Holiday Brunch

We hosted a Holiday Brunch for our friends this past weekend. We had a buffet brunch, including a champagne bar (mimosas and bellinis), and then our annual cookie exchange and secret santa gift exchange. It was a perfect afternoon celebrating the holidays with friends!

Menu

Champagne Bar
Coffee
Egg Puff Casserole
French Toast Casserole
Spiral Glazed Ham
Biscuits
Citrus Fruit Salad (oranges, pineapple and pomegranate seeds)
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Assorted Donuts

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

adapted from Food Network TV, Paula Deen's Home Cooking

Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) (I used Challah Bread)
8 large eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 or 3 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Either pour mixture over the bread slices, or dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture making sure all slices are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. I dipped each slice individually to ensure the dish wasn’t too soggy. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and in between each of the bread slices. Bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.