Category Archives: christmas

christmas, Dessert, Food, Recipes

English Toffee

Get this stuff away from me! Seriously, I couldn’t stop eating it so I put it in a tin and put that in another room. All it did was make me have to keep going into the other room. I have to make Anthony hide it because it’s for Christmas Eve!

This is the recipe that made me want to start a blog. Seven years ago I followed this recipe and I burned it. When I tried again I adjusted the heat and it came out perfect. I felt like that was worth sharing it’s just taken awhile!

One of the comments on the original recipe says English toffee doesn’t have chocolate and nuts because you would only put chocolate and nuts if your toffee was bad. Well I didn’t put them on one batch and it’s amazing!

English Toffee

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: easy-ish
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190g (14 tablespoons) butter

200g (1 cup) sugar

25g (2 tablespoons) water

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/4 cup nuts (I used pignoli but almonds are the best)

1. Add parchment paper to a half sheet pan and set aside.

2. Add everything to a small/medium heavy bottom sauce pan.

3. With heat on medium with a wooden spoon stir and melt mixture, don’t go far but you don’t have to constantly.

4. After the butter melts and the mixture becomes smooth add a candy thermometer. Cook and stir, again not continuously but with some energy now. Until mixture reaches 285°-300° this takes some time and just before it will go slightly grainy and then it changes color and smooths out again.

5. Pour on prepared sheet pan with a silicon spatula, spread it not quite 3/4 over the sheet pan, let cool 30 seconds then sprinkle with chocolate chips if using. Let chocolate chips sit for a full minute to melt and run an offset spatula over them to coat the toffee evenly. Sprinkle with nuts if using.

6. Let cool completely then break apart with hands, air tight container this will keep until the last of it is gone!

Adapted from
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/english-toffee-recipe-1947108

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Breakfast, christmas, Holidays, traditions

Christmas Morning Overnight French toast

Open a few presents, pop this in the oven, open a few more then eat!

Seriously who wants to think about cooking Christmas morning? We stay home, I’m in PJs I love knowing this is ready to go! Sometimes I make caramel sauce or a fancy Bobby Flay maple syrup other times it’s just plain maple syrup from the fridge.

Overnight French toast

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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  •  4 tablespoon melted butter (I use salted for everything)
  •  3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/2 cup pecans chopped
  •  3/4 loaf of challah bread or panettone (I make homemade) cut into 1 1/2 inch slices
  •  6 eggs
  •  1 cup whole milk
  •  1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400° add butter in 9×13 pan let melt, remove from oven, add brown sugar, whisk. Add chopped pecans.

2. In bowl whisk eggs, milk and vanilla.

3. Line up bread slices in pan over butter sugar but mixture.

4. Pour egg mixture over bread, push down with whisk.

5. Cover and refrigerate until morning.

6. Bake 375° for 45 minutes until brown and puffed.

Note: I’ve made it 2 days in advance of baking and it was perfect.

Adapted from https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/overnight-french-toast-casserole/

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