Brioche French toast with a Whipped Rose Water Cream and Strawberry Compote

Summer. The sky colored ocean blue. The wind is gentle and kind. Flowers in full bloom, the gardens alive, and the meadows stretch on for miles in technicolor splendor. The morning sun is soft. Shadows scatter across the grass. Summer is the bringer of joy. Late night parties, music with a soulful tempo, and comfort foods like steak and BBQ for every meal. The warm air brings out the inner child in all of us. There is something about wearing vibrant colored shorts and drinking out of mason jar that makes life seem simple. The day’s ephemeral and the nights kept alive just a tad while longer. The table is set, and the food is ready. Welcome to summer. 

A few weeks back, I spent the morning at the Japanese House Gardens with a friend and fellow photographer. She and I met over a year ago at the hotel where we both work. In the first week, we bonded over our loves of photography and became good friends almost instantly. Fast forward a year and I’m running a food blog and she’s starting up her own photography business. The way time moves and pushes us to grow never ceases to amaze me. She was asked to photograph our manager’s wedding, which is towards the end of August. She asked if I would help her drive around town and pick locations to take the bridal party on wedding day for photos. Our journey lead us to the gardens.  

The Japanese House gardens lie towards the outer rim of the University. Time seems to stall when at the gardens. The air is still, and the light is clear and pleasant. Silence rules the space and beauty gleams brighter than the rising sun. With beautiful flowers, gorgeous gardens, and large grassy plains, it was the ideal location to take some shots and talk about poses and angles. We arrived mid-morning. The gardens were well deserted, besides the group tour full of elderly tourist, snapping moments of the gardens grace and tranquility, and a handful of volunteer gardeners working frivolously under the hot summer sun.

Strolling through the gardens made me take a step back and cherish the beauty of it all. I love taking walks and admiring the simplicity and the majesty of nature. Walks allow my brain to unravel upon itself and think. I believe nature possess a calming effect. I find my greatest amount of pure inspiration after long walks at night or on a quiet Sunday stroll through the woods. The way the shadows danced on the trees trigger my senses and leaves me in sheer awe at the pure mysteriousness and power of nature. I begin to think about the grand scheme of life and how nature truly connects us to the core. Mother Nature is no subtle mistress. She is a being of artistry and demands to be displayed a spectacle for the senses. Smells of pine and sounds of rustling leafs transport us into a completely new reality,  the reality of our imaginations. Nature is a teacher. It teaches us to inspire, grow, change for the good, and find the beauty within ourselves.

On a more culinary note; French toast is bae. In the growing debate between pancakes, waffles, and French toast, I will time and time again choose a three stack high plate of French toast above all else. There is something incredibly satisfying about taking that first bite of a warm, freshly browned piece of French toast. For years, my family has used store-bought, processed white bread to make French toast, which is fine, delicious, in fact, don’t get me wrong. After using the Brioche bread recipe from Huckleberry to make the French toast, I was forever converted. No longer shall I belittle my French toast tastes to pre-packaged white bread. There was something strikingly life changing about eating that warm brioche bread, the maple syrup slowly drowning the buttered toast in a cascade of sweet delight. The French toast was light in texture and butyraceous with a touch of sweetness that melted beautifully together with every bite. Utterly perfection.

I had read about bloggers using rose water for quite a few months before purchasing some myself. With spring and summer upon us, rose water seemed like the ideal ingredient to have on hand for some of my future baking endeavors. It is supposed to help me embrace the beauty and tranquility of the changing seasons. I purchased my rose water here. It smelled just as you would inquire it does, like an endless bundle of rose bushes in bloom. I fell quickly in love with rose water and knew I had to use it for a recipe. Strawberries are in season here in the Midwest, so clearly I had to use them in a compote. The strawberry compote recipe is from The Minimalist Baker. The compote took the French toast to entirely new flavor level. It brought a slight tartness to the sweet and syrup covered French toast.  I added a tad more sugar to give it a sweeter taste. It was delicious, and the perfect pair of the French toast and the rose water whipped cream. Garden walks and French toast; this was a splendid way to welcome summer. 

Brioche French toast with a Whipped Rose Water Cream & Strawberry Compote

Yeilds 16, ½ inch thick, slices

For the French toast- adapted from Allrecipes  

For the Strawberry Compote- adapted from The Minimalist Baker

Ingredients    

• Two loaves, preferably day old, Brioche bread
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Salt to taste
• 3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, depending on the season  
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon rose water

Directions

Pre-step: Take an evening or an entire day and walk through your local gardens or woods. Experience the beauty and majesty of Mother Earth.

