One of our favorite comfort foods is French Toast. It’s easier to make and clean up after than pancakes and waffles, and we like the eggy factor. We can eat it for any meal of the day.

Yesterday we made our first Pumpkin French Toast of the season, using Pepperidge Farm’s Pumpkin Swirl Bread, a seasonal limited edition.

There are plenty of recipes for Pumpkin French Toast, You avoid time-consuming steps in from-scratch recipes: pumpkin puree, spices, raisins.

There are even recipes to bake pumpkin swirl bread from scratch, as our friend Linda does (she also bakes her own cornbread for stuffing!).

> The history of French Toast.

> The history of pumpkins.
 
 
RECIPE #1: PUMPKIN SWIRL BAKED FRENCH TOAST (FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE)

This aromatic, make-ahead French toast casserole combines cinnamon swirl bread and dried cranberries for a breakfast or brunch treat. You can reheat leftovers or serve them warm or chilled for dessert, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Prep time is 15 minutes, chill time is 1 hour, and bake time is 45 minutes. You can make most of it the day before and just bake it prior to serving.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the bread cubes and cranberries/raisins into a lightly greased 3-quart shallow baking dish.

2. BEAT the eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Stir and press the bread cubes into the egg mixture to coat.

3. REFRIGERATE for 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Serve with butter and syrup.
 
 
RECIPE #2: QUICK PUMPKIN SWIRL FRENCH TOAST

No matter what bread you use, this is our quick technique on the stovetop.

We use ReddiEgg, a liquid egg product that has removed all cholesterol. It saves the time of cracking and whisking the eggs with milk, with “cholesterol-free” as a bonus.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

[2] Got time? Make Baked French Toast, a rich breakfast casserole.

[3] Quick French Toast: Just dip and fry (photo © TwoPeasAndTheirPod.com.

[4] ReddiEggs are ready to pour and have no cholesterol (photo © NuLaid).

2. POUR the liquid egg into a shallow dish and soak the bread slices thoroughly on each side. (Note: We like very eggy French toast. If you prefer the drier, crisper variety, soak briefly).

3. FRY until golden brown on each side, turning once. Garnish as desired and serve immediately with butter and syrup. If you like the artistic touch (photo #2), slice and stack the French toast triangles.
 
 
IS FRENCH TOAST FRENCH?

Nope! Here’s the history of French Toast, and more French Toast recipes.
 
 

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[1] The classic Fluffernutter sandwich: peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff on white bread (photo © Quaker).

[2] Marshmallow Fluff was first sold commercially in 1910 (photo © Hawkin).

[3] Kerfuffle, a ready-to-spread all natural Fluffernutter blend (photo © Kerfluffle Nut Butter).

[4] The marsh mallow plant has pretty flowers, but the sap in the root makes marshmallows (or it did, until it was replaced by gelatin) (illustration Public Domain).

[5] Fluff: A Sticky Story Of An American Icon, will fill in more information than we have below (photo © Union Park Press).

[6] Yes, there’s a Marshmallow Fluff cookbook (photo © Running Press).

The original Marshmallow Fluff was introduced more than 75 years ago and is still made by Durkee-Mower Inc. Some brands call it marshmallow cream, others marshmallow creme.

What’s the difference between cream and creme? Just the spelling. Creme is an Americanization of the French word for cream, crème? (pronounced KREHM).

Why adapt a French word instead of good old American cream? Most likely adapted to make the dish sound more special. There’s no need to misspell and mispronounce another language’s word for cream. Unless it’s a French recipe, such as Coeur à la Crème, stick to cream.

The recipes are below.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF MARSHMALLOW FLUFF, STARTING IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Marshmallow dates back to ancient Egypt. The marsh mallow plant that was plentiful along the banks of the Nile has a slippery sap that forms a gel when mixed with water. The Egyptians mixed the “juice” with honey to make a confection, reserved for the wealthy and the gods.

