A Decadent Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed: Baked Blueberry French Toast & Wild Hibiscus Royale!
Recently, I asked some of my Mom friends what they'd most enjoy on Mother's Day. Out of every Mom I asked, each reply inevitably began with, "I want to start the day with breakfast in bed," and the responses diverged from there. So for a Mother's Day post, I thought I'd share a decadent, delicious recipe for Baked Blueberry French Toast and a very special cocktail, the Wild Hibiscus Royale, to pair with it.
To those of you (yes YOU, husbands!!!) who'll be making this delightful Baked Blueberry French Toast, for Mom, please don't forget to prepare it ahead of time. Ideally, prepare it the night before and let it hang out in the fridge overnight, however, you can also get away with making it two hours before. Just be sure all the bread has been moistened with some of the milk, egg and syrup mixture.As far as the cocktail goes, the Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup can be found in a jar at your local liquor store. Simply add one flower to the bottom of a Champagne flute, drizzle with a little hibiscus syrup and fill the rest of the glass with your favorite Rosé Champagne (we love Taittinger!).Cheers to all you fabulous Moms and I hope you enjoy your day...especially breakfast in bed!Cheers,
- 12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
- 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 12 extra large eggs
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- For the Sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place half in a greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish.
- Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread and top with the cup of fresh blueberries and remaining bread.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup and mix well. Pour over bread mixture.
- Cover and chill anywhere from 2 hours to overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set. Let rest for 15-20 minutes after removing from oven.
- In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the cup of fresh blueberries. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Drizzle over French toast prior to serving and serve any extra alongside. (makes 1 3/4 cups sauce)