With buttery croissants; almonds for crunch and the raspberry jam, it’s a sweet delight at every bite. 

This easy breakfast recipe is perfect for a crowd. Whether you’re hosting brunch or have guests staying over, it’s easy to make ahead of time.

This croissant french toast bake is one of my go-to recipes on the weekend. Just like my Blueberry French Toast Bake and this breakfast casserole recipe, it’s easy to prep and the flavors hit the spot every single time.

Why you’ll love this baked croissant french toast 

• Easy: This is the perfect french toast recipe to serve a crowd for any special occasion.
• Delicious: A combination of buttery croissants baked with raspberry jam is hard to resist.
• Make-ahead: This is the perfect breakfast to make ahead of time. Prep at night and then bake the next morning.

Ingredients needed

Croissants: make sure to buy large croissants for this overnight breakfast casserole

Almonds: almonds add a nice crunch and texture to this croissant french toast

Eggs: eggs are a must to help bind this french toast bake together

Milk: milk is a key part of the egg mixture; I like to use whole milk but you can use 2%

Raspberry Jam: raspberry jam is key to adding sweetness; if you prefer a less-sweet breakfast, use a low sugar jam

Seasonings: adding flavour to the egg mixture you’ll need maple syrup, ground cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla extract

Toppings: top with butter, maple syrup, icing sugar and/or fresh raspberries

How to make a croissant french toast bake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with softened butter.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and salt until fully combined.
3. In the greased baking dish, spread out half of the croissant cubes. Then dollop 1/2 cup of the raspberry jam onto the croissant cubes followed by sprinkling 1/4 cup of the sliced almonds over the croissant cubes.
4. Next, spread out the rest of the croissant cubes and dollop with the rest of the raspberry jam, then sprinkle the other 1/4 cup of almond slices.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the croissant cubes to cover everything evenly. Let sit for 10-15 minutes on the counter.
6. Cover with foil and let stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before baking. Or, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight (about 12 hours). 
7. If the dish has been refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator, remove the foil and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before preheating the oven to 350F and baking.
8. Remove the layer of aluminum foil before baking! Bake for 45-50 minutes, until puffed, golden and crisp. If the tops of the croissants begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover the french toast with foil. The top will be puffy when its fully baked and then as it rests will deflate slightly but thats ok!
9. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. When you’re ready to serve top with butter, drizzle of maple syrup, fresh raspberries and/or a dusting of icing sugar.

Tips & Tricks

• Serve with fresh fruit like fresh strawberries, raspberries and/or blueberries.
• If the croissants are not day-old, you can toast them first before following the rest of the steps. Toast at 350F on a baking sheet for about 5-8 minutes until just starting to crisp.

Variations

• Blueberry croissant french toast bake: Substitute the raspberry jam for blueberry jam and swap the orange zest for lemon zest for a different take on this french toast casserole.
• Cream cheese: Add 4-6 ounces of brick cream cheese, cut into cubes, in the first layer with the jam for an even more luxurious french toast. 

Common questions

How to store and reheat

Leftovers of the croissant french toast bake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in the pan it was baked. Alternatively, you can store pieces of the french toast bake in an airtight container in the fridge. Pieces can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven, covered with foil in a baking dish at 325F until warmed through.

More make-ahead breakfast recipes from the blog

• Savoury Turkey Breakfast Sausage Egg Muffins
• Spiced Pear Baked French Toast
• Bacon Mushroom Spinach Quiche with Gruyere Cheese

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Croissant French Toast Bake with Raspberry Jam

This Croissant French Toast Bake with almonds and raspberry jam is a wonderfully decadent breakfast or brunch. Easy to make-ahead too!

