Sunday Brunch: French Toast Muffins

My grand-pappy instilled in me two very important things. One, don't let anything come between you and a beautiful lady. Two, never trust anyone who doesn't like French toast. 

I like his priorities. 

Now, the problem with hosting any type of brunch gathering -- besides hosting one -- is that is hard to be a host and still make food without having to slave over a griddle making pancakes or whatever.

Enter French toast bread pudding.  Today, this incarnation it has been made in a jumbo muffin tin. The concept is simple, take all of the things that make French toast great, the eggy batter, the maple syrup, the bread and combine them all into an easily prepared dish that can serve a lot of people with out you having to cook each piece of French toast for everyone. 


Personally, I love the flavor of Maple syrup when it mingles with breakfast sausage on a diner plate. Thanks Denny's. So, I added some crumbled sausage to the mix, to give a little salt to the contrast the sweet bread pudding.

The result was delicious. A simple drizzle of maple syrup on top was all that was needed. These came out of the oven moist and rich with a vanilla french toast custard batter taste. Making them in a muffin tin made them perfect for sharing. Best of all, it eliminates the unpleasant possibility of getting a piece of french toast that wasn't soaked enough in the batter.


So, now you'll have something to fall back on when your hosting a bloody mary party, an after church meeting, Christmas breakfast for the family, or any other obligatory gathering in those unholy hours before noon.

French Toast Muffins
makes: 6 muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes


Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. canola oil
2 links italian sausage, removed from casing.
5 whole eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 loaf white bread, cut into 1/2" dice
Cooking spray


Method: 
Have oven preheated to 350
1.)  In a medium sautee pan over medium high heat add the canola oil and the sausage, cook until the sausage is cooked through and browning. Break up into smaller pieces with your wooden spoon. When cooked, remove to a plate lined with a paper towel and allow to cool.
2.)  In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, cream, milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and honey. Whisk together and make sure the custard is fully mixed.
3.)  Add the cubed bread, fold it into the batter, allowing every piece to absorb the custard. Fold in the cooked sausage.
4.)  Spray the insides of a jumbo muffin pan with cooking spray and divide mixture evenly in the pan. 
5.)  Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the custard is set and the muffins have puffed up. Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.