Cinnamon French Toast Strips

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup skim milk

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

6 (1/2-inch) slices French bread

In a wide shallow bowl, stir together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk.  Remove crusts from bread and cut each slice into 3 or 4 strips. Working with 1 strip of bread at a time, turn strips quickly in butter, coating them on all sides, letting any excess drip off, then turn them quickly in cinnamon-sugar, coating them on all sides. Bake strips in lightly buttered jellyroll pan in upper third of a preheated 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Turn and bake 10 more minutes. Transfer with tongs to serving plate.

Spiced Blueberry-Peach Cobbler

FILLING
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 cups thickly sliced peeled peaches (generous 1-inch slices)*
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice

TOPPING
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut up
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, ginger and nutmeg in large bowl. Gently stir in peaches, blueberries and lemon juice. Spoon into baking dish. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles very coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until soft dough forms.

3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Remove fruit from oven. Drop 12 mounds of dough over hot fruit; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is rich golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack 30 to 45 minutes to serve warm or cool completely.

TIP *To peel peaches, drop peaches into large pot of boiling water; boil 30 seconds or until peach skins loosen. Remove with slotted spoon; drop into ice water to cool. Use knife to peel away skins.

12 servings

PER SERVING: 320 calories, 9 g total fat (5.5 g saturated fat), 4 g protein, 57.5 g carbohydrate, 25 mg cholesterol, 215 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

Melanie Barnard

Dorothy's Almond Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 375*

Crust

1 3/4 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup crushed almonds
1/2 stick melted butter

Line bottom of pan

Filling

2  8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups sour cream

Mix well and pour in pan.

Wrap pan in aluminum foil.

Put in roasting pan with about an inch of water.

Bake at 375* for about 35 minutes.

Nana's Baked Bananas

6 bananas
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Slice bananas in half length and width
Lay in buttered casserole
Pour 1/2 butter, sugar and lemon mixture over bananas
Bake in slow oven about 1/2 hour
Baste with rest of mixture
Continue baking until soft and caramelized