Day 332 - Baked Cinnamon French Toast

We eat French Toast quite often here at the 365 home mainly because our 14 year old son LOVES it.
And I don't just mean he LOVES it, HE LOVES, LOVES, LOVES it!!!
If this kid were only to be given a choice of 3 foods for the rest of his life they would be French Toast, Chicken Picatta, and pasta.
And probably in that order, too.
Whenever we go out for breakfast, he only orders French Toast and more often than not wants a double order.
So, seeing Cinnamon Baked French Toast on The Pioneer Woman, I KNEW that I had to make it.
And because it's BAKED, it can be featured here on 365!
Yippee!!
I have to admit that I was a little hesitant making this for the boy because he is such a stickler when it comes to his favs.  After all, the Baked Chicken Picatta didn't go over very well, so I'll be making that dish on top of the stove as I usually do.
AND, when I told him how I was preparing this French Toast, he kind of turned his nose up at me and gave me a funny look.
I have to say that I was pretty excited about the preparation of this dish because the base you prepare the day before to refrigerate overnight and the topping can either be done the day of or night before, also.
Super easy!

Baked Cinnamon French Toast - serves 8-10 or 4 + 1 growing teenage boy

1 loaf day old French bread
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

The night before you want to bake this, prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by generously greasing it with butter.
Cut the loaf of French bread into 1-inch cubes and place into baking dish, spreading evenly.

Into a medium bowl, break open the eggs.

Add the milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.  Mix well to thoroughly combine.

Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.

Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
The topping can be prepared either the night before and placed in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or made the morning of baking which is what I did.

Cinnamon Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 cup (1 stick) butter, cold

In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Cut butter into pieces and add to bowl.
With a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles course meal.
Place in bag to store in refrigerator overnight or place on French Toast the morning you bake it.

To bake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove baking dish from oven and uncover.

Distribute cinnamon topping evenly over french toast.

Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on how well you want it cooked.  45 minutes and you will have a softer, bread pudding-like texture or 60 minutes for a drier and firmer dish.

I baked it for about 52 minutes and it was perfect.

Serve with maple syrup and if desired, butter.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Cinnamon Baked French Toast earned...4 rolling pins!
And that was from the BOY himself!!
I was pleasantly surprised that he had given it such a high mark!
Then I tasted it.
It truly was delicious, soft, crunchy, sweet and cinnamony.
Oh YUM!
I have to agree with the boy on this one.  It does deserve a 4.
I added the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the liquid mixture before pouring it over the bread and I think it was a really good addition, adding that extra flavor to the bread.
This is a great new way for our family to enjoy our French Toast!
I think this will be a great dish for Christmas morning because I'll put it together Christmas eve after everything's settled down so that we can (ok, or rather I) can enjoy Christmas morning without having to spend a lot of it in the kitchen.
This would also be great to prepare tonight if you're going to be spending time in the kitchen making things for the BIG game tomorrow.  Breakfast in the morning would be an easy prep!
...Or rather it would have been had I posted this sometime earlier this afternoon as I had originally planned.  Sorry.
Well, Valentine's Day is coming up and what better thing to serve to your sweetheart in bed!
Right?

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!