Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey… one simply can’t get enough of sugary delights to brighten one’s day. But don’t get me wrong, I’ll be indulging my sweet tooth during the holidays without inhibiting my passion for sweets. What better way to celebrate the season than getting that sugar high, that extra boost of energy that’s much needed during this time of year.

Making French toast, pancakes, and homemade stollen, is one of my breakfast traditions. Stollen is a traditional German loaf-shaped cake with dried fruit, lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. I make them the way they’re supposed to be made, without skimping on butter. It’s what I would call a special breakfast. Honestly, I only enjoy a calorie-laden breakfast (full of fat and butter, makes everything all the more delicious!) during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Years, my Birthday, and Valentine’s Day.

There’s nothing French about how Americans prepare French toast. In fact, the first reference to French toast was in a 4th Century Roman cookbook. But then again, Roman toast does not conjure up thick slices of bread dipped in egg and milk batter, dusted with powdered sugar in my dream breakfast. Pancakes on the other hand, are an unrefuted all American breakfast. Flapjacks, as it’s also known, are made from a batter composed of flour, milk and eggs, with various secret ingredients and techniques to make it fluffy. It’s cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan and stacked as high as kingdom come. But history suggests that it was a type of cereal food dating back to the prehistoric societies. There are many variations on how pancakes are prepared and enjoyed in every part of the world. But what matters always is to enjoy each and every bite however way you want it.

My version of a pancake is to have the batter base as Morinaga, Showa, or we make our own. But considering being in Japan, the ingredients are just that, natural ingredients. I sometimes opt not to make my batter completely homemade. 

I also use two eggs instead of one, use part heavy cream and whole milk. The pancakes seem to fluff up like mountain tops.  Our family’s tradition is to top it with butter, mascarpone cheese, and 100% espresso sauce, and Canadian Maple Syrup. Not all together, but one kind of topping on each pancake that’s eaten separately. It like having the best of everything in one plate!  

I hope your holidays bring you wonderful memories and the excitement of many more Christmases to come. And may your breakfast of champions be a reminder of what all your tomorrows may bring! Happy Holidays, everyone!

I grew up having the a “Dutch” pancake recipe, more so, the Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe Book, that my mother has. I don’t have my mother’s old cookbook, but here is a recipe that is pretty darn close by Kris at Allrecipes.

Super Fluffy Pancakes

3/4 cup milk (we opt for heavy cream and whole milk, half of each)
2 tablespoons white vinegar (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar (we had three)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (we add two eggs)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

The Espresso Sauce (syrup) comes with the mascarpone cheese, however, you could do a reduction (espresso and sugar).

Enjoy!

Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey… one simply can’t get enough of sugary delights to brighten one’s day. But don’t get me wrong, I’ll be indulging my sweet tooth during the holidays without inhibiting my passion for sweets. What better way to celebrate the season than getting that sugar high, that extra boost of energy that’s much needed during this time of year.

Making French toast, pancakes, and homemade stollen, is one of my breakfast traditions. Stollen is a traditional German loaf-shaped cake with dried fruit, lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. I make them the way they’re supposed to be made, without skimping on butter. It’s what I would call a special breakfast. Honestly, I only enjoy a calorie-laden breakfast (full of fat and butter, makes everything all the more delicious!) during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Years, my Birthday, and Valentine’s Day.

There’s nothing French about how Americans prepare French toast. In fact, the first reference to French toast was in a 4th Century Roman cookbook. But then again, Roman toast does not conjure up thick slices of bread dipped in egg and milk batter, dusted with powdered sugar in my dream breakfast. Pancakes on the other hand, are an unrefuted all American breakfast. Flapjacks, as it’s also known, are made from a batter composed of flour, milk and eggs, with various secret ingredients and techniques to make it fluffy. It’s cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan and stacked as high as kingdom come. But history suggests that it was a type of cereal food dating back to the prehistoric societies. There are many variations on how pancakes are prepared and enjoyed in every part of the world. But what matters always is to enjoy each and every bite however way you want it.

My version of a pancake is to have the batter base as Morinaga, Showa, or we make our own. But considering being in Japan, the ingredients are just that, natural ingredients. I sometimes opt not to make my batter completely homemade. 

I also use two eggs instead of one, use part heavy cream and whole milk. The pancakes seem to fluff up like mountain tops.  Our family’s tradition is to top it with butter, mascarpone cheese, and 100% espresso sauce, and Canadian Maple Syrup. Not all together, but one kind of topping on each pancake that’s eaten separately. It like having the best of everything in one plate!  

