Hi guys!
So I really over achieved on this one…I don’t just have one yummy recipe for you today, I’ve got 2 Easter recipes for you!
Count it…2. For the price of one! Sounds kind of like my all-inclusive buffet line in Mexico…
Ok, so Easter is one of my favorite holidays because:
#1 its all about chocolate. Chocolate bunnies… chocolate eggs…chocolate candy…chocolate hangover….
#2 You get to eat BRUNCH. I don’t know about you guys but the most gourmet I get on a Saturday morning is pouring soy milk into my Cheerios…
So when I get to go to a never ending brunch buffet that someone else makes…omy-GOODNESS I’m a happy girl! Any day that lets you eat sugary carbs and pretend like its a complete meal is my kind of holiday. I’m diving into the french toast soufflés! And the omelets! Don’t eggs just taste sooo much better when someone else makes them??
So in preparation for Easter Sunday I decided to test some new brunch recipes! And this Challah French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote is killer. Think warm sweet challah bread french toast topped with warm cinnamon sugar sautéed apple slices and dripping in even more thick syrupy cinnamon sugar. These kind of remind me of eating a warm apple pancake (you know one of those big ones you bake in the oven?).
Also notice I made these on a Tuesday… not a Saturday. Totally still motivated to cook something beyond a peanut butter sandwich in the beginning of the week.
So here’s recipe #1!
Challah French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote
Yields 6 servings (2 slices french toast with 2/3 cup apple compote)
Ingredients:
For the Compote:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups sliced peeled Gala apples (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the French toast:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup plain soy milk (or regular milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 12 (1-ounce) slices challah bread
- 4 teaspoons butter
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 250°. Place wire rack on a baking sheet and place in oven.
- To prepare compote, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray; melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add apples to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Keep warm.
- To prepare French toast, combine granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk, vanilla, salt, and eggs; whisk until well blended. Working with 1 bread slice at a time, place bread slice into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add 3 coated bread slices; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place on rack in oven to keep warm. Repeat procedure three times with cooking spray, remaining 3 teaspoons butter, and remaining 9 coated bread slices. Serve French toast with compote.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories; 370, Fat; 12 grams….. So not super low cal, but compare these numbers to Barefoot Contessa’s Challah French Toast which has over 500 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving! Plus it’s a holiday, so dig in! :)
And…. recipe #2!
So I found this idea while searching through Martha Stewart’s website and knew I had to make them. How cute are these for kids?? They’re a fun new way to ‘hunt’ for Easter eggs!
I made these for an orthodontic office the other week that wanted me to come up with an Easter recipe for their patients that was kid-friendly and braces-friendly. Check…and check!
These simple sugar cookies are cut into egg-shaped puzzle pieces that kids can decorate and piece together themselves. The hardest part (which isn’t even hard at all!) is taking a knife and cutting the cookies into puzzle pieces right when they come out of the oven. The secret is to cut them while they’re still warm because they will crumble if you try this while they’re cooled.
Happy (almost) Easter everyone!
Easter Egg Puzzle Cookies
Yields about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
For the Cookies
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Royal Icing
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup meringue powder
- 1/2 cup water, plus more if needed
Preparation:
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Add vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out egg shapes with a 2 1/2-inch oval cutter. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Upon removing from oven, cut into pieces with a sharp knife Let cool.
For the Frosting:
- Combine sugar, meringue powder, and water in the bowl of a mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes. (If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
- Divide icing into batches, and mix in a different shade of food coloring to each to tint.
Now have fun! Use your favorite food coloring colors, sprinkles, candies, etc. to decorate your eggs! Make sure you sprinkle sanding sugar (if using) while the frosting is still wet so it will stick. Also, let the first layer of royal icing dry before adding new dots or stripes of icing on top.
Nutrition (per cookie): Calories; 180, Fat; 5 grams
Recipe by Martha Stewart
I can’t find challah locally. Can you believe it? What is wrong with this world???
I’ll just have to make my own, because I NEED this french toast!
