Let’s talk brunch.
Late mornings rolled into early afternoons filled with mimosas with my girlfriends may be very few and far between
at this phase of life, but brunch is still one of my personal joys.
It happens at more of a breakfast hour now, and it’s shared with little boys and their monster trucks, but I love it just as much, if not more.
This Grand Marnier French Toast recipe is originally my mom’s.
It started as a Christmas morning tradition, and then eventually we started having it on birthdays, other holidays, and just because days.
It’s perfectly sweet and just fancy enough that it feels special, but not so fancy that it’s difficult to make.
The bread that you use for this recipe is the most important part. Because it sits in the fridge overnight to let the bread soak up all the goodness of the mixture it’s dipped in, it needs to be a soft but substantial bread. A round loaf works best for the layering, and the crust can’t be too thick or hard. I like to use a French loaf, Brioche, or Challah – and fresh from a bakery works best. Since that isn’t really the most realistic option right now, I used a French loaf from the grocery store for this version. Since we’re dairy-free right now, I also substituted half-and-half for Ripple milk (it’s a bit thicker than regular milk so I didn’t feel like I needed to mix it with dairy-free creamer), and plant-based butter.
This French Toast looks beautiful when it’s cooked, and is truly a fan favorite. When my college girlfriends and I moved into an apartment and had a kitchen, I made it for all of their birthdays. It is one of my husband’s favorite things I make. TJ would eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – a boy after my own heart. This weekend is Jacob’s first time having it, and I’m so excited to share this tradition with him, too.
For me, cooking and baking is an expression of love. It’s how I care for my family when they’re sick or sad or in need of a little pick-me-up, and it’s how I care for myself when I’m feeling off – it makes me feel accomplished and like I’ve somehow fixed something. It’s also a reminder of home. Being a few hours from my own family, I find that making recipes of my mom’s or my grandma’s makes me feel closer to them.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and that making it, smelling it, and eating it brings you all the warm feelings of home it brings me.
xo,
Stephanie
ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. corn syrup
8 or 9 inch round bread (see above for note on type of bread)
5 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Grand Marnier
1/4 tsp. salt
directions
-melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup until smooth (go low and slow here – if the heat is too high, the mixture will bubble and caramelize)
-pour evenly into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan
-mix everything else except the bread and pour into a pan large enough to fit the bread slices
-place each slice of bread in the mixture and flip with a fork to coat both slides evenly – you’ll want to dip your biggest pieces first so they can cover the bottom of the pan and you can fill in with smaller pieces as you need
-after you dip each slice, place in the pan with the butter mixture in the bottom and pack tightly – you may need to do some rearranging as you go, but try not to move the slices on the bottom once you place them
-place the slices in the pan in 2-3 layers, packed tightly
-pour any remaining mixture over the bread
–cover and refrigerate overnight
-in the morning, take out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature
-bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes
–note: the mixture on the bottom of the pan takes the place of syrup
-enjoy!
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