Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Baked French Toast


It's not my day to post a recipe, but I couldn't help sharing this absolutely delicious recipe with y'all!  It.  is.  so.  good.

I found it last night while searching for a make-ahead recipe for breakfast (I'm trying to get as much done the night before as possible so I can get all my exercising in early....which is a good thing cuz this ain't no diet-friendly recipe!).  I started searching Pinterest for overnight breakfasts, but then thought, "Oooh, I bet P-Dub has something good on her site!"  I was not disappointed.

I told my kids this morning that we were trying a new recipe from Pioneer Woman.  My oldest daughter said, "Oh, then it'll be really good."

And it is.

Really good.

Like, make you wanna slap yo'self good.

Ingredients:
1 loaf sourdough bread (I used Pepperidge Farm, 1.5 pound loaf)
8 eggs
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces (1/4 lb.)

1.  Grease a 9x13 pan with butter.  Tear bread into bite-size chunks and place evenly in the pan.
2.  Mix together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour evenly over bread.  Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours (I put mine in overnight....it was about 12 hours).
3.  In a medium bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it all looks nice and crumbly (like small pebbles, according to P-Dub).  Place in a ziploc bag and put in fridge.
4.  When ready to bake, take pan and bag out of fridge.  Remove wrap and evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (or 45 minutes if you like it more soft and pudding-like).

Notes:
Update:  IMPORTANT!!!!!!!  You must use a dense bread or this dish will turn out soggy.  After getting a few comments below about soggy outcomes, I figured I'd better make sure you understand that.  You can't use regular ol' sandwich bread because it will NOT soak up the egg mixture!  I highly recommend starting with the bread listed in the ingredients above as this has ALWAYS turned out perfectly for me.
  • You can serve with syrup, but we made a quick glaze with powdered sugar and milk.  Delish!
  • If you don't have brown sugar, mix 1/2 Tbsp. molasses with 1/2 cup sugar until well blended.
  • Like I said, you can bake it for less time if you like it softer, but I love how the top gets crispy when it's baked for an hour.  The underneath part is still somewhat soft.  One hour in my 350-oven was just right.
  • The directions said to scoop out, but I wanted to be able to control the portions so I cut it into 12 servings (they were large, and this is rich, so you could serve other breakfast dishes and use this as more of a side dish and get 24 servings).
  • If you have a hot oven, cover the dish with foil for the last 15 minutes or so if you notice that it's starting to get too brown (I have never had to do this, though).
  • If you don't have a pastry cutter, use two knives moving away from each other to cut in the butter for the topping.  Do NOT use a fork to mash!  It will be a globby mess!

Makes 12 large servings

Source:  slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

212 comments:

  1. yummmm sounds delish thank u
    angela

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  2. Yum! Cannot wait to try this out!

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  3. OMFreakinGosh!! You're killin' me! Gotta have it. And so love how DO AHead it is.

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  4. Can't wait to give this a go, what a fabulous winter breakfast!! I'll give it a go this weekend, thanks for sharing.
    Kandi x

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  5. I made this for thanksgiving brunch yesterday and it was FREAKING INCREDIBLE!!! I have leftovers in the fridge, I'm about to see how they reheat. I also did the powdered sugar glaze and that was definitely the perfect companion.

    My dad described it as cinnabon meets bread pudding.

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  6. Brea, so glad you liked it! It's one of my new favorites. Tell your Dad that is an awesome description!

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  7. Yum! Def trying this!

    New follower
    Tab
    My-cliffnotes.blogspot.com

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  8. Definitely using this for family Christmas Brunch. Sounds so easy and yummy.I think I may add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the topping as well

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  9. Has anyone tried using regular bread (not sourdough)?

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  10. @TwoBoysMom:
    I did. I used white bread & replaced the heavy cream & milk with applesauce (the baby has an issue with milk). I used probably 2 cups of applesauce instead of a total of 2 1/2 cups. I think I also used just 7 eggs, not 8. Doing it again I would:

    leave the bread out for several hours-overnight to get it drier.
    Not use as much appleasauce.

    I loved how it got dry & crispy on the top. I've never had bread pudding before, so I don't know if it was mushy like bread pudding, but I liked the drier top, that's why I personally would cut back on the amount of applesauce that I used & start out with a drier bread. I think that the white bread probably worked ok. I would definitely dry my bread out a little more next time I make it but I think that's probably just a personal preference.

