Baked Praline French Toast...

This is not healthy!!!  Let's just get that out of the way.  The original recipe is from the goddess of butter Paula Deen... do I even need to say anything else?  We are NOT calculating calories or fat grams on this - sometimes it's better to let some things go.  For your sanity, let it lie girls... let it lie...

This is one of our favorite New Year's breakfasts.  We might as well start the year off with butter, right?  This has also made an appearance at Christmas morning brunch, although this year we made the Pioneer Woman's Caramel Apple Sticky Rolls...

A moment of silence for my thighs...
...
...

I have a 100 mile bike ride coming up, we are just going to say that I am building up carbs for that ride at the end of May.  Don't tell me it's 6 months away...  lalala... I can't hear you!

The key with this recipe is the bread.  You have to use really good heavy bread.  I got a few loaves of white chocolate pecan bread from a local bakery.  The flavors of the bread compliment this dish perfectly, but you can use a really good plain French loaf.  Just as long as it's not that light, fluffy, white bread that they call French bread at the grocery store, it won't hold together and you will have a soggy nasty mess on your hands.  This has to sit about 6 hours, or overnight so plan accordingly.  It needs time to soak up all the milk and eggs.  I often take this to our church Christmas breakfast, and I make it right before I go to bed, and pop it in the oven in the morning while we get ready.  Turns out perfect every time, thank you Mrs. Deen!

BAKED PRALINE FRENCH TOAST

Paula Deen

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Pint of raspberries
1 cup heavy cream, whipped, or more... you decide

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and between each slice, and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with raspberries and whipped cream.

PRALINE TOPPING:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.