Baked Pumpkin Spice French Toast

Since we omit sweet scones, muffins, and pancakes during Lent, also, I've made sweet breakfasts the last couple of Sunday mornings. Usually, on Sundays, we're scrambling around like mad and eat oatmeal or something equally fast and easy, so this thrills the girls.  This breakfast is perfect because it's assembled the night before.  In the morning, you can pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes for an easy breakfast.

I winged this, because baked French toast dishes, like savory stratas, are hard to ruin as long as you add enough eggs and liquid to soak the bread.  Here's the recipe, to the best of my memory.  Don't fret.  Remember, baked French toast is hard to ruin!

Also, I used a high ratio of pureed pumpkin to milk simply because I have so much in my freezer to use up, but if you're using canned pumpkin, you can substitute milk (or heavy cream, if you're so lucky!) for some of the pumpkin if you need to.

Baked Pumpkin Spice French Toast

-About 1 and 1/4 loaf rustic Vienna bread, cut or torn into one inch cubes (you can use French or Italian bread, too.  Just tear enough to fill a 13X9 baking dish.)
- 1 and 1/2 cups milk
- 3 to 4 cups pureed pumpkin
- 6 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tbsp. vanilla extract.  (My homemade stuff is in a quart jar, and I just dumped in a large glug.)
- 2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- a pinch of ground ginger

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 stick cold butter (8 tbsp.)

For the French toast, arrange the bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth, then pour over the bread cubes, making sure they're all saturated.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  Meanwhile, assemble the crumble topping by mixing together the dry ingredients and then cutting in the cold butter until the mixture is formed in crumbles about the size of small peas.  In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, top the French toast with the crumble topping, and bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Crispy Baked Oatmeal

My sister Becky shared this recipe with me, and I've edited it with a few alterations. It's the perfect comfort food for frosty, winter mornings, and it's very easy to make. It's a cross between granola and....dessert. (And because I offer information that no one needs to know, on the frosty, winter morning that I made it, I ate hearty helpings, and I was perfectly comforted.)

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (I don't use this much, though. See-- healthy!)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (I cut back on this, too)
6 cups old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
generous splash of vanilla
1/3 cup flaked coconut (I don't use this anymore, for thriftiness)
1/3 cup raisins (usually we don't have these in the house anymore, either!)
Sometimes, 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used nearly a cup in this years-old picture, though. See-- unhealthy!)

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, vanilla, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture, stirring just until moistened. Stir in the coconut, raisins, and chocolate chips, if you're making the dessert version.

Spoon into a greased jelly roll pan and bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring once. This must be served over homemade yogurt. (Not really, but that's how we eat  it, and I highly recommend it served so.)