Blackberry Apple French Toast Bake is a fabulous dish! Make it ahead of time, refrigerate overnight, then bake it for a delicious breakfast!
- 1 Tablespoon butter melted or soft
- 5 cups day old bread cut in bite-size cubes
- 1¼ cup blackberries fresh OR frozen (do NOT thaw)
- 1 medium apple peeled/cored/ cut in bite-size cubes
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
Coat bottom and sides of a 10" x 8" baking dish with soft or melted butter. Place bread cubes in an even layer on the bottom of the dish.
-
Add blackberries (fresh OR frozen, unthawed) on top of the bread, spreading them evenly. Spread apples on top of the blackberries.
-
Place eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium bowl; whisk/mix until fully combined.
-
Pour egg filling over bread/fruit, covering as much of the fruit/bread as possible. Use the back of a large spoon to gently press down on bread/fruit to moisten them with liquid. Liquid will not cover them, but get as much bread/fruit as possible saturated in the liquid. Tightly cover dish with plastic wrap or foil; refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).
-
In morning, remove dish from fridge; let sit at room temp. 30 minutes BEFORE baking. While it sits, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake (uncovered) at 350°F. for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown on top and egg filling is set in the middle.
-
Remove from oven; let cool slightly before slicing it into 9 portions. If desired, sift powdered sugar on each piece and/or drizzle with maple syrup. Serve warm.
TIP: The most important thing about the bread you use is you don't want the bread to be fresh or it will turn into a soft "mush" while soaking. It's important to use "stale bread" to retain the structure of the bread cubes.