    Hope that helps!

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  11. just made this and 1- my house has never smelled so good! and 2- it is delicious! my husband is going to love it. can the leftovers be kept at room temperature, or is it best to refrigerate?

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  12. I am so glad you liked it! It is one of my favorite recipes.

    I refrigerated our leftovers, just in case.

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  13. Sounds AMAZING!! Making it for Christmas morning! Do you use Salted or Unsalted butter??

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  14. gmarie,

    I always use salted butter.

    We are gonna have this on Christmas too for brunch! Good luck, and I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

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  15. Do you think you could replace the heavy cream with eggnog?

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  16. I'm sure you could replace the cream with eggnog. I don't see why not. If you try it, come back here and let us know how it worked out!

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  17. I made this last weekend for the kids, it was absolutly amazing. Going to do a repeat for Christmas morning!!

    Angela/Florida

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  18. Yay! So glad you liked it. We are having it for Christmas brunch. I think I could eat the whole pan myself.

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  19. I halved the recipe since there's just 2 in our house and made it the night before and popped it in the oven while I was getting ready for work this morning. It was delicious and super easy!
    -Jenni

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  20. Jenni--that's such a great idea! It really is an easy and delicious recipe. I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

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  21. Could I throw some blueberries in the casserole before refrigerating the night before? I've got a bunch of fresh blueberries that need to be used.

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  22. Blueberries? That sounds like a great experiment to me. Let me know how it works out. Adding fruit could take this up a level!

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  23. What is the longest I can leave it in the fridge for before cooking?

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  24. I've only ever made it the night before and baked in the morning, so I don't know. But I would think not longer than 1-2 days because of the raw egg. I don't know how this would affect the texture of the dish.

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  25. I've got two kinds soaking in the fridge, one with blueberries and one without! I can't wait to try it tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how it turns out :)

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  26. I forgot this sits in fridge over night.. Wonder how it would be to mix it up and bake right away?? I want to make and bake it now....

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  27. Just tried it, my husband had thirds and I had seconds. Turned out amazing! I can't thank you enough!! :)

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  28. Anonymous....not all the bread gets soaked when you pour the egg mixture over the top, so allowing it to sit overnight in the fridge is for "soak time"!

    Kaylateran, yay! So glad you and the husband both loved it. Hey, how was it with blueberries?

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  29. Wonderful recipe. I added 1/2 t. of cinnamon and nutmeg to the egg mixture before pouring over bread. It was a great addition!!

    Joan in Ohio

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  30. Adding cinnamon and nutmeg sounds delicious!

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  31. Could you share the recipe for the glaze you used? Thanks!

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  32. The glaze....I'm afraid I didn't use a recipe for that. The first time I did it, I just mixed together powdered sugar with enough milk to make it the right consistency (not too thin, not too thick). The second time I made it I used a little butter and some cream cheese with the powdered sugar and milk. If I had to guess I'd say it was MAYBE:
    *3-4 ounces cream cheese, soft
    *2 Tbsp. butter, soft
    *2 cups powdered sugar
    *milk to thin

    Sorry I can't be more precise!

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  33. Thanks! I'm going to make this soon!

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  34. I have done a similar recipe using Pepperidge Farm cinnamon bread...it is the BOMB!

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  35. I make a similar recipe to this...but also add a block of cream cheese to the egg mixture (like its not rich enough already, right)and instead of the sugar, I use a 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup and a couple teaspoons of sugar..but its wonderful.

    And, want to hear a really sinful version....instead of bread, you use Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. Oh yeah. Its good, but defintely not diet friendly!

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  36. Oh, Debby....those both sound sinful. I have made Paula Deen's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding before and man, is that rich!

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  37. I think I will add raisins, I just love them and I always put them in my bread pudding...THIS SOUNDS AMAZING!!!

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  38. I have made this twice this week now. I absolutely loved it. The first time I only made half of it because you made it seem like it would be alot (and there's only 2 of us). I used French bread because it's traditional and easier for me to find, but other than that it was exactly the same. Now I have it in the fridge once again for tomorrow morning. Thanks.

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  39. Ariane....so glad that you have been enjoying this recipe. It's one of my absolute favorites. Halfing it is a great idea.

