French toast and fruit bake

A tasty twist on a breakfast classic!

We have a LOT of overnight guests in our home so I’m always trying to come up with easy breakfast and brunch ideas. I’m a big fan of these twice-cooked oatmeal squares, these baked bacon and egg bites and these apple-cheddar biscuits but I wanted to try something new. This twist on French toast is super simple to put together and serves up hot and delicious, with a crispy top and silky smooth layers below. You could easily switch up the fruit depending upon what’s in season. You can also assemble this dish the night before and refrigerate; just add a little extra baking time as it will be going into the oven cold. I prefer to simply beat up the egg mixture ahead of time and refrigerate (I also cut up the bread cubes) and then assemble and bake in the morning.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bread (I used challah), in 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 ripe peaches, chopped
• 1 cup (250 mL) fresh blueberries
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) milk
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) each ground cinnamon and cardamom
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
• maple syrup, to serve

Method

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a large (10 – 12 inch / 25 – 30 cm) heavy gauge oven-safe skillet (or use a 13 x 9 inch / 32.5 x 22.5 cm baking pan).
• Place a single layer of bread cubes in the bottom of the skillet or baking pan. Scatter half of the fruit over top. Repeat these layers one more time.
• Beat eggs, cream, milk, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla together in a medium bowl or 4 c (1 L) glass measuring cup.
• Pour liquid over bread and fruit.
• With a spatula or a clean hand, press down on the top layer of bread cubes so that they become partially saturated with the liquid. Dust with a bit more cinnamon.
• Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until egg mixture has set.
• Let cool 3 minutes then cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.

Serves 4 – 6