At times, innkeepers love to have an easy, yet delicious option for super busy mornings (great for large family get-togethers over the holidays, too!) This recipe has served me well over the years. It’s so good in fact, I’ve printed the recipe upon request from guests over 30 times! The recipe is for (2) baking dishes (I use lasagna pans). If you’d like to make just one, simply cut the recipe in half. I love toasts français! (French for I love French Toast!)
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RECIPE: Cinnamon Spice Makes Everything Nice Baked French Toast
What you will need:
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 loaves French bread, cubed
- 12 eggs
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- ½ Crushed Walnuts, if desired
Step One:
- Generously grease (2) 7×11 baking dishes
- Cut French bread into cubes fill baking dishes halfway with them
- In a mixer, blend softened butter, cream cheese and syrup until creamy (about 3 minutes)
- Spoon mixture over bread cubes and distribute evenly with rubber spatula
Step Two:
- In now empty mixing bowl, beat eggs, half and half, and vanilla extract
- Pour egg mixture over bread
- Dust with cinnamon, cover, and store overnight in refrigerator
Step Three:
- In the morning, bake for 55-60 minutes in a 350°F oven
- To serve, cut into squares, plate, dust with powdered sugar. Great served with mixed
berries and/or fresh fruit, real maple syrup, and crushed walnuts on top
Tip from the New England Innkeeper:
Make sure that all of the cubed French bread is completely covered with egg mixture before storing in the the refrigerator overnight or it will fall apart when cutting. The cut pieces should be in solid form when serving. Additionally, if you’re not worried about a few extra calories, add some extra cream cheese and/or substitute one cup of half-and-half for a cup of heavy cream.
Fun Facts:
The popular history behind French toast is that it was created by medieval European cooks who needed to use every bit of food they could find to feed their families. They knew old, stale bread (French term *pain perdu* literally means *lost bread*) could be revived when moistened and heated.
Cooks would have added eggs for additional moisture and protein. Medieval recipes for French toast also suggest this meal was enjoyed by the wealthy. Cook books at this time were written by and for the wealthy. These recipes used white bread (the very finest, most expensive bread available at the time) with the crusts cut off, something a poor, hungry person would be unlikely to do.
-The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani