Cooking Together: Creme Brulee French Toast

After a week of failures, my fragile ego needed a success story. Flipping through my Gourmet cookbook, I spied what I thought spelled a victory. Creme Brulee French Toast. Sugar+Butter+Eggs+Fatty Milk+Bread=Delicious, right?

Plus, this recipe was so easy that Miss D. almost could have made the whole thing herself.

And it sits overnight in the refrigerator, so all you have to do in the morning is open your bleary eyes and pop it in the oven. Genius!

Creme Brulee French Toast
from The Gourmet Cookbook
serves 6

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 (8-to-9-inch) round country style loaf
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until smooth. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch-thick slices from the center portion of bread (reserve ends for another use) and trim off crusts.

Arrange bread in one layer in baking dish, squeezing slices slightly to fit.

Whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier (if using) and salt in a bowl until well combined and pour evenly over bread. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours.

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Bring soaked bread to room temperature.

Bake until toast is puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

With a spatula, transfer French toast to plates, turning syrup side up.

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Of course, it was hella good. A stick of butter, a cup of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of half and half? You could marinate a turd in that and it'd taste all right.

It came out gorgeous and puffed and golden. The downside: After about 15 minutes in the oven, everyone in the house can smell the sucker and so you will have to endure a half-hour of constant whining and pacing in front of the oven window.

We ate ours with strawberries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Well, everyone but me. You know I don't do breakfast food, so after the first bite, I foraged in the refrigerator and ate the leftover tabbouleh. And yes, I know that's wrong.

Now I know that most of you aren't going to eat anything this rich often, unless you want the Ass that Ate India, but I do recommmend that you try it. It's delish. Maybe for Father's Day, which is coming up. Face it, that man who never puts the toilet paper on right? He's still worth it.