1. For the strawberry compote: In a medium saucepan, add the strawberries and orange juice and bring to a medium heat. Once bubbling, reduce the heat and use a potato masher or wooden spoon and gently muddle and mash the fruit, leaving some bigger pieces behind. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring and muddling.  Remove from heat and transfer to a Mason jar or container to cool. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

2. For the Whipped Rose Water Cream: Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Doing this will allow the cream to stay cold and create stiff peaks quicker. Place the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the heavy cream. With a hand mixer or metal whisk, whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the rose water in one tablespoon increments until desired taste is reached. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 hours.  When ready to use, whisk for 10 to 15 seconds to reincorporate the air back into the cream.

3. For the French toast: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and extract. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high flame.

Tip: Test that the oil is hot enough by sprinkling a pinch of water into the griddle’s or skillet’s surface. If the water “pops” up from the pan, the oil is ready.

4. Dunk each slice of bread in the egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place two to three pieces of bread into the pan and cook on both sides until golden brown. Serve hot with the compote and whipped cream. 

Old-Fashioned Coffee Cake with a Cold Brew Coffee Icing │ 30th Anniversary & Huckleberry Cookbook

"And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech

With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach.

Men work together,' I told him from the heart,

Whether they work together or apart." 

       - Robert Frost "The Tuft of Flowers" 

This cover has been my current music obsession for a while now. It's been on repeat most of the week. If you are unaware of the musical genius that is Twenty-One Pilots, you need to educate yourself, because they are the best. Plus, it seemed fitting for the post. 

Momma Crawford and Father celebrated their 30^th anniversary this past week. To commemorate the milestone, I decided to make a special family dinner with all the showstoppers set in place. Freshly fried chicken, seasoned mashed potatoes, cheddar butter biscuits (side note: these little dollops of heaven taste identical to the ones from 'Red Lobster'. Recipe for those coming soon) and, for dessert, old fashioned coffee cake with a cold brew icing. It was a night of laughs, talks of the past, and true, down-home comfort cookin'. 

When making this dinner, I was reminded of all the life lessons my parents have taught me through the years about life, love, and happiness. From the funny memories to the heartfelt words of wisdom that will last a life time, I reminisced about it all. My parents have bestowed much elderly grace upon Jon and I over the years. From how to drive, how to put out both an oven and grill fire, how to laugh at ourselves, reasons to value good friends, and always remember to believe in ourselves. Twenty years is a long time for learning and growing and every moment has been worth it. Happy Anniversary Momma Crawford and Father with many more to come! 

Now back to coffee cake. I won the book Huckleberry and two other cookbooks from Chronicle Book’s for their “The Great Tumblr Book Search” contest a few months back. Flipping through the pages, everything looked divine. From the variety of teacakes, breads, cobblers, crumbles, entrees, and side dishes, my mouth was watering and I wanted to try them all, but I was skeptical. It wasn’t until I read a post by Thalia from Butter and Brioche, where she made an adaptation to the book’s Fresh Blueberry Brioche recipe, before I knew I had to experiment. I went with my gut and made some brioche bread. What I was in for was the best bread I’ve ever tasted. More about my brioche experience on my French toast post here. In a short and sweet phrase, I was hooked. I had become a full-on fanatic for Huckleberry. Though I wanted to put my fangirling to the test. Was Huckleberry all it was cracked up to be or just a one-hit-wonder?

In the words of Jon, “This is the best cake I’ve ever had. Period.” I’ve had some pretty outstanding cakes in my life, but this cake was definitely one to beat. It was warm, buttery, and rich. Its texture was a bit on the denser side, but still had a lightness to it. From the sweetness of the sugar, to the boldness of the butter, while rounding out beautifully with the cold brew icing, this cake was filled to the brim with outrageous flavor combinations and textures. The sugared walnuts gave the cake a nice added crunch without overpowering the cakes softness. That cake had a sonorous effect on the entire family. It was quickly devoured in a matter of days, it was that delicious. In the spirit of coffee cake, I knew I had to add something coffee. With heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and cold brew, I decided to make a simple icing drizzle for the top of the cake right before serving. The dark roasted flavors of the coffee and the sweetness of the sugar were the perfect combinations to take this coffee cake to the next level. 

