baked earl grey blackberry french toast
Who would say no to such a pretty, tasty little brunch?
Honestly, baked French toasts have proven a craving of mine when I consider fancy but easy brunch options when I’m feeling, well, brunchy. Though J advises me against making them often (as he should, we don’t really need that much French toast), if left to my own devices I’d probably whip one up every other week. The addiction started with my Baked Hot Chocolate French Toast from this past winter – I’m still bitter that it was left to rot at work – and continues with this springtime mainstay.
I shared my Easter Bunny Munch on Wednesday and, with Easter approaching quick, am unleashing this wonderful holiday brunch for ya’ll to swipe. Super easy to prep the night before and bake the morning of so all the wonderful floral scents permeate the rooms and coax the household out of their cozy beds. Can’t imagine much better: French toast in the oven and coffee gurgling on the boiler. Ahhh. Talk about hygge.
Ta-Da? More like “Challah”!
Like I said, you can easily start this dish the night before if you’ve more time to do so and pop it in the fridge to marinate for a good while. Marinate is a funny word to use there, but you catch my drift.
First: infuse milk with all the lovely citrus accents of Earl Grey tea. I use a good amount of tea bags, 4 in total, and steep for a full 10 minutes to maximize the flavor. 5 minutes if perfectly adequate, though, if you’re more pressed for speed.
Warm the milk until steamy, then drop in the bags. Discard them once the timer bings. Then, whisk the milk with eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
Hopefully you’ve a fine loaf of challah or brioche bread on hand. If not, you might want to go get one. Cut each slice about 1 inch thick, and in the top center of each make a slit. The slit should be about an inch or so deep, but not so wide that it halves the piece of bread.
Stuff a couple tablespoons of good-quality blackberry jam into each slit. I always use this brand if I can get ahold of it. Dip each slice of bread into the egg custard, coating both sides thoroughly. Arrange the slices in a greased baking pan – I used a 9 x 9 square casserole dish – and, once all the slices are coated, pour the remaining custard all over.
So Baked Right Now
Here, you have choices. You can either wait around 30 minutes at a minimum for the breads to soak, or choose the overnight route. I mean, you can opt for something in between, like 1 hour or 2 hours or whatever.
Regardless of what you opt to do, cover the dish and place it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Finish the French toast with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and fresh blackberries. Bake, covered in foil, for 25 minutes, and finish uncovered for 20-25 minutes more.
Then FEAST, my peeps.
My recommendation? Lots of whipped cream, more blackberries, and a healthy glug of maple syrup. Honey or powdered sugar are great and heck, different berries for garnish work great too. If you’re going to do baked French toast, you might as well load it up, right?
I wouldn’t keep leftovers of this toast, since it will get soggy in the fridge. Use that as permission to eat as much as your heart and tummy desire.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
baked earl grey blackberry french toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah or brioche bread
- 1 cup blackberry jam
- 2 cups whole milk, or milk of choice
- 3 bags earl grey tea
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 4 tbsp butter, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup blackberries, plus more for serving
- whipped cream, maple syrup, and powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a saucepan on the stovetop until steaming. Add the tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. When finished steeping, discard the tea bags. Let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the infused milk, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Grease a large casserole dish or baking pan with oil or butter.
- Slice the challah or brioche into 10-12 1-inch thick slices. With a very sharp knife, make a slit in the top of each slice, but do not pierce all the way through. The split should be about 1- 1 1/2 inches deep.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of jam into each slice of bread. Dip the slices into the egg custard and arrange in the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining slices. Pour any remaining custard over the breads. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the bread slices. Arrange the butter pats and the blackberries evenly overtop. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes uncovered until the toast is golden brown.
- Dish out portions and serve immediately with whipped cream, powdered sugar, and extra blackberries, as desired.