The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder credited the sap with curing all sorts of diseases, and encouraged people to drink the juice daily, although it wasn’t very palatable (what happened to the honey?). Still, for centuries the sap was used to treat sore throats, skin conditions, and other maladies.
 
Marsh Mallow Sap Gets Replaced With Gelatin

In the mid-19th century, a pharmacist in Paris came up with the idea of whipping the sap with sugar and egg whites into a light, sweet, fluffy throat remedy. A variation soon became popular as marshmallow candy.

By the late 19th century, confectioners had determined how to mass-produce marshmallows, which included eliminating the sap entirely and replacing it with gelatin.

Prepared gelatin was patented in 1845. In addition to setting aspics, it was desirable as glue, a use that also dates back to the marsh mallow plants of ancient Egypt.

Prior to 1845, it was laborious to render and clarify gelatin from cattle and pig bones, skin, tendons and ligaments.

Marshmallow sauces were popular in the early 20th century (see Marshmallow History). But to make marshmallow sauce or frosting required that the cook first make marshmallow creme.

It was a two-step process: make a sugar syrup, melt marshmallow candy in a double boiler, and combine them with the syrup. But, the popularity created an opportunity.
 
Commercial Marshmallow Cream Arrives

In 1910 a marshmallow cream called Marshmallow Fluff was sold to ice cream parlors by Limpert Brothers, a company that still exists in New Jersey. You can see the original packaging here.

Call greater Boston the home of marshmallow cream!

 
Unlike conventional marshmallows, which require gelatin (an animal product) or a seaweed equivalent to set, today’s large marshmallow brands are kosher products made from corn syrup, sugar, water, egg whites, artificial flavor (vanillin), cream of tartar, xanthan gum, and artificial color.

Today, the Durkee Mower Company sells about 8 million pounds of Fluff each year. In 2021, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added “fluffernutter” to its dictionary: “a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème between two slices of white bread.”

There’s also a book published in 2017: Fluff: The Sticky Sweet Story Of An American Icon.

In Somerville, Massachusetts, there’s an annual ”What The Fluff” festival, where “tens of thousands of people celebrate every possible use of the concoction” [source]

There’s that crème again. Here’s why we’re frustrated.
 
Marshmallow Fluff is certified kosher by OU, Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme by OK Kosher.

Ricemellow Creme, manufactured by Suzanne’s Specialties, Inc., is a vegan equivalent.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE FLUFFERNUTTER SANDWICH

In 1917, during World War I, Emma Curtis published a recipe for the Liberty Sandwich, which consisted of peanut butter and Snowflake Marshmallow Creme on oat or barley bread.

The recipe was published in a promotional booklet sent to Curtis’ customers in 1918, and is believed to be the origin of today’s Fluffernutter sandwich.
 
 
MAKE YOUR OWN MARSHMALLOW CREAM

You can make your own version of Fluff at home, with this recipe.

Beyond the original (vanilla), you can make chocolate “Fluff,” gingerbread, etc.

You’ll love the flavor from pure vanilla extract, and can make gift batches for Fluff-loving friends and family.

Christine Fischer of Wry Toast created these Fluffernutter cookies and sent them to PB & Co., producers of gourmet peanut butters.

Here are step-by-step photos on ILovePeanutButter.com.

Prep time is 15 minutes for 15 sandwich cookies.

We made substitutions, as noted below, to trade the salty elements (butter crackers, bacon) for sweeter ones (cookies and banana chips).

Ingredients For 15 Cookie Sandwiches

 
Preparation

1. LINE a medium-size baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. SPREAD a small amount of peanut butter on half of the crackers/cookies, then a small amount of fluff on the other half. Sandwich together, then transfer to baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

3. COMBINE the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for approximately one minute until melted, stirring at the 30-second mark to avoid burning.

4. REMOVE the frozen sandwiches from the freezer. Dip each halfway in melted chocolate, then return to the baking sheet and sprinkle the bacon on top. Repeat until all sandwiches have been coated and topped, then return to the freezer until the chocolate is set, at least an hour.
 