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  40. I used slightly stale homemade whole wheat bread, so it was dry bread to start with. I did not think to do it the night before so I made it and let it soak up half the egg mixture then flipped it to get the non-absorbed pieces a chance to soak up the egg mixture. The egg mixture was all absorbed by the time I put it in the oven. I am sure leaving it overnight would have been better. I also 1/4th the recipe as there is only my daughter and I, and I am a diabetic so should not really eat all that sugar. It smells wonderful, and tastes better. Love Pioneer Woman recipes!!!!

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  41. Also, next time I would add pecans to the top.

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  42. Reminds of Christmas morning breakfast!

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  43. I'm going to cut pats of butter on top, and cover with crumbled cinnamon toast crunch cereal for a topping to see how that works! I think I'll make it in individual cups too, so it won't have to cook so long, and I can make it on a school night without waking up too early to bake it.

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    1. Baking in cups sounds like a great idea! Let me know how it works out.

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  44. Julie- First off huge kudos that you reply to all these emails... I am curious if anyone has frozen it?

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    1. Hi! I don't know if you could freeze it. Would make an interesting experiment!

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  45. made this for my fiance and my mother a week ago but i tried the dount idea (of course i cant say no to donuts lol) they both loved it! and it does freeze relatively well, but it needs to be thawed at room temp before putting in the oven, i seperated the left overs i batch for thawing one for freeze to oven(350 for about 30 mins) and the others i used the broiler the ones i put straight into the oven became really soggy and unpleasant tasting the broiler batch was allright but the thawed batch (after heating in the oven) were even better than the first time! absolutely love this recipe and i will for sure make it more often!!

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    1. Donuts, huh? That reminds me of Paula Deen's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. One thing I want to try next is doing it in muffin cups.

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  46. Going to try it this week for Easter Breakfast at the Church.

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    1. Tara, let us know how you like it, and Happy Easter!

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  47. Does this turn out mushy???

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    1. This last time I made it, it was a little wet in the middle, but not mushy. You can bake it a few minutes longer with some foil on the top to keep it from burning if you don't like a wet center.

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  48. This is incredible!!!! New family favorite. Absolutely delicious!!!

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    1. We feel the same here at our house. So glad you enjoyed it!

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  49. This was a huge success at Church yesterday morning! 1 guy came up to me and said I need that recipe I have n ot had 2nds of anything but yours! I changed it a little was afraid of the Sour Dough so I used French Bread and sprinkled with Cinnamon before adding the topping and baking. Thanks for the great recipe

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    1. I think as long as the bread you use is dense, any bread would work. I'm glad it worked out. Cinnamon...I may have to try that myself next time!

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  50. OMG, this sounds absolutely delish! Feel free to check out the recipes on my site, www.prettylittlebakers.blogspot.com!

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  51. This is so delish! I made it for my step-daughter and her boyfriend when they came to visit and let me tell ya, I did not have much left of it. So tasty!! Thank you for sharing.

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  52. This is the first time I have written a comment on a board but this was so delicious that I had to let you know. Since all of my children live out of town I decided that I would treat myself to a special Mother's Day breakfast. This was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for this recipe. It will definitely be a holiday favorite. Can't wait for the rest of the family to try it! Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. I'm SO glad you enjoyed it. What a great Mother's Day treat! I hope your day was as wonderful as your breakfast was tasty.

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  53. Hi! I am a working mom and I work Mondays to Saturdays. I look forward to Sundays because that's the only day I get to cook/bake something special for my daughter and husband. I am SO glad I came across your page :)This recipe is so easy that I can even watch with my daughter's favorite show while doing this. I think I'm gonna try this with raisins and walnuts. Can't wait!!! You're a genius! and an angel! Oh, I love you!

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  54. What if you don't have a pastry blender for the topping??

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    1. When I need a pastry blender for a recipe (I don't have one) I use two forks, or one beater from my hand mixer to blend the ingredients. Works great! Good Luck, thanks for reading our blog!!

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    2. In a bind, a whisk works really well as a pastry blender.

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    3. You can use a whisk, straight up and down motion, as suggested. Or you can use two dinner knives, criss-crossing cuts.

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    4. I just used my mini food processor, threw in all the ingredients, and pulsed away. It worked fantastic! (Just throwing in a tip for someone who may not be able to use their hands well).

