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Baked Cinnamon-Butter Brioche French Toast

Source of Recipe

From "Half Baked Harvest Super Simple" by Tieghan Gerard


Recipe Introduction

"One year at Christmas I made the mistake of not preparing breakfast the night before, and trust me, I paid the price. Instead of relaxing by the fire on Christmas morning, I played short-order cook at the stove, whipping up French toast all morning long. The lesson? Have a good French toast casserole prepared before Santa arrives. Then all you need to do when you wake up is turn on the oven, throw in the casserole, and wait for it to bake into a buttery, cinnamony, crisp-on-the-edges, soft-on-the-insides French toast casserole. This dish couldn't be easier to prepare and it's truly one of the best breakfasts ever to come out of my kitchen. Dolloping a little cinnamon butter over the bread slices before baking ensures that every bite will be perfectly sweet and spiced with cinnamon. I love serving this topped with a raspberry jam, but you can use whatever is in season, or whatever you love most."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¼ cup pure maple syrup
â—¦ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
â—¦ 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
â—¦ 8 large eggs, beaten
â—¦ 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
â—¦ 3 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 brioche or challah bread loaf, cut into 8 thick slices
â—¦ 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ Store-bought jam, for serving (optional)
â—¦ Whipped cream, for serving (optional)


Recipe

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In the baking dish, using a fork, mix together the maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the melted butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, bourbon (if using), vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt. Submerge each piece of bread into the egg mixture, allowing them to soak for at least 1 minute. Arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish, and pour the remaining egg mixture evenly over the slices.

In a small bowl, using a spatula, combine the 2 tablespoons of softened butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Evenly dollop the butter mixture over the bread in the baking dish. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour or up to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F.

Bake until the French toast is golden and crisp, 45 to 50 minutes. If the tops of the bread begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover the French toast with aluminum foil and continue baking. Serve the French toast warm, topped with jam and whipped cream, if desired.

Serves 4