Food

Nothing beats a leisurely Saturday-morning breakfast, but who wants to spend an hour preparing it? Jen Low's lazy-day French toast bake is guaranteed to satisfy a crowd and still leave you plenty of time to lounge around in your PJs.

Ingredients

4 slices 100% whole wheat bread
a few scoops of optional add-ins
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, or half table cream
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

Optional Add-Ins:

Sliced bananas or apples
Apple butter
Sliced peaches or apricots
Fresh berries or berry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Butter 9- x 9-in. baking dish.
3. Cut bread into triangles, leaving crusts on. Lay them in overlapping rows in the dish. If including any add-ins, tuck them in around the bread. Set aside.
4. Put the flour in a bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Gradually whisk milk (or cream) into the flour. (The flour will give the custard a better texture for French toast.) Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Pour over bread. Use a spoon to lightly press the bread into the egg mixture. Let soak 10 minutes. Press bread down again.
5. Combine syrup, butter, brown sugar and lemon juice to make glaze. Drizzle over bread.
6. Bake approximately 40 minutes or until toast has puffed up. (It will drop back down after it cools.) The centre should still be soft and slightly wobbly. Let stand a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving Size: 4