Brunch is something that makes everyone happy - it's an excuse to have friends over during the day, and day drinking is completely acceptable at that time. Brunch is a great way to entertain your friends with easy, inexpensive dishes. One of my absolute favorite brunch dishes is a creme brulee french toast. I originally followed a Barefoot Contessa recipe closely - overtime I've adapted the recipe a bit and changed some parts of it, but the base is still the same. Thanks Ina - this may be one of the most popular things I've ever made. This dish is great because not only is it incredibly easy to make, you make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight so in the morning all you need to do is pop it out of the fridge, let it sit out for 30 minutes to get to room temperature, and then bake it off. This is a recipe you need to try.
Creme Brulee French Toast
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar, packed
1 loaf of challah bread, but into 1- 1/12 inch slices (I left the crust on, but you can take the crust off if you want. It's even better if the bread is a little stale)
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half (I use fat-free half and half - it tastes the same here)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 -2 tsps either: grand marnier, triple sec, godiva chocolate liquor, or butterscotch schnapps (I usually use triple sec since I always have that on hand. When I have it on hand, I like to use either chocolate liquor or butterscotch schnapps as the liquor in this)
pinch of salt
Directions
Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Stir frequently until the brown sugar and butter are totally combined and the mixture looks like melted caramel. Pour the caramel mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 sized baking dish (or a dish that similarly sized).
Take the pieces of challah and place them over the caramel. Cut the pieces as necessary to make them fit, making sure that the bottom of the dish is completely covered. You can add a second layer of challah to use up the bread. Press the bread down into the dish.
Combine the eggs, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon and liquor. Pour the mixture over the bread. Press the bread down, helping the bread soak up the egg mixture. The dish will look like it has too much egg mixture in there but it's fine. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight.
The next morning take the french toast out of the fridge 1/2 an hour before you start cooking it. Once it sits at room temperature for 1/2 an hour, place the baking dish on a larger sheet pan in case it bubbles over. Bake the french toast at 350 for approximately 40 minutes, or until the edges are getting golden brown and the middle is puffed up.
This is delicious on its own. If you REALLY want to impress people, make the sauce below to pour over the french toast:
Combine 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add a 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until the cream heats up and the sugar melts into it. Drizzle the sauce over each serving of the french toast.
Creme Brulee French Toast
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar, packed
1 loaf of challah bread, but into 1- 1/12 inch slices (I left the crust on, but you can take the crust off if you want. It's even better if the bread is a little stale)
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half (I use fat-free half and half - it tastes the same here)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 -2 tsps either: grand marnier, triple sec, godiva chocolate liquor, or butterscotch schnapps (I usually use triple sec since I always have that on hand. When I have it on hand, I like to use either chocolate liquor or butterscotch schnapps as the liquor in this)
pinch of salt
Directions
Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Stir frequently until the brown sugar and butter are totally combined and the mixture looks like melted caramel. Pour the caramel mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 sized baking dish (or a dish that similarly sized).
Take the pieces of challah and place them over the caramel. Cut the pieces as necessary to make them fit, making sure that the bottom of the dish is completely covered. You can add a second layer of challah to use up the bread. Press the bread down into the dish.
Combine the eggs, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon and liquor. Pour the mixture over the bread. Press the bread down, helping the bread soak up the egg mixture. The dish will look like it has too much egg mixture in there but it's fine. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight.
The next morning take the french toast out of the fridge 1/2 an hour before you start cooking it. Once it sits at room temperature for 1/2 an hour, place the baking dish on a larger sheet pan in case it bubbles over. Bake the french toast at 350 for approximately 40 minutes, or until the edges are getting golden brown and the middle is puffed up.
This is delicious on its own. If you REALLY want to impress people, make the sauce below to pour over the french toast:
Combine 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add a 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until the cream heats up and the sugar melts into it. Drizzle the sauce over each serving of the french toast.
I'm so glad you posted this!! One of my most favorite brunch items ever.
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