Overnight French Toast

1/2 cup - butter or margarine

1 cup - firmly packed Domino® Light or Dark Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons - maple syrup

1 loaf - (9 ounces) French bread, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices (about 14 slices)

1 1/4 cups - milk

4 - eggs

1 teaspoon - vanilla

1 teaspoon - cinnamon

Domino® Confectioners Sugar

Quick Tip »

This French toast can stand alone-butter and syrup are not needed. Also good as a dessert served hot and topped with ice cream or flavored whipped cream and fresh fruit or chocolate curls.

Instructions »

In small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour into bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on top of brown sugar mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend well. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight until most of the liquid is absorbed.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400° F. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and dust with sifted confectioners' sugar. Place baking dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Natchitoches Meat Pies

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 plus teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning or similar Cajun or Creole seasoning, to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste (start with about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
Pie crust, tripled
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water

1. In a large skilled, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it's about halfway cooked, drain excess fat (if necessary) and then add green and red peppers, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.
2. Add 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco. Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Cajun or Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind the the seasonings will mellow in the pie. You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Prepare pie crust and roll the entire ball onto a floured surface. For large (meal-sized) pies, use a bowl that's about 6 inches across the top; just invert the bowl onto the dough and trace a knife around it to cut the dough. For smaller, appetizer-sized pies, use a round cookie cutter.
5. Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto one half of the dough circle for meal-sized pies (1-2 t for appetizer pies), keeping about 1/2 inch to 1 inch from the edges. Fold the other side over and gently pinch the edges shut.
6. Place prepared pies onto baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cold water and brush over the pies. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can prepare the pies through the stop of brushing with the egg wash, place on baking sheet and freeze, and then transfer to ziplock bags. When ready, bake at 400 until the pies are golden brown, about 40-45 minutes.