Baked French Toast

By sschwartz

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tart apples (such as Macintosh), peeled cored and thnly sliced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 pound loaf bread (such as challah or brioche…..i’ve used cinnamon raisin too)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg. Add the apple slices and cranberries and stir gently. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish and spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom. Cut of the ends of the bread loaf and reserve for another use. Cut the loaf into 1 inch thick slices. Place over the apple mixture, overlapping slightly to fit. If necessary, cut the bread slices in half to fill in any gaps. (If you have leftover bread, reserve for a later use.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Then add the milk and vanilla and stir or whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread, soaking it completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the French toast from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut into about a dozen pieces and serve warm with heated maple syrup.