Last minute - favorite recipes

I don't cook much, usually under duress. But I thought I'd share these recipes since they are great for this time of year. Of course they are all fattening and not much good for you. Hail to Christmas!

Creme brulee French Toast:(nothin ' in here good for ya...)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 8-9 inch loaf of french or italian bread, more or less
5 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups half & half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon rum extract (or a shot of brandy, or kahluah, or bailey's, or whatever floats your boat..)
1/4 teaspoon salt

On the stove top in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar and corn syrup over a moderate heat, stirring until smooth; then pour into a greased (PAM works fine) 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cut 6 one inch thick slices of bread and arrange them to fill the dish, laying them on top of the syrup mixture. (you can fill in the gaps with smaller pieces of bread if you're artistic, and frugal...). The original recipe says cut off the crusts, but I don't and it's fine. Arrange bread slices in one layer, squeezing them slightly to make them fit.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, salt and flavoring of your choice, until combined well. Pour mixture over the bread evenly. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning, preheat oven to 350 and meanwhile bring the bread dish to room temperature. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, for abour 35-40 minutes (I've cooked it up to one hour - just keep an eye on it).

Steph's notes: I also add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the egg/ half and half mixture, to taste. I dust the top with powdered sugar after removing from the oven (this is known in elite cooking circles as "gilding the lily.".... )

Holiday Biscotti - originally from a recipe by Giada de Laurentis

2 c all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder (not soda)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temp
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
3/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds (Giada uses pistachios)
2/3 cup dried cranberries (dried cherries work great, too)
12 oz good quality white chocolate chopped (you can use white chocolate chips)

Holiday decorations -red and green sugar crystals, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a heavy baking sheet (I like the stone for this!) with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using and electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat til just blended. Stir in the nuts and berries.

Form the dough into a 13 inch long, 3 inch wide log on teh prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes (Hint: the oven's still at 350 degrees, so throw in some of that ginger snap cookie dough while you're waiting around...).

Place the log on a cutting board and using a sharp serrated knife cut the log ona diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices. (The log is kind of fragile at this point to it's best to HOLD both sides together with one hand and cut quickly and firmly with a SHARP knife). Arrange the biscotti, cut side down on a cookie sheet and back until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Melt the chocolate (I zap the chips in the microwave about 30 seconds, stir, 30 more secs, stir, etc. till liquid; Giada says stir it in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. I think my way's quicker!). Either way, dip half the biscotti into the melted chocolate, shake off the excess chocolate and place on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Decorate with sugar crystals, etc. Refrigerte till the chocolate is firm.

These can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrapped in foil and frozen in resealable plastic bags up to three weeks.

Ralph's Mom's Ginger Snaps (this recipe probably came from England)

1 1/2 cups. shortening (hint USE REAL BUTTER!!)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 eggs

4 teaspoons baking soda
4 and 1/2 cups flour (or a little more)
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Hint: not for the faint hearted - if you like them with a real kick use somewhat more spices than "level" spoonfuls.

Demirara or other sugar crystals

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream together shortening and sugar, then add molasses and eggs.

Mix in one bowl flour, soda, salt, and spices, then add gradually to the butter/cream/molasses/eggs mixture till well blended. Dough should not be tooooo sticky - add more flour till it is a little stiff and easy to handle.

Chill (or not!) and drop by rounded teaspoon fulls or blobs or chunks into the crystallized sugar, then place on a cookie sheet or cooking stone. I cover either one with bakers' parchment paper. Cook 10-15 minutes - watch for the tops to crack a little. Cookies are done when they darken a bit, crack on top and aren't "jiggly" when you touch or move the cookie sheet You will have to experiment a little - shorter cooking makes chewy cookies, longer makes them crisp. They will spread so leave about 1 1/2 inch between cookies. Easier to get off the cookie sheet if you let cool a couple minutes after removing them from the oven.

These freeze really well, as does the dough, so you can make them up now, wrap the dough or the baked cookies well and toss in the freezer till some cold January night, if you have too many sweets right now...
Best eaten with COLD milk!