Although pancakes and French toast are traditionally enjoyed at the breakfast meal, I’ve never been able to find a written rule that spells out exactly when certain foods should be consumed.
Pancakes, especially this week, are just as enjoyable at the evening meal as they are in the morning. And with the variations available for French toast, there’s no reason that menu item can’t fall into a dessert category, stuffed with cream cheese and topped with fruit and whipped cream.
Eat and enjoy at any time of day.
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Skillet-Baked Pancake
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
cooking spray for greasing the skillet
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until blended but still slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.
Spray a 9 inch ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and place the skillet in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet carefully and pour the batter into the skillet. Return skillet to the oven and bake the pancake for about 25 minutes or until it is puffed up and crispy on the edges.
Cut the pancake into halves to serve. Top with syrup, fruit or whipped cream.
Don’t be alarmed if the pancake collapses before it is cut into. This is normal. Deflation of the pancake creates a creamy, pudding-like centre.
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Stuffed French Toast
1/2 cup plain cream cheese
4 tbsps. strawberry jam
8 slices thick white bread
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
cooking spray for greasing baking dish
Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese and jam until well blended.
Spread 3 tbsps. of the cream cheese mixture onto 4 slices of bread and top with the remaining 4 slices to make sandwiches.
In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla until smooth.
Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture and lay them in the baking dish. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the sandwiches and sprinkle them evenly with sugar and cinnamon.
Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the French toast, covered, for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more or until the French toast is golden.
Serve warm with warmed syrup or whipped cream.
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Berry Parfait
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain cream cheese
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup crumbled cookies
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
In a small bowl whisk together the milk, cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon until smooth.
Into four-6 oz. glasses spoon 1/4 cup of the crumbled cookies. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookies.
Top the cream cheese with 1/4 cup of the berries.
Repeat each layer, ending with the berries.
Chill for 1 hour and serve.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