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Old Fashioned Coffee Cake with a Cold Brew Icing

Recipe adapted from Huckleberry

Ingredients  

• 5 ½ tablespoons/80 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup/65 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/65 g almond meal
• 4 ½ tablespoon/55 g sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup/130 g walnuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups/340 g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons/380 g sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 ½ cups/310 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/45 g almond flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups/350 ml sour cream
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon cold brew coffee (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-step: I would feel bad about eating this cake, but today is my cheat day. In all honesty, every day is my cheat day (that can be our little secret).
2. To make the crumble: In a medium bowl, combine the butter, all-purpose flour, almond meal, sugar, and salt. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, combine the ingredients together until everything is well combined and moistened. Allow a few small bits of butter to remain. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. To make the streusel: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon and pulse until the walnuts are ground, but not becoming a paste. Set aside.
4. To make the cake: position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 350°F/180°C. Line and grease a 10-in round cake pan or spring form pan. Use butter to lightly grease the pan and use parchment paper to line the pan for the best results.
5. With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and the sugar begins to dissolve into the butter. Incorporate the vanilla and stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sour cream. Mix carefully, just until all combined. Do not overmix! If over-mixed, the batter will become tough. 
6. Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the batter. Top with the rest of the batter, coaxing it into covering the streusel layer. Top with the crumble. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until fully baked through. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
• Tip: Test if the cake is done by sticking a toothpick in the center, if it comes out dry, the cake is finished. If it comes out wet or with chunks of batter, bake in 5 minute intervals until a clean toothpick is achieved.  Never pull the cake out of the oven until completely baked. Taking the cake out of the oven before it is completely set may deactivate the rising agents in the batter and the cake will fall.
7. Place a flat plate on top of the cake and pan. Carefully invert the cake onto the plate by flipping both upside down. Then lift the pan off the cake. Gently pull the parchment paper away from the cake. Rest the serving plate on the bottom of the cake and turn the cake right-side up onto the plate. 
8. To make the icing: in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, and cold brew coffee. Stir with a fork to combine. Drizzle over the top of the cake before serving. 

Country Cheeseburger Soup

“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought

And the thought has found words.”

Robert Frost 

The summer sun echoes its soft twilight rays downward. Scarlet red and tinted marigold colors streak their way across the wooden floors. The windows are drawn open to let the cool summer breeze travel onward. A bouquet of freshly picked honey colored roses bloom gracefully in a glass vase on the windowsill. The soothing voice of Ella Fitzgerald cascades peacefully from the radio. The table is set and the ambiance divine. A cast iron pot placed center stage, on the center of the table. The lifted lid unravels a trail of steam upwards and into oblivion above. The ladle drew, and empty bowls raised. Soups on. Dinner is served. 

In my parent’s dining room sits a china cabinet. Its large wooden bulkiness stands idly against the east wall of the room. The piece is elegant and strong. Its wooden curves tell the stories of the objects found behind its glass panel doors. What lies inside tell the story of my family. My heritage. Old vases, chipping plates, and crystal clear wine glasses line its aging shelves, many belonging to my parents as wedding mementos. Scattered throughout the various shelves lie objects of memories of my family, especially my grandmother, the life she once lived, and the legacy she left behind; her dinette set.

Grandma Crawford passed away when I was around the age of two or three.  The memory of her is faint and covered with a cloud of haze and distortion.  My only images of her own are through the stories of my family, aged pieces of cookery, and a variety of her cake recipes. Her beloved butternut pound cake and her Jewish apple cake, which is my favorite of all cakes. Lilly white platters, mugs, and saucers painted with bluebird color flowers in the center of each. They are minimalistic and simplistic, two things I deeply love. The dishes are not China and lack any particular valuable, except for sentimental value. Momma thinks she got them a piece at a time from a grocery store. This china cabinet would also be the starting point on my culinary and photographical journey. 

I’ve posted a recipe for Bacon Cheeseburger Soup a few months back but thought I would tantalize your taste buds even further with something more. Cheeseburger soup is my favorite soup of all soups. It’s the one soup to rule them all. There is something indescribable about taking that first savory spoonful. The warmth radiates and the tastes are luscious and bold. It’s creamy, rich, and ultimately comforting. When writing this recipe, I was striving for a more health conscious attempt. I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. And…that’s about it. I would feel regretful, but its cheeseburger soup, it’s meant to be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure.

With all these thoughts about evaporated milk, it began to think about evaporation and the vast universe we share a space in. I quickly fell into a minor existential crisis and decided to travel that road for another day. Positivity and soup. Isn’t that all we need? 

