Baked Apple French Toast
After hours in the airport, persistent flight delays that gave way to cancellation, and 3 days without a change of clothes, I made it back to Rome (nothing short of a New Years miracle). I’m still recovering from a case of jetlag and frayed nerves, which means Nina cuddles, Queer Eye Season 6, and lots of sleep. Upon arising from my slumber at 11:30: I’ve been treating myself, swapping my usual humdrum bowl of cereal for something a little more special, a little more luxurious, something a little more weekend-on-a-Wednesday. Translation: granola bars, bananas, and oatmeal need not apply.
Where I come from, the Breakfast Pantheon is pillared by Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast, a holy, sugar-dusted trinity for those of us who favor a sweet breakfast. Contrary to what the name of this blog might lead you to believe, I’ve never been able to choose a favorite — I love fluffy buttermilk pancakes, crisp, syrup-catching waffles, and eggy, buttery French toast in equal measure. After all, they’re three perfect vehicles for large amounts of maple syrup, ideal accompaniments to a cup of coffee, and a perfect way to coddle yourself on a Saturday, when the work week is still far away. They all have my vote.
…or so I thought.
On a jetlagged, January day I whipped up a recipe so spectacular that it broke the years old tie among the famed breakfast trio, putting French toast squarely at the front. I admit that this may have happened with some unfair advantage; after all, this isn’t your average French toast. This Baked Apple French Toast is French Toast meets Apple Pie meets Bread Pudding, a delightful mash-up that unapologetically toes the line with dessert. Here we revive slices of leftover panettone in a pool of cinnamon custard — spa day! — tuck them snugly into a pan, and dress them up with syrupy, brown sugar-tinged apples. Once in the oven, the panettone puffs gloriously, the apples caramelize, and the edges become crisp and wonderful. A dusting of powdered sugar and generous amounts of maple syrup both exalt and complement a cozy, pudding like slice of this French toast. In short: Pancakes & Waffles are now left to duke it out for the #2 spot in my breakfast-loving heart.
On a more practical note, this recipe asks that the French toast be baked in the oven, casserole-style, meaning no frying of individual slices over the stop. In other words: less hassle and the assurance that everyone’s French toast will be served piping hot. Not a bad way to usher in 2022, no?
A couple of notes: I used panettone (the kind with raisins and without canditi, or candied fruit) because it is sold in abundance here in the holiday months — and cheaply, now that Christmas is over — but cinnamon bread, challah, or brioche would also work great. Any bread you use should be on the staler, drier side, to prevent it from getting too soggy and falling apart once its dipped in the custard. If you only have fresh bread, leave it to dry out on the counter for a few hours. Feel free to play around with the spices, too — a little ginger, cloves, allspice, or nutmeg would be yummy here. Pears would probably also work in place of the apples, or even peaches when they’re in season, for a summery French toast. If you’re cooking for a smaller group, this recipe halves well to serve 4 (just use 3 smallish eggs instead of 5) and can be baked in a 9x5 inch pan. Finally, this can be prepared in advance and baked the morning of (see notes below).
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BAKED APPLE FRENCH TOAST
Recipe adapted from one of my very favorite cooking sites, Once Upon A Chef. Serves 8.
Ingredients for the French toast:
One 1-lb (448 grams) of panettone
5 eggs
1 cup (240mL) whole milk
2/3 cup (157mL) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (45mL) maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon (a generous pinch) salt
Ingredients for the apples:
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
6 tablespoons (70 grams) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (90mL) maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Confectioners' sugar and maple syrup for serving
Directions:
1.) Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
2.) Slice the panettone into 3/4-inch-thick slices and dip each slice into the custard mixture for about 5 seconds to ensure that the bread is soaked just enough and not too soggy. Make sure both sides of the bread are well coated with custard. Arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish, overlapping the slices. Pour any remaining custard over the bread, and set aside.
3.) Get to work on your apple topping! In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Tip in the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and the resulting sugar-syrup is reduced and coats the apples nicely — this will take about 10 minutes. Spoon the apples and sugar-syrup evenly over the bread. *If you’re making the French toast for the next morning, cover the French toast with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.*
4.) Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the French toast is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and, using a fine sieve, dust with the confectioners' sugar. Serve with lots of maple syrup.
