Blackberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
Have you been to France? I have. Several times now.
Know how many times I have had French Toast there?
Not a single one.
I’m not even sure French Toast is French. I could Google it, but, alas, I am a lazy sort, and I prefer to simply eat it versus Google it.
This particular French Toast is even easier than your Stand At The Stove And Flip It variety…it’s all made up the night before (or, if you forget to, just make it and let it sit for an hour, not that *I* ever forget to plan ahead EVER.). Thick slices of soft white bread – if you can find Texas Toast I highly recommend it, as the thicker the slice the nicer this turns out – covered in a nearly cheesecake concoction make for a delectable breakfast worthy of the finest company.
Or your 9 year old. Either one.
Speaking of my 9 year old and France…
Rust and I are carting Seven off to Paris in March. We pretty much HAD TO. You see, as an aggressive travel deal hunter, a few months ago I stumbled across a glitch in the Hyatt system. You may or may not know, they offer Club Level rooms, for those who like to pay more, or business travelers who don’t mind if their boss pays more, and the rooms are loftier, and include frills like alcohol, appetizers in the evenings, and nice breakfasts. You may or may not also know that there is quite a regal Hyatt in Paris. The Club Level rooms go for roughly $800 or so per night, which, ahem, is sadly out of my budget, but not out of my taste range.
So one day I see this glitch.
In my Hyatt account, I have a meager 16000 points. These were free, because I happened to stay in one of their family branded properties that had some dysfunction happening for two nights. Instead of refunding me, because honestly, it wasn’t THAT huge of a dysfunction, they comped me the amount of points it would take to stay there again for two nights. 16000 points does not get you a night at the regular Hyatt. It certainly doesn’t get you a room at the Hyatt Regency in Paris in the springtime. However – the glitch offered me a CLUB Level room, with all of the perks, for a sad 3000 points per night, plus $20.
I looked at Seven’s school calendar, talked Rust into it in about 5 seconds, booked 5 nights, paid my $100 total, and waited for the bad news to come. “Sorry Madame, but the mis-priced reservation cannot be honored.”
It never came. Instead, they emailed saying they are happy to honor my rate in lieu of their mistake, and Bon Voyage.
6 days in Paris for $100! All we needed to do was book airfare, which as you know, is touch and go. I got lucky there, too though, as I watch specials like a hawk. We are flying from my tiny airport in Virginia, to Brussels for one night, then the remaining days in Paris, for only $400 each. That’s less than I often pay for my trips from Texas to Virginia. To say we are all three excited is an understatement, and I cannot wait to get my hands on some authentic French cuisine. And, as a gift to ourselves, Rust and I purchased Rosetta Stone so that we can learn a little French. So far, we have been very diligent, and are well on our way to being able to converse a bit! If you’ve ever considered Rosetta Stone, I cannot recommend it enough. The way it teaches you is so submersive, and you immediately learn. I mean, we only recently started our courses, and already we are saying full sentences and calling each other crazy names.
C’est bon.
Okay, well, I probably bored your enough with my rambling, but it’s been a few days since I had your attention, so, I had to get a few things out. Hopefully you’ll give this recipe a shot…whether you intend to frolic across the Pond or not. It, too, c’est bon.
Have a great day!
Blackberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
Makes 5-6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese, very soft
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- ½ cup sugar
- 10-12 thick slices white bread
- 8 oz. fresh blackberries
- zest of one lemon
- ½ cup melted butter
- powdered sugar, to top
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together cream cheese, eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar.
- Cut slices of bread into square pieces (9 pieces per slice, on average). Add bread squares and blackberries to cream cheese mixture and stir to coat.
- Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray, then pour coated bread into dish, as level as possible. Top with lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate up to 10 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375. Uncover dish and pour melted butter evenly over bread. Bake for 45 minutes. Top with powdered sugar before serving.
Just in case…here’s a link to a sale on Rosetta Stone. You can purchase ANY language, but I do suggest getting the full package versus just a lesson or two. The cost difference is nothing. Good luck!
