Here’s a delicious, make-ahead recipe that’s fancy enough for a holiday brunch, but simple enough for any weekend morning. Definitely a great choice if you want something special for Christmas morning! You can assemble the ingredients ahead of time, even the night before, then just bake it when you need it. Topped with whipped cream and berries, the presentation is beautiful. Sweet caramel topping, cream cheese filling, light fluffy bread with crispy crust…some serious yumminess. Best of all, it’s not terribly complicated to make, so you’ll enjoy adding this recipe to your repertoire.
Ingredients
- 16 slices bakery Italian or French bread, cut into ½-3/4 in. slices
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
- ½ c. butter
- 2 tsp. corn syrup or maple syrup
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 6-8 eggs (depending on thickness of bread)
- 1½ - 1¾ c. milk (depending on thickness of bread)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- cinnamon
- whipped cream and berries to garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Slice bread to desired thickness--spread 1 oz. cream cheese between each pair of slices to make 8 "sandwiches." Use thicker slices if it's the only thing being served, or use thinner slices for smaller appetites or if it's part of a buffet. Set bread aside.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. When the butter is melted, add syrup and brown sugar. Stir until completely incorporated, but don't let it boil (otherwise it will turn hard!)
- Pour caramel sauce into the bottom of a buttered 9 x 13" pan.
- Arrange cream-cheese-filled bread on top of caramel sauce.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. For thinner bread, use the smaller amount of eggs and milk; for thicker bread, use the upper end of the range.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread, soaking each piece. Dust with cinnamon.
- If you're preparing this ahead of time, at this point you can cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
- To serve, use a spatula to scoop up the caramel sauce with each slice, and flip onto a plate. The caramel sauce will be on top and will drip down the sides (yummo!)
- If desired, top with whipped cream and berries.
Some other brunch recipes you might enjoy:
- Christmas Breakfast (a make-ahead egg casserole)
- Sausage Gravy and biscuits
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
