Quarantine Baking: Croissant French Toast with Butterscotch Apples and Sesame Brittle

To promote his upcoming cooking competition "Next Level Chef" for Fox, Gordon Ramsay held a live, virtual set tour and cook-along demonstration as we watched from our kitchen. It took us three times as long as it did for Gordon to make this sweet brunch treat, but it paid off in the end: Delicious. I mean, you can't go wrong with croissants, custard, carmelized apples and more. Nathan helped as my sous chef.

Quarantine Baking: Beignets Bring New Orleans to LA

 

Here's the deal: I used to go to New Orleans for work conventions all the time. I'd inevitably buy a box of Cafe Du Monde beignet mix, with the goal of re-creating those delicious beignets I'd scarf down on the Cafe Du Monde patio.

I never did. Those boxes would eventually expire and wind up in the trash.

But this is the pandemic, and there's time now to do crazy things like deep frying dough balls in your kitchen. So when I received a mailer with Cafe Du Monde beignet mix and chicory coffee, I thought I'd do it for reals this time.

(Coincidentally, I was back in New Orleans last January and got this Cafe Du Monde alligator for the Blogger Kid 2.0 — but I didn't bring home the mix this time, knowing better. This mix and coffee came with a mailer for Showtime's "Your Honor.")

Look at this! Deep frying beignets!

Look at this! Rolling beignets in powdered sugar!

Delicious. Almost like being in New Orleans. Almost.

Quarantine Baking: Homemade Pfeffernusse Cookie Mix from Trader Joe's

Our favorite holiday cookie from Trader Joe's? Easy. The Pfeffernusse. We would consume boxes and boxes of this German spiced powder sugar cookie every year. And then one year... the recipe changed, and they weren't quite as good. And then the following year... they disappeared completely off the Trader Joe's shelves. This is where TJ's fails in its lack of communication with customers. There's no Trader Joe's social media to explain these things, and we're left just hanging with the mysteries of what happens to our favorite TJ items.

This year, in a twist, Trader Joe's didn't sell Pfeffernusse -- but it sold a Pfeffernusse cookie mix kit. It wasn't going to be the same, but it was something. We bought it and made the cookies. And they were good! They wound up being smaller than the TJ Pfeffernusse cookies we fondly remember, but they did have that crispy shell and soft interior just like the ones they used to sell. And of course, you can't go wrong with powdered sugar. We'd make them again... but how about just bringing back the already made cookies next year, TJs!

Quarantine Baking: Pumpkin Bread Pudding

 

For several years, Trader Joe's sold a frozen Pumpkin Bread Pudding during the holidays, and it was incredible. I looked forward to it every year. And then sadly... they stopped selling it. This year, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I was going to make my own Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

Spoiler alert: It was delicious.

The secret was Trader Joe's pumpkin brioche bread. "Pumpkin-y, slightly sweet and lightly spicy. Great for fresh toast, sandwiches and toast with nut butter." Or, if you're really ready to indulge, Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Come along for the ride.

Of course, bread pudding is that odd dish that asks for slightly stale bread. This wasn't quite stale enough, but toasting the bread (cut into cubes) in the oven helps to dry it out.

I followed a bread pudding recipe I found online: Heavy whipping cream, eggs. check.

Vanilla, salt, all the usual ingredients. Instead of cinnamon, I went with the pumpkin pie spice that Trader Joe's also sells. Gotta pumpkin it up!

Now, it's ready for soaking.

Ideally, the bread will marinate in the mixture overnight, fully embracing the deliciousness.

And now, it's ready to go in the oven.

Almost there! This was a success.

Casting Call: CBS Is Looking For a Few Good Bakers

Another baking show? Yes, but this one has some real credibility behind it. CBS' upcoming "Bake Off" show is based on the hit UK series "The Great British Bake-Off." The show has developed a loyal fan base, including TV critics on both sides of the pond. Now, the U.S. version is holding an open casting call here in Los Angeles to scout for contestants.

The casting call will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1 at Chef's Inc. (10955 W. Pico Blvd.) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Bring your best baked good," the note says. More info:

Amateur skilled bakers will compete against one another in baking challenges that will test every aspect of their baking skills. At the end of the competition, one baker will ultimately be crowned the winner. The series follows the trials and tribulations of the competitors – young, old, from every background and every corner of the United States – as they attempt to prove their baking prowess.

We are seeking all types of non-professional bakers from across the country, whether you're an athlete, teacher, truck driver or retiree, as long as you have the zest for baking, we want to hear from you!

Applications are also being accepted online.