Brunch Recipe Test

very Christmas morning, my brother, sister, parents, nieces and nephews encounter the awkward balance of needing presents, needing Mom's attention, and needing to eat. I can manage the latter, and this year I invited Jamie and Kara over to test some new recipes:




Clockwise, from upper left:

Yogurt Parfait (adapted from recipe courtesy Martha Stewart Omnimedia. That's every type of media imaginable, folks)

Serves 8 to 10.

* 5 cups granola
* 1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger
* 6 cups low-fat Greek yogurt (three 17.6-ounce containers)
* 1 1/2 cups raspberries
* Honey

Mix together yogurt and cherries. Place yogurt in a large resealable bag, and snip off end. Pipe a 1-inch-thick layer of yogurt into the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter, 5 inches deep). Scatter 1 1/2 cups raspberries over yogurt, and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with 3 cups granola mixture. Repeat layering once, and top with a layer of yogurt. Mound 1 cup raspberries, and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.

Baked French Toast (adapted from recipe courtesy Paula Deen - I know, I know. Insert cackly Southern joke here. Want a hilarious butter story? Read this)

Servings: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

dash salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk
8 large eggs
2 cup fat free half-and-half
Butter, for pan
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Cherry Syrup, recipe follows

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
**NO NUTS** (allergies)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cherry Syrup:
1 cup cherry preserves
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (recommended: Framboise)

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9X13 casserole dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Cherry Syrup.

Praline Topping:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Cherry Syrup:
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.

Potato Latke Kugel (recipe adapted from Jim Leff)

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 medium russet potatoes
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, peeled, stem end trimmed
3 eggs, well beaten
4 tablespoons corn oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Peel potatoes and submerge them in a pot of cold water.

2. Shred potatoes and onions through the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor).

3. Place potato mixture in a clean, lint-free dishtowel and squeeze out liquid (stop squeezing when water begins to drip rather than stream).

4. Place potato mixture in a large bowl; stir in the eggs, oil, flour, baking powder, and salt. Season with freshly ground black pepper and mix well.

5. Transfer to a lightly oiled 11-by-7-inch glass or Pyrex baking dish. Bake for one hour or until well browned.


Spinach and Gruyere Quiche (adapted from recipe courtesy bettina. I guess Will & Grace doesn't really have to go away...)

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped
spinach, thawed
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
(white parts only)
4 eggs, beaten
1 (16 ounce) package cottage cheese (I know. Its not a typo - trust me, it works)
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie or quiche pan.
2. Place spinach in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Drain off any remaining liquid. Stir in green onions, eggs, cottage cheese and Cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes until eggs are set.


Look who crawled all the way over for a bite of baked french toast...