Phenominal French Toast

I’m off to Chicago tomorrow for the weekend to help my brother move into his new home, so this will be my only post for a few days. Hopefully when I arrive I’ll be able to drop in on the fine folks at Up Down Tobacco, however I’ll be in Plainfield for most of the weekend, and for those in the Chicagoland area, you all know how far that can be. I thought I’d leave everyone a recipe that you’ll need to try over the weekend. I don’t know about anyone else, but I love a good breakfast on weekend mornings (or afternoons or even evenings for that matter!), and what a better way to enjoy the sun coming up than with a heaping serving of French toast. Mind you, this is not the egg mopped Texas Toast thrown haphazardly onto a hot skillet; I’m sharing a different spin which will have you begging for seconds, thirds and most definitely leftovers.

A good majority of this recipe can be done the night before, so there’s minimal work to do as the coffee is slowing dripping in the morning. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need, and this recipe serves 8 (however if there’s only two of you, the leftovers taste phenomenal), and don’t worry, most all of the ingredients you should have on hand:

For the Toast:

1 French Baguette, cut into 1 to 1 ¼ inch slices
6 Large Eggs
1 & ½ Cup Milk
1 Cup Light Cream or Half & Half
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

For the Topping (and I recommend doubling the amounts listed below):

1/3 Cup Softened Butter
½ Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup

The Night Before:

Grease a large baking dish. Arrange bread slices to fill the dish completely in one layer (if space is left between the slices, the results will be crispier). In a bowl combine the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well and pour over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The Next Day:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, walnuts and corn syrup in a bowl and mix well. Spread the mixture over bread slices (it will spread easier if it’s microwaved for a few seconds). Bake for 40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Enjoy with maple syrup (although with the topping it may not be needed).

Take the time to make this one, and you wont be sorry. Total prep time is under 30 minutes and I promise you'll find the results outstanding. Enjoy your weekend everyone and I'll be back next week!!