French Toast Casserole

November 28: National French Toast Day

When company comes and stays overnight, we feed them French toast casserole for breakfast or brunch. It is faster to make than traditional French toast because the bread soaks up the batter the night before and is baked in the same pan the next morning, leaving us time to talk with guests or make extra bacon and eggs for everyone while the casserole is cooking in the oven. It also feeds a a crowd of visitors and is considered more budget-friendly than taking everyone out to eat. For a twist on traditional French toast, cook it casserole-style for National French Toast Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Taste of Home)

For the French toast

• 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread
• 8 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Generously grease a 13×9-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Cut the French bread into 1-inch cubes. Scatter evenly in the pan.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Mix in the milk, sugar, salt and vanilla.

Pour over the cubed bread, allowing the pieces to soak up the milk batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, 30 minutes before baking, remove from the refrigerator.

Cut the cold butter in small pieces and place them on top of the French toast. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the French toast. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. The casserole will puff up slightly. When done, remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve with syrup.

Notes

• Find other French toast recipes on our blog, such as pain perdu and Pan de Santa Teresa.

Pandan Sponge Cake

November 26: National Cake Day

Whenever we travel to and from Manila and the provinces in the Philippines, we stock up on snacks for the long bus or jeepney ride. Whether we pick up our provisions from the street vendors or from roadside sari-sari stores, we usually buy fresh fruits, bottled drinks, crunchy munchies and sweet cakes, such as individually-packed pandan-flavored, light green sponges. The latter are usually dry but during the long journey they are sufficient. Our homemade version is more moist with a slightly sweet and nutty taste and does not need any frosting. Pandan sponge cake is perfect as a travel treat, a satisfying snack any time or a commemorative confection on National Cake Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from A World of Cake by Krystina Castella)

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups plain yogurt
• 1 ½ teaspoons pandan extract
• ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• green food coloring

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add in the yogurt, oil and pandan extract and mix well until the batter is smooth.

Stir in the beaten eggs. Add a few drops of green food coloring and mix well. Pour the batter in a greased 10x10x2-inch square baking pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, testing the cake with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Slice and serve.

Notes

• The final photo of our pandan sponge cake is set on a lauhala mat, which was woven from the dried leaves of a type of pandanus tree.
• Pandan-flavored desserts are popular throughout Southeast Asia. Culinary pandan (screwpine) comes from the leaves of another type of pandanus plant.
• If using self-rising flour, omit the salt and baking powder as ingredients in this recipe.
• Search our blog for more cake recipes.

St. Catherine Wheel Cookies

November 25: Feast Day of St. Catherine of Alexandria

We got a flat tire enroute from Islander’s business convention in Toronto to our summer vacation in Niagara Falls, Canada, one year. We pulled over to the side of the highway near an off-ramp to be safe. Traffic was light so no one really stopped to offer roadside assistance. We saw an auto parts store conveniently located down the off-ramp. Highlander walked the short distance to get help but only got advice. He came back to our car and used the spare tire to fix the flat. We then were able to drive to our destination and got our vehicle inspected and the tire replaced before checking in to our hotel.

We later learned that the incident occurred at Garden City, the nickname for St. Catharines, where the Canadian division of General Motors operates their car manufacturing plants. St. Catharines is a spelling variant of St. Catherine, the patron saint of wheelwrights. She is often depicted in art with a wheel, by which she was tortured for her faith. Legend states that wheel broke so she was martyred by beheading.

We believe in her miracle associated with the wheel. It seemed as if St. Catherine was protecting us when we had a flat tire in a city that bears her name. In her honor, we baked an appropriate dessert—St. Catherine Wheel Cookies. These round, crisp confections contain currants and have a subtle anise flavor. Whether for her feast day food or for a travel-time treat, wheel cookies are good to eat! Thank you, St. Catherine of Alexandria!

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooking With the Saints by Ernst Scheugraf)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons anise seeds
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup ground almonds
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons currants

Directions

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the anise seeds to a powder (or chop them finely). Add the ground anise seeds to a large mixing bowl and combine with the flour.

Add the baking powder, ground almonds, sugar and cinnamon. Moisten the dry ingredients with the melted butter, milk and egg.

Stir until a soft dough is formed. Fold in the currants. Pinch off one-inch balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Flatten with a criss-cross shape with the tines of a fork. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: Approximately 2 ½ – 3 dozen cookies.

Notes

• What miracle moments have you experienced? Share a short saint story with us!
• Search our blog for other saints’ feast day foods.