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword casserole, croissant, french toast

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 10 -12 pieces

Author Jess

Ingredients

• softened butter for the baking dish
• 8 day-old large croissants, cut or torn into cubes
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 small navel orange, zested
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup raspberry jam (low sugar if desired)

For serving

• maple syrup
• butter
• icing sugar
• fresh raspberries

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with softened butter.
• In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and salt until fully combined.
• In the greased baking dish, spread out half of the croissant cubes. Then dollop 1/2 cup of the raspberry jam onto the croissant cubes followed by sprinkling 1/4 cup of the sliced almonds over the croissant cubes.
• Next, spread out the rest of the croissant cubes and dollop with the rest of the raspberry jam, then sprinkle the other 1/4 cup of almond slices.
• Pour the milk mixture over the croissant cubes to cover everything evenly. Let sit for 10-15 minutes on the counter.
• Cover with foil and let stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before baking. Or, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight (about 12 hours). 
• If the dish has been refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator, remove the foil and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before preheating the oven to 350F and baking.
• Remove the layer of aluminum foil before baking!

  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until puffed, golden and crisp. If the tops of the croissants begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover the french toast with foil.

  The top will be puffy when its fully baked and then as it rests will deflate slightly but thats ok!
• Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. When you're ready to serve top with butter, drizzle of maple syrup, fresh raspberries and/or a dusting of icing sugar.

The post Croissant French Toast Bake with Raspberry Jam appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

A holiday favourite, my Mom makes these Nanaimo Bars every year at Christmas.

This Nanaimo Bar recipe is by far a fan favourite and is requested by family and friends each holiday season!

While I love to make these snickerdoodle bars and shortbread cookies during the holidays, these nanaimo bars are always first on my list.  With a creamy custard filling sandwiched between two chocolate layers, you can’t go wrong.

Why you’ll love this nanaimo bars recipes

• It’s a tried, tested and true recipe my Mom has made for the last 30 years!
• These bars are a no bake dessert so you don’t need to turn on the oven.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe

Butter: you’ll need unsalted butter for the base layer and custard layer

Sugar: white sugar is used in the base layer

Cocoa powder: rich cocoa powder gives the base layer it’s chocolately flavour

Semisweet chocolate: melted semi-sweet chocolate is the best for the top layer of these bars

Egg: one egg is whisked and then added to the base layer

Custard powder: custard powder is key to the iconic colour of the middle layer

Icing sugar: icing sugar is whipped with the custard powder and butter for the creamy middle layer

Graham crumbs: graham cracker crumbs bring the base layer together

Coconut: shredded coconut is also added to the base

Walnuts: finely chopped walnuts add a nice crunch to the base layer

Step by step process to make homemade nanaimo bars

Step 1: Make the base layer – 
Grease and then line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter, sugar & cocoa powder, stirring until combined.  Set aside.  Next in a bowl, combine graham crumbs, coconut and walnut – stir with a fork to combine.  Pour melted butter/sugar/cocoa mixture onto dry mixture and mix until fully combined.  Lastly, beat an egg with the vanilla, then add to the rest of the base. Mix until combined fully and spread/press into the bottom of your pan. Set aside in the fridge while you make the custard layer.

Step 2: Make the custard layer –
Cream the butter in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment at medium-high about 1 minute (if you do not have a mixer, whisk vigorously until creamy, a couple of minutes).  Add icing sugar, half-cup at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.  Next, add the custard powder until combined. Then, add the milk to reach a smooth consistency. Make sure to scraped the bottom of the mixing bowl a few times to ensure everything is being incorporated.  Spread the custard evenly on the base and place in the fridge while you make the topping.

Step 3: Make the top layer –
Melt chocolate with butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted set aside & immediately take your base/middle out of the freezer.  Pour the melted chocolate over the custard & spread evenly immediately.  Place in freezer for 30 minutes to let fully set.  Then, take it out for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Expert tips for making nanaimo bars

• If you can’t find graham cracker crumbs, you can use a blender or food processor to crush up graham crackers into a crumb texture.
• You can make the custard layer but mixing by hand if you dont have a stand mixer; a hand mixer would also work.
• If you like a stronger custard flavour, feel free to add more custard powder to the custard layer mixture & taste to your liking.

Common Questions

Can these nanaimo bars be made ahead of time?
YES! Make and store these bars in the freezer for up to two weeks in an airtight container. Need them for a quick dessert during the holidays? Take them out of the freezer about an hour before serving.

Which custard powder should I use?
I’ve always used bird’s custard powder which gives the custard filling of the bars their signature bright yellow colour. I would not recommend any other powder as you will not get the classic nanaimo bar filling as seen in the photos.

