Ah, Christmas morning.

The contents of stuffed stockings lay strewn across the floor, and you are certain you have lost one of the kids in the pile of wrapping paper in the living room and now of course everyone is hungry.

Why not make Christmas breakfast as fantastic and memorable as the gifts themselves? This week Mood Food brings you recipes that will be sure to please the family and delicious enough to make even the most Santa-crazed member of the house stop to eat. Of course the last thing you want is an even bigger mess to clean up, so, in addition to being delicious, these recipes are also easy to make, have a minimum amount of ingredients and each can be made with only two pans to clean up later. Not too shabby, huh?

Now creme brulee. If you have never had it, I am so sorry if you have not, is a French custard dessert characterized by its creamy texture and layer of crispy caramelized sugar coating the top. The flavors of the dessert itself are simple; it is the preparation of this simple combination of ingredients that makes the dessert so incredible. Today’s French toast takes those flavors and wraps them around thick layers of sweet bread and in the cooking process even achieves the caramelized sugar crust. Topped with caramelized bananas, this breakfast treat stands above all other French toasts.

To balance out the sweet of the French toast, how about a savory omelet-style egg dish all wrapped up in layers of crispy Phyllo dough. Sounds good, doesn’t it? This Mediterranean-style dish is sure to bring a smile to the faces of all of the adults at the table and maybe even to your braver, spinach-eating little ones. I will offer one piece of advice on this dish: The roll of Phyllo dough will be thick. I recommend removing about half of the layers; it will be easier to cut.
Let’s cook and celebrate Christmas morning!


Creme Brulee French Toast with Caramelized Bananas


Equipment List

Whisk
Medium size mixing bowl
Large skillet
Medium size skillet
Large rectangular oven safe pan (a roaster works great, or a sheet tray with ½ inch high sides)
Cooking spray
Oven at 350



Ingredient List

10 pieces of thick cut cinnamon bread or Brioche
1 pint of heavy cream
4 eggs
1 tblsp vanilla
½ c sugar
Butter to coat the stove top pan
2 bananas
3 tblsp brown sugar
3 tblsp butter

Putting It All Together

Begin with the French toast. In a bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and the eggs until frothy. Add in the sugar and vanilla and whisk until well mixed. Melt butter in the large skillet. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and add to the hot pan. work in batches and do not crowd the toast as it will stick together. Brown each side of the toast, letting the sugars caramelize. As each Peirce finishes browning, lay them flat in the greased, rectangular pan. Pour any remaining mixture over the toast and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

While the French toast is cooking, peel and slice the bananas into thin rounds. Melt the butter and brown sugar together in the small skillet and add the bananas. Cook over medium heat until the bananas are just beginning to turn brown.

When the toast is done, remove from the oven, cut into triangles and stack. Pour some of the caramelized bananas over the top, dust with powdered sugar and serve. So good there is no need for syrup; however, if you have a real sweet tooth, go for it.


Phylo Wrapped Savory Scramble

Equipment List

Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Small microwave safe bowl
Medium size skillet
Oven at 350

Ingredient List

1 roll of Phyllo dough, defrosted in the fridge overnight (store bought of course — have you ever tried to make this stuff!?)
1 cup cooked spinach, water squeezed out
4 strips of bacon, diced
½ an onion diced
4 eggs
2 tblsp milk
2 tblsp butter, melted
1/4 c Mozzarella cheese
½ c Feta cheese
½ tsp garlic powder
S&P to taste

Putting It All Together

In the skillet start the bacon over medium heat. Cook until about halfway done and then add the onions. Cook until the bacon is crispy then reduce the heat to low. Scramble the eggs and add to the pan with the bacon and onion. Mix well until the eggs are fully cooked. Add the spinach and mix well. Add the garlic and salt an pepper and mix. Remove from heat.

Cover the sheet tray with parchment paper and lay the Phyllo dough out flat. The dough will have a long and short side; you will be rolling from the short side. Cover the dough with the Mozzarella cheese. Next lay on the egg mixture. The top layer is the Feta. Do not push the mixture all the way to ends or sides to make rolling easier.

Once the mix is layed out on the dough and pretty even all the way across it is time to roll. Starting at the short end, roll the dough and the mix together until a filled tube is formed. Once the roll is made, brush all visible sides with melted butter and bake for about 35 minutes or until it is golden brown.

Let cool slightly before slicing. Do not be discouraged by some of the Phyllo crumbling. It will do that; it is as thin as paper. It will still look beautiful and taste delicious.