Week of 11/20/2000

Baked French Toast
No time to make breakfast? Put this together the night before...

1 (13-inch to 14-inch- long) loaf of Italian bread
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups whole milk
3 Tbls. sugar
Maple syrup to serve

Cut 12 (1 inch thick) diagonal slices from bread, reserving ends for another use.Generously butter 1 side of each slice and arrange slices, buttered side up, in 1 layer in a buttered 13 -by 9- by 2- inch glass baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit if necessary.

Whisk together eggs, milk and 1/4 tsp. salt until combined well, then pour evenly over bread. Chill, covered, until bread has absorbed all of custard, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, depending on bread.

Preheat oven to 425û F. Bring mixture to room temperature and sprinkle bread with sugar. Bake, uncovered, in middle of oven until bread is puffed and top is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Parker House Rolls Looking for a vegetarian meal idea?
These rolls are easy and fabulous...make the day before and keep wrapped well in foil, at room temperature. Reheat in foil in a preheated 375û oven 15 minutes.

3 Tbls. warm water (105-110° F.)
3 Tbls. sugar
1/4 oz. package active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp.)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour

Stir together warm water, 1 Tbls. sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Melt 3/4 stick butter in a small saucepan. Add milk and heat to lukewarm. Stir together yeast mixture, remaining 2 Tbls. sugar, butter mixture, bread flour and salt in a bowl with a wooden spoon until combined well, then stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a slightly sticky dough that forms a ball.

Butter a large bowl. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, kneading in more all-purpose flour if dough is too sticky, 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky. Form into a ball and put in buttered bowl. Turn to coat with butter, then let rise in bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Butter a 13- by 9- inch baking pan. Divide dough into 20 equal pieces and roll into balls. Arrange evenly in 4 rows of 5 in pan and let rise, covered loosely, in a warm place 45 minutes, or until almost doubled in bulk. Make a deep crease down center of row of rolls using length of a floured chopstick or side of a ruler. Let rolls rise, covered loosely, 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Melt remaining 2 Tbls. butter and cool slightly. Brush tops of rolls with butter and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 - 25 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool to warm. Makes 20 rolls.

Sausage, Cranberry, and Pecan Stuffing
Fragrant and delicious!

8 cups (1/2 inch) pieces firm white bread (3/4 lb)
1 1/2 lb. fresh pork sausage meat, crumbled
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (8 oz.), toasted
1 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbls. chopped fresh sage
1 to 11/2 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350° F. Toast bread in a large shallow baking pan in middle of oven until dry and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Cook sausage in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up large lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add butter to fat remaining in skillet and cook onions, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add celery, apple and garlic and cook stirring 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with sausage and stir in bread, pecans, cranberries, sage and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3 to 4 quart shallow baking dish and drizzle with broth. (Use 1 1/2 cups broth if you like a moist stuffing, 1 cup if you prefer it drier.) Cover with foil and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until bread is golden and stuffing is heated through, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stuffing can be assembled (but not baked,) without nuts, 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Toss in pecans and bring to room temperature before baking.