I hope your holidays bring you wonderful memories and the excitement of many more Christmases to come. And may your breakfast of champions be a reminder of what all your tomorrows may bring! Happy Holidays, everyone!

I grew up having the a “Dutch” pancake recipe, more so, the Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe Book, that my mother has. I don’t have my mother’s old cookbook, but here is a recipe that is pretty darn close by Kris at Allrecipes.

Super Fluffy Pancakes

3/4 cup milk (we opt for heavy cream and whole milk, half of each)
2 tablespoons white vinegar (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar (we had three)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (we add two eggs)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

The Espresso Sauce (syrup) comes with the mascarpone cheese, however, you could do a reduction (espresso and sugar).

Enjoy!

We’ve shared a few sweet breakfast dishes for the Christmas breakfast buffet menu. Now, let’s add a savory dish to help balance out the buffet. A flavorful, cheesy quiche is one of the best items to serve at a buffet. Easy to make, easy to serve and a virtual kitchen sink of ingredients can be added to the egg and cream mixture.

We chose to use leeks, gruyere cheese and ham. Of course, you could easily substitute those items for a more American flare by using mild onions, sharp cheddar and chopped bacon. The ingredients in this quiche are merely a suggestion. You can clean out your refrigerator and add whatever ingredients will please your palette. Just use the basic egg/cream mixture and the pie crust recipe then add anything else that you fancy.

Christmas Breakfast Buffet Menu

1. Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake
2. Creamy Polenta with Honey and Blueberries
3. Dutch Baby
4. Savory Quiche
5. Baked Ham and Egg Cups
(optional) Bacon or Sausage

Leek and Gruyere Quiche

Ingredients

1 round 9 inch pie crust (see below)
1 lb leeks (about 3 medium; white and pale green parts only)
2 tps. unsalted butter
½ lb smoked ham, chopped
1 ½ cups grated Gruyère cheese
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Chill pie crust in the pie dish before baking.

3. Pre-bake pie crust 15 minutes.

4. Remove pie crust from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

5. Cut the dark green parts off the leeks. Use only the white and pale green parts of the leek. Cut lengthwise, in half, and soak in a bowl of cold water to remove any sand.

6. Drain the leeks, rinse well, drain again. Cut the leeks into small slices.

7. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the leeks and cook on low heat until the leeks are tender.

8. Let the leeks cool completely. When they are cool mix in the gruyere cheese and the ham.

9. Whisk together eggs and heavy cream.

10. Place the leek mixture into bottom of cooled pie crust.

11. Add the egg mixture on top of the leek mixture.

12. Bake until center of filling is puffed and it looks firm.

13. Cool slightly, letting the filling set. Serve warm.

Pie Crust (From Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.

4. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.

We’ve shared a few sweet breakfast dishes for the Christmas breakfast buffet menu. Now, let’s add a savory dish to help balance out the buffet. A flavorful, cheesy quiche is one of the best items to serve at a buffet. Easy to make, easy to serve and a virtual kitchen sink of ingredients can be added to the egg and cream mixture.

We chose to use leeks, gruyere cheese and ham. Of course, you could easily substitute those items for a more American flare by using mild onions, sharp cheddar and chopped bacon. The ingredients in this quiche are merely a suggestion. You can clean out your refrigerator and add whatever ingredients will please your palette. Just use the basic egg/cream mixture and the pie crust recipe then add anything else that you fancy.

Christmas Breakfast Buffet Menu

1. Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake
2. Creamy Polenta with Honey and Blueberries
3. Dutch Baby
4. Savory Quiche
5. Baked Ham and Egg Cups
(optional) Bacon or Sausage

Leek and Gruyere Quiche

Ingredients

1 round 9 inch pie crust (see below)
1 lb leeks (about 3 medium; white and pale green parts only)
2 tps. unsalted butter
½ lb smoked ham, chopped
1 ½ cups grated Gruyère cheese
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Chill pie crust in the pie dish before baking.

3. Pre-bake pie crust 15 minutes.

4. Remove pie crust from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

5. Cut the dark green parts off the leeks. Use only the white and pale green parts of the leek. Cut lengthwise, in half, and soak in a bowl of cold water to remove any sand.

6. Drain the leeks, rinse well, drain again. Cut the leeks into small slices.

7. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the leeks and cook on low heat until the leeks are tender.

8. Let the leeks cool completely. When they are cool mix in the gruyere cheese and the ham.

9. Whisk together eggs and heavy cream.

10. Place the leek mixture into bottom of cooled pie crust.

11. Add the egg mixture on top of the leek mixture.

12. Bake until center of filling is puffed and it looks firm.

13. Cool slightly, letting the filling set. Serve warm.

Pie Crust (From Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.

4. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.

A wonderful addition to our Christmas breakfast buffet menu is the amazingly easy, incredibly inexpensive and inexplicably melt- in- your –mouth-delicious puffed pancake known as the Dutch baby. The ingredients for a Dutch baby are almost always found in all kitchens. Only requiring six ingredients, plus the lemon and powdered sugar garnish, the Dutch baby, hands down, is one of the least expensive dishes you could make for a breakfast buffet.

The laughably easy prep time for the Dutch baby makes it a no brainer. The only drawback for this dish is that it should be eaten immediately and so it may not be the best dish to let sit at a buffet, this could be remedied with a warming dish, although, leaving it in the cast iron skillet will help as the cast iron will retain its heat. Having a lot of hungry mouths to feed will, of course, eliminate any concerns as you will watch the Dutch baby disappear before your eyes.

You may wonder where this puffy pancake got its name. According to some references the Dutch baby was first introduced at Manca’s Café, a Seattle based family restaurant. The Dutch baby is a spin off a German pancake dish, but received its adorable name by one of the daughters of Victor Manca, the owner of Manca’s Café. “Dutch” may have referred to the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were German- Americans; Dutch, being misused for the word “Deutsch”.

The butter, powdered sugar and lemon, when melted together atop the Dutch baby, create a syrup that will keep you coming back for more. However, the Dutch baby can be served with maple syrup or other fruit toppings. For a nice contrast with the rest of the breakfast buffet menu, using the lemon, butter and powdered sugar is recommended.

Christmas Breakfast Buffet

1. Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake
2. Creamy Polenta with Honey and Blueberries
3. Dutch Baby
4. Savory Quiche
5. Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Dutch Baby

Our recipe for the Dutch baby came from Mary Engelbreit’s “Winter”, written by Charlotte Lyons. This is sweet little book that was given to us many years ago as a gift and it shares many fun crafts, as well as a few recipes, that will help get you through the long cold winter.

Ingredients
½ stick butter
3 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter in a 10” cast iron, oven proof skillet or a heavy baking dish.

2. Put the skillet in the oven. Let the butter melt, but not brown, while you prepare the batter.

3. In a blender add the eggs, milk, and flour, salt and vanilla and mix until just combined.

4. Take the skillet out of the oven. Swirl the melted butter in the skillet to make sure it is coated evenly.

5. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and place it back into the oven to bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden.

6. Serve with lemon wedges, butter pats and powdered sugar immediately after removing from the oven.

A wonderful addition to our Christmas breakfast buffet menu is the amazingly easy, incredibly inexpensive and inexplicably melt- in- your –mouth-delicious puffed pancake known as the Dutch baby. The ingredients for a Dutch baby are almost always found in all kitchens. Only requiring six ingredients, plus the lemon and powdered sugar garnish, the Dutch baby, hands down, is one of the least expensive dishes you could make for a breakfast buffet.

The laughably easy prep time for the Dutch baby makes it a no brainer. The only drawback for this dish is that it should be eaten immediately and so it may not be the best dish to let sit at a buffet, this could be remedied with a warming dish, although, leaving it in the cast iron skillet will help as the cast iron will retain its heat. Having a lot of hungry mouths to feed will, of course, eliminate any concerns as you will watch the Dutch baby disappear before your eyes.

You may wonder where this puffy pancake got its name. According to some references the Dutch baby was first introduced at Manca’s Café, a Seattle based family restaurant. The Dutch baby is a spin off a German pancake dish, but received its adorable name by one of the daughters of Victor Manca, the owner of Manca’s Café. “Dutch” may have referred to the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were German- Americans; Dutch, being misused for the word “Deutsch”.

The butter, powdered sugar and lemon, when melted together atop the Dutch baby, create a syrup that will keep you coming back for more. However, the Dutch baby can be served with maple syrup or other fruit toppings. For a nice contrast with the rest of the breakfast buffet menu, using the lemon, butter and powdered sugar is recommended.

Christmas Breakfast Buffet

1. Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake
2. Creamy Polenta with Honey and Blueberries
3. Dutch Baby
4. Savory Quiche
5. Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Dutch Baby

Our recipe for the Dutch baby came from Mary Engelbreit’s “Winter”, written by Charlotte Lyons. This is sweet little book that was given to us many years ago as a gift and it shares many fun crafts, as well as a few recipes, that will help get you through the long cold winter.

Ingredients
½ stick butter
3 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter in a 10” cast iron, oven proof skillet or a heavy baking dish.

