Every Christmas Eve, I prepare Oven French Toast with nut topping. It takes about 20 minutes, but then you refrigerate it overnight. On Christmas morning, I am the first up, pop it in the oven and the house smells wonderful!
We also stay home Christmas morning, there's just something so cozy about knowing that your family has nothing to do all day but spend time together!
Oven French Toast recipe:
12 oz loaf of French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
8 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups half and half
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
topping:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cup brown sugar (I use less)
3 T dark corn syrup
1 1/3 c coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
Heavily butter 13x9 baking pan. Fill pan with bread slices and set aside. I squeeze them in one layer, overlapping a little. In blender, mix eggs, milk, half and half, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Pour mixture over bread slices and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Make topping by combining ingredients, set aside until time to bake toast. (I do this the night before and refrigerate separately).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spread topping over bread. Bake for 50 minutes until puffed and golden. Shield top with foil if top browns too quickly.
Obviously it's a once a year indulgence!
