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Raspberry Baked French Toast

Source of Recipe

From "Make It Ahead" by Ina Garten


Recipe Introduction

"When I have company for the weekend, it's nice to serve something special for Sunday breakfast. This is basically a bread pudding made with all the ingredients I'd use to make French toast, but I can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning. Vanilla, orange zest, and fresh raspberries give this great flavor!"

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦ 10 extra-large eggs
◦ 2 � cups half-and-half
◦ ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, lightly packed
◦ ⅓ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
◦ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
◦ 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus extra for serving
◦ � teaspoon kosher salt
◦ 10 cups (1-inch-diced) day-old challah bread (see Note)
◦ 12 ounces fresh raspberries
◦ Confectioners' sugar, for serving
◦ Pure maple syrup, for serving


Recipe

Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch oval baking dish with the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and salt.

Spread half of the diced bread in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the raspberries in one layer. Top with the rest of the bread and pour on the egg mixture, pressing down lightly to moisten the bread. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake it for 60 to 70 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is puffed and browned. Check after 45 minutes; if the top is getting too browned, cover it lightly with aluminum foil. Cool for 10 minutes, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, dust with extra orange zest, and serve warm with maple syrup.

Serves 8 to 10






❧ Make It Ahead: Assemble the dish and refrigerate overnight. Bake before serving.

❧ Note: If the bread isn't day-old, slice it 1 inch thick, place on a sheet pan, bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, turn, and bake for 5 more minutes.