Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been baking a lot of bread recently - sourdough, brioche, babka, challah, and many more. Cinnamon raisin bread is high up on my list of favorite breads, and is even better when drenched in milk, eggs, and spices, and baked up golden brown.

This baked french toast couldn't be easier to prepare, and is the perfect option for busy breakfasts when standing over your oven, frying up individual orders of French toast isn't practical.  It is sure to be a hit at your next brunch!

Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

Yield: about 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 16-ounce loaf cinnamon swirl or cinnamon raisin bread, cubed (approximately 9 cups)
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar and maple syrup, for serving

Prepare

Coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray. Layer cubed bread evenly in prepared pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the cinnamon, and sugar until well combined, and then whisk in the milk and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes, and press bread down slightly to submerge. Cover pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Bake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Remove plastic wrap, and bake on center rack for 45-50 minutes, until slightly puffed, golden brown, and looks set.

Serve

Let cool slightly before serving.  Spoon French toast onto serving plates.  Dust with powdered sugar, and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Variation

This recipe can be easily adapted to make individual servings, as pictured above.  Coat 10 ovenproof ramekins with cooking spray.  Layer cubed bread in prepared ramekins, filling almost to the top.  Prepare milk/egg mixture as instructed above, and pour about 1/3 cup into each ramekin (milk/egg mixture should come up 2/3 of the way to the top of each ramekin).  Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Remove plastic wrap, and bake in preheated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes, until slightly puffed, golden brown, and looks set.  Cool slightly, and then run a paring knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen. Turn out onto serving plates, dust with powdered sugar, and drizzle with maple syrup.

Source:
Slightly adapted from Mr. Breakfast

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