Can I make these gluten free?
You can use gluten free graham cracker crumbs to replace the regular graham crumbs and make sure all of your other ingredients are gluten free. Since the gluten free graham crumbs have a slightly different taste than regular graham crumbs, you may want to add up to 1-2 tbsp more cocoa powder to the base mixture to enhance the chocolate flavour (taste and adjust as you see fit).

Storage

Store these in the freezer for up to two weeks in an airtight container.

More holiday treats to love from the blog:

Chewy Chocolate Pretzel Bars

Snickerdoodle Blondies

The Best Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies

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Classic Nanaimo Bars Recipe (no bake holiday treat)

A Canadian classic, these Nanaimo Bars are the perfect holiday treat filled with custard sandwiched between a chocolate crust and topping.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword nanaimo bars

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Resting time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 20 - 25 bars

Author Jess

Ingredients

For the base layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened/room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups graham crumbs
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the custard layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened/room temperature
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 3 1/2 tbsp custard powder
• 2 tbsp milk (room temperature)

For the top chocolate layer

• 6 oz semisweet baker’s chocolate or 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tsp butter

Instructions

Make the base layer

• Grease and then line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt butter, sugar & cocoa powder, stirring until combined. Set aside.  
• Next in a bowl, combine graham crumbs, coconut and walnut – stir with a fork to combine.  Pour melted butter/sugar/cocoa mixture onto dry mixture and mix until fully combined.  Lastly, beat an egg with the vanilla, then add to the rest of the base. Mix until combined fully and spread/press into the bottom of your pan. Set aside in the fridge while you make the custard layer.

Make the custard layer

• Cream the butter in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment at medium-high about 1 minute (if you do not have a mixer, whisk vigorously until creamy, a couple of minutes).  Add icing sugar, half-cup at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.  Next, add the custard powder until combined. Then, add the milk to reach a smooth consistency. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl a few times to ensure everything is being incorporated.  Spread the custard evenly on the base and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Make the top chocolate layer

• Melt chocolate with butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted set aside & immediately take your base/middle out of the fridge.  Pour the melted chocolate over the custard & spread evenly immediately.  Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes to let fully set.  Then, take it out for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

The post Classic Nanaimo Bars Recipe (no bake holiday treat) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

While this year at times felt extremely slow I found the last couple months went quickly.

But, we’re about to enter my absolute favourite time of year! Even though things are going to be pretty different when it comes to celebrating the holidays, I’m sharing with you my favourite December recipes and some extra holiday cheer!I am in FULL holiday cookie baking mode; what about you?? I’ve been putting on Christmas movies while baking too. Elf and The Holiday are two of my absolute favs!

December is also the best time to cook recipes with cranberries! You can make cocktails, desserts and jams just to name a few. I like to buy fresh cranberries and freeze them so I can have them at my hands in the kitchen when a cranberry recipe strikes. If you’re a cranberry fiend like me, here are few favs this time of year:

Kombucha Cranberry Bourbon Smash

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Fudge from Broma Bakery

Cranberry White Chocolate Rolls from Crumb Top Baking

Cranberry Rosé Fizz

No-Bake Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes

Need some more holiday treat inspiration? A couple of years ago I shared this holiday cookie box AND stay tuned as I have an updated one coming very soon!

So, what else in season to make in December?

Brussels Sprouts: Sheet Pan Roasted Carrots, Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

Cranberries: Cranberry-Pear Chia Seed Jam

Citrus: Citrus Vodka Crush

Lemon: Lemon Squares

Pears: Baked Pears with Cardamom Cream

Spices: Spiced Winter Punch

Depending on where you live you might be like me with restrictions on getting together in person. SO, here are a few of my favourite ideas to make holiday weekends more festive as we stay home more:

• Cozy day or night at home: Create my hot chocolate bar to share with your family, partner or friend and have a cozy afternoon or night in. Go old-school with some board games or watch all your fav Christmas movies! Or even take your hot chocolate to-go for a walk around your neighbourhood to see Christmas lights.
• Online cooking class: If you’re in the mood for some ‘online’ cooking fun, I’m hosting a FREE cooking class with Wine, Women & Wellbeing on Thursday December 10th! We’re going to make a really simple appetizer and you can register here for free to join in.
• Get crafty: Brit & Co. is offering a selection of their classes for FREE until the end of the year! Grab some supplies and get crafty one afternoon.

