Merciful God, You are great in compassion and Your tenderness for us is without measure. We ask You to give us today our daily bread, and also provide for the needs of all of Your hungry children around the world. Through Christ Your Son and Our Lord. Amen.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Breakfast in the Freezer

.
Jamie got me thinking last week about how nice it would be to not have to think about breakfast every day (or more realistically, not to feel guilty over my kids eating cold cereal -- or PopTarts! -- every day). I got my act together and on Saturday I planned about an hour -- that's all -- and made a loaf of French toast and a big batch of pancakes. It was so nice to be able to offer the children (and myself) a nice hot breakfast this week, in no more time than it takes to make toast.




Freezer French Toast

equipment:
shallow bowl or glass dish
measuring cups
spatula
frying pan or skillet
baking rack
pan or cookie sheet that will fit in the freezer
freezer bags
wax paper

ingredients:
1 loaf white bread
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
butter for frying

Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla. Heat griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan and heat until foamy. Dip bread, one slice at a time (as many as your pan will hold) and place on hot pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip. Remove toast from pan and place toast on a baking rack. I like to cool the pan off a little between batches so the butter doesn't burn, so move pan off heat for a minute. While the pan is cooling, place toast slices on pan or cookie sheet. Place pan in freezer. Repeat cooking and freezing process with entire loaf of bread. As you are cooking bread, every five minutes or so remove bread from freezer and place in a freezer bag with wax paper in between stacks.

Reheat in the toaster on "frozen" setting or slightly longer than a piece of bread.



~~~~~~~~~~

Freezer Pancakes

equipment:
large mixing bowl
measuring cups
ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup
spatula
frying pan or skillet
baking rack
pan or cookie sheet that will fit in the freezer
freezer bags
wax paper

ingredients:
2 eggs
2 - 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
2 - 1/2 cups flour
2 T. sugar
4 t. melted butter or oil
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla


Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Using ice cream scoop or 1/3 measuring cup, scoop batter onto lightly greased griddle. Flip when bubbles appear.
Remove pancakes from pan and place on a baking rack. Continue cooking pancakes. While you have pancakes cooking, occasionally move cool pancakes to pan or cookie sheet. Place pan in freezer. Repeat cooking and freezing process with entire bowl of batter. As you are cooking pancakes, every five minutes or so remove pancakes from freezer and place in a freezer bag with wax paper in between stacks.

My pancakes tend to be a little messy because I am always flipping them before they are ready (tsk, tsk!), so I use this little trick to make them look perfect when I serve them. Take your (impeccably) clean kitchen shears and cut off any out-of-circumference bits -- then your pancakes will look just like a professional's pancakes!

Reheat in the microwave on high. It usually takes about a minute for three pancakes in my micro.






.

2 comments:

kitchen koala said...

Those are some great tips! So handy and more economical than buying frozen pre-made items. I've never thought about trimming my pancakes, but now I'll HAVE to :)

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

I really should get going on a loaf of French toast like that. It would be a huge help in the mornings. Thanks for the inspiration!