      We love this recipe! We make it all the time and it tastes fabulous!

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  55. Can I make this friday and put in fridge for Sunday morning baking? We are having family over for post blessing brunch on sunday but will be on an overnight trip to the grand canyon until saturday late. This would be so yummy - with maybe buttermilk syrup?? Yum!! Thanks!!

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    1. Meredith, sorry I wasn't able to respond to this sooner. I would think that would be fine. Did you try it? How did it work out? You could also get the bread ready in the pan and assemble the wet ingredients together on Friday and just pour over before going to bed Saturday.

      Buttermilk syrup?? Genius!!!

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  56. Made this this morning for Fathers Day! Yum!!! I did have one problem - a few spots had some cooked egg - yuck. LOL Any way to avoid this next time?

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    1. Hey Nena, Glad you liked it. As for the egg, it could be that the mixture didn't soak in enough. When I use the brand listed in the recipe, I never have any problem with little egg-y sections.

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    2. Sounds like maybe your custard mixture needed to be beaten more thoroughly so it was all blended together - that way no sections of egg white would sneak by and make cooked egg spots.

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  57. Sounds so yummy! Can't wait to splurge one morning with my fiance :)

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  58. We just had it for supper with bacon. It was spectacular . Thank you :) so much better than the French toast I make.

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  59. I think I may try in my crockpot overnight! I will put on low and set the timer. Has anyone tried it that way?

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  60. I made this for my family yesterday. I have pretty much the whole pan left. If you don't care much for custard you won't care much for this... Won't be making it again!!

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    1. Sorry it didn't go so well. Sounds like you may not have baked it long enough. An hour in my oven makes mine just right.

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    2. OR it could be your choice of bread. Super soft white bread doesn't work as well.

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  61. I've made this before using Coffeemate or International Delight flavored creamers. When I've used this substitute, I don't use the sugar or the vanilla in the custard. Just beat the eggs with the creamer and then pour over the bread. Eggnog works well around the holidays too. Lots of different variations of this recipe are absolutely delicious.

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  62. I made this and it was DELISH!! I added fresh blueberries and served with a powdered sugar icing. I think that I will also try peaches, as they are a favorite of my husband. I also like the idea of eggnog and maybe pecans for a Christmas breakfast. Oh, I also let my bread get a bit stale after breaking it up. Just loosely covered on the counter all afternoon before adding egg mixture woks wonders.
    Thank you so much for this great recipe. Krista

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    1. You know, I was just thinking about adding peaches because I bought a box of them today. I'm so glad you loved the recipe!

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  63. I was a little confused by the response above about freezing this...has anyone tried it and had success? If so, what did you do?

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    1. Haven't tried it myself, but would love to hear from someone who has.

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  64. Anything by P-Dub is the BOMB!!! Lol I make her regular French Toast & her chili & her smashed potatoes, she calls em something different but I can't remember off the top of my head!! I haven't tried one of her recipes that I haven't liked!! I wish I could go to her house for the weekend & just let her cook for me!! Lol anyway can't wait to fix this for my man & kids!! I would add some nutmeg as we like nutmeg on our french toast! Thanks for posting this!!

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    1. I'll have to try nutmeg next time. Thanks!

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  65. I made this just this morning...yummy! I used 7 eggs instead of 8, used 2 1/2 cups of milk because we didn't have any cream on hand and used half a teaspoon of cinnamon & half a teaspoon of nutmeg...I was in heaven! Thanks for this recipe!

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    1. Thanks for sharing. It's nice to hear adaptations and know that they work!

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  66. Have made this twice in the last month...so good! Everyone who tastes it wants the recipe. I love how easy it is in the morning:)

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    1. I love the easiness too. It's so yummy. Glad you're having success with it!

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  67. Can't wait to try this this evening! I'm planning to make it with cinnamon raisin bread instead of sourdough. Can't wait to see how it comes out!!

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    1. As long as your bread is not super soft, it should be amazing. How did it turn out with cinnamon raisin bread?

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  68. I'm baking it in the morning 2 pans for Church one with blueberries and the other with apples. I hope it turns out great. We usually have donuts and I thought this would be a nice change.

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    1. OK it was amazing everyone loved it. Everyone wants the recipe. The blueberry was my favorite, but the apple was others. Thank you I will be making this again.

