I keep threatening to make a "Bed and Breakfast" sign for outside of our front door for when we have overnight guests. I enjoy trying new recipes on them, and call them my “guinea pigs!” Any recipe that can be made ahead, and contains blueberries, is a winner in my book. This one is really “blueberry French toast meets caramel pecan rolls.” Mmmmmm!
1 16 oz French baguette, sliced 1" thick
6 large eggs
3 c. milk
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped or halves
2 c. blueberries, thawed and drained if frozen
1/4 c. brown sugar
4 T. unsalted butter
1/8 t. cinnamon
Pure maple syrup, warmed
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with one layer of baguette slices, squeezing together to fit snugly. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and salt. Pour mixture evenly over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and set a slightly smaller dish on it to weight it down. Refrigerate overnight.
Toast the pecans by sautéing them in a dry pan on the top of the stove until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans and blueberries over the bread.
In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup brown sugar, butter and cinnamon just until it bubbles. Spoon evenly over the bread.
Bake for 20 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake another 10 minutes, or until the custard is set in the middle of the pan.
Serve with warmed pure maple syrup. Serves 12
Note Other nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts would be delicious too. Raspberries would be Jim's fruit of choice to use. If you want to be especially sinful, double the caramel topping!
