Recipe of the Day {Syrupy Overnight French Toast}

I made this using the original recipe from Good Housekeeping for Father's Day.  I have to say, it didn't go over well.  None of the family cared for it.  Even my dad, who is not picky about food, didn't like it.  The banana was really overwhelming, and the bottom of the toast was total mush.  I think it would cook better with the bread actually touching the bottom of the baking dish instead of having a mushy banana barrier.  

Even though this recipe was a flop as written, I wanted to share because I think it's a good base recipe that  would be REALLY good with a little tweaking.  Plus I dig the fact that this can be prepped ahead of time.  So ultimately, it's a good recipe to have!  Next time, I will try it sans banana and will add fresh fruit on top after it has baked.  Mmm, now that sounds lovely!

Syrupy Overnight French Toast {REVISED RECIPE}

Ingredients

6 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine

1 1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar

1  (12-ounce) long loaf French or Italian bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

6 large eggs

2 cup(s) milk

2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

1/2 cup(s) sliced almonds or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Your choice of fresh fruit for topping.

Directions

In microwave-safe small bowl, heat butter in microwave oven on High 1 minute or until melted. Stir sugar into butter until moistened. With fingertips, press sugar mixture onto bottom of 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish. (It's okay if mixture does not cover bottom.) Top sugar mixture with bread slices, cut sides down. In medium bowl, with whisk, beat eggs; whisk in milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Slowly pour milk mixture over bread; press bread down to absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until bread is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Top with fresh fruit.

*Tip: I cut the bread hella weird.  It says to cut it crosswise, but I started cutting it in slices (sometimes I don't follow directions well), then I realized it wanted "crust up" so I cut it properly crosswise... however, it was too thick that way, so I cut it in 3 slices instead of just in half as if I was making a sandwich, and because I started cutting slices first, the crosswise pieces were too short to fill the pan properly, so I had to cut little puzzle pieces of bread to fill in the crevices.  Phew!  Longest tip ever!  (that's what she said)

 

Those brown globs are cinnamon nuggets.  If you can figure out a way to get powdery cinnamon to mix with gooey egg... please let me know.  I failed, and had big globs of cinnamon all over the place.  Sigh.

Syrupy Banana-Nut Overnight French Toast {Original Recipe}

From Good Housekeeping via Delish

Ingredients

6 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine

1 1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar

5 large ripe bananas, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1  (12-ounce) long loaf French or Italian bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

6 large eggs

2 cup(s) milk

2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

1/2 cup(s) sliced almonds or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

In microwave-safe small bowl, heat butter in microwave oven on High 1 minute or until melted. Stir sugar

into butter until moistened. With fingertips, press sugar mixture onto bottom of 13-inch by 9-inch glass

baking dish. (It's okay if mixture does not cover bottom.) Spread fresh or dried fruit over sugar mixture; top

with bread slices, cut sides down.

In medium bowl, with whisk, beat eggs; whisk in milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Slowly pour milk mixture over

bread; press bread down to absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle with nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate

at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes

or until bread is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before

serving.

>^..^<