Peaches and Cream French Toast Muffins

By Sharon T

Ingredients

• 1 loaf 2 day-old French bread, cut into 1/2” cubes (about 13 cups)*
• French Toast “Batter”
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk**
• 3/4 cup heavy cream**
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 15 oz. can peach halves in JUICE, chopped
• Cinnamon Streusel Topping
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, chilled and roughly chopped
• Cream
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Garnish (highly recommended)
• fresh or canned peaches, chopped

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 55mins
Adapted from lh3.googleusercontent.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the French Toast “Batter” Ingredients except for the peaches. After whisking until smooth, stir in peaches. Gently fold bread into mixture with your hands, just until bread is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight.

Remove bread/peach bowl from refrigerator 30 minutes before ready to bake. Meanwhile, spray a 12 count muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray WITH FLOUR in it*** or butter and flour the tins. Evenly divide bread/peach mixture between muffin tins, pushing mixture down into the tins as needed. Set aside.

Prepare Cinnamon Streusel Topping by combining the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with pastry cutter, 2 forks, OR (my favorite method) place mixture in food processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Spoon topping evenly over muffins.
Prepare Cream by beating heavy cream, sugar and vanilla together on high speed until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes at 350F degrees or until tops are golden. Broil for a more deeply golden top if desired. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with syrup, cream and garnish with additional peaches.

Notes
*I cut my bread when its fresh then leave the cubes in a large bowl uncovered on my counter for two days to become a little stale - this guarantees the bread will not be soggy at all and the muffins will be the perfect texture.

**You may substitute the 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cream with 1 1/2 cups half and half which is the same. I use the milk/heavy cream combo because heavy cream is already needed for the recipe – that way I don’t have to buy both half and half and heavy cream.

***Regular nonstick cooking spray will NOT work in this recipe.