Apple Praline Baked French Toast
 
 
This elegant dish, with its soft, cinnamon-laced bread and bright pops of apple, can be prepped the night before, baked off in the morning, and then served upside-down to reveal a beautiful veneer of pecan praline.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 10
INGREDIENTS
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups pecan halves
  • 6 cups cubed egg bread or good quality, soft-crusted white bread (1-inch cubes)
  • 3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Coat two 9-inch round (and at least 2½-inches deep) pie pans (OR a 9 by 13-inch baking dish) with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Divide butter mixture between prepared pans and tilt so that it evenly coats the bottom of each pan. Arrange pecan halves in an attractive pattern at the bottom of your pans. Cover and refrigerate pans until you're ready to assemble baked French toast.
  3. Place bread and apple pieces in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and stir until all bread and apples are coated. **At this point, you may cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before assembling and baking.**
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the bread and apple mixture over the pecan praline layer. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden and puffed. If you used pie pans, allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto serving platters.
NOTES
- You may chop your pecans or leave them whole. I find that chopped pecans are easier to cut and eat but whole pecans make for a nicer presentation, so I use a combination of the two.

- I used challah bread for this recipe. About 11 to 12 ounces gave me 6 cups of cubed bread. However, any soft-crusted bread -- brioche, croissants, a loaf of white French bread -- would be wonderful. You may tear your bread instead of cubing it if that's easier.

- Golden Delicious apples bake up softer than Granny Smiths, but feel free to use your favorite cooking apple.

- For extra decadence, half-and-half or heavy cream may be substituted for milk.

Adapted from Perfect Party Food.
Recipe by Love Grows Wild at https://lovegrowswild.com/2013/11/apple-praline-baked-french-toast/