 
RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS

For The Crackers

We tried these, all with very satisfactory results:

 
For The Coconut Oil

 
For The Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter

 
For The Marshmallow Cream

 
For The Bacon

 
You’ve got a few days before National Fluffernutter Day to determine your favorite combination.

[8] Preparing the cookie sandwiches (photos #5 and #6 © Wry Toast Eats).

[9] Le Petit Écolier biscuits topped with a chocolate bar were our favorite variations (photo © Mondelez International).

[10] Social Tea Biscuits are similar to Le Petit Écolier, without the chocolate bar (the recipe’s chocolate chips provide the chocolate (photo © Mondelez International).

[1] Jarlsberg from Norway: the top special cheese in the U.S. [2] Jarlsberg Cheese Crisps in four flavors: Chipotle, Garlic & Herb, Mediterranean Sea Salt and Rosemary & Olive Oil. We’ve been enjoying them plain, with soup and salads, and with dips. [3] “What big eyes you have,” said Goldilocks to the Jarlsberg. Eyes is the industry term for what consumers call holes (photos courtesy Jarlsberg).

The origin of the modern cheese they created traces back to the early 1800s when Swiss cheese makers came to southern Norway to teach Norwegians how to make cheese.

Norwegians began to produce their own cheese similar to Swiss cheese, but after the departure of the Swiss, the particular style did not endure.

Fast forward: 1956 arrives, along with the students who had a project under the direction of their professor, Ole Martin Ystgaard of the Dairy Institute at the Agricultural University of Norway. Their project: to revive an old-style cheese.

They studied ancient texts and recipes, experimented, and created a wonderful cheese they named Jarlsberg® (pronounced YAHRLS-berg).

It was named after Count Vadel Jarlsberg, whose countship was created in 1673. His estate was located near where the earlier version of the cheese was first produced.

A mild, semisoft, part skim, pasteurized cheese made from cow’s milk, Jarlsberg has been beloved from the beginning for its mild, sweet and nutty taste and the appeal of its large round holes (eyes).

It is Norway’s most famous edible export, the #1 cheese imported to the U.S., and the #1 specialty cheese* brand in the U.S.

As a bonus to millions of Americans, it’s also lactose-free†.

Bravo, Professor Ystgaard and team. Who wouldn’t love bragging rights to this creation: for oneself and for generations to come!
 
A VERSATILE CHEESE

Jarlsberg is one of the most versatile cheeses. More than a table cheese and sandwich cheese, it can be:

 
The line has expanded to include:

 
For starters, see some of the recipes below.
________________
*Specialty cheese is defined as a cheese of limited production, with particular attention paid to natural flavor and texture profiles. The opposite is factory cheese, mass-produced.

†Cheddar and authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano are the other two cheeses that are 100% lactose free.
 

Each of the world’s cheeses is made from a specific recipe, which includes both the type(s) of cheese cultures and the production techniques. Both combine to deliver each cheese’s unique flavor, aroma and appearance.

Jarlsberg enchants not only with its flavor, but with its eyes.

Emmental, the first cheese with large eyes, is what Americans think of as Swiss cheese—although there are more than a dozen different types of Swiss cheese, including Appenzeller, Raclette, Gruyère, Tête de Moine, Tilsit and Vacherin Mont d’Or. (Emmental, Gruyère and Vacherin Mont d’Or are also made in France.)

Some Swiss have eyes, some don’t.

Some people find Jarlsberg similar to French Gruyère, which has holes. Modern-style Swiss Gruyère does not.

The larger the holes, the more mature the cheese. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a stipulation that the “eyes” in “grade-A Swiss” can be no larger than 13/16 of an inch in diameter.

Why? Because larger eyes can make the cheese difficult to slice on modern cheese-slicing equipment. The blades were catching on the large holes and shredding the cheese rather than slicing it.
 
Why Does The Cheese Have Holes?

The holes in cheese are a deliberate byproduct‡ of fermentation, the process by which milk is turned into the curds that are used to create cheese.

