Baked Panettone French Toast

This recipe stems from our family being gifted many panettones throughout the years and never eating one of them. It's not that we don't like them, it's that we just never remember to eat them! This year, when Ivy came home holding a panettone that she had been given, Eve was determined to put it to good use. We both tasted the delightfully spiced and sweet bread spiked with almonds and candied oranges and raisins and knew it would make a delicious baked french toast. This recipe is the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning or one of the lazy days between Christmas and New Year since you make everything ahead of time. The chocolate sauce and orange syrup work equally well with the panettone flavors. Ivy likes hers with both poured on hers!

Tip: This breakfast is decadent enough to be served as a dessert. If so, just call it a "bread pudding"! 

xxx Ivy & Eve

Makes 4 large portions or 6 smaller portions.

Ingredients:

French Toast

• 1 panettone (around 1 pound)

• 5 eggs

• 1 1/4 cups milk or half and half

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 pinch nutmeg

• I pinch cinnamon

• 1 pinch of salt

Topping

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

• 4 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 pinch nutmeg

• 1 pinch cinnamon

Orange syrup

• 4 tbsp melted butter

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• Zest from 1 orange

• 2-3 tbsp orange juice from the zested orange

• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate sauce

• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 3/4 cup half and half or milk

• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

To make the french toast:

1. Grease a 9x9 glass dish or baking pan. 

2. Cut the panettone into roughly 1-inch cubes. 

3. Toss the cubes into the baking dish.

4. Add the milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk. 

5. Pour the eggy mixture over the cubes, gently fold the unsoaked bread under the soaked, making sure each cube is wet. 

6. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours).

To make the topping:

• Mix the slivered almonds, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

• Cover and keep until you bake the french toast. 

To make the orange syrup:

1. Melt the butter. 

2. Measure out the powdered sugar into a large bowl.

3. Add the melted butter, 2 tbsp orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla.

4. Whisk until smooth. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a little more juice. If you have a hard time getting the syrup smooth, microwave it for 5 seconds and whisk again. 

5. Serve immediately or cover and keep refrigerated until serving. Then warm it in the microwave until it is a syrup consistency again. 

To make the chocolate sauce:

1. Add the chocolate and 3/4 cup of the half and half (or milk) to a small saucepan on low heat. 

2. Gently whisk periodically until chocolate is melted.  

3. If the sauce is too thick to pour, add a little more half and half. 

4. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate until serving, then microwave 15 seconds at a time, stirring between, until warmed and smooth. 

When ready to bake: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. 

2. Sprinkle the topping over the dish.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the eggy mixture is set and has a lovely golden top.

4. Serve with melted butter, orange syrup, and chocolate sauce.

5. Enjoy!

Panettone with chocolate sauce

Panettone with orange syrup

Icebox Pumpkin Pie

As much as we love autumn, for us Californians, fall weather really doesn't begin until pretty late in the season. On the Central Coast, we still enjoy weekends by the pool and lots of warm sunshine until late October. We wanted to make a pumpkin pie a few weekends ago, but it was so hot out that we didn't want to turn the oven on! We loved our Magically Delicious Pie so much that we decided to make a pumpkin version. We chose to use Cinnamon Toast Crunch for the base, which works wonderfully with the pumpkin filling. We like to serve ours pretty frozen, but if you want more of a soft and fluffy texture, just take the pie out a little longer than we suggest. This is a perfect potluck dish because since you freeze it until serving, you can keep it in the freezer until you leave and let it defrost on the way!

We are sure this recipe is soon to be a new favorite!

xxx Ivy & Eve

Makes one pie with 12 small slices.

Ingredients:

• 1 box Cinnamon Toast Crunch

• 8 tablespoons melted butter

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• One 7 oz. jar of marshmallow fluff (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin

• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. 

2. Melt the butter in a small bowl.

3. Add 6 cups of the cereal to the food processor. Pulse until you get fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until all the crumbs are moistened.

4. Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan and press mixture on the bottom and around the sides to form the pie crust.

5. Place the crust in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes until it is slightly golden. Then place the crust in the freezer to cool while you prepare the filling.

6.  Whip the heavy cream in a mixer until it starts to thicken and then add powdered sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator while you make the other mixture.

7. Beat the softened cream cheese and marshmallow fluff with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the pumpkin and pumpkin spice then mix until incorporated. Fold in the whipped cream. 

8. Pour the mix into the chilled pie crust and smooth with a spatula.

9. Lightly crush 1/2 cup of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a Ziploc baggie and sprinkle on the edges of the pie filling.

10.  Freeze for at least 3 hours. When it is time to serve, take it out of the freezer and slightly let soften for 10 minutes.

11. Slice and serve! 

Raspberries Romanoff

Ever since we can remember, our Dad has been whipping up Raspberries Romanoff for dessert. We loved it when our Dad made this because it looked and sounded so fancy! Now that we are older, we are surprised how easy it is to make this delicious dessert!

xxx Ivy & Eve 

Serves two. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 1/2 cup (about 3 scoops) vanilla ice cream

• 1 six-ounce carton of Raspberries

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier 

Directions

1. Chill a mixing bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. 

2. Pour whipping cream into the chilled bowl and mix on high until it begins to thicken. 

3. Add the sugar and mix till the cream starts creating peaks. 

4. Gradually add the ice cream in small scoops. Mix until the ice cream is incorporated but still has chunks of ice cream (you want a bit of texture to your topping). 

5. Finally, add the Grand Marnier and fold into the mixture. 

6. Place half the raspberries into two serving glasses and the whipped topping on top. 

7. Add a few raspberries and mint on top for garnish. 

8. Enjoy!

TIP: If you like your dessert to have a bit more kick, add some more Grand Marnier! You can also mix it up and try it with strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries! 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries for Mother's Day & Free Printable Card!

With Mother's Day just around the corner, Eve and I were toying with ideas of what to give our Mom this year. After some time thinking, we decided we would make her chocolate-covered strawberries. We always buy these yummy morsels when we spot them in cafes and chocolate shops but had never really attempted to make any ourselves. It was SO simple, not to mention affordable! We recommend pairing these with a bottle of bubbly, naturally. We also designed a cute card to go with them for your Mom, because she really is the sweetest! Download the full-size card (we made a mini one to fit better in the pictures) for FREE by subscribing HERE! If you already subscribe, don't worry. We will be sending it to you shortly. Cheers to all our sweet Mothers! 

xxx Ivy & Eve

Ingredients & Supplies

• High-quality white & dark melting chocolate 

• Strawberries

• Sprinkles, Nuts, and anything you want to top them with (optional)

• Baking sheet

• Parchment paper

 Directions

1. Place melting chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (you can also melt on the stove if you have more time).

2. Set the microwave to 30-second increments and stir until just melted.

3. Place parchment paper on baking sheet

4. Simply dip the strawberry in chocolate

5. Top with sprinkles or whatever your heart desires

6. Let cool and set in the refrigerator before serving (they are best eaten the day of or next day).

Your Mom will LOVE them, we promise!