We have a long standing tradition of getting together with friends for a New Years Eve slumber party/New Years Day breakfast (or brunch, depending on how long it takes everyone to recover from the night before. Don’t judge.), and this lovely dish is a staple of that gathering. While there have been many variations on the basic recipe over the years, the egg nog version is still one of our favorites. Fret not, the other versions will eventually make their way onto the blog, but for now, let’s focus on the standard bearer of the bunch.
Overnight French Toast has so many advantages over its griddle/stovetop counterpart. For one, it’s an easy make-ahead (and it’s fairly obvious by now that we love that), the overnight soak makes a huge difference in the texture and moistness of the finished product—custard-y heaven—, and no one has to man the stove with a hangover. For that alone, this recipe deserves a medal.
The assembly is quick and easy, and come morning(ish), you just pop the pan in the oven, put on some industrial strength coffee and in the hour or so that it takes everyone to wake up and become properly caffeinated, you’ll have a stellar meal to slip in under the wire before everyone remembers their resolutions.
The maple brown sugar glaze practically brûlées in the oven, so while the toast is moist and delicious on the inside, the top crust is golden and crunchy, giving that satisfying “shatter” when you take a fork to it. It’s always a crowd pleaser.
We’re fortunate enough to live within field trip distance of a really fantastic gluten free bakery in Philadelphia’s Italian Market called Taffet’s, and their baguette’s are to die for. Actually, all of their stuff is to die for, so if you live in the vicinity, do yourself a favor and pay them a visit.
In the absence of that luxury, however, feel free to use a loaf of your favorite gluten free bread. Just cut the pieces in half on a diagonal and either arrange them in a shingle pattern in the baking dish, or lay them flat and do a double layer. The results will be just as wonderful.
This is also a tremendous breakfast option for other holidays—Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Arbor Day, Election Day…not Thanksgiving, though. That’s a professional eating day and nothing should jeopardize your performance at the dinner table. Every other holiday, though? Game. On.
- 14 slices Gluten-free baguette
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups eggnog
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional, but come on…)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- Arrange bread slices in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, mix eggs, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and rum, and whisk until well blended. Pour over bread slices.
- In a small bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar, butter, and maple syrup until evenly combined. Smear over the bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then increase heat to 400°F. Bake for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
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