About
It might be called the Simple French Toast Bake, but there's nothing simple about how it tastes! Bread soaked in a sweet, orange-infused custard and coated in a smoky, crunchy brown sugar and butter topping certainly feels and tastes decadent. But then, the Simple French Toast Bake tops itself with a creamy, fluffy orange whip with crunchy, butter pecans! Breakfast has never felt so straightforward and yet so, so amazing!
Ingredients
- For the French toast:
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
- 1/2 cup egg substitute
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- 6 (1 1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread
- For the topping:
- 2 teaspoons orange-flavored liqueur
- 6 tablespoons frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 2 tablespoons pecans, toasted and finely chopped
Directions
Step 1 -Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Step 2 -Combine the brown sugar, the butter, and the corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Step 3 -Cook the sugar mixture, stirring constantly, until bubbly and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 -Pour the sugar mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
Step 5 -Allow the sugar mixture to cool completely.
Step 6 -Whisk together the milk, the egg substitute, the vanilla extract, the salt, the orange zest, and the eggs in a large shallow bowl.
Step 7 -Dip one slice of the bread in the milk mixture and place it on top of the sugar mixture in the baking dish.
Step 8 -Repeat the process with the remaining bread slices.
Step 9 -Pour any of the remaining egg mixture over the bread slices.
Step 10 -Cover the baking dish and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Step 11 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 12 -Bake the casserole until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Step 13 -Combine the orange liqueur and the whipped topping.
Step 14 -Serve the French toast bake topped with the orange whipped topping and the pecans.