I like the cookie idea, its cute! The french toast also looks delicious! :-)
Not one recipe but two, you are spoiling your readers-ha! These both look like keepers. The french toast using challah bread is not doubt heavenly dressed out with the wonderful compote-yum! Also, the cookies do look like the perfect thing to grace the Easter dessert table. I like crafty baking projects and this one looks like fun. Enjoy the day.
Challah is so delicious. I am going to make it one day, when I have time! Apple compote sounds super lovely.
Mmm, the apple maple compote sounds utterly delicious. What a wonderful French toast topping. Well done!
Both these recipes look divine :D
Easter brunch here I come!!!
Um cookies count in the brunch right? ;)
See you in a week – Happy Easter!
Choc Chip Uru
Oh my gosh!! This breakfast sounds incredible! Frenc toast is always a favorite, but the apple compote really has my mouth watering!
The French toast looks divine! And the Easter egg cookies are adorable! Love it!
I love challah bread. It’s so rich and delicious. Almost like eating a cake. Challah French toast sounds amazing! I love the apple maple compote. Just perfect!
I also love the cookies. What a great idea. They are super cute! If I were to make this, my daughter would go crazy.
Look at you! With the 2 recipes at a time. They look great my dear! Really do. I love those eggs, so colorful!
Hahah I know… such the overachiever… only not really. I cheated. I made those Easter cookies the other week, shh…..
I love the looks of both of these recipes. Challah makes the BEST French toast, doesn’t it? The fruit compote with it sounds divine!
It really does! Its such a delicious light and sweet bread, absolutely perfect for French toast!
i love both of these recipes! french toast with maple apple compote? hello amazing! and those easter egg puzzle cookies are soooooo adorable!
haha thanks! The maple apple compote was my favorite part, I almost didn’t even need the french toast with it :) And thanks for the Easter cookies, I can’t wait to give them to my little cousins on Sunday!!
mmmm that french toast looks incredible! I’m soo pinning this :)
I don’t know which recipe to try first. Cookies, or french toast? I think I’ll just try them both. Thank you so much for sharing, they look incredible! It’s always nice to find another health conscious foodie with a sweet tooth. :)
hahah good decision! And happy to meet another health conscious food too :) I LOVE the recipes on your blog! Look forward to sharing more with you!
French toast is one of my favorite “treat” foods. Challah makes the BEST toast. Love the compote you added – perfect for the Easter weekend. :)
Thanks Laura! I cannot wait for Easter brunch tomorrow now :)
Challah french toast is LIFE-CHANGING! Yours look so delicious!!! And those Easter cookies are cute as heck!
hahaha it seriously is!! I can’t believe I’ve been using boring sandwich bread all of these years?? Actually its probably better that way because I can’t stop eating the challah version….!
Those look incredible! I can’t wait to try it. And looks pretty easy! Love those Easter cookies as well, adorable idea!!
Its super easy (which might be the best part!), the Easter cookies are bit more a pain in the butt but they’re so worth it! I can’t wait to give them to my little cousins tomorrow:)
I love Easter brunches too. I think my husband is obsessed with them though. Your French toast sounds marvelous and your cookies are super sweet. Cute idea with the broken egg.
Thanks Emily! I’m with your husband, I LOVE brunch, mainly because I’m always too lazy to make myself a good breakfast, its such a treat! Have a happy Easter weekend!
Wow! Both of these sound fantastic! I love the idea of puzzle cookies, too cute.
Oh, your French toast looks amazing…LOVE the apple compote!!! And your cookies would disappear in a flash around here…so, so cute! Happy Easter, my friend!
haha thanks! Happy (belated) Easter to you too Liz! Hope you had a great holiday weekend!!
Wow, that french toast looks fantastic! Even though they’re out of season (and I’ve had a few not so inspiring ones as of late), I’m having trouble giving up my apple habit. Roasting or stewing them into a compote really does transform even so-so apples, so I bet these were rather tasty (and I love a challah french toast). I’ve been eating roasted cinnamon sugar apples on my oatmeal all week – so good (they’re also one of my favorite dutch baby toppings – I make one with roasted apple and bacon)!
YUM! Send me over some of that dutch baby with the apple and bacon, that sounds dangerous :) And you could totally get away with some so-so apples with this, nothing a little butter can’t fix… haha