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Buttery Baked Vanilla Bean French Toast

Source of Recipe

From "Pure Vanilla" by Shauna Sever


Recipe Introduction

"This decadent make-ahead wonder is a riff on a recipe from one of my best friends. Her mom adds bits of chopped apple and some cinnamon in the mix, and to make things extra Midwestern, a bit more butter and sugar. It's divine. This formula is lighter and a touch fancier, calling for brioche or challah instead of plain white bread and a sprinkling of toasty almonds and fragrant vanilla sugar on top."

List of Ingredients

For the French toast:
â—¦ ½ cup golden raisins
â—¦ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
â—¦ 1½ cups whole milk
â—¦ 6 large eggs
â—¦ ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
â—¦ 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 (1-pound) loaf brioche or challah, cut into 1½-inch-thick slices

For the topping:
â—¦ ¾ cup sliced almonds
â—¦ ¼ cup Vanilla Sugar, or ¼ cup granulated sugar plus 1½ teaspoons vanilla powder


Recipe

In a small bowl, combine the raisins with ½ cup hot water. Let soak for about 30 minutes.

Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Drain raisins and pat dry; scatter them in an even layer in the bottom of baking dish.

In a blender, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons melted butter with milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Arrange bread slices in baking dish, trimming them as needed so that no gaps remain. Pour batter evenly over top. Cover dish with aluminum foil and let soak at least 4 hours or overnight.

To bake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375° F.
In a small bowl, use your fingers to toss together almonds, vanilla sugar, and about 1 teaspoon water — just enough to moisten the mixture. Scatter topping evenly over the soaked bread.

Re-cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking until bread is slightly puffed and lightly browned on top, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.


Serves 8



• Vanilla Sugar •

Fill a lidded container with about 2 cups granulated sugar. Bury a vanilla bean (or two, for more intense flavor), split lengthwise, in the sugar. Tighten the lid and shake the container like you're competing in a dance contest at a dive bar.

Store in a cool, dark place for 2 days and then open the container, take a deep whiff, and die a little from the glorious fragrance of homemade vanilla sugar. It's that easy! You don't even need a whole unscraped pod — use the empty vanilla beans from recipes that call for just the caviar. Store the empty pods in the sugar; when your supply runs low, replenish by adding more fresh sugar on top. Use vanilla sugar the same way you use the granulated stuff. It adds a bit more oomph to baked goods and is a delicious addition to coffee and tea.

Makes about 2 cups