By Late September. Mama and Cody drove down from Tulsa and Broken Arrow to the apartment Saturday afternoon for the first family-of-three at-the-apartment Saturday since the move. Cody had wanted to see where I had been living. Mama had wanted to drive over with him. We did Saturday-night dinner at the apartment (a slow-cooker pot roast I had started at noon) and Sunday-morning brunch from a make-ahead bake I had assembled Saturday before they had arrived.
The Sunday brunch was overnight bourbon cinnamon French toast bake. The dish is the kind of make-ahead casserole that gets fully assembled the night before, refrigerated covered overnight while the bread soaks up the custard, and baked the morning of for a Sunday-brunch-without-Sunday-morning-effort. The bourbon in the custard is the small twist that makes the dish read as adult-restaurant rather than diner-comfort.
The custard: six eggs, two cups of whole milk, a half-cup of heavy cream, a third-cup of brown sugar, a tablespoon of vanilla, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a half-teaspoon of nutmeg, and a quarter-cup of bourbon. Whisked together. Poured over a deep buttered baking dish of cubed challah bread. Refrigerated overnight. Baked at three-fifty for forty-five minutes Sunday morning. Served with maple syrup and whipped cream. Mama had two pieces. Cody had three. Dustin had three. I had one and a half. The bake disappeared by ten AM.
Overnight Bourbon Cinnamon French Toast Bake
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min (plus overnight rest) | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (about 16 oz) brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon additional ground cinnamon (for topping)
- Powdered sugar and maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer in the dish.
- Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, bourbon, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined.
- Soak the bread. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down gently so all pieces absorb the liquid. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
- Add the topping. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the dish from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, then scatter the mixture over the top of the casserole. Dot the surface with the small pieces of butter.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set with only a slight jiggle. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 30 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Let the bake rest for 10 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 290mg