Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hr
Cook Time: 40 min
French Toast:
- 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
- 8 large eggs **
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream ***
- 1 cup milk ***
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Dash salt
- Praline Topping, recipe follows ****
- Maple syrup
(See notes below) Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. ******
Praline Topping:****
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Notes: after making this a few times there are some suggested modifications to the recipe. Consider the following:
** cut the eggs back from 8 to 6.
*** if using half and half cut volumes of dairy to 1.75 cups of half and half and 0.75 cups of whole milk. If using heavy cream cut volumes of dairy to 1.5 cups heavy cream and 1.0 cups of whole milk.
**** make one and a half times the topping spreading a third of it in between the layers of bread and the remaining two-thirds on top as usual.
****** consider either baking at originally called for temperature but for longer or lower the temperature and bake even longer.