Winter Comfort Food

I really like this recipe for baked French toast. It's not all eggy or soggy or tasteless as many I have made over the years tend to be. As always, the better the bread, the better the dish (love it with crusty and/or sourdough bread). I also recently tried it with Lyle's Golden Syrup (available in the U.S. at World Market or Trader Joe's) instead of the maple syrup and it tasted even better.

Baked French Toast:
Serves 6-8 hungry people

Butter a 9x13 inch pan and throw in:

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Beat together:

6 eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 ½ cups half-and-half cream (fat-free 1/2 and 1/2 works great)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

and pour over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small saucepan, combine:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup maple syrup

and heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

The original recipe calls for making the syrup with ¾ cup butter, 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons light maple syrup, but I like less butter and more syrup.

The smell wafting through your house will make you feel like Ms. Cleaver and everyone will awaken in shiny, happy moods, just like the Beaver.

Really.