French Toast Breakfast Bake with Glazed Apples

Here is an idea I sometimes use when serving a large breakfast or brunch crowd that won't have you chained to the stove flipping french toast all morning. You can serve any berry compote or fresh fruit or berries on top or as shown here, with these delicious glazed apples.

Serves 6

5 cups bread cubes (Use any good quality bread. I’ve used Brioche here but French, Italian or Belgian bread is good too.)

Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish well. Toss in the bread cubes in an even layer. Sprinkle the bread cubes with the rum soaked raisins along with the rum that they were soaked in. Sprinkle the bread cubes and raisins with

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Whisk together:

½ cup whipping cream
½ cup milk
6 eggs
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down slightly to make sure all the cubes are soaked. Bake in a 370 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the center is fully cooked. Serve with glazed apples.

Glazed Apples

Peel and cut into thick slices

8 large apples

In a large skillet melt

1/3 cup butter

Add
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup light brown sugar

Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly. Add the apples and sauté until the apples are just fork tender but not mushy; they should still be semi-firm in texture. Remove from heat. The idea here is to let the residual heat to partly cook the apples. Drain the apples in a colander for about a half hour, collecting the juice and syrup that drains off.

Return the juice and syrup that has drained off the cooked apples to the sauté pan and simmer over medium heat until the sauce gets very thick. In a large bowl, gently toss this sauce with the cooked apples and spoon onto the top of the French toast bake.