Who would have thought I would find a little French flair in the Midwest? This fun twist on French toast comes to us from Harbour Ridge Inn located in Osage Beach, Missouri. The innkeeper, Sue, likes to cook with wine and liquors ... and I couldn't agree with her more! I mean, is there really ever a better morning than one served with Grand Marnier or Chambord? Well, let me rephrase that. Drinking it straight up would be a rude awakening. Coffee is my preferred sin. But either of these liquors baked into some yummy custard goodness where you get just a hint of citrus or raspberry flavor is a great way to add a smile to your lips when you start the day.
And actually, it's not far off from what was the original recipe for French toast in the 1600's. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, back then it was made with day old bread, wine, orange juice and sugar. Mmm.
So let us begin ...
Pick your sin. Both suggested liquors are French, so if you wanted to add a little French accent to make this more fun. Oui?
A fun little side note here. I was in the middle of moving when we did this recipe, so we baked it up and snapped the shots at a friend's house. I dropped off the ingredients a day before ... and wouldn't you know it ... the Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin loaf was GONE! Kaput. Not even a crumb. I guess now I know what I can bribe them with ... and it's much cheaper than beer! I could blame it on running. This is the friend that inspired (eh hem, challenged? dared?) me to run a marathon. You can read more about that
here.
So, since we're baking this recipe, the toast doesn't get "dipped" like it would in making regular French toast. Instead, "drowned" is more like it. You' ll see ...
The first layer of bread goes in naked. The second layer gets a schmear of butter.
Now for the drowning part. You'll need a quart of milk. Yup ... a whole ... entire ... quart. Shop smart and you won't even have to dirty your measuring cup.
Okay, maybe one measuring cup for the heavy cream. I know what you're thinking, "gosh, Rachelle, that's a heckuva lotta cream!" Did I say this was low fat? No, I said this was French. Sort of.
Okay, another measuring cup for the sugar. About a cup. See why I signed up for a marathon?
And the star of this show ... the secret ingredient ... the thing that makes this better than any other French toast you've ever tasted ...
Grand Marnier. It adds some citrus flavor with a zip.
Oopsy! Well ... I guess a little extra Grand Marnier won't hurt.
Also add a capful of vanilla.
I tried whisking this together ... and that's not really reasonable for the amount of liquid this has turned into.
You could probably add this all to a blender to get it nice and smooth. Rather than risking dumping our concoction on the floor ... and in a true fully-stocked-bar-style of my friend's kitchen ... we used a drink mixer. :o)
Look at that awesome liquid action shot! Way to go
Jim!Pour the mixture over the layers of bread. It's A LOT ... so use a big dish.
Cover and let it sit for at least an hour to soak in ... or refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning.
Now, Sue recommends using a water bath. However, I'm not such a big fan of them since you can risk pouring a whole pan of boiling water on yourself. You've got to be REALLY REALLY careful.
As an alternative, you can place a large dish of water in the oven to add some steam/moisture. Or, you can do as I did this day and just completely forget about it. Ha!
Bake at 375 for about an hour. They'll puff up and get a little brown and toasty. By now your whole house should smell sweet.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a side of preserves. I know the recipe says serves 6 or more. Well ... I confess ... 3 of us put this down pretty easy.
BAKED CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST
(Serves 6 or more)
12 slices cinnamon swirl or cinnamon raisin bread (Pepperidge Farm)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
9 eggs
1 quart milk, whole milk preferred
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 TBS Grand Marnier or Chambord
Warmed preserves to compliment liquor
1) Grease 13 by 9 by 2 baking dish. Then add six slices of bread.
2) Butter remaining bread and place with butter side up over bread in pan.
3) In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and add milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well and pour over bread. Let stand overnight.
4) Place the dish of French toast in a larger baking pan to form a water bath. Pour boiling water into larger pan to a depth of 1". Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
5) Serve with preserves, whipped cream and your favorite coffee.
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