Strawberry and Cream Baked French Toast
By now, you should know my family’s, and well, my entire religion’s, love affair with Sunday brunch. While bagels and shmear are the usual culprits- sometimes we got to have something sweet. And you know those challah leftovers from Friday night dinner? You now have a very good place to use said leftovers. Challah is for sure the number one choice in this recipe but today- I had an old baguette hanging around so I used that. Any bread will do.
This recipe is amazing, but it takes some planning ahead. The bread needs to sit overnight in the egg mixture in order to absorb all that goodness. I also added in my favourite fruit in not only one, but two ways- fresh and dried. And the only way I like to eat strawberries is with sour cream… duh! So, I figured I’d throw that into the mix as well. Once it’s done, we need extra crunch so granola for the win! Top with maple syrup and fresh mint and you have a creamy, crunchy, sweet, decadent breakfast that is worth gossiping about until next week’s brunch!
Strawberries and Cream Baked French Toast
Yield: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 baguette or about 5 cups of stale challah bread, cubed
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries (optional)
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp sugar
Maple syrup
2 tbsp store bought granola
1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
You need to prepare the dish the night before.
1. In a small bowl, place the fresh strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Set aside.
2. In a larger bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk again until smooth.
3. Place the bread cubes in the egg mixture and mix until all the bread is coated. Add the fresh strawberries including the juices and the freeze-dried strawberries. Mix until incorporated.
4. Place the bread and egg mixture into a greased Pyrex dish.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight.
6. In the morning, cover the Pyrex with tin foil and place into a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover, bake an additional 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
7. Once you remove from oven, paint the top with maple syrup and sprinkle granola on top for added crunch.
8. Serve with extra maple syrup, fresh mint and whipped cream. Enjoy!
*** Depending on the dish you choose to bake in, baking time may vary so keep a close eye. Mine was thicker, but if you make it a thinner layer- will cook quicker.
