Recipe Monday: Overnight Caramel French Toast

I love to cook, and now that Steve is back from Iraq, I am happy to be cooking a lot more than I was while he was away. I thought it would be fun to post some of my favorite recipes each Monday.

The following recipe is just great for Christmas morning, or any brunch. I found it in the December 2005 issue of Cooking Light magazine. My local store sells whole wheat French bread, so I like to use that for added nutrition. The end result is a very rich, sweet, sticky baked French toast. The best part about the recipe is that you can prepare it the night before, and then just pop it in the oven in the morning. The last time I made it, I served it with a bowl of fruit salad and a plate of deviled eggs.

Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
Cooking Spray
10 (1-inch) slices French bread
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (I prefer Madagascar vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
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2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly, stirring constantly. Pour mixture evenly into a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
2. Arrange bread slices in a single layer over the syrup in dish.
3. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread slices. Cover and refrigerate over night.
4. Preheat oven to 350.
5. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over bread.
6. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 10 servings. Calories: 314 Fat: 7.2 grams Fiber: 1.1 gram
Enjoy!!