It’s a weekend affair, this French Toast. I’m not going to kid myself, nor should you, into believe for a single second that this is the sort of thing you’ll just whip up on a whim on some busy Wednesday morning when you’re lucky just to get out the door with your teeth brushed and matching socks on – with any socks on for that matter (here, I am obtusely referencing a very specific, sock-less moment from this very morning with my 4-year-old son). No. It’s a weekend sort of recipe, this one. This Melted Ice Cream French Toast Bake really was inspired by both a French Toast that I was served on my honeymoon in Monterrey, CA about 12 years ago and also my new obsession with using melted ice cream in everything.
Scones. Shortcakes. Quickbreads. Biscuits. And clearly, French Toast. If you think about it, it really just makes so much sense. You’re creating a custard with milk and eggs and sugar and vanilla already, so why not just scrap the vanilla and sugar and milk and sub in some delicious vanilla bean-specked ice cream instead? I am here to tell you that it is, incidentally, a very, very good idea to do this with your French Toast, and it even works if you choose to go the stovetop route, rather than the more casserole-esque one that I’m showing off here. It works just as well! The sweetness of the ice cream really just flavors the French Toast in the exact way that you want – the vanilla and the inherent sweetness is PERFECT. Eureeka. This is everything, folks.
Essentially, what we’ll do here is create the entire recipe in a large baking dish and pop it in the oven to poof up and get all crusty and brown. You simply wisk together 6 eggs, two cups of melted vanilla bean ice cream, and then soak an entire loaf of sliced brioche or challah in that custardy mixture. Shingle the slices as you like across the baking dish and bake – that’s it. It’s better if you give it a while to sit and soak before baking, so if you have some minutes to spare, I do recommend giving your pre-baked French Toast a period of rest and relaxation before hitting the hot oven. It gives the custard a chance to seep into the bread’s pores and literally transform the structure, from the inside out.
The peaks get all sweet and crunchy, and the valleys become the perfect basins for the honey maple syrup that needs to be poured over the whole thing with abandon. I’ve found that by simply combining sweet honey with maple syrup, you get something incredibly delicious, and it’s particularly wonderful with sliced pears, which I served alongside my French Toast – but that’s completely optional. You could do figs, sliced apples, persimmon … anything seasonal and good lookin’ at the moment is the right move to make, here.
Melted Ice Cream French Toast Bake with Maple-Honey
The easiest and best way to make French Toast. We’re sure of it. NOTE: this recipe is simple and so fast to put together, but just takes a little bit of hands-off resting time, for the bread to soak up all of that melty ice cream goodness.
Ingredients
6 eggs
2 cups melted vanilla bean ice cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 loaf challah or brioche bread, sliced however thick you like (I do about ¼” to ½” slices)
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
1 ¼ cups honey
1 ¼ cups maple syrup
Fresh seasonal fruit, for topping
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large, (9 by 13-inch) baking dish, whisk the eggs together with the melted ice cream and cinnamon. Dredge and drag the bread slices through the mixture ensuring each slice is fully coated. Shingle them across the dish, creating an even layer. Allow this to sit for, ideally, 30 minutes before baking.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar. Combine the honey and maple syrup in a bowl and serve on the side. Serve with fruit, if you like.