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    2. Awesome!! So glad it worked out well for you.

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  69. I had my parents over for breakfast yesterday and they absolutely loved it (as did my family) I added a can of packed pumkin to the egg/milk mixture along with pumkin pie spice. I served warm pumkin syrup from an orchard that I visited in Delware last month. This was a huge hit!! My dad asked me to make it for Christmas morning breakfast. I'm thinking of changing it up a bit and maybe folding in some cream cheese. Thank you!!

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    1. Oh man, that sounds amazing! What a wonderful idea.

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  70. This is so yummy! Even my daughter, who does not like french toast usually, loves it :)I did use the original topping mix, and I am planning on trying it with the glaze next. My husband wants to bring it to a work breakfast.

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    1. Wonderful! My kids are always asking for this.

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  71. I made this and after an hour and a half in the oven it still never set up. I am an experienced cook/baker, but I'm not really sure what went wrong with this. I used a three day old homemade white bread (plenty dry), I sort of think that either I didn't have enough bread or there was just too much milk in the custard? Anyway, my house smelled divine and the bit I tasted (the sides that did bake well) was really good, so it's worth another go for me. Thinking I'll try it again and maybe cut out half a cup or so of the milk for my size loaf of bread.

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    1. Hmmm....yes, it must be the bread amounts, I'm guessing. Sounds like, as you said, it was dry enough...especially if it's homemade. When I make it I use the Pepperidge Farms Sourdough loaf. I believe it's a 24 ounce loaf. I've never used any other bread with this. I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you.

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  72. Thanks for the recipe. I made it last night/ this morning although with a few unintended tweaks, lol. You can see how mine turned out here: http://www.alexschiffer.com/1/post/2012/11/baked-french.html

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    1. Hey, thanks for the shout out on your blog! Glad you liked it. Let us know your results with other types of breads. I love sourdough, but would like to experiment with other flavors.

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  73. @ Kelli, home made white bread doesn't have the texture to set up with this amount of liquid, that is why sourdough or a rustic French bread works much better. I made this with a rustic whole wheat loaf and it came out great. Pecans and cinnamon in the topping are a must in my opinion. I'm going to try finely ground raw sugar in the next batch.

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    1. Great advice. My family is divided on the nuts issue so I usually opt out for nuts. But pecans would be heavenly...walnuts too.

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  74. oh my yum! can't wait to try this!!! thank you!

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  75. I'm trying to make this for tomorrows breakfast.. I'm attempting to make the topping, but it isn't crumbly. It's just like butter with a bunch of stuff.. I was using a fork (I don't have a mixer, or a wisk..) HOW do I fix it?!?!?!

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    1. Kasarahanne, so sorry we could not respond sooner. We are out of town for Thanksgiving and between bad internet service and the stomach bug running through 15 of us here in a cabin, it has been hard to get through. Do you have a pastry blender? That works really well. Also maybe two steak knives cutting in like you were cutting shortening into flour for pastry. Hope that helps.

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  76. Hi, I am wondering if you can use 2 1/2 cups whole milk in place of 2 cups 1% milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. THanks. Lori

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    1. I think that would probably work, Lori. Try it and let us know!

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  77. Thank you! Thank you. Made this for our annual "progressive day of meals" - which started at my house for breakfast (then lunch/dinner at brothers and dessert at another brother's and a visit from Santa as well! - was a HUGE hit. Instead of the milk/powdered sugar glaze, I made a lemon juice/powdered sugar glaze and it everyone loved it. Bought a huge bottle of syrup to go with and it was hardly touch, but everyone raved about the glaze. Looking forward to making this again!

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    1. Sounds like it went over well! Great idea with the lemon glaze. I bet orange would be good too. So glad you and your family enjoyed it. Happy Baking!

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  78. Every time I make this...someone new asks me for the recipe!! It is as good as everyone says it is!!

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    1. It really is an amazing dish, isn't it? I just put some in the fridge tonight for tomorrow morning. But this time I'm experimenting with using two muffin pans instead of a 9x13. This should reduce bake time. I'm also hoping that it will yield more crunchiness per serving. We'll see!

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  79. I want to try this our for Christmas morning. Just had a couple questions. Where do you find the sourdough bread you suggested? In the bread aisle? Any good substitutes if I can't find it? And does the bread taste like sourdough? I don't mind the taste but my kids are picky! And if I don't have heavy cream is 2% milk going to work? Thank you! Can't wait to try!!!

