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Blueberry-topped French toast casserole: Plenty of fresh blueberries, mixed with sweet butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, nearly melt into the top of the toast casserole. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune) |
A recipe for overnight French toast penetrated our family brunch brigade more than two decades ago. Everyone immediately and forever embraced the layers of crusty, sliced French bread soaked with eggs and milk and then baked until puffed and golden.
Over the years, we've made it just about every which way from Sunday — pecan-topped, sausage-and-cheese-laced, low fat, with homemade bread, imported French bread, croissants and sourdough. No matter the version, the dish thrills.
On a recent weekend getaway to Seattle, we ordered blueberry French toast at Citizen, a hipster coffee cafe near the Space Needle. Blueberries overflowed the top of the supermoist, slightly rich, puddinglike toast. A sprinkle of confectioners' sugar dusted the berries. Hooked, we knew instantly we were adding this version to our brunch repertoire.
The restaurant uses hearty egg bread and soaks it overnight. At home, I found challah bread at a local market that carries a wide variety of ethnic breads. The rich bread, cut into large cubes, yields a delicious dish with a tender texture and only requires a brief soak.
Plenty of fresh blueberries, mixed with sweet butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, nearly melt into the top of the toast casserole. Of course, more blueberries can be stirred into the bread mixture before baking too. A combination of blueberries, red, black and golden raspberries makes a stunning topping.
With a breakfast dish so sweet and indulgent, you'll hardly need syrup — use pure maple if you must. Or, gild the lily and serve it with the easiest berry sauce ever. All you need is berries, lemon, sugar and a microwave.
While we were thinking berries, we whipped up our homemade soda starter — an old-fashioned shrub. That is, sweetened vinegar laced with fruit. Our favorite refresher macerates ripe berries in balsamic vinegar and sugar. A spoonful stirred into sparkling water makes an unusual, thirst-quenching soft drink. But we won't say no if you added a splash of golden rum either.
Blueberry-topped French toast casserole with fresh berry syrup
Prep: 20 minutes Stand: 30 minutes Cook: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
12 ounces challah bread or egg twist bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, about 8 generous cups
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Large pinch salt
Berry topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Over the years, we've made it just about every which way from Sunday — pecan-topped, sausage-and-cheese-laced, low fat, with homemade bread, imported French bread, croissants and sourdough. No matter the version, the dish thrills.
On a recent weekend getaway to Seattle, we ordered blueberry French toast at Citizen, a hipster coffee cafe near the Space Needle. Blueberries overflowed the top of the supermoist, slightly rich, puddinglike toast. A sprinkle of confectioners' sugar dusted the berries. Hooked, we knew instantly we were adding this version to our brunch repertoire.
The restaurant uses hearty egg bread and soaks it overnight. At home, I found challah bread at a local market that carries a wide variety of ethnic breads. The rich bread, cut into large cubes, yields a delicious dish with a tender texture and only requires a brief soak.
Plenty of fresh blueberries, mixed with sweet butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, nearly melt into the top of the toast casserole. Of course, more blueberries can be stirred into the bread mixture before baking too. A combination of blueberries, red, black and golden raspberries makes a stunning topping.
With a breakfast dish so sweet and indulgent, you'll hardly need syrup — use pure maple if you must. Or, gild the lily and serve it with the easiest berry sauce ever. All you need is berries, lemon, sugar and a microwave.
While we were thinking berries, we whipped up our homemade soda starter — an old-fashioned shrub. That is, sweetened vinegar laced with fruit. Our favorite refresher macerates ripe berries in balsamic vinegar and sugar. A spoonful stirred into sparkling water makes an unusual, thirst-quenching soft drink. But we won't say no if you added a splash of golden rum either.
Blueberry-topped French toast casserole with fresh berry syrup
Prep: 20 minutes Stand: 30 minutes Cook: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
12 ounces challah bread or egg twist bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, about 8 generous cups
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Large pinch salt
Berry topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
