Oven-Baked French Toast

Step 1

Cut challah into ½-inch slices and set aside. Lightly grease a large casserole dish with butter. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Dip slices of bread into mixture and transfer to greased casserole dish, arranging a single layer in an overlapping fashion. Once all of the bread has been placed into the casserole, sprinkle with raisins and chopped apricots, tucking a bit of the dried fruit in between the soaked slices. Pour remaining liquid mixture over the casserole, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 375°F with the rack in the middle position. Remove casserole from refrigerator and set foil cover aside. Mix pecans, walnuts, brown sugar and nutmeg together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the French toast. Cover with a piece of parchment paper, then foil wrap. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and parchment paper and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with fresh fruit salad and pure Canadian maple syrup.

Step 2

Cut challah into ½-inch slices and set aside. Lightly grease a large casserole dish with butter. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Dip slices of bread into mixture and transfer to greased casserole dish, arranging a single layer in an overlapping fashion. Once all of the bread has been placed into the casserole, sprinkle with raisins and chopped apricots, tucking a bit of the dried fruit in between the soaked slices. Pour remaining liquid mixture over the casserole, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 375°F with the rack in the middle position. Remove casserole from refrigerator and set foil cover aside. Mix pecans, walnuts, brown sugar and nutmeg together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the French toast. Cover with a piece of parchment paper, then foil wrap. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and parchment paper and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with fresh fruit salad and pure Canadian maple syrup.