Gourmet French Toast

When our friends Jeff and Julia invited Rich and me over for brunch, I knew that my "Gourmet French Toast" would be the perfect addition to the meal! It is such a "crowd pleaser" and so simple to prepare. (Thanks Ada for the recipe! See below for details.)


I recommend using an unsliced rectangular challah from What-A-Bagel. Even a day old challah would be fine. When I went to buy one on Friday, they were sold out! In the end, I settled for a braided challah. It took a little more time to remove the crust, but the taste was unbeatable!

Begin by removing all of the crust. Don't forget to take a few bites along the way! The challah is so good, I can never resist!












Cut into cubes and place in a Ziploc bag. Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla and pour into bag over cubes. Let sit in fridge overnight.













The next morning, generously grease baking dish with non-stick spray. Add cubes to baking dish. Combine melted butter with brown sugar and maple syrup. Pour over cubes. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Sometimes I add raspberries, blackberries or even strawberries directly into the dish before I bake it. However, this time I decided to make a coulis to pour on top which compliments the sweetness of the dish very nicely.

As the french toast was baking I cut up a handful of strawberries and cherries and added some blueberries. I love the Magic Bullet that my mom got us as a housewarming gift and used it to create the coulis. Combine fruit, a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix and chill.

Don't forget to peek into the oven...

The crust that formed on the top was just perfect!

Yummmmmy!

Wait...let's look at that a little closer!

Sorry Mark, none left over this time.

The pieces below were served right after the shot was taken!

Below is the recipe. The pictures in this post show half of the recipe. I halved all of the ingredients, except for the challah. Since it was a braided challah, I felt that it wasn't quite as much bread as a rectangular one. Enjoy!

Gourmet French Toast

6 eggs
2 ½ cups milk (or 1/2-1/2 cream mixed with milk)
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 challah bread cut into cubes with no crust
½ cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp maple syrup

1. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla.
2. Combine bread cubes and mixture, mix and
cover. Let soak overnight.
3. Next morning, mix cubes, put in 9 x 13 inch pan.
4. Combine melted butter with brown sugar and maple syrup.
5. Pour over cubes (berries, optional).
6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes uncovered.

Enjoy!

Who wants the first piece?