Blueberry French Toast Bake

Blueberry French Toast Bake

by | Feb 17, 2018 | BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH | 3 comments

This isn’t just any blueberry french toast! It’s a gorgeous make ahead Blueberry French Toast Bake that’s laced with cream cheese, blueberries and topped with a balsamic blueberry sauce that will have you licking your plate. It’s delicious to say the least and absolutely perfect for your Family Day long weekend. For me living in Alberta, Family Day falls on February 19th, and as luck would have it, I have the day off.

I foresee a family day starting with a little extra sleep, not too much though! Just enough to make it feel indulgent but not enough to take away too much time of the day. Next comes the coffee, in large supply, sipped lazily on the sofa with idle chit chat and the odd flick of the cat toy. Soon after is breakfast, not our usual go to bacon and eggs but an indulgent make ahead Blueberry French Toast Bake. Crispy and eggy with speckles of cream cheese and blueberries. It’s pretty great at that, but wait, it’s topped with a bold, sweet and tangy balsamic blueberry sauce. The combination is exceptional, so if you’re lucky enough to spend the day with your family, treat everyone with a make ahead breakfast that they’ll be asking for time and again. Enjoy!

Recipe source for Blueberry French Toast Bake adapted slightly from Best of Bridge French Toast Raphael

 

Blueberry French Toast Bake
Print Recipe
    Servings Prep Time
    6 people 25 minutes
    Cook Time
    40-45 minutes
    Servings Prep Time
    6 people 25 minutes
    Cook Time
    40-45 minutes
    Blueberry French Toast Bake
    Print Recipe
      Servings Prep Time
      6 people 25 minutes
      Cook Time
      40-45 minutes
      Servings Prep Time
      6 people 25 minutes
      Cook Time
      40-45 minutes
      Ingredients
      Blueberry French Toast Bake
      Balsamic Blueberry Sauce
      Servings: people
      Instructions
      Blueberry French Toast Bake
      1. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.
      2. Generously butter an 8"x8" pan. Spread half the bread cubes evenly in pan and dot with half of the cream cheese chunks. Sprinkle with 1/2 the blueberries. Repeat with remaining bread, cream cheese and blueberries. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
      3. Preheat oven to 375℉. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until golden and set in the centre. Remove from oven and serve with balsamic blueberry sauce.
      Balsamic Blueberry Sauce
      1. In a medium sauce pan combine blueberries, sugar, and 4 tbsp of water. Cook over medium heat until simmering and sugar has dissolved, approximately 10 minutes. Stir together cornstarch and remaining 2 tbsp of water. Stir into blueberries and heat to a full simmer. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and blueberry balsamic vinegar. Serve warm with french toast.
      Recipe Notes

      Balsamic Blueberry Sauce can be made a day ahead with the french toast and rewarmed for serving, or cooked while the Blueberry French Toast  is baking. I made the french toast in muffin tins for presentation, however they were fussy to assemble and difficult to remove from tins.  A single 8"x8" pan is recommended.

      Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast

      Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast

      by | Aug 30, 2016 | BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH, EGGS | 2 comments

      French toast like you’ve never had it! Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast is a yeasted bread loaded with bananas and pecans.  Making it a delicious take on traditional french toast.  The yeasted banana bread is like regular bread but with mashed bananas like a banana loaf.  It’s slightly heavier than regular bread but not as dense as a banana loaf giving you banana loaf taste without being too heavy.  The resulting bread is also nutty and not overly sweet, it nicely soaks up the eggs and cream without becoming too soggy.

      The idea of a yeasted banana bread comes from the book Spilling the Beans.  A book that I am currently a little obsessed with at the moment I will admit. I  found the book by accident one day on the way to a friends. It was in a box of free cook books on someones front lawn. My husband saw the sign and suggested we take a look.  I remember grumbling about not wanting someones old books but I went over anyway.  Good thing I did!!  I walked away with about 10 cookbooks that day, but Spilling the Beans is my favourite of the pile.  Authored by Julie Van Rosendall and Sue Duncan, it’s a great display of how to use beans in a variety of different ways.  A few certainly surprised me, in a good way.

      We’ve all heard it “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and bananas are a great way to start your day right.  Their numerous nutritional benefits and versatility are why bananas are one of my favourite fruits.  Want to know more?  Well-Being Secrets has an amazing article that will have you bananas for bananas.  Check it out at http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/bananas-health-benefits/

      I love this recipe because the bread is not only great for french toast, it’s terrific toasted with butter and honey or peanut butter, oh ya!  Have your french toast on the weekend and toasted banana bread on Monday.  Without a doubt it’s a sweet and simple way to start the week.  Enjoy!

      Recipe Source:  Inspired by Yeasted Banana Bread, Spilling the Beans

       

       

      Cardamom banana bread, laced with cardamom, studded with pecans, dunked in eggs and cream and fried golden.
      Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast
      Print Recipe
      A yeasted banana bread laced with cardamom and studded with pecans, made into golden french toast.
        Servings
        8 slices
        Servings
        8 slices
        Cardamom banana bread, laced with cardamom, studded with pecans, dunked in eggs and cream and fried golden.
        Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast
        Print Recipe
        A yeasted banana bread laced with cardamom and studded with pecans, made into golden french toast.
          Servings
          8 slices
          Servings
          8 slices
          Ingredients
          Yeasted Banana Bread with Cardamom
          French Toast
          Servings: slices
          Instructions
          Yeasted Banana Bread with Cardamom
          1. Preheat oven to 85℉. Mash bananas in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl, add water, honey and yeast. Allow to ferment for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 egg, butter, milk powder, salt, cardamom, and 2 cups of flour. Add an additional 1/2 cup flour and using a dough hook, knead until flour is incorporated. Knead in flour by the 1/4 cup ensuring flour is absorbed after each addition before adding more. Add flour and continue to knead until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add pecans and knead until evenly distributed. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise at 85℉ or room temperature until double in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
          2. Deflate dough by kneading 2-3 times. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into an approximate 15 inch rope. Place ropes parallel to each other on a parchment lined baking sheet. Braid the 3 ropes together tucking in both ends. Cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until almost double in size, approximately 1 hour.
          3. Preheat oven to 350℉. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Whisk egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush evenly onto braided loaf. Bake for 35 minutes or an internal temperature of 200℉ is reached. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.
          French Toast
          1. Preheat oven to 200℉. In a shallow dish whisk eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cardamom and salt. Cut bread into 3/4 inch slices. Heat a large non stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Dip each bread slice into egg mixture and allow to sit for 20 seconds per side. Add to hot skillet and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and keep warm in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture.
          2. Top french toast with fresh banana slices and pure maple syrup. Serve immediately.
          Recipe Notes

          Make bread the day before intending to make french toast. I used two baking sheets, one directly on top of the other creating a thicker base to prevent the bottom from becoming too dark.