Vanilla Cinnamon Baked French Toast

By tunes

There’s no need to hover over a skillet in the morning, cooking up individual slices of French toast when you have this version ready to bake in the oven. The infused vanilla adds a depth of aroma and flavour that wafts through the house enticing guests to the table. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, use 1 tbsp (15 mL) good-quality pure vanilla extract instead and skip step 1. The warm cinnamon-scented maple syrup and fresh fruit are the perfect accompaniments.

Ingredients

• vanilla bean
• 2 cups (500 mL) milk
• 8 slices egg bread, each 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick
• Butter
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup
• Fresh berries or sliced fru

Preparation

Step 1

Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds from pod with the blunt edge of a knife and add to milk along with vanilla pod. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 1 day.

2. Cut each slice of bread into quarters on a diagonal to make triangles. Arrange, pointsup, in a buttered 9 x 13-inch (3-L) glass baking dish, in three rows lengthwise, overlapping as necessary.

3. Remove vanilla pod from milk, squeezing to extract the flavour; discard pod. Whisk together eggs, sugar and ½ tsp (2 mL) of the cinnamon until blended, then whisk in milk. Pour over bread in dish and press gently to immerse. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 24 hours.

4. To serve, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. Uncover baking dish and press bread gently with a spatula to immerse in liquid. Bake for about 30 minutes or until puffed, golden brown and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.

6. Meanwhile, whisk together maple syrup and remaining cinnamon in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbling. Serve with hot syrup and berries.


Serves 6