Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - The "here is what I always make to eat at Christmas" thread..

redforever · 12-13-2008, 03:52 PM

I quite often make just half of the Christmas Wife Saver and then make this to go along with it. Both can bake in the oven at the same time and then you have a bit more variety for your breakfast/brunch. Serve with a bit of fresh fruit and some bacon or sausages or ham on the side.

BLUEBERRY MAPLE BREAKFAST BAKE

1 loaf of white bread
4 oz cream cheese
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
8 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Use good quality bread such as a French or Italian loaf. Remove crusts from bread and cut into small cubes, enough to fill your baking dish. Cut cream cheese in small cubes (makes about 1 cup). Grease a 9x9 inch deep baking dish. Place half of the bread cubes in the dish. Scatter cream cheese cubes and 1 cup of blueberries over the bread. Top with remaining bread cubes and blueberries.

3. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, maple syrup and butter. Carefully pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight or bake immediately.

4. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, covering with aluminum foil if edges brown too much. If you have refrigerated this over night, either increase the baking time a bit or let the dish warm to room temperature before baking.

5. To serve, sprinkle the top with icing sugar and cut into squares. Accompany with a dollop of whipped cream and some homemade blueberry sauce (see below) if desired.

Yield: 9 portions.

Now if you want this to taste truly outstanding, serve with a dollop of whipped cream and some blueberry or raspberry sauce. The fruit sauce can be prepared the night before as well.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

3 cups blueberries
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup liquid honey
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp ruby port (optional)

In a small dish, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix until smooth.

Place the blueberries in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water. Bring to a quick boil. Stir in honey and bring back to a boil.

Slowly add the cornstarch solution to the boiling blueberry mixture. Boil and stir constantly for around 2 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice, port (if using) and butter. Cover, refrigerate and cool completely.

Note 1: Try not to stir the blueberries too rigorously while you are cooking them. You want the sauce to have mostly whole blueberries. In other words, you do not want jam.

Note 2: You could use frozen blueberries but will have to modify the recipe. Put the frozen blueberries in a colander over a bowl and thaw. Put the liquid that drains from the blueberries in a large saucepan with half of the blueberries. Proceed and cook as above. When the sauce is done, add the reserved blueberries and stir in. Cover and refrigerate.

You could use fresh raspberries in which case, use only 1/4 of the berries when boiling and cooking the sauce. Fold the balance of the raspberries into the hot cooked sauce.

Note 3: This makes quite a large amount of sauce but it halves easily.

And if you want something truly simple to make the morning of Christmas, try these pancake squares and serve them with a dollop of whipped cream and the blueberry sauce from above. They probably won't take quite as long to bake, so if you are making them along with the Christmas Wife Saver recipe, put them in the oven a bit later.

PANCAKE SQUARES

3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 large egg
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly grease an 8” x 8” baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add the sugar and then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle top with your favorite fruit.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Cut in squares and eat with butter and syrup or else serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a fruit sauce.

Note: This can be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 pan. Baking times might have to be adjusted for the larger pan.

12-13-2008, 03:52 PM	#36
redforever Franchise Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Exp:	I quite often make just half of the Christmas Wife Saver and then make this to go along with it. Both can bake in the oven at the same time and then you have a bit more variety for your breakfast/brunch. Serve with a bit of fresh fruit and some bacon or sausages or ham on the side. BLUEBERRY MAPLE BREAKFAST BAKE 1 loaf of white bread 4 oz cream cheese 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided 8 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup melted butter 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Use good quality bread such as a French or Italian loaf. Remove crusts from bread and cut into small cubes, enough to fill your baking dish. Cut cream cheese in small cubes (makes about 1 cup). Grease a 9x9 inch deep baking dish. Place half of the bread cubes in the dish. Scatter cream cheese cubes and 1 cup of blueberries over the bread. Top with remaining bread cubes and blueberries. 3. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, maple syrup and butter. Carefully pour over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight or bake immediately. 4. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, covering with aluminum foil if edges brown too much. If you have refrigerated this over night, either increase the baking time a bit or let the dish warm to room temperature before baking. 5. To serve, sprinkle the top with icing sugar and cut into squares. Accompany with a dollop of whipped cream and some homemade blueberry sauce (see below) if desired. Yield: 9 portions. Now if you want this to taste truly outstanding, serve with a dollop of whipped cream and some blueberry or raspberry sauce. The fruit sauce can be prepared the night before as well. BLUEBERRY SAUCE 3 cups blueberries 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup liquid honey 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1/4 cup water 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp ruby port (optional) In a small dish, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix until smooth. Place the blueberries in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water. Bring to a quick boil. Stir in honey and bring back to a boil. Slowly add the cornstarch solution to the boiling blueberry mixture. Boil and stir constantly for around 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, port (if using) and butter. Cover, refrigerate and cool completely. Note 1: Try not to stir the blueberries too rigorously while you are cooking them. You want the sauce to have mostly whole blueberries. In other words, you do not want jam. Note 2: You could use frozen blueberries but will have to modify the recipe. Put the frozen blueberries in a colander over a bowl and thaw. Put the liquid that drains from the blueberries in a large saucepan with half of the blueberries. Proceed and cook as above. When the sauce is done, add the reserved blueberries and stir in. Cover and refrigerate. You could use fresh raspberries in which case, use only 1/4 of the berries when boiling and cooking the sauce. Fold the balance of the raspberries into the hot cooked sauce. Note 3: This makes quite a large amount of sauce but it halves easily. And if you want something truly simple to make the morning of Christmas, try these pancake squares and serve them with a dollop of whipped cream and the blueberry sauce from above. They probably won't take quite as long to bake, so if you are making them along with the Christmas Wife Saver recipe, put them in the oven a bit later. PANCAKE SQUARES 3/4 cup milk 2 Tbsp melted butter 1 large egg 1 Tbsp sugar 1 cup flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8” x 8” baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add the sugar and then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle top with your favorite fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6. Cut in squares and eat with butter and syrup or else serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a fruit sauce. Note: This can be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 pan. Baking times might have to be adjusted for the larger pan.