French Toast w/ old friends

One of the great things about living across the country from all the family and friends I grew up with is having them all visit.  Last minute a friend of mine from college got a cheap flight in from Chicago and spent the weekend here in Dallas.  We had a really fun weekend; a drunk weekend, but that's pretty normal :)  I decided to make a nice breakfast Saturday morning for us.  French toast was my choice, of course.

Mix together brown sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside.

Whisk together the heavy whipping cream, eggs, vanilla extract and one teaspoon of cinnamon.  Once it's whisked together thoroughly, pour into a measuring cup.  This will make pouring easier.

Cut thick slices of whatever type of break you choose to use.  I used Challah, because its the best French toast!  Liberally coat a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place one layer of the bread on the bottom of the pan.  Put 1/3 of the butter slices on top of the bread.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top.  Layer the bread on top until you've used all the bread.  You'll need to smash it down so everything fits in the pan. 

Lift the bottom layer of the bread slices and pour in some of the batter slowly.  Continue until the bottom of the whole pan is coated.  Do this slowly so it really soaks into the bread.  Pour the rest of the batter on top of the bread and let it soak a couple minutes.  Cover the pan with foil and let it chill in the fridge overnight.  The next day, bake at 350 degrees F, for one hour with the foil on the pan.  Remove and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Let it cool for 10 minutes.  Slice out pieces and enjoy!  It was delicious, and I loved cooking for a guest.  Hint hint everyone, if you come visit I'll cook some goodies for ya :)

French Toast

Serves 4-6

12 pieces of a thick type of bread

9 oz light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 oz unsalted butter, thinly sliced

Batter:

10 oz heavy whipping cream

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix together the brown sugar and one teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.

Whisk together the heavy whipping cream, eggs, vanilla extract and one tablespoon of cinnamon.

Once whisked together, pour in a measuring cup to make pouring easier.

Liberally coat a baking pan with non-stick spray.

Place three slices of bread on the bottom of the pan.

Put 1/3 of the butter slices on top of the bread.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top.

Continue the process until you've used all of the bread, smash it down into the pan if necessary.

Lift of the bottom layer of the bread slices and pour the batter in slowly.

Allow the batter to soak into the bread, with the entire bottom of the pan covered.

Pour the remaining batter on top of the bread, and let soak for a couple minutes.

Cover the foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, with the foil still on.

Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Let cool for around 10 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!