Guest Blog Written By: Denise from The Mutts Kitchen
French toast? Yes please! I’m sharing one of our family favorites for the holiday season, my boys ask me to make this every year. It’s become a bit of a tradition actually making it on Christmas or boxing day morning. There is just something about the smell of baking cinnamon, sitting around the tree and opening gifts that just goes together so well. We clean up, make coffee and stuff our face in our Pj’s. As my boys get older, I hope they remember these family moments around our kitchen table. My most favorite moments have always happened there, maybe that’s why I enjoy baking and cooking so much, magical things happen in the kitchen.
BAKED FRENCH TOAST
(WITH HOMEMADE CHALLAH BREAD)
Recipe by: Denise
Serving: 6
Prep-time: 10 min
total time: 1 hr (not including sitting time)
Baked French Toast Ingredients:
1 Challah Loaf ( recipe below or you can buy it any local bakery. If you don’t find Challah you can use sourdough)
*Challah can also be purchased at most bakeries. Can also be substituted with sourdough bread.
1 tsp vanilla extract
6-8 eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 cups milk
¼ tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon Streusel Topping Ingredients:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup quick oats
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter (cold)
Directions:
1) Cut Challah loaf into cubes and place in casserole dish
2) Whish together, eggs, vanilla extract, honey, sugar, milk and cinnamon.
3) Pour mix over challah. Cover with plastic wrap and let is sit in the fridge overnight
4) Preheat oven to 350 (next morning)
5) As your oven preheats, prepare topping. Mix all dry ingredients ina small bowl
6) Dice cold butter and mix it in with your fingers until you have pea size pepples.
7) Remove challah from the fridge, and spread streusel topping all on top
8) Bake at 350 for approx 45 minutes until it becomes golden brown on top and the sides.
9) Serve with your favorite toppings such as maple syrup and fresh berries. Hey you can even have it for dessert, add a scoop of ice cream and viola!
Homemade Challah Recipe (makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients:
8 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp quick rise yeast
½ cup sugar
½ cup olive oil
5 eggs (plus 1 egg for egg wash-total of 6 eggs needed)
1 tbsp salt
1 cup warm/hot w(not boiling water, just a bit hotter than warm)
Toasted Sesame seeds for garnish
Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix; flour, sugar and salt and set aside
2. Dissolve yeast in water, set aside
3. Whisk eggs , set aside
4. Pour egg mix and oil over flour mixture and mix with your hands.
5. Once well combined, place on flat surface and knead for about 3-5 minutesf
6. Grease a large bowl, place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and dish towl. Let it rise for 2 hours.
7. Punch dough down (just by pulling the sides off the bowl) and let it rise for another 30 minutes
8. Cut dough in half.
9. For a regular 3 strand braid, cut dough in 3 portions. Roll out each portion amount about a foot long.
10. Pinch each strand at the top and braid. And then tuck each end underneath
11. Let it rise again for another 15-20 minutes
12. Brush with egg wash ( 1 egg beaten with about 2 tbsp of water)
13. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (option)
14. Bake at 375 for 28-30 minutes. After first 10 minutes, brush again with egg wash and continue to bake for the rest of the time
Enjoy Mammas 🙂
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