I love how fall brings us opportunities to stretch our baking and roasting skills. When a cool weekend morning greets me, I respond by finding ways to bake myself to a decadent breakfast or brunch. This time around, that means infusing a baked French toast custard with spiced rum and marmalade and letting my oven clear the chill from the house and fill it with the aroma of cinnamon and citrus.
If you don't want morning prep to worry about, you can assemble this morning casserole the night before and simply refrigerate it overnight. Then, let it sit on the counter while you preheat your oven and carry on with the baking directions below. Now that's a no-fuss breakfast!
You can serve this French toast with butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit. That's enough, though if you're looking for a larger spread, it also plays nicely with traditional morning sides like sausage or bacon. Orange juice and coffee are also recommended. Enjoy!
Citrus Spiced Rum French Toast
- 1 1-pound loaf of cinnamon, cinnamon-raisin, challah, or other sweet bread, sliced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¾ c. half-and-half
- 2 T. spiced rum (can you use regular rum or brandy instead)
- 2 T. orange marmalade
- 2 T. coarse sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat the inside of 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
Arrange the bread slices in the baking dish, overlapping them. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, spiced rum, and orange marmalade to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, making sure to get the liquid between the slices. Sprinkle the coarse sugar over the slices of bread. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour