Foodie Friday: Holiday Breakfasts

My kids are big on holiday traditions, so we have many, but one of my favorites is our Christmas Eve and Christmas morning breakfasts.

For Christmas Eve I keep it simple and we make a Christmas tree out of cinnamon rolls. We simply buy 2 cans of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and arrange them on a cookie sheet to look like a tree. Then bake them at 375° for 20-25 minutes.

Pay special attention to the rolls in the middle, as those will take the longest to cook.

Once the rolls are cooked you simply ice them and add sprinkles!

Now the breakfast for Christmas morning takes more prep so I make it on Christmas Eve as well. I start by baking a fresh loaf (or 2) of challah bread using the recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Honestly, this is the only way I make bread. It’s so easy and convenient, if you haven’t tried it you should. I make two so that we can eat one now and still have the second one to actually use for breakfast.

If baking bread isn’t your thing you can buy challah bread at some bakeries, or you could use Texas toast or any “thick” bread of your choice, but you really should try fresh baked challah at least once.  

Now what do I make with that beautiful bread, you ask?? How about some Crème Brûlée French Toast. That is the original recipe that I have adjusted and adapted a little over the years. This is how I usually make it now.

1 Loaf of challah bread sliced thickly

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

5 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half (whatever you have on hand)

1 teaspoon vanilla

You start by melting the butter in a heavy sauce pan on medium heat. Next whisk in the brown sugar and corn syrup and continue whisking until it is smooth. Pour the caramel sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish making sure to cover the whole bottom.

Nestle the bread slices into the caramel, making sure to they are as much of the bottom of the dish as you can.

Whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream and vanilla together and pour over the bread.

Cover and refrigerate over night

In the morning when we get up to open presents I take the dish out and preheat the oven to 375°. Once the oven is up to temperature bake for about 40 minutes or until the edges start to turn a golden brown.