Matanzas Mud Cake

Ingredients:

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, with juice 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling 1 (18.25 ounce) package Triple chocolate cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans 6oz white chocolate chips 1/2 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2.	Pour pineapple with juice into prepared pan, spreading evenly to make the first layer. Spread cherry pie filling over the pineapple layer, then spread the cake mix over the cherry pie filling. Sprinkle the cake mix layer with pecans and white chocolate chips, then drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. *Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

Parmesan Eggs In A Basket

Ingredients:

12 thin slices of Honey Ham

12 Eggs

Salt & Pepper

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

6 ounces shredded Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray nonstick muffin pan with vegetable oil spray. Place a ham slice in each muffin cup to form basket. Crack an egg into each ham basket, sprinkle with seasonings. Sprinkle heaping tablespoon of cheese on top of each basket. Bake 15 minutes or until eggs are set.

Notes:

Nice served on plate with buttered croissant or muffin and fresh fruit arrangement.

Cranberry Orange Loaf

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest, cranberries, and pecans. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the bread springs back when lightly touched. Let stand 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Wrap in plastic when completely cool.

Pumpkin Crunch French Toast

Pumpkin Crunch French Toast

6 large eggs
2 cups canned pure pumpkin puree
4 cups half & half
1 1/2 Tblsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, crushed
2 loaves French bread - Sliced into 3/4 inch slices

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, half & half, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

2. In a flat bowl, place crushed cereal.

3. Heat griddle or skillet to medium-heat, brush with butter. Quickly dip bread on both sides into the egg mixture, then cover one side of the bread with the crushed cereal. Place in hot skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining bread.

4. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Servings: 12
Yield: 2 slices per person

Tropical Pear French Toast

Tropical Pear French Toast

Pear Sauce:

3 tablespoons Butter

½ cup Brown Sugar, packed

½ cup Orange Juice

½ cup Pineapple Juice

¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger

2 ripe Pears, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup Chopped Pecans

Melt butter in skillet; add sugar and stir until melted. Stir in orange juice, pineapple juice and ginger; boil until slightly syrupy. Add pears; turn to coat; boil until slightly syrupy. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or just until pears are tender. Serve over prepared French Toast, garnish with chopped pecans.

French Toast:

½ cup Milk

3 Eggs

½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

6 slices French Bread or Texas Toast

Combine milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon, beat well. Dip bread into egg mixture, coat both sides, cook in buttered skillet or griddle until golden brown on both sides.

Place the French Toast on a plate and top with the Pear Sauce.

Enjoy......

Chef Gary

Gingerbread Men

Grandma’s Chocolate Gingerbread Men

3½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
1½ tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup molasses
1/8 cup raisins, for garnish (optional)
1/8 cup red-hot candies, for garnish (optional)
1 cup vanilla icing
Position racks in the top & bottom thirds of the oven, then preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease several large baking sheets and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking pow- der & cloves until spices & coca are evenly distributed, then set aside.
In a 2nd large bowl, cream shortening & brown sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg & then the molas- ses. Turn off mixer & add flour mixture, then slowly combine, just until crumbly bits of dough form, but not until the mass begins to cohere into a ball.
Lightly flour a clean, dry work surface as well as your hands. Turn dough out & knead just until it forms a smooth mass, about 30 seconds. Divide into thirds & cover them with a clean kitchen towel.
Lightly dust the work surface again & roll one of the thirds to a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Flour the dough & a rolling pin only as necessary. Use a gingerbread-man cookie cutter to cut the dough into the desired shapes, then carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet(s).
Gather any scraps, lightly dust again with flour & roll out a 2nd time, creating additional gingerbread men. Decorate the cookies with the raisins & red hots, if desired, or decorate with the icing after they cool.
Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate sheets top to bottom & front to back. Bake another 4 minutes, or until cookies feel dry but still are a little soft. Remove from oven & cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal - YUM!

Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal

2/3 cup Cooking Oil

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

3 cups Oatmeal

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 cup Milk

2 cups Apples, chopped

1 cup Cranberries, dried

1. Cream oil, sugar, egg, baking powder and salt together until smooth.
2. Add in oatmeal and milk and mix until combined.
3. Spray a 9x13 pan and layer in apples & cranberries.
4. Add oatmeal mixture over fruit.
5. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Serve with milk.

Recipe adapted from Swiss Woods B&B, Lititz, PA

Luaua Custard French Toast

Good Morning Everyone!!!!

Today, I'd like to share a recipe that I've adapted from a great bread company called Eurobake.

I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY IT!

Luau Custard French Toast

1 loaf	French Bread, sliced into 1" pieces
10	large eggs, beaten
2 cups	half & half
1 tablespoon	vanilla extract
3/4 cup	brown sugar, packed
1 15oz can	pineapple tidbits, drain and reserve juice
1 cup	flaked coconut

Butter a 9x13" cake pan. Arrange French bread slices in bottom of pan. In large bowl, whisk together beaten eggs, milk, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Pour custard filling over bread slices. Top with pineapple tidbits and coconut. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Serve with Luau Maple Syrup.

Yield: 12 servings

Luau Maple Syrup

1 pound	brown sugar
1 - 13.5 oz can	coconut milk
1 cup	maple syrup
1 teaspoons	vanilla extract
2 tablespoons	Reserved Pineapple Juice Corn starch

Mix brown sugar and coconut milk together in a small bowl. Stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice. If desired, you may add the cornstarch to thicken syrup. Makes approximately 3 cups and is enough for 2-3 pans of Luau Custard French Toast.

Here are this week's Chef's Selection recipes. If you tried last week's recipes, these are somewhat similar, but I think they're even better!

Farmer's Garden

Veggie Strata

1 cup  Red Onion, diced

1 med Green Pepper, diced

1 med Red Pepper, diced

1 small Yellow Squash, diced

3 cups Spinach, fresh

1/2 lb Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

10 lg Eggs

2 cups Half & Half or Whole Milk

Salt & Pepper

1 tsp  Dried Oregano

1/2 pint  Grape Tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan, add the peppers and onions, then the spinach leaves, and top with the mushrooms. Combine the cheeses and place over the veggie mixture. Add the grape tomatoes to the top. Combine the eggs, half & half and oregano, mix well. Pour the egg mixture over everything else and bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until casserole is set and golden. Let stand for a few moments before cutting.

Hashbrown Casserole

1 30oz Hashbrowns, frozen shredded, thawed
1 10 3/4 oz Cream of Potato Soup
1 cup Sour Cream
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 tblsp  Dehydrated Chopped Onions

1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except for about 1/4 cup cheddar. Mix until well combined. Transfer mixture into a 13x9 greased dish. Add the reserved cheddar to the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.