Microwave Baked Apples

This recipe stems from lack of a kitchen and a lack of ingredients. But what I did have was apples and a microwave...and that's pretty much all you need for this recipe. It was a perfect little afternoon "dessert" snack. My roommate said it tasted like apple pie filling. Enjoy!

Ingredients
-1 medium baking apple
-1 tbsp brown sugar
-2 tsp butter
-Cinnamon
-nuts, raisins, etc. (optional)

Directions
1) Wash and core apple
2) Pare a thin section of skin from top of apple
3) Fill center of apple with brown sugar and top with butter
4) Sprinkle with cinnamon
5) Cook uncovered in microwave 2 to 2 1/2 minutes at high or until almost tender
6) Let stand 5 minutes before serving


**Cook 2 apples 3 to 3 1/2 minutes at high. Cook 3 apples 4 to 4 1/2 minutes at high. Cook 4 apples 5 to 5 1/2 minutes at high.

Baked French Toast Casserole

This is the breakfast that I make for my parents when I want something. It requires some preparation but it is really worth it. The praline topping is to die for. MMMM!



Ingredients
-1 loaf French bread (use day-old bread)
-8 large eggs
-2 cups half-and-half
-1 cup milk
-2 tablespoons sugar
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1 pinch salt

PRAILINE TOPPING
-1 cup very soft butter
-1 cup light brown sugar, packed
-2 tablespoons light corn syrup
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1) Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
2) Slice the French into 20 (1-inch thick) slices
3) Arrange the slices into the bottom of the baking dish in 2-rows overlapping slightly.
4) In a large bowl whisk/combine eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well blended; pour over the bread slices making certain that all are covered evenly with the egg/milk mixture, then press down with clean hands to make certain the bread it coated well
5) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
6) In a bowl mix together all praline ingredients until well blended
7) Put mixture onto plastic wrap and roll into a log (wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap)
8) Refridgerate the butter log overnight
9) The next day, slice the log and place butter pieces all over the top of the casserole
10) Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees