Fat Friday Week 3: Easy French Toast

Its that's time of week again... Its Fat Fridays on Cupcakes, Cake and Passion. Check me out with being so consistent! I'm thinking of making this a regular thing now since, its been 1 and 2 weeks now. I'm getting a more organised and more consistent with posting, now that uni is finished *phew*. I've had so many ideas for the blog that I've adopted a little notebook to jot the ideas down before my sieve-y mind forgets. Right, back to this weeks Fat Friday recipe.

 

I'm packing up my stuff to move from London down to Portsmouth to move in with my boyfriend. How do pack an entire wardrobe in one case, hmm. I'll have to work that somehow. But this is why I'm going for an easy quick recipe that can be prepped, cooked and served in a matter of minutes.

 

Classic French Toast is something I thought I had never made before, that is, until I saw the recipe! Its eggy bread (a savoury stale bread dish), which is something my Grandad eats! So I'm guessing this isn't a modern idea. Anyways, French Toast (also known as Pan Perdu *I think that's how its spelt* *Checks Google* Yes that's the one) is made using stale bread. Using stale bread allows more of the batter to be absorbed and its a good way to avoid wastage. I believe its meant to be a breakfast dish, but it can be used as a dessert dish as well.

So if you've got a craving for something sweet and impressive and need to use the bread before it starts to get a little gross-French Toast is here to save the day!

Recipe: Serves 2 or 1 greedy person (Adapted really loosely from BBC Food Website)

• 2 free-range eggs
• 100ml Almond Milk
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 slices white bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, for frying
• Your favourite fruit  or topping (strawberries, raspberries or blueberries are nice)
• Honey, Maple syrup or Chantilly cream with a sprig of mint, is nice on top as well.

Equipment:

• Frying Pan
• Whisk
• Bowl
• Spatula
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Plate

1.Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the milk, icing sugar and cinnamon until well combined.

2.Soak the bread slices in the mixture

3.Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the soaked bread for 2-3 minutes on both sides or until crispy and golden. Be cautious, the batter may spit at you while frying. (Its because this batter has no manners. Don't take offense that's what its like.)

4.Remove the fried bread from the pan and drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool a little.

 5.Chop up the fruit, if desired

 6. Arrange the warm toast, nicely, on the plate. Top with your favourite topping and stuff face.

 

Talk about indulgent breakfast! You'll be getting extra brownie points if you serve breakfast in bed.

 

Have a great weekend and Happy Baking!

Summer Raspberry Roulade

Hello and Happy Friday! Or should I say Happy Fat Friday! I love Fat Friday's its sort of like TGIF, but about gorging yourself on food purely because its Friday. Or is that just me? Maybe its just be who goes "Yeah! Its Friday! Stuff my face with food!". Anyway, its recipe time.  

Nothing says summer like a roulade, and what works better with sweet sticky meringue and smooth cream? Tart summery raspberries, of course. I had this recipe written up and ready to publish but had a serious lack of pictures. There wasn't even a picture of the end product... So it sat in the drafts for about, oh I don't know, 2 years?

I remember making this for the first time in my pastry class, this was when the blog first started my gosh! Its a good dessert to use up any leftover egg whites and cream. Lots of different fruit can also be used, try a tropical version with pineapple chunks or try mixing a little cocoa powder in the whipped cream for a taste of chocolate.  

Recipe: Meringue (My own recipe)
4 egg whites
275g caster sugar
Lots of Whipped Cream (I whip about 500ml double or whipping cream.)
200g Raspberries

Equipment:
Bowl
Electric mixer with the whisk attachment/Handheld whisk
Baking sheet lined with baking paper
Large palette knife
Clean teat-towel
 

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200f/Gas Mark 7. Line the baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. 
 2. Whisk eggs whites to a soft peak. This should be white, foamy but still holding a peak.
3. Put your mixer on a low/medium speed and add the sugar gradually one tablespoon at a time every 10-15 seconds. This gives the time for the sugar to dissolve.

4 Once all the sugar has been incorporated, whisk for a further 2-3 minutes at a lower speed. The meringue should be stiff.

5. Spread onto a baking sheet using a palette knife and bake for 8 minutes until a pale golden colour. The reduce the heat to 160c/140f/Gas Mark 3 and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

6.Remove from the oven, the meringue should be firm to touch, not wet or soggy. Place on clean teatowl and remove from the baking paper. Set aside to cool

7.Meanwhile, whip the cream until it stands in stiff peaks. 

8. Once the meringue is cool, spread the cream over the meringue. Sprinkle some raspberries liberally.

9. The next part is a little tricky. Roll the meringue with the tea-towel to support the roll. This will keep you're fingers clean and will prevent it breaking.

 

What type of fruit would you put in your roulade? Want to share your Fat Friday foodie moment? Use the hashtag #fatfridays on Instagram and twitter or whatever the cool kids are using nowadays.

Have a good weekend and Happy Baking!

 

Happy Pancake Day!

Happy Pancake day! Make these no fuss pancakes and top with sweet, savoury or indifferent toppings. Bacon and chocolate works... but concoction will you come up with?

Recipe: Pancakes (Makes 6 pancakes or more)

·       110g plain flour

·       Pinch of salt

·       2 eggs

·       250ml milk

·       50g butter, for frying

Equipment:

·       Bowl

·       Whisk

·       Frying pan

·       Large palette knife

·       Jugs

·       Sieve

1.    Sieve flour into a bowl and add salt.

2.    Make a well in the middle, add the egg and ½ of the milk.

3.    Whisk until the lumps have disappeared. Then add the rest of the milk and whisk until the mixture looks runny.

4.    Put into a jug and rest for an hour at room temperature.

5.    Heat the butter in a saucepan to coat. Make sure it’s not too oily. Pour a little of the batter into the saucepan, so has a thin layer of batter.

6.    When the pancake begins to blister, flip over using a palette knife. Cook on the other side, until a light brown colour.

7.    Serve hot with sugar, lemon, chocolate sauce, bacon, the cat etc. Be creative. 
Make sure if your flipping pancakes make sure you don't hit the ceiling >.< (I did twice erg.)