Christmas Morning Breakfasts

Many families make a tradition of breakfast on Christmas morning. Years from now your children will remember the love and warmth of the kitchen, the aroma of food cooking, and the sharing of a delicious meal with their family.

Whether you cook the same foods for Christmas breakfast each year creating your own family tradition or mix it up a bit with variety, make breakfast a special gift. Serve hot and cold beverages such as hot cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream and cinnamon, spiced apple cider, and plenty of orange juice, cranberry juice, and milk.

A platter of fresh fruit such as grapes, pineapple, and orange and tangerine wedges or slices add to the festivities and to the health benefits of the meal.  

Toast and homemade muffins, breads, and pastries add to your family tradition.

So dig out your family’s favorite holiday recipes or try one of the following for breakfast Christmas morning. Both of these recipes can be made ahead and cooked or warmed just before eating.

Cinnamon Raisin Cream Cheese French Toast

24 slices of cinnamon raisin bread, crusts trimmed
6 eggs
4 cups of half and half
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract
1 dash Watkins Nutmeg

For the Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Maple syrup

Lightly butter a 3-quart baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with half the bread slices.

In a medium bowl combine 6 eggs with all the half and half, 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Pour half the egg mixture over the bread. In a separate bowl whisk the cream cheese, remaining 2 eggs, teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/2 cup of sugar until smooth and creamy.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the bread layer. Arrange the rest of the bread over the filling and top with the remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 60 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with warmed maple syrup if desired.

Banana Waffles with Maple Walnut Syrup

For the Waffles
4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups low-fat (2 percent) milk
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons toasted and chopped walnuts

For the Syrup
1/2 cup cherry or berry jam
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate, undiluted

For the syrup
Combine all the ingredients for the syrup and mix well. Warm in saucepan just before serving.

For the waffles
Preheat a waffle iron.

Combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until blended. Add the flours, baking powder, and salt and mix well.

Spray the hot waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray or brush with oil. Spoon 3/4 cup of the batter onto the center of the waffle iron. Cook until a golden brown, until it stops steaming, or until light on waffle iron indicates waffle is done. Repeat with the remaining batter.

To serve
Serve waffles with syrup and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

These waffles can be made ahead of time and reheated in toaster or oven just before serving.

Happy Holidays!

Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, Around the Kitchen Table, that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/december1-08newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com
and http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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