They are the result of propioni bacteria, which cause gas to expand within the curd and create the holes’

The longer cheese ages, the bigger the holes get, and the more intense flavor is developed.
 
YUMMY JARLSBERG RECIPES

Head to Jarlsberg.com for dozens of new and familiar recipes, such as:

[3] Jarlsberg Eggs Benedict. [4] A Croque Monasieur sandwich made with Jarlsberg instead of Gruyere (photos courtesy Jarlsberg).

________________
‡In recent centuries the eyes a deliberate part of recipes, and can be created larger or smaller. In the beginning, the eyes were a happy accident. They certainly do have eye appeal! (Pun intended.)
  

[1] Pumpkin Pie-tini. Photo courtesy SandAndSisal, which uses a different recipe from ours, with whipped cream vodka, pumpkin eggnog and a rim of brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. [2] Pinnacle is one of the brands of pumpkin-flavored vodka on the market. Pumpkin is a seasonal offering.

Today is National Vodka Day, and it’s fall. So what better than a pumpkin martini?

To make a true pumpkin martini, you’ll need a bottle of clear, pumpkin-flavored vodka and the other ingredients for your favorite martini recipe. We picked up a bottle of Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie Vodka, which gave a pumpkin-pie-spice accent to a standard martini. For garnish, we floated a star anise on top.

Otherwise, you can make a Pumpkin Pie-tini with vanilla vodka and real pumpkin purée (top photo). If you want a spicier drink, use pumpkin pie filling instead of purée; pie filling includes the pumpkin pie spices.

 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN PIE-TINI

Make one of these as a test drink. You can then decide to vary the ingredients—more or less of something, pumpkin vodka, etc.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. PURÉE the purée. Why? Pumpkin purée can be slightly grainy. For a smooth cocktail, run the pumpkin through a food processor or use an immersion blender in the can.

2. CREATE the glass rimmer. Using a small amount of maple syrup, honey or water on the rim of the glass, place the rim on a plate of cookie crumbs and twist until the rim is coated.

3. SHAKE the cream/milk and pumpkin puree with ice to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into the martini glass.

All you need are vanilla beans and vodka…and 10 days to let them infuse.

If you’ve had the vanilla beans for a while, check to see that they’re not dried out. If they are, get new beans and stick the old ones in a sugar jar, where they’ll lightly scent the sugar.

If you don’t need an entire bottle of vanilla vodka, make half a bottle.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT the vanilla beans in half lengthwise to expose the interior as possible (that’s where the flavor is).

2. POUR the vodka into the glass jar, retaining the original bottle for the final product.

3. PLACE the vanilla beans in the jar, cap it tightly and shake gently. With a quart jar, the top 20% should be empty. Then put the bottle in a cool, dark place to infuse.

4. STRAIN the vodka after 10 days. Use a funnel and a fine sieve, coffee filter or cheesecloth to strain the vanilla vodka into its original vodka bottle. You’re ready to go!
 
  

October 4th is National Taco Day, and this year it coincides with Taco Tuesday. What does that mean?

Tacos for breakfast? Definitely. We have a breakfast taco recipe for you (below). If you’re a taco lover, you’ve already had tacos for lunch and dinner. How about tacos for dessert?

> January 25th is National Fish Taco Day.

> March 21st is National Crunchy Taco Day.

> In Mexico, Día del Taco (Day of the Taco) is celebrated on March 31st.

> The recipe is below. But first:
 
 
A BRIEF TACO HISTORY

Surprisingly, the Aztecs did not invent the taco; nor did anyone else, until the 18th century.

According to Professor Jeffrey M. Pilcher, author of Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food, tacos are not an ancient food.

Rather, as he discusses in an article in Smithsonian Magazine, Mexican silver miners in the 18th century likely invented the taco as a hand-held convenience food.

Deriving its name from the “tacos” of gunpowder used to blast through rock, the humble miner’s fare was followed by taco carts and taquerías in the working-class neighborhoods of Mexico.

As the taco spread throughout Mexico, each region added its own touches: meats, spices, salsas, and garnishes.