Country Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 3-4 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 teaspoon Basil
• ¼ cup dried Parsley flakes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 2 cups of Velveeta
• 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Pre-Step: “No man ever cried over an over-abundance of cheese.”

1. In a Dutch oven, add the ground turkey and two tablespoons of reserved bacon grease. Cook until the meat becomes brown and fully cooked. Transfer ground turkey to a medium size bowl to cool.
2. Take 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease and sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until vegetables begin to soften, and the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the dried basil and parsley. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Introduce the ground beef back in and add the beef broth. Bring the soup to a boil then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn the soup to low and keep at a gentle simmer.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add flour, creating a roux, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the roux is golden brown. Cooking the roux will allow the flour to lose its harsh bite. While whisking, gently pour in the evaporated milk. Whisk until roux becomes incorporated into the cream. Add the Velveeta and sharp cheddar cheese. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir continuously on medium heat until the cheese is melted, and sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer the cheese sauce and add it to the soup broth. Stir until all the cheese is well incorporated. Serve immediately.

The Blue and Mellow Drink

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

    While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“ Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

            Only this and nothing more.”

                      

                -Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven

Springtime showers and late May flowers typically bring snuffly noses, watery eyes, and an endless bombardment of sinus pressures. Pollen falls like star dust. The sensation of change trickles down cheeks like cool spring rain. Goosebumps cascade along the spine. The skies are an ember gray and laced with dark emotion.  The smell of lavender and daisy fill the room, but I can’t smell their intoxicating scent. The bed sheets lie gently over the top of my torso as I close my eyes, praying the coming of darkness and sleep. I take a breath through my nose. Nothing. Stopped by my inability to breath with regularity. My head is pounding. Cement that seems to be filling my sinus cavities. Times trudges slowly as the day ticks calmly forward. I curl up and try to sleep, but the light refuses to dim. Folks, I’m sick. 

It’s cold and flu season here in the Midwest. Pollen floats by like snowflakes in December, and the air is thick with the heaviness of life and the coming of rain. Like clockwork, I perpetually get a cold towards the end of May and into early June. My sinuses swell, and I feel like I’m dying. I can’t breathe, and my throat feels more like a scratching post than a channel way for air. After the guys getaway trip to Cincinnati this past Memorial Day weekend, I was greeted with a generous case of the sniffles. As an adult, being sick is worst. All I want to do is lie in bed for hours on end, but the hovering notion of responsibilities and the plethora of unfinished work that isn’t being done makes it worse. I get sucked into this vortex of imaginary pressure. My solution: I just sit and have an emotional breakdown. Whenever I spiral into one of these breakdowns, I reach for one of either two things: apple juice or a Blue and Mellow. 

My addiction to lemon-lime soda is a borderline obsession. I order it in every restaurant. There is something strangely comforting about the perfect balance of lemon and lime flavors. It’s a fresh burst of flavor as the bubbles fizzle gently towards the top of the glass. That moment is tantalizing. The particular soda I used for this recipe came from the Homer Soda Company, a local business that sells nostalgic bottled sodas. Lemon-lime soda is the other half to the Blue and Mellow. I came up with this drink when I began food photography over a year ago. It was late summer, and I was crazing soda and blue Gatorade. Not just any flavor of blue Gatorade, the icy blue colored ones in the tall bottles you only can find at gas stations. That flavor is my favorite. Critics may claim that it tastes the same as all the other blue colored Gatorade, but they would be completely incorrect. There is a defining difference between the two. You can’t beat the sour tartness mixed with the sweeter notes of honey and acai. When you pair it with lemon-lime soda, perfection has been achieved.

This drink is perfect for the upcoming summer months. It’s cool and refreshing. A touch of lemon juice pulls the flavor profiles all together in a symphony of carbonated joy. Even better, this drink is only three ingredients. I usually make the Blue and Mellow in one glass batches. I would suggest even making it in a punch bowl and serve it at your next backyard BBQ or lazy evening sitting on the front porch while watching the twilight sky saturate into complete and surreal darkness.

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The Blue and Mellow

Ingredients

1 20oz bottle Cool Rush Gatorade

1 12oz bottle lemon like soda

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ cup ice

Lemons and cherries to garnish 

Directions

Pre-step: Turn up the stereo and grab a box of tissues because today is a sick day.

Step One: In a mason jar or any 16oz jar, pour in 12oz of the lemon like soda. Pour in the remaining 4oz of Gatorade. Add the lemon juice and top with ice. Serve immediately.