Angel Food French Toast with Mascarpone Cream and Raspberries

Yup, it's french toast. Made with cake.

I made french toast with angel food cake.

Yes, my dears, you read that correctly! We have been on a little french toast kick lately. We have tried different breads, thicknesses, egg-to-milk ratios, toppings and the like. I got this idea – the angel food cake idea – from an older issue of Bon Appetit magazine. What a great resource! Their suggestion: substitute sliced angel food cake for bread in your favourite french toast recipe. My eyes glazed over and after I finally retrieved my chin from the floor, I had made a decision. Challenge accepted!

I find angel food cake to be very sweet. While I was sure the egg dip would tone that down a little, I wanted to offset that sugar-hit with the tartness of fresh raspberries, and the tang of creamed mascarpone cheese. I also made raspberry sauce (my sis-in-law calls me the Saucy Saucier, because sauce is awesome, and should be consumed in mass quantities).

The night before my experiment, I baked up an angel food cake. I left it to cool overnight on the kitchen counter, and to dry it out a little as well. OK, OK, you caught me. I forgot about it and went to bed. In spite of my neglect, the resulting cake was just a teensy bit dried out – perfect for soaking up some lightly-beaten eggs mixed with a bit of milk.

The result? Angel food french toast, served with a dollop of mascarpone cream, fresh raspberries and drizzled with raspberry sauce was a little bit of heaven. Dessert for brunch, if you will. I think this would also make a great dessert after a fancy brunch. The toast is very delicate and sweet, and soaks up the raspberries and cream like a dream. 

Mmmm deliciously messy

I ended up with some leftover cake, and you probably will as well. Store it in an airtight container in your fridge, and get creative with some layered desserts!

Golden brown goodness!

Click through for recipe and instructions

Red Wine-Roasted Rhubarb & Strawberry Shortcake for Mother's Day

Wine-Roasted Rhubarb & Strawberry Shortcake

I recently returned from a wine-soaked weekend holiday in Naramata, BC. For those who are unfamiliar with this beautiful wine region, Naramata is perched just northeast of Penticton, overlooking the shores of Okanagan Lake. Dotted among the winding country roads are over twenty wineries, each with a lovely setting and tasty wines, of course. I came home with over a case of unique vintages; some to enjoy now, and some to save for special occasions. One bottle in particular stood out as a recipe-friendly red — a 2010 Montage from La Frenz Winery. This robust red is a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with notes of dark fruit, plum, cherries with a vanilla finish. — perfect for making this Red Wine-Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry Shortcake!

Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Bright, chewy little bites of lemon goodness!

Winters around here are grey. Dull and grey. The seemingly endless greyscale days, desaturated and devoid of colour, make me crave bright colours, bold flavours and loud music. Lucky for us, the fruit in season this time of year is citrus! Navel oranges, heavy with sweet promise, are at their very best. Lemons and limes are plentiful and perfectly juicy.

Petite Vanilla Bean Scones

3 scones = 1 regular-sized scone, right? RIGHT???

Whenever I indulge myself with a treat from that certain coffee franchise (you know the one I mean!), my eyes are always drawn to those tiny, speckled white jewels — the petite vanilla bean scone. Such a sweet, vanilla-packed bite in a tiny, guilt-free (almost) size. My budget gets tighter this time of year, so I set out to see if I could make a petite vanilla bean scone for myself.

Sunday Brunch: Belgian Waffles

When in Bruges...

My family recently gathered to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday with a birthday brunch of Belgian waffles. I had not made waffles in ages, so I was thankful for an excuse to use our waffle iron, which had been languishing unused in a dark corner of the cupboard.

I served the waffles warm, with whipped cream mixed with cream cheese, vanilla and a bit of sugar. Topped with sliced strawberries, freshly picked from a Fraser Valley garden, and fresh blueberries, the waffles made a decadent brunch for a special guy.