Cookies, cookies, cookies!!

It’s a cookie exchange!
Here is the place to find some recipes for cookies and to share your own amazing ideas –  Cookies aren’t just for Christmas you know –

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Cookies have been around for centuries. The soft, chewy ones are cookies, but the crisp cookies are referred to as biscuits in many places.  And every year at Christmas, people go cookie crazy!

Modern Christmas cookies can trace their roots all the way back medieval times! The use of such spices as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg has been around for a very long time. Queen Elizabeth I requested gingerbread cookies be cut in people shapes to honor visiting dignitaries. hence, gingerbread men! Cookies were originally made to test oven temperatures (when stoves were fueled with wood or coal).

During the great depression, parents had children leave cookies for Santa to help them learn the value of sharing. As a result, Santa now eats over Three Hundred MILLION cookies each year! That’s a lot of cookies so you better get cooking!

Browse the links below and share your own!  Remember, only sweet treats allowed! Bake some and share some – and have some fun!

The rules are easy –

Share only cookies and bars – those goodies you share at the holidays!

Visit 2 or 3 of the other cookies – and leave them a comment!

That’s it – So on to this year’s Cookie Exchange Party!

Happy Baking!

Tomorrow is National French Toast day.

But what exactly is French toast? Well, it’s not French. This delectable treat is believed to have originated in Ancient Rome and was called Pan Dulcis. They were dipped in milk, and sometimes egg, then fried in oil. Medieval cooks wasted no food. Stale bread was served in this manner. It’s also called eggy bread, gypsy toast and nun’s toast (to mention a few). The French call it pain perdu, which means lost bread.

So where did it get the name French toast? The story goes that in the 1700s Joseph French “created” the dish and intended to call it French’s Toast. Unfortunately he forgot the apostrophe and advertised it as French Toast. So lets celebrate tomorrow, November 28 with this dish that is known in some form around the world.

Here’s a recipe to try right now! Get out that stale bread, cover it with milk and eggs and let it set overnight. Bake it in the morning and serve it with the toppings of your choice! It’s delicious – AND easy!

Here’s How to Do it:

The first thing to do is to prepare the casserole about 12 hours ahead of time.

Lightly grease an 8X8 baking dish. Tear the bread into large pieces and lay them in the bottom of the dish.

Put the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Beat everything together.

Pour the mixture over the bread

and gently pushing down the bread to make sure it’s all fully saturated.

Next, cover and refrigerate at least over night.

About three hours before breakfast ^[6], remove the casserole from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°.

While the oven is heating and the casserole is coming to room temperature, place the butter and brown sugar in a bowl,

mix together well.

Take the buttery sugar and drop it by the spoonful evenly across the top of the bread mixture.

Now, place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. It will be a beautiful golden brown!

Allow to cool and top with your choice of toppings. We enjoyed it with real maple syrup and fresh blueberries! Make it a holiday tradition!!

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 8 votes

Print ^[7]

Overnight French Toast Casserole

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, bread pudding, buttermilk, custard, eggs

Servings: 4 people

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 4 large slices dry or stale bread - French bread is best
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
• pinch fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• Toppings of your choice

Instructions

1. The first thing to do is to prepare the casserole about 12 hours ahead of time.

2. Lightly grease an 8X8 baking dish. Tear the bread into large pieces and lay them in the bottom of the dish.

3. Beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together. Pour the mixture over the bread and gently pushing down the bread to make sure it's all fully saturated.

4. Cover and refrigerate at least over night.

5. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°.

6. While the oven is heating and the casserole is coming to room temperature, mix the butter and brown sugar well.

7. Take the buttery sugar and drop it by the spoonful evenly across the top of the bread mixture.

8. Place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Allow to cool and top with your choice of toppings. We enjoyed it with real maple syrup and fresh blueberries! Make it a holiday tradition!!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

When we think of pumpkins we think of Halloween, but pumpkins are also for Thanksgiving! You serve this delicious cheese dip IN a pumpkin! It tastes delicious and looks fun!

OK – let’s get cooking!

Here’s How you Do it:

First, you need to start with the bread sticks. Preheat the oven to 350° and then open the bread dough. Spread it out on a cutting board and then cut into strips that are about 4 inches long.

