It’s that wonderful time of the year again: the liminal space between Christmas and New Years Day.
The family meals have come and gone, the presents are all unwrapped, it’s almost time for the trees and lights to come down, and yet, it’s not quite time to become a better “you” yet.
If it were up to me, I would spend the next week hibernating in my bed before cracking out of my cocoon and becoming a new, better version of myself. Especially with the head cold I’ve been fighting off since before Christmas, my bed has seemed to get cozier and harder to leave than ever.
My diet reflects that, as I tend to eat really unhealthily between Christmas and New Years Day. That means there’s nowhere else to go in the new year but up, right?
My relatives gave me enough candy and sweets on Christmas to last months, and yet, I’m sure it will all be gone halfway through January.
Plus, there are all these delicious Christmas leftovers that just can’t go to waste. For me, that includes Crème Brûlée French Toast.
Every year, my family eats brunch together on Christmas instead of lunch or dinner. We keep the turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving, and instead tuck into bacon, eggs, fruit, danishes, breakfast casserole, doughnuts and more. It started out as a way to have a meal with family members who had other places to go in the afternoons/evenings, and it’s become my favorite meal of the year.
One dish my mother always makes for Christmas, and only for Christmas, because she says it’s too fattening to make more than once a year, is Crème Brûlée French Toast.
From the first note of the first Christmas carol I hear, I start craving this food every year. It is fluffy and sweet. It is buttery and melts in your mouth. It has the perfect balance of cinnamon and sugar. It is, overall, an absolute treat.
In years past, my brothers and I would go for seconds, thirds and fourths of this dish when it was hot and fresh, grazing on it throughout Christmas morning. Then, when we were done eating it that day, my mom would pack up the remainder into the fridge.
I have a lot of fond Christmas memories from my child. My brothers and I always loved getting to spend time together, open presents together, sing songs together and read the Christmas story together. But one thing that divided us was the french toast leftovers.
Like tigers pacing around their enclosure at feeding time, my brothers and I would circle the fridge for the rest of the day and the next morning, pulling out another piece whenever we were hungry. Or wanted dessert. Or just wanted something to snack on. Or wanted to make sure that no one else got more than their fair share of it.
The Crème Brûlée French Toast would never last more than a day or two after Christmas with all four of us snacking on it. And once it was gone, it was gone. No matter how we begged and pleaded, mom would never make a second batch.
This year, though, she sent me home with something special: A leftover piece and her recipe. Which means, in this liminal time of the year, I have a new temptation at my fingertips. Not just leftovers but also making a second pan all to myself.
I can resist. I know I can. Though, I’m sure just one more piece– or pan– wouldn’t really hurt. After all, I can try again in the new year.
Crème Brûlée French Toast
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 loaf of French bread, sliced into 1-inch thick slices
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
■ Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
■ Remove crusts from bread and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. Whisk eggs,half and half, vanilla, brandy and salt together in a bowl. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
■ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, remove the dish from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
■ Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until puffed and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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