I had some leftover buttermilk in my refrigerator after Easter and wanted to find a new way to use it.  After poking around online I settled on buttermilk syrup.  I read a few recipes to get the general idea and then tried it out.

It’s delicious.  And pretty.  And easy.  And it gave me the chance to use my favorite miniature gravy boat.

Most of my family loved it.  Only a couple of them preferred maple syrup over this recipe.

Here’s the recipe:

Buttermilk Syrup

1 stick butter (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tb. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

This is how I made it:

In a large saucepan combine butter, sugar, buttermilk and corn syrup.  Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Add baking soda and stir rapidly while letting it boil for another 30-45 seconds.  (This is why you need a larger pan; it will boil over if you’re not careful.)  Remove from heat and add vanilla; stir.  Let cool and use over french toast, waffles or pancakes.  I might add it would probably be really yummy over ice cream as well.

When I was reading different recipes I noticed comments about the syrup separating as it cools, which is why I chose to boil the mixture for 5 minutes before adding the baking soda.  I think it did the trick; mine stayed thick and the consistency was perfect even when cool.  The leftovers are now in our refrigerator and it hasn’t separated at all.

Have you tried anything new in the kitchen lately?
Have an awesome weekend!  (We’ll be driving all over the place for our 8 games tonight and tomorrow.)

Hopeful Homemaker

You know how much I love make-ahead breakfasts.  This one was prepped in about 5 minutes.  Even better than that was my family’s response:  delicious.

Ingredients:

1 loaf french bread
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 Tb. maple syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 Tb. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Put it together:

Cut ten (1 inch thick) slices of bread.  Stir together brown sugar, melted butter and maple syrup.  Pour into a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan.  Sprinkle pecans over brown sugar mixture.

Whisk together eggs, milk, granulated sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Arrange bread slices over pecans, then pour egg mixture over bread.  Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

My kids liked to drizzle a bit of the brown sugar sauce from the bottom of the pan on top of their french toast.  You could add whipped cream to this dish as well, but we tried it as is and liked it a lot.  One of my boys commented that it was more dessert than breakfast, and that he’d eat it with ice cream.  It is very sweet, but I don’t mind occasionally serving a pan of this alongside the massive amounts of eggs I have to cook to feed my little crowd.  And because there are so many of us, we all ate just one piece.  Perfect.

The weekend is here.  This dish would be a fun surprise to greet your family with on Saturday morning.  I hope you like it as much as we did!

Hopeful Homemaker

I prepared it recently for Sunday brunch (during General Conference) and it was a hit.  It’s a dish you prepare the night before and it only takes minutes to assemble.

Ingredients for casserole:

12 slices bread
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups finely chopped ham
12 eggs
3 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non stick spray.  Lightly butter one side of six bread slices.  Lay in bottom of pan, buttered side up.  Sprinkle ham and cheese over bread.  Butter remaining bread slices and cover ham and cheese, laying bread with buttered side down.   With a knife, cut each slice of bread on both diagonal lines, making 24 small triangles (see picture below).

In a bowl, beat eggs, and milk, salt and pepper.  Pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.

Now for the sauce.  Just before taking the casseroles out of the oven, make the sauce.

Sauce ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

Combine all three ingredients in saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts.

Serve over hot casserole.

As you can see, this went fast.  I only managed to take a picture of the last half of the second pan!

I really liked having the bread cut before baking.  This made it easy for guests, including children, to serve themselves.

Enjoy!
Hopeful Homemaker

Served warm, this fruit salad has a surprising twist of flavor.  We like to serve it with brunch, but you could use it as a side for an evening meal.  It’s nice to use in the winter when good fresh fruit is unavailable.

Baked Fruit Salad

1 can (29 oz) pear slices
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp. lime zest

Drain mandarin oranges, discarding juice.  Drain pears, reserving 1/2 cup juice in a small bowl.  In an ungreased 11 x 7 inch baking pan, combine pear slices, mandarin oranges and lime zest.  Add brown sugar to pear juice and mix well. Pour over fruit.  Sprinkle with coconut.  Bake, uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through.