Lay the sticks on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.

Combine the garlic with the butter (melt it first) and brush onto the bread sticks. Next, sprinkle the sticks with parmesan cheese and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes – or until the are golden brown.

Next, scoop out pulp from the pumpkin – and save those seed! They are delicious toasted ^[11].

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour smells nutty and is starting to brown slightly.

Using a wire whisk, stir in the cream, seasonings and pumpkin and keep whisking it all until it’s well incorporated.

Let it simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the mozzarella, then the cheddar and keep stirring until it’s fully melted and the sauce is smooth.

our into the pumpkin and serve with the bread sticks.

© Copyright 2018 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 10 votes

Print ^[12]

Pumpkin Cheese Dip with Bread Sticks

When we think of pumpkins we think of Halloween, but pumpkins are also for Thanksgiving! The delicious cheese dip appetizer is served in a pumpkin! It tastes delicious and looks fun!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread sticks, cheese, dip, pumpkin

Servings: 8

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Bread Sticks

• 1 pkg refrigerator french bread loaf
• 2 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan, from the can

Pumpkin Cheese Dip

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half and half, or whipping cream
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (the latter is better)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1-1/2 cup grated cheddar, extra sharp
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella, grated

Instructions

Bread Sticks

1. Start with the bread sticks. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Open the bread dough and cut into strips that are about 4 inches long.

3. Lay the sticks on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.

4. Melt the butter with the garlic and brush onto the bread sticks. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes - or until the are golden brown.

Pumpkin Cheese Dip

1. Scoop out pulp from the pumpkin - and save those seed! They are delicious toasted.

2. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour smells nutty and is starting to brown slightly.

3. Using a wire whisk, stir in the cream, seasonings and pumpkin. Keep whisking until it's all well incorporated.

4. Simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the mozzarella, stir. Then add the cheddar cheese. Keep stirring until it's fully melted and the sauce is smooth.

5. Pour into the pumpkin and serve with the bread sticks.

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Can you believe Christmas is next week?

This will be our last party for this year, but all these cookies (and anymore you want to add) will stay on the Cookie Exchange page ^[1]!

Thank you to everyone that has shared! Hope you found some great ideas!

Share your latest and greatest Cookie recipes here!   But only sweet treats!

Please remember to visit at least two posts for every one you share – it just takes a minute!

That’s it – So on to the Cookie Exchange Party!

Let’s get started on another deliciously fun party!

And don’t forget to leave a comment – I love hearing from you!

Here are the Rules – Let’s make this party fun for everyone!

1. Please Only sweet treats that  include recipes  or links to recipes!  (Sadly, all non food posts or posts without recipes will be deleted).   Share as many cookie recipes as you would like!
2. Please, no Blog parties.
3. Please do NOT use stock photos.  Make sure the recipe and the photos are your own!
4. Please do not post anything that includes items for purchase!  Do not share posts that focus on sales of any kind.
5. Visit some of the other party goers!!  That’s what makes it a party!

So let’s get to some cookie making!

Let’s Keep These Cookies Coming!

Are you ready to start baking those Christmas cookies?  I love to make a lot and share them with my neighbors and the people I work with – Not to mention my family loves them!  What is your favorite cookie?  Share it here – and maybe find a new one!

This party will be happening every Monday until Christmas – but the list is on-going, so be sure to share something new!

Share your latest and greatest Cookie recipes here!   But only sweet treats!

Please remember to visit at least two posts for every one you share – it just takes a minute!

That’s it – So on to the Cookie Exchange Party!

Let’s get started on another deliciously fun party!

And don’t forget to leave a comment – I love hearing from you!

Here are the Rules – Let’s make this party fun for everyone!

1. Please Only sweet treats that  include recipes  or links to recipes!  (Sadly, all non food posts or posts without recipes will be deleted).   
2. Please, no Blog parties.
3. Please do NOT use stock photos.  Make sure the recipe and the photos are your own!
4. Please do not post anything that includes items for purchase!  Do not share posts that focus on sales of any kind.
5. Visit some of the other party goers!!  That’s what makes it a party!

So let’s get to some cookie making!