Tomato Basil Strata

So good!

Ingredients
Filling:
Butter, for greasing the baking dish
1 loaf french bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
diced onion, cooked, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Parmesan and mozz. mixed
Custard:
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1.5 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Filling: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 baking dish. Add the bread cubes and set aside. Sprinkle halved diced tomatoes and chopped basil over the bread cubes.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly until soft.  
Custard: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together until smooth. Add onion mixture.  Mix in half the cheese.  Pour the custard evenly over the bread mixture, sprinkle with remaining cheese and chill overnight.  Bake until slightly puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. 

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tomato-basil-bread-pudding-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Apple Muffins

APPLE MUFFINS
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/02/apple-muffins.html

Apple Muffins

Yield: 18 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar (or use 1 1/2 cups for a less sweet muffin)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)
• Brown sugar for topping (around 1/2 cup)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Cream together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (I never sift and they turn out fine). Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Add the diced apples.
3. Fill paper liners almost to the top, about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/02/apple-muffins.html#pPTSLGIgtvYR7EEp.99

Thumbprint Cookies

These have become one of the the kids "must make" cookies at Christmas time.  They are pretty yummy.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe.html

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.  I leave half with no coconut and drizzle with almond icing when just cooled.  The almond icing is a tbsp of milk, about a cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp almond extract.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe.html?oc=linkback