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Baked French Toast With Sparkling Berries
Prep Time: 25 minutes, plus overnight | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients for French Toast
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 large eggs
- 2 C heavy cream
- ½ C whole milk
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 loaf (1 pound) challah bread, cut into 1-inch slices and dried out for a day
- Pure maple syrup, to serve
Ingredients for Berries
- 1 C hulled and quartered strawberries
- 1 (6-oz) container of raspberries
- 1 (6-oz) container blackberries, halved if large
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- ½ tsp natural rose water
- ½ C cava, prosecco, or other sparkling white wine, chilled
Instructions for French Toast
- Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until smooth. Add the heavy cream, whole milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and salt. Which until combined and smooth. Dip each piece of bread into the batter, one at a time, flipping and letting them soak for about 45 seconds. Shingle the slices in the pan. Pour the remaining batter over the bread and press down slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Flip each slice of bread over so the more custardy side is up and the drier side gets submerged in the custard. Reshingle the slices and press down gently.
- Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue baking until the tip of a knife inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, another 30 to 35 minutes. Cool slightly.
Instructions for Berries
- Meanwhile, in a medium glass bowl combine the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, brown sugar, salt, and rose water. Toss well to combine. Allow the berries to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Just before serving, stir in the sparking wine.
- To serve, cut the French toast into squares. Place a slice on a plate and top with the berries and maple syrup if desired.