Mexican Americans in the Southwest reinvented it. As late as the 1960s, tacos were virtually unknown outside Mexico and the American Southwest.

In 1962, businessman Glen Bell founded Taco Bell as a drive-up with a few outdoor tables. It grew into a mass-marketing powerhouse, serving an Anglo version with a hard shell at quick-service restaurants nationwide.

This hard pre-fried corn tortilla shell (photo #2) is not authentic. Like the burrito, a larger wheat flour tortilla, it was born in the U.S.A.

Yet within 50 years the United States had shipped its hard taco shells worldwide, from Australia to Mongolia—redefining the taco in the eyes of millions, if not billions.

Today the taco is an internationally beloved snack and meal, with an abundance of styles and varieties. You can invent your own “signature” taco. Ours is Japanese-style spicy tuna in a hard corn tortilla shell with a drizzle of wasabi mayonnaise.

Along with diced onions, instead of diced tomatoes, we add diced mango.

We make the mayo ourselves, to make it have more wasabi and less mayo. The process is the same: Just blend wasabi into mayonnaise until you reach your preferred degree of wasabi heat.

See more creative spins below.
 
 
And Taco Tuesday?

This American event was begun in 1982 as a successful promotion by Taco John’s.

It encouraged people to go out for tacos on Tuesday nights and offered specials like $1 fish tacos.

Since tacos are easy to make at home and popular with the whole family, Taco Tuesdays are also a frequent event in home kitchens.

While Taco John’s trademarked the name, other venues use the trademark but can receive “cease and desist” letters.

Taco Tuesday has become such a part of American culture that we think Papa John’s should allow Taco Tuesdays for everyone!
 
 
TACOS BEYOND THE TRIED-AND-TRUE

You may think that National Taco Day is a day to celebrate the classics; but as you do, put on your thinking cap and invasion the next great taco combination you can make.

 
RECIPE: DIY BREAKFAST TACOS

Unlike the American-invented breakfast burrito, essentially an egg-and-sausage wrap sandwich, this recipe is truer to Mexican preparations.

There’s a fight between Austin and San Antonio over the origin of the breakfast taco.

At first, it was a breakfast made at home: eggs, sausage, or other pork and cheese, rolled in a warm tortilla. In Mexican kitchens, tortillas are a staple, like a loaf of bread.

The concept then migrated to breakfast stands and restaurants, as far back as the 1950s.

Thanks to IMUSA USA, a maker of kitchenware for global recipes—for this breakfast taco recipe. You can find more recipes on their website.
 
Ingredients

[1] An upscale taco in the classic mold. This one includes braised beef and mole sauce, with cottage cheese Here’s the recipe (photo © McCormick).

[2] Fried hard taco shells are an American invention. They stand up on their own (photo © Old El Paso)!

[3] Baked breakfast tacos. Here’s the recipe (photo © Pillsbury).

[4] Breakfast taco with scrambled eggs and sausage (photo © Imusa, recipe below).

[5] A DIY set-up from David Burke at Fabrick | NYC (photo © David Burke).

[6] A simple dessert taco in a waffle cone shell (photo © We Heart It). Add as many toppings as you like. You can use a waffle maker to make a soft waffle shell.

1. MIX the sour cream, lime juice, and salt in a bowl; put aside.

2. CHAR the tortillas over a gas flame or directly on an electric burner until blackened in spots, turning with tongs. Place in a tortilla warmer or aluminum foil and set aside.

3. ADD the olive oil to a nonstick sauté pan and bring to medium-high heat. Sweat the onions for about one minute and add the diced chorizo. Cook for 5-6 minutes until chorizo is browned.

5. ADD half of the cilantro and all of the cooked chorizo to the beaten eggs. Blend and pour into the pan. Cook on low heat, stirring from time to time.

6. PLACE the cooked eggs, cheddar, tomatoes, and remaining cilantro in separate bowls and lay them out throughout the table with the warm tortillas. Let everyone build their own.

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