Christmas Creme Brûlée French Toast

My well loved Aunt Kay made this recipe for a holiday brunch and my Mamma loved it. With this in mind I made it several years ago, following the true recipe for Christmas morning and I made it again this year, with some healthier adjustments. It is both decadent and delicious which makes it the perfect holiday brunch! Holiday breakfast, Challah! (pronounce it like it is 2005, like it’s a greeting- yeah, you got it!)

My aunt is passionate about food and about treating it with respect, and I have from her developed a fine appreciation that sometimes following the recipe is the most respectful thing you can do for your dinner. This recipe I followed religiously originally but I got home on Christmas Eve and had no half an half. I sighed, channeled my inner Aunt Kay, and added milk. The result was not quite as custardy but certainly decadent and delicious.

Ingredients

0.5 cup of butter (I used salted)

1.5 cup of milk (but you can use half and half)

tsp of vanilla

5 eggs

2 tbls of corn syrup

cup of brown sugar

loaf of challah bread

tsp of cinnamon

Plan of Attack

Add the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup to a medium saucepan and cook on medium low until it cooks into a syrup.

Pour the syrup mixture into the bottom of a substantial glass baking dish.

Cut the challah bread into 6 slices (from the middle) excluding the heels. Place the bread slices into the bottom of the pan on top of the syrup.

Mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon

Pour the mixture over the bread slices and refrigerate for at least an hour but possibly overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 and cook for 22-24 minutes. If you notice the crusts getting burned, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and place back in the oven until cooked through.