Baked French Toast

 Ingredients:

• Butter for the pan
• 1 brioche loaf (about 1 pound)
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Strawberries, hulled and quartered for serving
• Blueberries, rinsed for serving

 Vanilla Syrup:

• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar

 Method:

Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Cut 6 slices of the brioche about ½ inch thick. Cut the rest into 1-inch cubes. Place the cubes in the baking dish. Using a star shaped cookie cutter, cut out stars from the 6 slices of bread. Place them on top of the cubes in the dish. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together the milk, eggs, vanilla and salt. Pour the custard mixture over the brioche, pressing down gently so all the bread absorbs the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight so the liquid is completely absorbed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle position. Sprinkle the top of the French toast casserole with the sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. To make the syrup: Halve the vanilla bean length wise and scrape out the seeds using a small knife. Discard the pod. In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and vanilla seeds to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is syrupy. Cool slightly. Serve the French toast warm, topped with the strawberries, blueberries and warm vanilla syrup.

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com