My guess is that when people think of food for Christmas Day, they
think of dinner. Turkey or ham, various kinds of potatoes, a variety of
vegetables, salads -- both sweet and savory, perhaps a pasta dish or two. Me? For
three quarters of my life Christmas Day meant brunch at my parents’ house,
prepared by the skillful hands of my mother. That is all I ever knew when it
came to Christmas. If you ask anyone who knew her, they will tell you that my
mother’s Christmas brunches were legendary.
After she passed away, I had
considered taking up that tradition, but my efforts would surely pale by
comparison; truth be told, I just couldn’t find it in my heart to do so. Why
tamper with perfection? I do continue to try brunch recipes, and I think
of my mother every time I do. I tried this one over the weekend, tweaked it,
and really enjoyed it. There’s a lot to like about this, one of the big pluses
is that it is so easy to make. You can cut or tear your croissants the
day prior to store in Ziploc bags. You can make the cream cheese
filling ahead of time, cover it, refrigerate it, bring it to room temperature
prior to using, and give it a good stir. This dish is perfectly fine dusted
with powdered sugar. Or you can take it over the top and drizzle it with maple
syrup. This will be memorable whenever you decide to serve it.
Orange Croissant Breakfast Casserole
4 large croissants, roughly chopped
1 c.
Tiptree
orange marmalade
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, room
temperature
½ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¾ c. whole milk
¼ c. Grand Marnier
Zest from one orange
½ t. almond extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10”
deep dish pie pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat the cream
cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add sugar and beat until fully
incorporated, then add eggs, milk, orange zest, and almond extract and again
mix to combine.
Place chopped croissants in prepared
baking dish and place dollops of marmalade among them, stirring a bit to
distribute if needed.
Pour cream cheese mixture over
croissants, then cover dish tightly with foil.
Bake 30 minutes, then uncover and
bake until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean, about 15 more minutes.
Let cool slightly before serving.
Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve. Enjoy!
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Orange Croissant Breakfast Casserole
