Oven Bacon

Cover a cookie sheet with heavy duty foil. Arrange bacon on foil and place into cold oven. Set temp to 400F. Cook for 17-20 minutes. Subsequent batches will cook faster - about 12 minutes.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice (about 1 large orange)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries (about 8 ounces)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Set aside 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
Combine rind, juice, oil, and egg in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Run a knife or spatula around outer edge of each muffin cup. Carefully remove each muffin; place on a wire rack.

Nutritional Infrmation

Calories:169 (30% from fat)

Fat:5.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 2.4g)

Protein:2.5g

Carbohydrate:27.9g

Fiber:1.3g

Cholesterol:2.4mg

Iron:1mg

Sodium:236mg

Calcium: 35mg

Rita LaReau, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Buttermilk Pancakes

from Alton Brown via Beantown Baker blog

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar

3 eggs, separated
3 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp melted butter
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh blueberries, optional

Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F. or frying pan over med-low heat

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Lightly butter the griddle.

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit or chocolate chips if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.

Crispie Waffles - KitchenAid recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1 1/4 cups low-fat milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in mixer bowl. Add egg yolks, milk, and butter. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to Speed 4 and mix about 30 seconds, or until ingredients are combined. Stop and scrape bowl. Continuing on Speed 4, mix about 15 seconds, or until smooth. Pour mixture into another bowl. Clean mixer bowl.

Place egg whites in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to Speed 8 and whip until whites are stiff but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into flour mixture.

Heat waffle iron. Pour about 1/2 cup batter for each waffle onto iron. Bake 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Yield: 6 servings (1 waffle per serving).

Per serving: About 287 cal, 8 g pro, 39 g carb, 10 g fat, 75 mg chol, 441 mg sod.

Creme Brulee French Toast

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 (8 to 9) inch round loaf Challah bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

Cut 6 (1-inch) thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. You can also freeze it once the bread soaks up the egg mixture. Remove from freezer night before and place in fridge - may take a little longer to cook if still a little frozen in the morning.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Monkey Bread

There are a ton of recipes out there for this but we like this one the best. You definitely need a big enough pan for this. The original recipe said a tube pan so I used my angel food cake pan with the removable bottom - this let all the butter leak out and burn in my oven and it was not a fun Christmas morning. My poor sister-in-law had to clean it out since we had to go to my dad's too.

1/2c sugar
1c packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4c melted butter
1/2c chopped walnuts
1/2c raisins
2 cans Pillsbury Grands Homestyle, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan with Pam.

Mix cinnamon and sugar in ziploc bag and shake biscuit quarters to coat. Arrange in pan with walnuts and raisins. Mix brown sugar and melted butter, pour over biscuits.

Bake 32 minutes and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate.


Frosting (optional)

Beat together 8oz of softened cream cheese (1 package) and 1/2c butter (1 stick). Slowly add 1.5c of powdered sugar. Beat 10 minutes, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla near the end.