My husband hates mandarin oranges but likes this salad because the lime zest adds unexpected flavor.  I like this salad because I tend to have all the ingredients on hand, which makes it easy to throw together.

Hope you enjoy it!

Hopeful Homemaker

I’ve seen a few versions of this recipe around but haven’t ever tried one.  When I read this post recently, I decided to make it. This recipe is very simple and easy for children to assemble.

Unroll one tube of crescent rolls and press into bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In bowl, mix together 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and two egg yolks.

Spread over bottom layer.

Unroll a second tube of crescent rolls and lay them over the cream cheese mixture.  Brush with egg whites and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Cool completely.  I think in the future I’ll make this the night before so it’s cooled and ready for breakfast without effort.

My family loved it.  Even my husband loved it.

Add some homemade preserves (cherry, from our cherry trees, in this case) and you’ll love it!

Enjoy!

Hopeful Homemaker

Take a spice cake mix and mix it up according to the directions on the box.  Pour into a 9 by 13 inch pan.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 6 Tablespoons cold butter, 3/4 cup flour and 3/4 cup sugar.  Use a pastry cutter or a fork to mix until you have fine crumbs.

Simply sprinkle the topping over the cake mix in the baking pan.

Bake according to the directions on the cake mix box.  Allow to cool, and then serve!

Yum!  Have a great day!

Hopeful Homemaker

Combine 1 cup brown sugar with 2 Tablespoons butter and 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup.

Stir together, then microwave on high for 1 minute.  Pour and spread into ungreased glass 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Wash, peel and slice pears until you have 4 cups of slice pears.

Spread pears over brown sugar in pan.

Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour over the pears.

Slice 1 loaf of french bread into 1 inch slices.

In small bowl, mix together 3 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of salt.  Dredge both sides of each piece of bread in egg mixture and cover pears.

Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.  The following morning, remove from refrigerator and let pan sit 30 minutes before baking.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until fruit is soft and bread is golden brown.

Serve warm, adding whipped cream (and maple syrup if you’re my son) if desired.  YUM!

Note:  I’ve made this dish in the morning instead of the night before, and it’s delicious that way, too.   I love breakfast dishes that I can make the night before so that my morning meal runs on schedule, especially when we have guests staying with us.

Overnight Pear French Toast

1 cup brown sugar
2 Tb. butter or margarine
2 Tb. light corn syrup
Mix together and microwave for 1 minute on high.  Stir and spread into ungreased glass 9×13 inch baking dish.

4 cups sliced and peeled pears
2 Tb. flour
Layer pears over brown sugar mixture and sprinkle with flour.

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
dash salt
10 slices of french bread, sliced 1 inch thick
cinnamon

Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla and salt.  Dip slices of bread in egg mixture and lay bread closely together over pears.  Pour extra egg over bread (if there’s any left).  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Remove 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until fruit is soft and bread is light golden brown.  Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy!
Hopeful Homemaker

This was one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite foods.  He first ate them as a boy, and they remained his favorite breakfast food throughout his life.  He often bragged that he could eat them faster than anyone could make them.  He also enjoyed them for late Sunday supper.

Essentially, corn cakes are pancakes made with cornmeal instead of flour.  Start with 2 cups cornmeal and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Add one lightly beaten egg.

Then add 3 cups (yes, you read that right) buttermilk.

Mix until combined.  The batter will be fairly thin.

Cook in a hot pan sprayed with nonstick spray and serve with butter and maple syrup.  (Lincoln ate them drenched in sorghum syrup and butter.)

They are actually really yummy.  The buttermilk adds a tangy flavor that offsets the sweetness of the syrup.  Some members of our family actually prefer corn cakes over pancakes because the cornmeal makes them a bit heartier and gives them more texture.

I have actually used many different hoecake recipes over the years.  (I think Martha Stewart even had one on her website sometime!)  The version I’ve just shared with you is our favorite.

