I always have leftover bread. Challah, french bread, sour dough. Generally, I make bread crumbs. But my freezer is full of bread crumbs. So, I am forced to cook and create. With all the rain we have been having, I am happily staying indoors. The weekends can sometimes be filled with way too many commitments. However, this past weekend, it was lazy days, matinees, board games, and lots and lots of cooking.
A big pot (a triple recipe) of my bolognese simmers on the stove, scones are flash freezing in the freezer(the perfect school day breakfast), carrot soup is pureed for a quick weekday lunch, and this baked french toast sends the smells of morning wafting though out my home.
When making a baked french toast, it is usually best to soak it ahead (overnight), similar to a bread pudding. But, Eli’s early morning request didn’t allow me to prepare. Instead, I assembled the casserole, covered it with plastic wrap, and let sit in the fridge for an hour.
After an hour, I added the organic, frozen blueberries, sprinkled it with the streusel topping and baked it. An hour, overnight – it really doesn’t matter. This dish is good, hearty, and delicious. It’s sweet all on it’s own. No syrup required!
Baked Blueberry French Toast
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Yield: serves 6 (I cut her original recipe in half)
Ingredients:
for the french toast
1/2 loaf of fresh challah or french bread
4 large organic, eggs
1 cup whole, organic milk
1/4 cup organic, heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sucanat (or whole cane sugar)
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup organic, frozen blueberries – not thawed
for the topping:
1/4 organice whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sucanat (or other whole cane sugar)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. sea salt
2 oz. organic, unsalted butter
1/2 cup frozen, organic blueberries
Instructions:
• for the french toast
• Grease a small baking pan (I used a 7 x 10″), with a little butter.
• Cut bread into cubes and put in the prepared pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cream, sucanat, and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated.
• Pour the egg mixture over the bread crumbs. with the palm of your hand, press the bread into the egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
• make the topping
• In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
• Cut the butter in small cubes and mix into the dry ingredients with your fingers. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to use.
to assemble and bake
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Uncover plastic wrap and sprinkle blueberries evenly. Scatter the streusel topping over the french toast mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until top is golden brown and the interior isn’t runny.
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.