Mother's Day special desserts Ideas

Brioche French Toast

The trick to making sure your French toast is custardy, not soggy, is to dry out the bread. We do this by toasting our bread in the oven for 20 minutes on a low temperature. (Dried bread makes for a better texture than stale, which retains a lot of moisture. If you do happen to have a stale loaf, still go ahead and dry the slices in the oven.) Make sure not to oversoak your bread—you want to dip the slices in for only 15 to 20 seconds in order to ensure the bread doesn’t absorb too much liquid.

If you’re making this for a crowd, line a baking sheet with a wire rack and keep the cooked slices in a 200º oven until you’re ready to serve

Ingredients

1 (1-lb.) loaf cinnamon twist or plain brioche, cut into 1"-thick slices

4 large eggs

1 c. whole milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Kosher salt

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided, plus more if needed

Maple syrup, mixed berries, and confectioners' sugar, for serving (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200º. On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread bread in a single layer. Bake bread until dried out, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Step 2

In a large, shallow baking dish, whisk eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Working with 2 slices at a time, place bread into egg mixture and let soak 15 to 20 seconds per side.

Step 3

In a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add soaked bread. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bread, adjusting heat and adding more butter as needed.

Step 4

Serve with a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Top with berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using.

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake has everything great about those bars in a homemade ice cream cake version, and it couldn't be easier. You'll use golden sandwich cookies (such as Golden Oreos) to form the base and the crumb topping. There's no need to scrape out the cream insides—they'll help the base stay together. No food processor? No problem. Use a plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the cookies.

Ingredients

30 golden sandwich cookies, divided

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. butter, melted

5 1/2 c. vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, divided

4 c. strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

1 1/2 c. freeze-dried strawberries, divided

Directions

Step 1

Line the bottom and sides of an 8”-x-8” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2” overhang on each side.

Step 2

In a food processor, blitz 20 golden sandwich cookies and salt to fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until crumbs are the texture of wet sand. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and freeze for 15 minutes.

Step 3

In a large bowl, mix 4 cups vanilla ice cream until smooth and spread on partially frozen crust. Freeze for at least 30 minutes more.

Step 4

In the same bowl, mix strawberry ice cream until smooth. Stir in ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries. Spread on vanilla layer. Freeze for 30 minutes more.

Step 5

Pulse remaining 10 sandwich cookies and remaining 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor until they form pea-sized crumbs.

Step 6

In the same bowl, mix the remaining 1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream until smooth and spread on strawberry layer. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over top, pressing down to ensure they stick.

Step 7

Freeze at least 4 hours or until firm, or cover and freeze up to 1 week. Lift the cake out of the pan using the paper overhang. With a sharp knife, cut into 9 square or 12 rectangular pieces and serve.