On Saturday mornings, I love being able to just open the fridge, uncover a pan and pop breakfast in the oven. No cracking eggs, no dirty pans – it’s such a great way to kick off the weekend. I came upon this recipe last week and was dying to get to the weekend so I could try it. It’s definitely not healthy, but it’s a rich and delicious breakfast to treat yourself to every once in a while. I found it a bit too creamy, so I have adjusted the recipe slightly (shown below) to decrease the smooshy factor of the bread. I think it’s supposed to be custardy, like crème brûlée, but for our tastes, I’ll knock the cream down a bit next time. I was able to re-bake it the next day and it was equally as good as day one, so that’s a definite plus – a whole weekend without any breakfast making!

French Toast Crème Brûlée (serves 6-8)
Ingredients:

1- 1 lb loaf challah bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 Tbs sugar, divided

Lightly coat a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 2 Tbs sugar. Add cubes of bread and toss until liquid is evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the pan and lightly press down. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 325F. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbs sugar on top of the French toast and burn with a kitchen torch, until sugar caramelizes. Serve warm with whipped cream and syrup, if desired.

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride