Baked Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast

 Fall? Hello, Fall? Where are you?! Why are you torturing me with 90 degrees still? It's not very nice when I want to bake all of these yummy fall dishes. So I bake them anyway:)

 This casserole will change breakfast for you. Making breakfast before bed and then just popping it in the oven in the morning...YES PLEASE! I'm always worried that these overnight casseroles will be to wet and gooey for me. Not the case AT ALL. This bakes up so firm and delicious.

And aren't pumpkin and cream cheese married? They are in my book. They belong together. And they're so happy together. If you're looking for the perfect Fall breakfast look no further!      

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3 eggs

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 (12-count) package Kings Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls, cubed

  

For the crumb topping 

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes

1/4 cup chopped pecans (Optional. I didn't have them this time so I left them out)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar 

  

For the cream cheese filling 

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes; set aside.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and vanilla. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place a layer of bread cubes evenly into the baking dish. Pour half of the pumpkin puree mixture evenly over the top. Spread cream cheese filling in an even layer. Top with remaining bread cubes and pumpkin puree mixture to completely cover the filling. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To make the crumb topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add cold butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. You can also do this in a food processor or with a fork or pastry cutter. Place the crumb topping in the fridge until ready to bake NOT on top of the casserole, but in a separate bowl. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over casserole right before putting into the oven. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Serve immediately, sprinkled with pecans and powdered sugar, if desired.

Enjoy!!

*From damndelicious.net

It's cinnamon bun day (kanelbullens dag)!

It's Cinnamon Bun Day in Sweden today. Cinnamon Bun Day was established in 1999, or 16 years ago, when Swedish Home Baking Council (Hembakningsrådet) came up with the idea when looking for a way to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Many Swedes rush to their favourite bakery today and buy some kanelbullar - or bake their own. You'll find a good recipe for Swedish kanelbullar over on Sweden.se site (written by Anne).

I've previously given you recipe for my traditional cinnamon rolls (with step-by-step photos), as well as the hugely popular cinnamon pull-apart bread. Today's recipe is for Finnish korvapuustit ('Slapped ears') - more or less the same thing, just shaped and braided slightly differently.

Korvapuustit/Finnish cinnamon buns
(Soomlaste kaneelisaiad)
Makes about 16 large buns



450 g all-purpose flour (about 750 ml or 3 cups)
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
1.5 tsp ground cardamom pods
0.5 tsp salt
1 packet of fast-action dried yeast (about 11 g)
250 ml lukewarm milk (1 cup)
1 egg (divided)
75 g butter, softened

Filling:
50 g butter, softened
4 Tbsp caster sugar
cinnamon

Topping:
pearl sugar (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, mix most of the flour, sugar, cardamom, salt and yeast. Stir in the milk and about half of the egg (leave some for brushing the buns before baking). Knead in the softened butter and the rest of the flour, if necessary. Knead until you've got a soft and pliable dough that releases from the sides of the bowl. Cover with clingfilm or a clean towel and leave to prove for about 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size. (The place for proving should be warm and draught-free).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured table, knead gently couple of times. Roll into a reclangle sized 30x60 cm. Spread soft butter over the dough, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up tightly, starting from the long side, leaving the "seam" under the roll.

Now use a sharp knife to cut into buns, following the scheme here. The buns should be about 2 cm wide on the narrow end and 5 cm on the wide end.



Transfer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them upright. Using your thumbs or a large pencil, press a dent into the middle of each bun, just like this:



Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to raise for another 30 minutes in a warm place. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 225 C/450 F.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the buns and golden brown.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven, and cover the buns with a kitchen towel and let them cool (a little) - this way they remain nice and soft.

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