Brandied Apple Challah French Toast Food

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

BAKED CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the milk, ricotta, vanilla, salt, eggs and lemon zest. Whisk to combine and set aside. Pour the melted butter in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Dip each slice of bread lightly in the egg mixture and shingle the bread in the casserole dish, sprinkling a large pinch of the sugar mixture on each layer. Pour the remaining egg mixture on top of the bread and then pour the remaining sugar mixture on top. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the custard is set and the bread is golden brown, an additional 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the blueberries and lemon juice to a small saucepot. Cook over medium heat until the berries burst and thicken and the sauce begins to bubble, about 15 minutes.
• When ready to serve, spoon the blueberries over the center of the casserole and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a large shallow bowl whisk together milk, eggs and sugar. Soak bread 1 minute per side, until nearly all egg mixture is absorbed. In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet melt butter over medium-low heat. When butter bubbles, carefully transfer challah slices to pan and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Sprinkle toasts with confectioners' sugar and serve with maple syrup.;

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

APPLE CRISP FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For the French toast and caramelized apples: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Adjust the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the sugar, apple cider and lemon juice in a large, high-sided saute pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the Gala and Granny Smith apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the apple brandy if using; cook a few minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a bowl (you don't want the apples to be too wet) and let cool. Reserve the apple cooking liquid for serving.
• For the streusel: Mix together the butter, salt and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add the flour, oats and cinnamon and mix until well combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Squeeze the mixture in your hands to form larger and smaller clumps.
• For the casserole: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some softened butter. Whisk the eggs, yolks, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then fold in the cooled apples. Add the bread and stir to coat, pressing down to make sure bread is totally submerged. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the apple-bread mixture to the buttered baking dish, pressing down to make sure the top is an even layer. Scatter the streusel evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until puffed and lightly golden brown, another 30 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• Reheat the reserved apple cooking liquid. (If very thin, simmer briefly over medium heat until reduced to a syrup; if there isn't much, add some apple cider and simmer briefly.) Turn the heat to low and whisk in the cold butter, piece by piece, until emulsified. Serve with the French toast.

CHALLAH

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar and a couple tablespoons of lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast, then leave for 10 mins until foamy.
• Meanwhile, combine the flour, the remaining sugar and 3 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add half the beaten egg, the yeast mixture and the oil. Pour in 200ml lukewarm water (it should feel slightly warm to the touch) and stir with a spoon, then mix using one hand, keeping the other clean while you bring the dough together. If there are a lot of very dry bits, gradually add a little water to just bring it together - you don't want it to get too wet and sticky. The dough should be moist, but not soggy.
• Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead using both hands for 10 mins until smooth and a bit springy. If it gets very sticky, add a very small amount of flour - as little as possible. A dough scraper is useful if the dough is sticking to the work surface. Stretch the sides of the dough down and pull together to form a ball. Lightly oil a bowl, then lightly roll the dough ball around the bowl so it's coated in the oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hr, or until dough has doubled in size.
• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into three equal pieces, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape about 25cm long, tapering them slightly at both ends. Lay the pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another with a couple centimetres between each. Bring the sausages together at the top end, then plait them down the length, tucking in the ends when you reach the bottom. Carefully transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet and loosely cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise until puffy and billowy, about 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Gently brush the rest of the beaten egg all over the challah, getting it into all the crevices, and sprinkle with the poppy or sesame seeds, if using. Bake on a middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 mins, until the loaf is golden brown underneath and sounds hollow when tapped. Check after about 15 mins - if the top of the loaf has started to get too dark, cover it with foil. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then serve.

APPLE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet and add apples.
• Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
• Add brown sugar, water, and cinnamon and continue to cook and stir for 10 minutes until apples are tender.
• Spoon mixture into 13x9 baking dish.
• Cover apples with bread slices, making sure to cover the entire surface.
• Trim the bread to fit if you must.
• Beat eggs until foamy, then beat in milk and vanilla.
• Pour egg mixture over the bread slices.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• In the morning, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let it stand while oven is preheated to 375 F.
• Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until bread is golden and firm.
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
• To serve on a platter, run a knife around the edges of the casserole, place platter on top of casserole, and carefully flip.
• To serve individually, use a spatula to remove serving, place serving plate on top of serving and carefully flip so apple side is up.