Spiced Creme Brulee French Toast
I hate over scheduling my family over the weekends. We have so few of them in the year-and so little time to get what we need to get done AND relax. Sometimes, though, it can't be helped. This past weekend was one such instance. Our close friends have had to reschedule twice for a visit and this past weekend was the only time available until middle of summer! So it was important to fit them in. With our garage sale all day on Saturday, and our close friends coming for a brunch on Sunday, I needed to whip out my inner Domestic Diva full force to get it all done! And it can be done, with a little planning, maybe a late evening grocery trip for you or your husband and a little prep work. Then you can have a delicious Sunday brunch spread to feed a vegetarian as well carnivores alike.
- Average
- Average budget
Ingredients
- Caramel Sauce:
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- Bread & Eggs:
- 8-9" Country round loaf, (you may use LaBrea presliced Italian Country, but put two of the 1/2" slices together to make 1 " thick when filling your pan.)
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half & half
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. Grand Marnier
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium saucepan, melt butter, sugar and honey until a smooth, caramel sauce is created. Pour into a 13 x 9 pan. Spread evenly along the bottom. As it cools, it will stiffen so move quickly.
Step 2
Either cut the bread yourself in 1 " thick slices (discarding the ends) or as mentioned above, use a presliced bread to save time. The goal is to have 1" thick slices, so double up on your bread if you need to. I keep the crusts on for a more chewy texture, but you can trim them if you wish. Arrange the slices in one layer in the pan flat over the sauce, squeezing them in there tightly. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the half and half, Grand Marnier, salt, vanilla and spices. Pour evenly over bread. With the back of your spoon, push the bread down in areas so it becomes saturated.
Step 3
Cover and chill overnight. An hour before cooking, let sit out to come down to room temp. Preheat oven to 350 . Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 40-50 minutes-or until golden, bubbly and puffy. While baking, be sure to take a spoon and ladle the egg mixture and caramel over the tops of the bread, as well as push ends into the egg mixture gently. This helps keep the tops moist and helps to cook the toast evenly. Serve warm-with syrup if you wish, although you kind of don't need it.