medium-low%20and%20cook%20for%2010%20minutes.%20Stir%20in%20the%20maple%20syrup,%20cornstarch%20and%20cinnamon,%20and%20continue%20to%20cook,%20stirring%20frequently,%20for%20another%20couple%20of%20minutes%20or%20until%20the%20sauce%20thickens.%20Reduce%20to%20a%20simmer%20until%20the%20French%20Toast%20is%20baked.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EServe%20the%20French%20Toast%20warm%20covered%20with%20hot%20cherry-orange%20sauce.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}