Merry Christmas in July.
I’ll admit that I hoped to be the kind of home baker who could effortlessly create cinnamon rolls at the drop of a teaspoon, but yeast scares me. It’s unpredictable, particularly at altitude. Just ask Levain Junior Pain…
My daughter is undaunted when it comes to yeast and kitchen experiments, including her pet sourdough starter. But as Christmas morning is what I would consider high stakes baking, I’ve decided to skip the cinnamon rolls in favor of proven recipes in recent years.
The Christmases when we aren’t traveling, we enjoy French Toast Casserole. I make it the night before, and into the oven it goes while we are opening presents, nibbling cookies, and sipping on our apéritif of hot cocoa.
I often make this dish when family is in town visiting. It makes for a fun breakfast/brunch anytime of year, but if we are observing Christmas in July strawberries and kiwis are a must. Cherries are also highly preferred.
It doesn’t need any more sweet, but I’m partial to whipped cream (which quickly melts in natural lighting in the heat of July–oops) and maple syrup as toppings.
Let me know what you think!
French Toast Casserole
1/2 cup butter, melted
12 slices of bread (any bread works)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups milk
Toppings: whipped cream, syrup, chopped fruit, butter, powdered sugar
Pour melted butter into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with six slices of bread. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of this mixture on top of the bread. Layer with the remaining six slices of bread. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla until combined. Pour evenly on top of the bread (it’ll soak through the layers). Top with the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Cover with tin foil. Refrigerate overnight OR put immediately into a preheated oven set to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove tinfoil and bake for another 15. Serves 4-6. Top with whipped cream, chopped fruit, syrup, butter, or however you enjoy your French Toast.