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    1. Hi, Katie!

      I use the Pepperidge Farms sourdough. I can find it in most grocery stores in the regular bread aisle. Arnold also makes a sourdough that is nearly identical in shape and size, although not as tasty in my opinion. Whatever bread you use needs to be dense and somewhat chewy. Soft bread will not soak up the egg mixture well enough. I have an extremely picky eater and he is always requesting this dish.

      As for cream....I've never made it without it, but I'm sure it would work out fine.

      Best of luck! Let me know how it turns out.

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  80. Light brown or dark brown sugar?
    What if you don't have a pastry cutter? (Don't even know what that is :/ )
    And, if adding fruit, just throw it right in the mix or....?

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    1. You can use two knives to cut in if you don't have a pastry cutter. I have never used fruit in the dish. I think it would depend on what the fruit is.

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    2. Oops! Forgot to answer your first question. Light brown sugar.

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  81. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  82. So glad to read all the positive comments on this dish. Gives me more confidence to make this recipe for our Christmas brunch! Can't wait to try it!!

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    1. I hope it turns out for you. Most people have success with it. Come back and let us know.

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  83. Has anyone tried this with Hawaiian rolls? Any luck?

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    1. I haven't. Other breads can sometimes be too soft and I think that's why a few people have had trouble with this recipe. It's gotta be a dense bread.

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  84. I made it a month ago according to the recipe and it was great. Trying it tonight with half eggnog half milk. Left out the sugar as I feel the eggnog is already very sweet. Will see how it bakes up tomorrow morning. May also add some pecans on top for more crunch.

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  85. Oh goodness. This turned out horribly. As another person said, if you don't like custard-y stuff don't try this. I left it in the oven for 45 mins... still wet. Put it back in for an additional 30 mins.. still wet. It's very wet and very sweet. Not my cup of tea. The pics on here look divine though!
    I would suggest to anyone making this to minus one egg, use 1/2 or 3/4 stick of butter for the topping (since, after it melted, the butter just sat in puddles on top)and lessen the milk or skip the heavy cream. And definitely lessen the amount of sugar if you don't like overly sweet stuff.

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    1. Sorry you had trouble, June. What kind of bread did you use? I find that most often this is the trouble. Mine *never turns out custard-y* and I bake it for 55-60 minutes. Could be different ovens too.

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  86. I am with June on her comments. I consider myself a pretty good cook especially when it comes to breakfast dishes. I did EXACTLY what the recipient called for, even have an oven thermometer to make sure the temp was just right and it came out horrible! Thank goodness I can whip up other breakfast items in a flash. My kids didn't even touch it. It came out soggy and the topping was starting to burn only after being in there for 30 minutes, yet I needed to leave it in there so it wouldn't be so wet.I think if I was to do this again.... wait, I'll pass, I rather make my delicious french toast using Texas Toast. Ok, if I WERE to do this again, I think I'd leave off the crumb topping until about 20 minutes before the time is up. I would also leave out the cream all together OR do 1 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup of cream. Glad some people had success, but it was a epic failure in my house!

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    1. Sorry it didn't work for you. I have made this many times and it always turns out just right. What kind of bread did you use? If it was soggy, then the bread was not dense enough.

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  87. We just finished this and it was truly fabulous! Merry Christmas to you and thanks for sharing this recipe. It's a holiday keeper!

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    1. Yay, Joanne! Glad this worked so well for you. Merry Christmas!

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  88. I made this for Christmas breakfast yesterday morning. After reading ALL the comments :), I opted for the French bread from my local bakery. I divided the ingredients between 2 baking dishes because I wanted half with pecans and half without...plus, I wanted to avoid any possible mushiness in the middle. Well, Mom's oven bakes a little too hot, so 40 minutes made it a little too brown on top and very slightly burnt in places on the bottom, but...WOW! Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and with the cream cheese topping you suggested, it was amazing! And it got better as it reached room temp! I'm looking forward to making this again and again. Thank you!!

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  89. I made this for our Christmas brunch! It came out amazing! I used Texas Toast cinnamon bread instead of the sourdough and it was perfect!

