Make-ahead Baked Peach French Toast

Colorado palisade peaches are in season so it is the perfect time to make this Peach French toast. What a delightfully sweet and satisfying brunch dish! This Baked French toast is extra nice because it is a make ahead recipe that is put together the night before and left in the refrigerator so that the flavors meld! It is awesome to have a delicious breakfast ready without having to prepare it in the morning.

 There are two ways you can make this French toast. I sometimes make this with the bread on the top like I did today. But this recipe is also great with bread as a bottom layer with the egg mixture and then the peaches placed on top.

Make-ahead Baked Peach French Toast

5-6 peaches

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, unsalted

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tsp. corn starch blended into 1-2 tsp of water

9-12 slices of French bread, about 1 “ thick, enough to  cover the 9x 13 baking dish. Alternatively, bread may be torn into cubes.

6 eggs

½ cup whole milk

½ cup half and half

1 TBSP  sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

First peel the peaches by washing them, and place them in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Remove the peaches and then slip the peach skin off.  Slice peaches into about ½ “ slices.

Heat butter in pan, add brown sugar and stir until dissolved and then add peaches, spices and vanilla. Add corn starch to water and mix before stirring it into peach mixture.

Pour peaches into 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

The bread slices may be torn into pieces or left in slices.

Press bread slices or pieces on to peach mixture.

Beat eggs and mix in milk, cream, sugar and vanilla and pour over bread. Sprinkle with spices. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight or for about 8 hours.

In the morning, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while preheating oven to 350.   Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until puffy, toasty  and golden brown.

Serve immediately with maple syrup or whipping cream if desired.