Creme Brulee French Toast

These lovely, thick slabs of Texas toast were slathered with heavy cream, eggs, vanilla then baked till they resembled a cake-like goodness. A rich, golden caramel syrup cascaded on top of each square like a dream.Regally, a dollop of whipped cream and sweet strawberries adorned the corners. This brunch was how I started my Mother’s day weekend.

I woke up to a flurry of activity in my kitchen. Pots were banging. The refrigerator door kept opening and closing. The oven was preheating. The aroma of good brewed coffee filled the air.

“Where’s the bacon?” My son, Tim asked, with his head buried in my freezer. “Aaaah, bacon! Here it is”, said my son as he quickly got ready to cook my brunch.

It was Mother’s day weekend. I look forward to these occasions all year long. It’s the few times when I can unstrap my apron, kick off my shoes and curl up comfortably on the sofa.

My son, Tim worked with a efficiency in my kitchen. He told me he was adapting a French Toast recipe from Smitten Kitchen.com. But instead of torching the top, decided to make a caramel syrup to go on it. Already, I was hooked.

Tim adapted the recipe with ingredients on hand. He used large Texas toast slices, which were more convenient to find that morning. Then after preparing the cream mixture, assembled the whole thing and popped it in the oven. While that was baking, he prepared the bacon strips to cook just in time as the French toast.  And he made sure he cooked the caramel syrup five minutes before the French toast was ready. Timing was everything in this recipe.

The result was a breathtaking brunch! I loved the sweet vanilla-like aroma that came out of the oven when the French toast was ready. I relished the crisp, caramel topping that caressed each square. I enjoyed the extra garnishing of strawberry slices and dollops of whipped cream.  And the crisp, thin bacon strips marvelously complemented the whole meal.

What a magnificent way to start the day! Thanks, Tim ! I’m a lucky Mom!

Print Recipe

Creme Brulee French Toast

    These lovely, thick slabs of Texas toast were slathered with heavy cream, eggs, vanilla then baked till they resembled a cake-like goodness. A rich, golden caramel syrup cascaded on top of each square like a dream. This brunch was how I started my Mother’s day weekend. My son adapted this recipe from SmittenKitchen.com. Serves 2 to 4.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 slices or use any sliced bread, thicker slices better Half a loaf of Texas toast bread
• 1 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup for caramel topping granulated sugar
• 3 large sliced strawberries
• for garnish whipped cream
• half a pound for serving cooked bacon

Instructions

• Prepare the baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Preheat the oven at 325 F degrees.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• Arrange the bread slices on the baking sheet, leaving a slight space between each one. Pour the milk custard mixture over these slices. Allow a few minutes for the custard to be absorbed by the bread.
• Bake at 325 F degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
• To caramelize the sugar : At the last 6 to 7 minutes before the French toast is done baking, place the sugar in a small pan, over medium heat. In about 3 minutes, the white sugar starts to turn golden brown in color and will bubble. Tilt the pan around so the caramelization is even. If the medium heat gets too hot, lower to a low heat. You do not want the caramel to burn or have a bitter flavor if burnt.
• Once the sugar caramelizes after 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat, quickly pour the syrup over the French toast slices. Do this right away before the caramel syrup hardens.
• Serve French toast slices individually. Garnish with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Serve with crisp bacon.