Baked French toast is easier than regular because you don't have to stand there flipping slices of bread and watching it. Tastes like a soft blanket of cinnamon-sugared love, which we all need from time to time.
"I love baking things where the prep happens before bed and I can just stumble into the kitchen in the morning, barely awake, and shove it into a hot oven to finish up. Can't beat that."
Notes: I scattered over a few leftover chopped pecans but you can omit, or use any nut you like.
BUTTERMILK-BAKED FRENCH TOAST
Ingredients: 1/3 loaf of bread, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 3 beaten eggs, scant 1/2 cup sugar, scant 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. melted butter, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla.
1. Whisk together the milks, eggs, butter, sugars, vanilla, and cinnamon.
2. Grease an 8x8 baking dish, then tear the bread into it.
3. Pour over the milk mixture. Press down then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 375*.
5. Optional: Make quick crumble topping and sprinkle over French toast before baking.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden. Serve alone, or with chopped nuts and syrup.
Quick Crumble topping: "Fork" together or rub in with your fingers, 1 Tbsp. soft butter, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Tip: If you're too tired to make a crumble, which I often am, just sprinkle over some brown sugar and dot with butter, OR open a bag of instant flavored oatmeal and sprinkle over. It all works.