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  90. I made a half recipe because there are only 4 of us & we're not big eaters. It was delicious & I'm going to make it again. We didn't put any syrup or anything on it. We ate it just the way it was & didn't need any additional sweetener.

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    1. I just made half a recipe yesterday because only some of us were going to be home to eat it and it worked great. It is pretty tasty all by itself! Glad you liked it.

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  91. I just stuck it in the fridge to bake in the morning for our New Year's Day breakfast! I can't wait to try it!!

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  92. I made it for Christmas morning. It was delicious!!!!!!!Definitely is the best out of all the French Toast Casseroles I've tried. The topping makes it!

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad to hear it, Beth! Love to hear the success stories on this recipe. Thanks for coming back and letting us know how it went.

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  93. Do not even waste your time looking for another Baked French Toast recipe. This is it!!! I prepped this early Christmas Eve and we ate it Christmas morning. I absolutely loved it! It was so easy and delicious, just what I was looking for. I served it with syrup, pecans, & mixed berries. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Much appreciated!

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    1. Wow, Leslie! That is high praise, indeed! So glad you loved it. Pioneer Woman sure knows how to give a nice decadent recipe, doesn't she? I love this recipe too.

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  94. Do you happen to have a colorie count???

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  95. Its to much so will have to cut the Recipe in half

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    1. I've done this before when I didn't need much. I baked it in an 8" square pan.

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  96. Can't wait to try this in our new home....I think this will be the first breakfast for us in our new home to celebrate :)

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    1. Congratulations on your new home! Hope breakfast is delicious!

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  97. I made this for our Christmas morning breakfast and it was a HUGE hit. My husband...who is really not a big fan of "casserole" type foods...couldn't get enough of it! I will definitely be making more and love seeing your other variations here. Thanks so much for sharing.

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    1. Woohoo! It really does make a great holiday breakfast.

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  98. I seriously have to say this was by far the best French Toast bake I have ever had. We tested it today to serve to 60 people at our February coffee for church....it was beyond amazing! Not sure how you could ever say this was bad! I used Vienna Bread and it was perfect! Thank you for such an awesome recipe! Oh and I did not let it sit overnight....only a half hour on the counter and it was awesome!

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    1. Wow, Shelley...that's good info to know, that you don't have to do it overnight with the Vienna Bread. I'm so glad it worked for you!

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  99. I tried this today for breakfast at church.... YUM! It was a huge hit! I drizzled a little bit of maple syrup and a little bit of powdered sugar/milk on top. Delicious and so easy!

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    1. Yay for success! Thanks for checking back in to let us know.

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  100. Love this!! My girls are big on cream cheese so last time I made the recipe I tucked chunks of cream cheese in when putting it together. They loved it and requested I do it from now on.

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  102. This is so yummy. Made this for the 1st time Christmas morning and it has now become one of our staples for Sunday brunch. Only question I have is how much is a stick of butter. Im from Canada and we only buy our butter by the pound and I figure this is way to much. Please let me know how much in cups this is. Thanks for the yummness!!!

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    1. Oops! I guess I'd better be more specific for you! Thanks for pointing that out. One stick is 8 Tablespoons or 1/4 pound. Glad you enjoyed the dish!

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  103. I made this for my office back in December and I still get requests for this dish. Making it again for tomorrow, figure nothing could be better to start a Friday at work than some good french toast bake! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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    1. I can't think of anything to start any day better than a yummy comfort food like this! Thanks for sharing your comments.

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  104. This was delicious. I made a gluten free version with gluten free bread and gluten flour in the topping. Since g/f bread is typically smaller slices, and a different consistency, it took some experimenting, and worked out perfectly at 16 slices, not using the ends. The topping doesn't stay in the pebbles like the non-g/f, it kind of makes more like a crust, but still super tasty. Cook about 30 minutes and start checking, once it is puffed and not loose, it's done. It will burn fast. Let rest about 10 minutes.

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    1. Denise, that's great! So glad you could find a way to modify this recipe for your needs.

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  105. My question is does it taste more like a bread pudding or more like french toast. From looking at the pictures it looks amazing. Looking for some awesome recipes to do for my friends bridal shower coming up. And she is not a bread pudding fan but a french toast she is. And anything I can do ahead of time would be great.

