This simplified version of the Overnight French Toast recipe from The New York Times is one of the recipes that is requested most when I serve it. It is a crowd pleaser for all ages — from the youngest to the oldest. And, it’s a great option when you know you will need to feed a group in the morning; it should be entirely assembled the night before, and cooked for about an hour before serving. The proportions here typically serve 6-8 people, but it is easily doubled for a larger crowd.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon butter for preparing the baking dish
- 1 pound brioche or challah, sliced ¾-inch thick
- 6 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg (or cardamom, my favorite)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Maple syrup and fresh berries, for serving
PREPARATION:
- The evening before serving butter a 2-quart baking dish. Shingle the slices of bread in the dish, overlapping as necessary.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom, vanilla and salt until well combined. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and press the bread gently to absorb. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, at least 75 minutes before you plan to serve the dish, heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap. Bake until puffed, golden and set in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. While baking, if the top begins to get too dark, tent with foil.
- Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with maple syrup and lots of fresh berries.