Thanksgiving Breakfast – Fall Granola with Honey Cinnamon Yogurt

Thanksgiving Breakfast – Fall Granola with Honey Cinnamon Yogurt

Thanksgiving breakfast is the easiest meal to skip; it is often the forgotten meal but the most important of the day. Skipping breakfast on Thanksgiving can increase your chances of overindulging or making poor food choices later in the day. Or even worse, a hurried unplanned breakfast can lead to poor sugary food choices. Our easy fall granola can be prepared prior to Thanksgiving and simply stored in a tightly sealed jar or container. To make your day easier, on Thanksgiving morning set out the granola with honey cinnamon yogurt and fresh juice so family members and overnight guests can make their own breakfast. Are you eating Thanksgiving Dinner as a guest? Take a jar to your host/hostess as a gift; you will be their hero when they wake up on Friday morning.

Ingredients:
5 cups old fashion oats (not one-minute)
2 cups sweetened coconut
1 cup pistachios, unsalted
1 cup walnuts, unsalted
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup grape seed (preferred) or canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup diced dried apple
1/2 cup diced dried apricots
1/2 cup currents
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, salt, and all the nuts. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, canola oil, and honey. Pour over the oats, coconut, and nut mixture and mix until all is coated. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with heavy-duty foil. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the mixture is a nice even golden brown. Remove from the oven and stir in the dried fruit; cool completely. Scoop the granola into an air-tight container. Store for up to 3 weeks. Serve with the Honey Cinnamon Yogurt recipe below.

Honey Cinnamon Yogurt
2 cups Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.

Apple and Brie with Puff Pastry

Apple and Brie with Puff Pastry

These savory delights are perfect for a tasty treat anytime – breakfast , lunch or a snack. Be sure to use fresh thyme in this recipe; it is delicious with the apples and honey. If available, due to it’s butter content, we recommend using Dufour Puff Pastry.

Ingredients:
1 cup diced fresh apples
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
kosher salt
4 ounces brie cheese
I package puff pastry, preferably Dufour
¼ cup cream

Directions:
Peel and core the apples. Cut into 1/4″ dice to make 1 generous cup. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When hot and bubbling stir in the honey. Cook for one minute to melt the honey then add the apples and thyme. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt over the apples. Cook the apples over medium heat until they release their juices, then stir until all the liquid is absorbed and the edges of the apples have slightly browned. Remove from the heat and let the apples cool to room temperature.

Slice the brie into eight even slices. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the Puff Pastry to form a 11″x16″ piece of dough. Cut into eight pieces, 5-1/2″x4″. Place the cheese in the center of the puff pastry and top with 1/8 of the apple mixture. Fold the dough over to close. Press lightly on the dough to seal it. Repeat with the other 7 pieces of dough until you have 8 total. Using a pastry brush, lightly baste the top of each pastry with cream. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt.

Place on a parchment lined sheet pan, cover with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the oven is ready remove from the refrigerator, remove the plastic cling wrap, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly on a backing rack, can be served warm or at room temperature.

Bourbon Vanilla French Toast with Toasted Almonds & Bourbon Maple Syrup

French Toast_smallerPerfect for his special brunch, Dad will love this sweet and savory French Toast. Our combination of a touch of bourbon in the French toast, the crunchy toasted almonds, and a buttery bourbon maple syrup make this a spectacular brunch dish. Just add some smoky bacon and Dad’s favorite juice to complete the meal!

Bourbon Maple Syrup
INGREDIENTS
2 cups maple syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Bourbon, we prefer Makers Mark for this dish

DIRECTIONS
Add the maple syrup and the butter to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Stir in the salt and bourbon. Keep warm while you make the French Toast.

Bourbon Vanilla French Toast

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons thinly sliced almonds
8 – 1″ thick slices of brioche bread
1 cup cream
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
¼ cup Makers Mark bourbon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Butter to sauté the French toast & for serving

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a parchment-lined sheet tray and toast in the oven for 7-8 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. (Be sure to leave the oven on once you have removed the almonds. You need it for the French Toast) In a bowl, whisk the cream, eggs, salt, sugar, bourbon, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste until well combined; pour ½ of the mixture into shallow dish. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Soak half the slices of Brioche bread in the egg mixture for about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the bread slices to the skillet and let each piece cook for about 3 minutes per side. Checking the bottom occasionally to make sure your French toast doesn’t get too dark. Place the cooked French Toast into the oven on a parchment lined sheet pan. Heat another tablespoon of butter in the sauté pan, soak the rest of the bread slices for 30 seconds per side and cook the balance of the French Toast same as above. When finished place the balance of the French Toast into the oven with the other pieces and let bake for an additional 10 minutes.

When finished, remove from oven, place two slices per plate and top toasted almonds. Serve with butter and the warm bourbon maple syrup to pour over. Serves 4, 2 pieces each serving