I hope you have a lovely holiday season this year.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in December appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

A combination of sweet and tart plus a little sparkle, this cocktail has all of my favourite holiday flavours.

I love creating cocktails for the holiday season. This Cranberry Rosé Fizz is perfect to make for your guests at Christmas or to celebrate the New Year!

This cocktail starts with making an easy cranberry jam; these flavours are the tart base.

Then we add in rosé, gin and top with ginger-ale and garnish with sugared rosemary for a finishing touch! I like to use a more fruit-forward rosé to balance the tartness of the cranberry jam; one of my favourites is XOXO Wines Rosé (this is not sponsored, I just like their Rosé a lot!)

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Cranberry Rosé Fizz

This Cranberry Rosé Fizz is the perfect cocktail for the holidays and to celebrate the New Year! A combination of tart and sweet, this Cranberry Rosé Fizz is garnished with sugared rosemary for a lovely sparkling touch.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword holiday cocktail

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 cocktail

Author Jess

Ingredients

Cranberry Jam

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• 1 cup cranberries

Sugared Rosemary Garnish

• 4-6 rosemary stems (cut to fit nicely as a glass garnish)
• sugar
• water

Cranberry Rosé Fizz (makes 1)

• 1 tbsp cranberry jam
• 1 ounce gin
• 4 ounces rosé One of my favourite rosés to use is XOXO Wines Rosé
• 2-4 ounces ginger-ale
• ice cubes

Instructions

Cranberry Jam

• To make the cranberry jam, add the sugar, water, cardamom and cranberries to a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and when the cranberries start to pop, turn the heat to medium. Let simmer for 5 minutes and then remove from the heat to cool.

Sugared Rosemary

• Rinse your rosemary in water, shake to get excess water off and then roll through the sugar to coat – do this for each piece of rosemary and then set aside.
  

To make one Cranberry Rosé Fizz cocktail

• To a glass, add 1 heaping tablespoon of the cranberry jam. Then add the gin and rosé and stir a couple of times. Lastly, add in a couple ounces of ginger-ale, ice cubes and garnish with sugared rosemary. Enjoy!

The best part about this Cranberry Rosé Fizz is that you can make everything ahead of time. And then when you’re ready, simply mix up a cocktail for your guests and yourself!

And if you are looking for a bit more New Year’s Eve inspiration, check out my Sparkling New Year’s Eve Party Menu too.

Cheers to a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year friends!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Cranberry Rosé Fizz appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Since I was little I have always felt a sense of joy around the holiday season; there was always something sort of magical about this time of year.

So, let’s dig into all of the deliciousness of the season with my Monthly Favourites including which recipes to make in December!

I had A LOT of client work in November and not much downtime, so I’m really excited for a slower holiday season.

We did get away for a little long weekend in mid-November, heading to BC for a little mountain downtime which was the perfect re-charge before finishing up many projects the rest of the month.

During the last week of November we got our Christmas tree up and decorated. I bought alllll of the butter at the grocery store to start my Christmas baking and I’ve watched my favourite holiday movies about 8x each, haha.  Some of my favourites are Elf, The Holiday, Love Actually and Home Alone which I like to watch whilst baking!

Stay tuned to the blog during December as I have a few more treats up my sleeve plus my baking list for the season and perfect shareable recipes for entertaining!

And, I’m planning all of the delicious dishes to make the rest of this month too! Here are some of my favourite recipes to make in December:

Prosciutto Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Cranberry-Pear Chia Seed Jam

Kale, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Spicy Chickpeas

Baked Pears with Cardamom Cream

Baked Parsnip Fries with Garlic Yogurt Dip

Lemon Squares

PLUS, if you need holiday appetizer inspo, check out this awesome round-up of 20 appetizer recipes from Food Bloggers of Canada which includes my New Year’s Eve Party menu!

I’m really looking forward to being at home this month; enjoying time reading by the Christmas tree; visiting with family and friends; and, cooking at home.