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    1. Honestly, I would say a cross between the two, leaning more toward French toast in my opinion. Cooking it longer will make it less like bread pudding. In my oven, that ends up being around 55 minutes. I would take it out at 45 minutes and, using a knife, peak into the center. If it's still wet and if you are concerned about the top overbrowning, cover the whole thing with foil and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes and recheck it. Good luck....I hope your friend likes it. Come back and let us know if you end up using the recipe!

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  106. Found this link on Pinterest and made it for my family when they came to visit us. They were impressed that I can cook and all had second helpings. Thanks for making me look good.

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    1. It is a great recipe for making you look good, isn't it?! Glad your family loved it!

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  107. Soaked over night and baked this morning. Sooo good. Though next time I will bake for about 45 minutes, cover with foil, then bake for about 20 more minutes. My kids thought it was too wet in the middle. Thank you for the recipe.

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    1. That sounds like a good plan. I like the middle a little wet, but that's just a personal preference. It's great to be able to adjust the baking time/method for what you and your family like. Kudos!

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  108. I've made something very similar to this, and now I need to try this recipe. I love the sound of slightly crunchy top and softer underneath. So delicious! I think some thinly slices apples would be good in there too.

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    1. I'm sure apples would be a tasty addition. Hope you love it when you try it!

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  109. I have this sitting in my fridge as I type. Father's day breakfast for my french toast loving husband. It's too early to bake it but I'm dying to try it. Thanks for the great recipe. It was super easy to make..

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  110. I actually prefer mine with texas toast.....it doesn't get as crunchy on top but it's not mushy either.....this is a delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing!!!!

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  111. I am going to make this in the morning and wanted to know Julie, you listed in your comments what you thought your topping was by memory.....yet it is listed above in the actual recipe another topping? Which one is the one to use?

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    1. Hmmm...I am trying to find the commenting you are referencing but can't seem to find it. I always use the one in the recipe. Others have made adjustments and variations, though.

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  112. This sounds soooo! good. I intend to make this weekend

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  113. Looks awesome. Making this for Conference this weekend!

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  114. Is the bread already baked or are we purchasing dough?

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    1. I use purchased loaf bread for mine, already baked and ready to go.

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  115. It is czech "zemlovka" Use challah bread and you can bake immediately.

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  116. A dense whole wheat works well for me. I trade out the cream & 1 cup of milk for 1.5 cups of eggnog. Oh heavens!!! Try it!!!

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  117. I have made this 4 times now and my sugar crazed fiance and brother just love it!

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    1. Jana...so glad you like it. It's always a big hit at our house. I just tried serving it with Buttermilk Syrup on Christmas day and it was amazing! (search that on our blog to get the recipe)

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  118. Is this 1 layer of bread pieces or a couple?

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    1. Melissa.....I just tear up the whole loaf of sourdough bread and distribute it evenly in the pan. No worrying about layers.

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  119. Prepped and sitting in the fridge for Christmas morning! Soooo excited to try this and surprise my babycakes with it..and some.Mimosas! Merry Merry everyone!!

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  120. I used Cinnabon Cinnamon Bread for my bread and it was awesome! Did everything the same and what the recipe called for except I used my mini Cuisinart to make the topping. Less effort than the two fork or pastry blender method. Great breakfast or dinner! Thanks

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    1. Stephanie, you are making my mouth water! Sounds delicious with your bread choice.

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  121. This has become my go to french toast recipe, our whole family loves it! Thanks for sharing.

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  122. It looks delicious...Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I am going to try this one

    Thanks,
    Regards
    bestelectricmeatgrinder.com

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  123. This is very delicious and so easy to make that we make it during most holidays!!

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  124. Delicious! Made this for Christmas breakfast!

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  125. I used sweet and condensed milk regular milk and cream – a dash of sugar can't wait to see how taste in the morning

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  126. This looks so delicious I tried sweetened condensed milk regular milk and cream can't wait to see how case in the morning

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  127. I have made this three times now (getting ready to prep for the fourth time). We LOVE it! It's a great special occasion (but not too much work) breakfast. I've made this with half & half as well as heavy cream (both work great) and the last couple of times we cut back on a bit of the granulated sugar and added that amount in brown sugar. Also added cinnamon and yum! One thing to note, we've not torn the bread into bite size chunks, we grabbed handfuls of the bread and just ripped. It all cooks together so well you don't have to be quite so precise. Another reason this is such a simple yet great recipe!

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