This overnight Chai French Toast is the perfect Mother’s Day brunch
Some things are meant to be together. Like bread and butter, or Sunday and brunch. It just so happens that Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May every year, and what a shame it would be to miss out on marking the occasion without a late breakfast or early lunch.
French toast is a brunch staple, but usually requires a little elbow grease: the occasional flip with a spatula and lots of waiting around the stove. But what if there was a way to achieve incredible – dare I say better – French toast, without the day-of hassle?
This overnight chai French toast is baked in the oven to crispy perfection, and makes for an impressive, worry-free Mother’s Day brunch so you can spend your time with those who matter most.
The coconut-orange cream is totally optional, but highly recommended – it melts beautifully into the warm baked brioche and adds a zesty kick.
OVERNIGHT CHAI FRENCH TOAST WITH COCONUT-ORANGE CREAM
Ingredients Yield: 4 servings For the French Toast:
1 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted
1 loaf of day-old brioche, uncut
1 cup milk of choice (I use unsweetened vanilla oat) 4 large eggs
1 tbsp of vanilla extract 1 chai tea bag
1 tsp of cinnamon Pinch of salt
Maple syrup, for topping (I
like the Steeves Maples 100% Pure Maple Syrup) For the Cream:
160 ml or one small can of full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp of powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 tbsp of orange zest, about one large orange
Pinch of salt Instructions
The day before serving: 1. Grease a 9x13’’ baking dish with melted butter. Cut brioche into about eight 1-inch slices, but it will depend on the size of your loaf. Wedge slices into baking dish, making a single layer. Feel free to cut or rip a slice or two to fill the dish.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract. It’s important that the egg yolks are broken, so ensure you whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
3. Cut open a chai tea bag and pour its dried contents into the mixture. Add the cinnamon and salt and mix until combined.
4. Pour the mixture evenly on top of the brioche. Use your hands to gently press in any remaining liquid. Don’t worry if some of the mixture pools at the bottom of the dish–most of this will soak into the brioche overnight.
5. Cover and refrigerate, for up to 24 hours.
6. Meanwhile, open up the can of coconut milk, careful not to shake it, and spoon out the solids into a small mixing bowl. You can save the extra liquid for something else, like a sauce or smoothie.
7. Beat the coconut milk solids on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, orange zest and salt and beat for another minute. Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight. The morning of:
8. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. The top of the baked french toast should be a light golden brown.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes in the baking dish before cutting into rectangular pieces – they don’t have to be perfect!
10. Serve with maple syrup, a dollop of coconut-orange * cream, orange zest and a dusting of powdered sugar.
MAKE HER EGGS SPECIAL
Looking for another idea for a Mother’s Day brunch special? Saltwire Food and Drink Creative Director Mark Dewolf suggests trying these Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg Croissants.
Easy to make and fancy enough to make your mom feel special, most of the ingredients needed are items you’ll likely already have on hand.
SMOKED SALMON AND SCRAMBLED EGG CROISSANTS Source: Mark Dewolf
12 eggs, whisked
¼ cup cheddar, grated Pinch salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups fresh greens 500 g cold smoked salmon 1 cup fresh mozzarella, roughly torn
1 ½ tbsp capers
Fresh dill, for garnish
Directions:
Start to make the scrambled eggs by whisking the eggs and cheese together. Season with salt and pepper.
Add butter and eggs to a non-stick pan set to medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Constant stirring incorporates oxygen into the eggs, making them fluffier.
When the eggs are fluffy but still moist, remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
To serve, slice your croissants in half lengthwise. Place equal amounts of greens on the bottom. Top with equal amounts of scrambled eggs. Lay equal amounts of smoked salmon on top of the eggs. Add equal amounts of capers and mozzarella to each. Finish with fresh dill for garnish. Makes six servings.