Fleur-de-Lys Mansion…Luxury Inn at the Park

Creme Caramel French Toast: Breakfast-Brunch

Servings: 4

Prep time:1 hour

Ingredients:

• 

  2 tablespoons light corn syrup

• 

  1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

• 

  5 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 

  8 slices Texas Toast-style bread

• 

  4 extra large eggs

• 

  1 cup half & half

• 

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 

  4 tablespoons sour cream

• 

  fresh mint sprigs, optional

Step 1:

Grease four oven-safe (8 ounce size) ramekins or spray each with non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2:

Make Caramel Sauce: Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until syrup mixture comes to a boil, and letit boil for about one minute. Remove from heat and carefully pour hot syrup into prepared ramekins, dividing mixture evenly.

Step 3:

Make French Toast: Remove crusts from bread and cut into 1" cubes. Place two slices of bread cubes into each ramekin, gently pressing them into the syrup. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, half & half and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread, dividing it evenly among the ramekins. Cover ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Step 4:

The next morning, preheat overn to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove ramekins from the refrigerator, uncover and discard plastic wrap. Place ramekins in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes until puffed and golden. Do not overbake as caramel sauce will dry up.

Step 5:

Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes. French Toast will deflate slightly. To serve, loosen edges of bread from reamekin sides with the blad of a knife or a thin-bladed spatula. Place a servinig plate upside down on a ramekin and holding both plate and rameking, invert ramekin onto plate. Remove ramekin so caramelized portion of French Toast is on top. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon sou cream on top of each French Toast serving and place 1/2 cup fresh strawberris over sour cream and French Toast. Garnish with fresh mint sprig. Other berries, such as blueberries, blackberries or raspberries may be substituted for strawberries. Serve immediately.