This recipe comes from a cookbook that I hunted down after contacting a museum for more information about the foods that Lincoln ate.  It’s not easy to find, but if you’re really interested, you can go on a treasure hunt of your own.  It’s titled “Lincoln’s Table”  by Donna D. McCreary.

Just in case you’re curious, George Washington ate them, too!  They make a perfect breakfast dish for President’s Day:  tasty AND historical!

Lincoln’s Corn Cakes

2 cups cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 lightly beaten egg
3 cups buttermilk

Mix together and cook like pancakes.  Have fun!

These muffins were a hit at our annual 4th of July breakfast.
Full of fresh blueberries and raspberries, they were the perfect muffin for a festive morning.
They are also a delicious way to enjoy the fruits of the berry season.

Start by mixing together 4 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt.

Rinse 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries and 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries.

Add the berries to the flour mixture.  Gently toss until the berries are mixed in.

In another bowl, crack 4 large eggs.

Beat them gently.

Add 2 cups sour cream to the egg mixture.

Mix together, then add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.

and 1 cup vegetable oil.

Mix well, until smooth and the oil is fully incorporated.

Pour egg mixture into the bowl of flour and berries.

Stir gently, until the dry ingredients are moistened.

You want to keep the berries intact, if possible, although the raspberries may come apart a bit.
The batter will be colorful and moist.

Fill 24 muffin cups with the batter and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Mix well.  In a separate bowl, melt 1/4 cup butter.  Pour the melted butter over the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Mix together until it looks like this:

Gently spoon some of the sugar mixture over the top of each muffin.

This mixture will result in a slightly crisp topping, and some of it will cook down the sides of the muffins for a yummy, sticky candy-like taste.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.  Remove from pans.

You can cool the muffins or serve them warm.  They are so tasty!

Very moist, and every bite has plenty of flavor thanks to the fresh berries.

They’ll be going, going, gone!

4th of July Muffins

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil

topping:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Rinse berries and add to flour mixture.
Mix gently.  In separate bowl, lightly beat 4 eggs.  Add sour cream and mix well.
Add vanilla and oil, and mix well, making certain that oil is fully incorporated.
Pour egg mixture into dry mixture and gently mix until dry ingredients are moistened.
Scoop batter into 24 muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

To make topping:  combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.  Melt butter and add to sugar.
Stir until crumbly.  Spoon sugar over muffins.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove.  Serve and enjoy!

Hopeful Homemaker

It’s a great, make-ahead breakfast dish that everyone always loves.

To begin, start by cooking 13-16 ounces of sausage.
You can cook the little links if you want, and then cut them up, or you can buy
it packaged like this.

I prefer to just use the Jimmy Dean, but I usually buy the 50% less fat variety
because there is so much less grease involved.
It was out of stock, so I had to go for the regular.

Cook the sausage.

Meanwhile, lightly spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick spray.
Break about 10 or so pieces of bread and even cover the bottom of the pan.
(I prefer to use wheat bread with this recipe, but feel free to substitute with white.  You do want the bread to have a little substance to it.)

Next, sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese over the bread.

When the sausage is browned, rinse it if it’s too greasy.
Then spread it over the bread and cheese.

Sprinkle with one more cup of cheese.

In a mixing bowl, beat 6 eggs.

Add 1 teaspoon mustard and 2 cups milk.

Mix well and then pour evenly over bread, sausage and cheese.

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 325 if you’re using a glass pan,
or 350 if you’re using  a metal pan.  I prefer glass.

While oven heats up, pour one can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup milk into a bowl.

Mix together and spread over egg and bread mixture.

Place pan in oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remember:

325 degrees for a glass pan
350 for a metal pan.

When it’s done, pull it out of the oven, and good luck keeping people from eating it while they wait for the meal to begin!

Let stand about 5 minutes, then slice and serve!
Sorry I don’t have a great picture.  Everyone was too hungry!

Enjoy!

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