French Toast Strata
There’s nothing like the scent of cinnamon, buttery French toast, and sweet sugar plum jam first thing in the morning. It smells like Christmas!
If you’re like me, you don’t want to miss a minute of Christmas morning, stuck in the kitchen making breakfast. I want to see every stocking unveiled and every smile shared. The best thing about this dish is you can prepare it the night before, after wrapping all your presents. Simply pop it in the oven, while you open presents, and go enjoy the cozy festivities under the tree.
Be prepared for this to be requested every Christmas! It’s a wonderful dish for Easter brunch, too.
My favorite part about this dish is the rich mascarpone cheese mixed with the sweet fresh flavor of Sugar Plum jam. Any jam will do, but Sugar Plum is so fitting for the holidays. My absolute favorite is from Stonewall Kitchen.
French Toast Strata
Serves 6 to 8
You’ll need:
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1” cubes, about 12 cups
8 oz mascarpone cheese
8 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 tbsp butter, melted, plus 1 tbsp more for buttering the dish
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup of your favorite jam (I prefer Stonewall Kitchen’s Sugar Plum jam for the holidays)
powdered sugar and extra maple syrup for serving
Using 1 tbsp of butter, lightly coat a 9 x 13 once baking dish. Divide half of the cubed bread evenly across the bottom of the dish.
Working with 1 teaspoon at a time, scoop dollops of mascarpone cheese evenly over the bread. Top with the remains bread. Set the dish aside.
In a blender, combine the eggs, whole milk, melted butter, maple syrup, and kosher salt. Process until well blended and smooth. Pour the mixture over the bread and mascarpone cheese, making sure to cover and soak each piece.
Spoon dollops of jam evenly over the top.
Cover the dish in plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight.
About an hour before serving, remove the dish from the fridge. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Remove the plastic from the dish and bake on the center rack for about 35 to 40 minutes till golden brown and bubbly.
Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
If desired, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and serve with extra maples syrup.