The Recipe Mom

~~~~~~~ Festive Christmas Bread ~~~~~~~

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of flour
2/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps of baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup of butter
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan.

Drain the cherries but reserve 4 tablespoons of juice.  Chop up the cherries, no need to be precise, and set these aside.

Take a large bowl and combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix this up well.

In another bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and the 4 tablespoons of cherry juice you just set aside.   Mix this up well until it’s all fully combined.

Add this mixture to the dry flour mixture and mix this up well.

Gently fold in the chopped cherries and the nuts.

Scoop this batter into the 9-inch loaf pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour until it’s golden brown and baked through.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

This is a great bread to serve with a late afternoon coffee or tea break! 

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~~~ Christmas Morning French Toast ~~~~~~~

Ingredients:

1/2 (1 pound) loaf of French Bread
4 eggs
1 cup of milk
3/4 cup Half-and-Half Cream
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract (the imitation vanilla does not give as much rich flavor)
1 tbsp. + 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions:

Butter a 9×13 baking dish.

Cut the french bread diagonally into 1-inch slices.

Place the bread on the bottom of the baking dish.

Grab a large bowl and beat together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon.  Pour this over the bread slices.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Christmas morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup.  Heat this until it’s bubbly.

Pour this over the bread and egg mixture.

Baked uncovered for 40 minutes.

Tastes great with some fresh ground coffee! 

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~ Christmas Swirl Brownies ~~~~~

Ingredients:

1 package cake style brownie mix
1/ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup cream
1 package of cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 bag M&Ms holiday edition

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grab a large mixing bowl and cream the sugar and cream cheese until it’s fluffy.

Add the egg, cream and vanilla extra. Mix well and set aside.

Prepare the brownie mix according to instructions.

Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and then school 2/3 of the batter into the pan.

Place ½ cup of the M&Ms over the brownie batter. Then spoon the cream cheese mixture over the M&Ms and batter.

Finally scoop the remaining brownie mixture over that. Using the tip of a knife swirl the mixture for a marbled effect.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes until baked through but still moist (do not overbake). Cool before cutting into squares.

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom