Caramel French Toast.

My dear friend, Jennifer, brought this recipe along on a recent visit. We made it one morning, and it is delicious. Very sweet. But delicious.

Caramel French Toast

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
6 TBSP corn syrup
Ten 1 1/4 inch thick slices French bread
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 TBSP vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for five minutes or until bubbly. Pour syrup evenly into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Place bread slices over syrup. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir well and pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar & cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over top. Bake, uncovered, 45-50 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Cheese Souffle.

I saw this one recently on Ruth Reichl's blog. I love Ruth, and if you haven't read her books, you have cheated yourself.

Cheese Soufflé

 Melt a half stick of butter over low heat and whisk in two tablespoons of flour until it’s turned into a smooth roux. Slowly pour in a cup of scalded milk and and whisk for a couple of minutes until you have something that’s smooth as melted ice cream.  Toss in a dash of salt, a pinch of pepper and a good handful (about a cup) of grated cheddar cheese, stir well and remove from the heat.  

Separate 4 eggs, stirring the yolks into the cheese mixture.  Whip the whites in a clean bowl with clean beaters until stiff.  Stir about a third of the egg whites into the cooled cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.  Pour into a greased 8 by 8 inch square pan, and bake at 350 until it’s puffy and golden (about half an hour).