Baked Apple French Toast

This makes a lovely New Year’s brunch, much like bread pudding, but not too sweet. You can use any white bread, but it’s absolutely decadent with croissants. I still have a few Arkansas Black apples from our tree – they’re a deep, dark red, with a complex tannic flavor. They are some of the very latest apples to ripen, and their hard, dense flesh makes them extremely good keepers. I also still have some Champagne apples (unique to New Mexico) from Dixon’s Orchard, which are similar to Golden Delicious but more tart and flavorful. And we’ve been getting Pink Lady apples lately from Los Poblanos Organics, with a fantastic flavor that is intensely sweet and tart at the same time. All three are good baking apples, which hold their shape when cooked. I like to make this with a mix of apple varieties.

3 tart apples
1/2 baguette or 4-5 croissants

1/2 C. raisins (optional)

½ C. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
5 eggs
2 cans of evaporated milk (or 3 cups regular milk)
1/3 C. white sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Pinch of salt
1/3 C. brown sugar
2 T. butter

Cut the apples and bread into 1-inch chunks, mix them together with the raisins and nuts (if using) and spread evenly in a 9×13″ pan. Lightly beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour this mixture over the apples and bread, making sure that all the bread chunks get soggy. You can do this the night before, and keep it in the refrigerator to make breakfast super-easy. Combine the brown sugar and butter, either by squishing them together with a fork or by melting the butter and stirring. Sprinkle or spoon this mixture over the top. Bake at 375ºF about 50 minutes, until the custard is completely set.

Blogger Amy White is totally obsessed with vegetables and  fruits. Amy can be found every Friday right here, and on her blog, www.veggieobsession.blogspot.com.