And, if you need any book gift ideas, a couple of my favs from this year are:

Healthyish is one of the only cookbooks I’ve purchased this year and we cook out of it all, the, time! Seriously so many delicious dishes that are simple to make, especially during the week. There is a Spiced Chicken & Chickpea Flatbread with Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki that is so simple for a weeknight dinner, plus a TON of flavour! Then my other favourite recipe in the book is a Single-Serving Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookie; for when you need a cookie, stat!

If you need a few novel ideas, The Little French Bistro and Little Beach Street Bakery  are two really cute books that I absolutely loved. Both books have a foodie-twist, are easy to read and totally heartwarming.

I’d love to know what some of your favourite dishes are to make during the holiday season! Drop me a note below in the comments or visit me over on Instagram.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

P.S. Thank you to the lovely Janelle Saccucci for the photos of me in this post! We had a great time taking holiday-inspired photos!

The post What’s in Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I am in love with the holiday season, the baking, the social gatherings and the holiday movies, it all makes me SO happy!

Not only do I love cooking and baking for my family and friends, one of my other favourite things to do is search for the perfect gift for the people I love.

Inspired by my gift-giving, my favourite local shops and love for cooking I’m sharing with you my go-to gifts for the holiday season.

For the foodie in your family this cookbook, A New Way To Dinner, is filled with easy, everyday dinner recipes and helps you meal-plan too

For those who love a little sparkle, Flora Italia is a Calgary-based company creating beautiful jewelry (you may even have to gift yourself something it’s so gorgeous!)

If you want to get creative in the kitchen make a batch of my marshmallow pops as gifts

For those who like to stay-in, this Vintage Dominoes set or this fun vintage Clue boardgame will add some fun entertainment

The perfect hostess gifts are these Snowy Pine & Balsam Fir Candles that smell like Christmas

For the tea-drinker in your life any of these tea blends

For the coffee-drinker enjoy some of the best local coffee from Calgary with a coffee subscription

Something to keep the traveller in your life organized, this compact traveller kit

We can’t forget the kids! For the kids in your life (or the kid in you) this classic holiday tale, The Polar Express

And for something truly Canadian, this Hudson’s Bay Classic Throw Blanket

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I’m out at the cabin with some friends to celebrate the New Year and we have all concluded this sangria is a must.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Equipment:  drink pitcher
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
1 bottle of Rosé
1 bottle (750ml) of lemonade (sparkling if you can find)
1 granny smith apple, chopped
1 lemon, halved & sliced
1 cup raspberries

Instructions:
Pour the rosé and lemonade into a drink pitcher.  Chop and slice the granny smith apple and lemon; add to the pitcher.  Add the raspberries to the pitcher, mix and put in the fridge for a half-hour.  Then its ready to serve!

Put ice into each of the glasses, pour sangria into each of the glasses and spoon out a bit of the fruit into each glass.

Enjoy & Cheers to 2016!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Winter Rosé Sangria appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Case in point, this super SIMPLE bark which of course includes two of my favourite things – Pistachios & Chocolate!

It’s a bit of a salty-sweet combination that I just cannot resist and would make an easy and delightful gift this holiday season. But, maybe keep a bit of it for yourself too.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Equipment:  baking sheet & medium pot/pan

Ingredients:
2 tsp coconut oil
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup salted pistachios, shelled & roughly chopped

Instructions:

First, lay down a piece of parchment paper to cover your baking sheet.

Next, shell pistachios (if needed), then roughly chop.

Put the coconut oil at the bottom of the pot, then add the chocolate chips. Heat on low heat, stirring constantly as the mixture melts.  Continue to stir until fully melted and then take off the heat.

Pour onto the parchment paper, spread out to about a quarter-inch and drop the pistachios on top.

Place in the fridge for one-hour.  Remove and break up to desired size.  For longevity, store in the freezer & take out for about a half-hour to hour before serving.

Want to use this as a gift? Line whichever container you choose with parchment paper, fill with bark et voila!

Cook’s Note:  You can truly use any ingredients you desire to mix in & make this bark your own! Get creative! Some of my favourite combinations:
– Cherry & Pistachio
– Mini-Marshmallow’s & Graham Crackers
– Toffee & Salt
– Coconut

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

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