2. Put the skillet in the oven. Let the butter melt, but not brown, while you prepare the batter.

3. In a blender add the eggs, milk, and flour, salt and vanilla and mix until just combined.

4. Take the skillet out of the oven. Swirl the melted butter in the skillet to make sure it is coated evenly.

5. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and place it back into the oven to bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden.

6. Serve with lemon wedges, butter pats and powdered sugar immediately after removing from the oven.

We’d like to present to you our second holiday menu, which is a Breakfast Buffet. What could be better than several sinfully delicious breakfast items served buffet style? This is an easy, lovely beginning to Christmas day. And, if you are like many people your Christmas may be split between two or more households. So, if you aren’t going to be eating Christmas dinner at your home, you can at least create a festive meal for your family that will create memories in your own home.

Christmas Breakfast Buffet

1. Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake
2. Creamy Polenta with Honey and Blueberries
3. Dutch Baby
4. Savory Quiche
5. Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Our first recipe first arrived on our doorstep in the hands of Camille’s brother about 5 years ago. He brought the recipe; we bought the ingredients and added it to our Christmas breakfast buffet. “You are going to love this”, declared Camille’s brother. And, by the way his mouth was watering when he spoke of the Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake, we could hardly wait to make it and eat it.

Crème Brûlée is probably one of the most perfect desserts ever created. Make the Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake and breakfast doesn’t get any better. Gooey, syrupy goodness waits at the bottom of the Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake. Hot out of the oven, this dish could rival any comfort food out there and probably win. The Grand Marnier is luxurious, making this incredibly sophisticated and worthy of the most upscale breakfast or brunch buffets. Young and old will adore the pleasing texture, sweet yet sophisticated flavor and the warm comfort of this dish.

Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 stick butter
2 tbs light corn syrup
1 loaf brioche (Challah) or potato bread or French bread
5 large eggs
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Grand Marnier
¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Simmer until sugar has melted and mixture has thickened to syrup. Pour this mixture into a 9×13 baking pan that has been buttered or lined with parchment.

2. Slice the bread into 1 inch cubes and place on top of the syrup in the baking pan.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla extract, Grand Marnier and salt. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. In the morning, leave the casserole at room temperature while the oven preheats.
Bake at 350°F uncovered, for 45 minutes.

5. When it is finished baking take it out of the oven and let set for 5 minutes. If serving at a buffet use a platter that is a bit larger than the baking pan, invert the baking pan over the plate and serve immediately. If serving directly from the baking pan, cut into square portions and serve immediately.

We’d like to present to you our second holiday menu, which is a Breakfast Buffet. What could be better than several sinfully delicious breakfast items served buffet style? This is an easy, lovely beginning to Christmas day. And, if you are like many people your Christmas may be split between two or more households. So, if you aren’t going to be eating Christmas dinner at your home, you can at least create a festive meal for your family that will create memories in your own home.

Christmas Breakfast Buffet

1. Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake
2. Creamy Polenta with Honey and Blueberries
3. Dutch Baby
4. Savory Quiche
5. Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Our first recipe first arrived on our doorstep in the hands of Camille’s brother about 5 years ago. He brought the recipe; we bought the ingredients and added it to our Christmas breakfast buffet. “You are going to love this”, declared Camille’s brother. And, by the way his mouth was watering when he spoke of the Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake, we could hardly wait to make it and eat it.

Crème Brûlée is probably one of the most perfect desserts ever created. Make the Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake and breakfast doesn’t get any better. Gooey, syrupy goodness waits at the bottom of the Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake. Hot out of the oven, this dish could rival any comfort food out there and probably win. The Grand Marnier is luxurious, making this incredibly sophisticated and worthy of the most upscale breakfast or brunch buffets. Young and old will adore the pleasing texture, sweet yet sophisticated flavor and the warm comfort of this dish.

Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 stick butter
2 tbs light corn syrup
1 loaf brioche (Challah) or potato bread or French bread
5 large eggs
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Grand Marnier
¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Simmer until sugar has melted and mixture has thickened to syrup. Pour this mixture into a 9×13 baking pan that has been buttered or lined with parchment.

2. Slice the bread into 1 inch cubes and place on top of the syrup in the baking pan.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla extract, Grand Marnier and salt. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. In the morning, leave the casserole at room temperature while the oven preheats.
Bake at 350°F uncovered, for 45 minutes.

5. When it is finished baking take it out of the oven and let set for 5 minutes. If serving at a buffet use a platter that is a bit larger than the baking pan, invert the baking pan over the plate and serve immediately. If serving directly from the baking pan, cut into square portions and serve immediately.