Creme Brulee French Toast
Ok, y’all, one month til Valentine’s Day. Are you ready?
Valentine’s Day is a big deal here around Dessert For Two. This is the time of year when couples bake teeny tiny desserts to share. Personally, every day is Valentine’s Day for us, but that’s not as romantic as it sounds: every day as Valentine’s means petite dishes with chocolate smears and egg white traces constantly piled high in the kitchen. It also means 3 batches of the same dessert with post-it notes on each with a harsh rating card. All responses will be over-analyzed and held against you. (Do you hear that Mr. Dessert For Two??)
So, like I was saying, I love Valentine’s Day. I always have. Even when I was single in college, it was the one time of year that I would send cards to all my family members. For some reason, I can’t be bothered with Christmas cards, but pink cards with hearts make me giddy. Last year, I compiled a Valentine’s Day Desserts For Two list. If you don’t see anything that strikes your fancy, browse my entire recipe index; everything is scaled down to serve two! If your sweetheart’s favorite dessert is an out-of-season pumpkin dessert, I’ve got you covered.
This year, I thought I would start a Breakfast In Bed For Two series.
Starting now, I will be bringing you romantic breakfasts that serve two while you snuggle under the covers with your loved one. Be careful with the maple syrup. It stains white comforters something fierce.
- 4 slices French bread, slightly stale
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ of a vanilla bean
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon orange liquor (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Have ready a small baking dish with a 3-cup capacity. Lay the bread slices in a shingle pattern in the baking dish and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Slit open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the saucepan too. Bring the mixture to a scald while stirring occasionally. A scald is when bubbles form around the edge of the pan only; the mixture should not boil. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish to cool slightly before whisking in the eggs and orange liquor. Pour this mixture over the bread slices, cover and let soak in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Before baking, remove the dish from the fridge and let come to room temp while the oven preheats to 350. Bake for 33-38 minutes, until the custard sets and slightly pulls away from the edge of the pan. The bread slices should be browned. Before serving, sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of sugar on top and torch with a creme brulee torch.
- Serve with maple syrup or unsweetened whipped cream.
I love the idea of this series although I’m not sure I can wait until Valentine’s Day to have this for breakfast!
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oh, the series sounds so cute! and the recipe? wowzah. i need
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I’ve gone blind at the beauty….
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Looks wonderful!
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So…I get to eat this in bed? Even. Better.
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Yes please! This looks amazing!
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awww this is so super cute!! I’d love to have this on Valentine’s Day with my sweetie
You know the way to my heart, Christina 
I love your desserts for two..they’re so perfect!
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Yes, awesome idea! I don’t Xmas cards either but Valentine’s day is way more fun
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Fascinated with the creme bruleed french toast. Yum!
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French toast is my favorite breakfast treat! This looks divine!
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I love creme brulee and baked up like this with french toast would be so good!
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yum, what a great idea for Valentine’s day. I love Creme Brulee.
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Love this for Valentine’s Day or really any day!
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Looks mega-delicious!
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This looks amazing and my hubs will fall in love all over again. He LOVES french toast!
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Great idea! I look forward to more in the series.
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Great Post! I love that you love Valentines Day
. I’m the same way. Steve is a French Toast lover &&& a Creme Brulee lover – This breakfast has got all the bases covered! {No baseball pun intended haha}
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I made creme brulee French toast once and it was to-die-for!!! This is a great reminder to make it again!!!!
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This looks lovely! Question – I’m often turned off by baked french toast recipes because they tend to come out kind of soft an mushy, what is the consistency of this one?
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Christina Reply:
January 18th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Hi there Miss Caroline! Thanks for writing
The part of the bread that stick up are crisp (plus, they are sprinkled with sugar & torched for extra crispness), but the parts of the bread in the rich custard are indeed soggy. A bite of crisp bread + a bite of soft bread with custard. You in?
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Caroline @ Pink Basil Reply:
January 18th, 2012 at 11:05 am
Hey lady! Thanks for the response
I’m definitely tempted to give it a try, I think I just have to let go of the expectation that the bread is going to be crisp all the way through, I think that’s my downfall, haha.
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Your blog is the perfect place for Valentines day!! EVERYONE needs desserts for two!
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I’ve always been single for Valentine’s Day, but I still love it! I love every holiday! Your idea for dessert (or breakfast) for two for Valendtine’s Day is so cute and perfect
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Christina, what a fantastic idea — a Breakfast In Bed series! (Not to mention this French Toast…) Looking forward to cozying up under the comforter a.s.a.p.!
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Wonderful idea, looking forward to the rest of the series.
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I’ll will be happy with a breakfast like this, ALTHOUGH I know my hubby will love it too! Great recipe, Christina
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You’re officially invited over on Valentine’s Day.
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I would think that this holiday and this website would indeed be an unstoppable duo. GREG
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yes, yes, yes please! this sounds incredible
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Perfect Valentine’s Day post, although could happily eat this all by myself and leave my boyfriend to a big slab of steak
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I did not think it was possible for me to love your blog or Instagram more, but now I find that you have the same Valentine obsession that I have. Oh. Em. Gee. This is something my husband would flip his lid for, but I’d be hesitant to make me because there would be way too much. Perfection!
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Me likey! Looks like I’ll be doubling this soon for my little army.
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Now that’s a decadent way to start the day!
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Wow does this look delicious! I got a chuckle regarding the post it notes for critiquing the dish. Honey Bunny and I sit down and really discuss a lot of the dishes I make. He used to say, “I like it” or “I don’t”. Now he says things like, “I really liked the texture of this dish” or “I like the lemon in this one…”. I guess our guys may be turning into foodies!
*gasp*
That would mean that everyday IS Valentines Day! WooHoo!
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Creme brulee french toast?!? Want this now
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I neeeeedddd this! If I come over will you make another batch?!
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Yum! I need this in my life. I know its supposed to feed two, but it might just feed me. I’ve never been good at sharing. (See: the recipes I’ve had people ask me for that I will not share. Bad food blogger)
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Not a huge V-day fan at all but all the food that comes with it is reason enough to look forward to the day! The French toast looks lovely. Nice to have found your blog, too!
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I love creme brulee anything, and this sounds fabulous!! And now if only I could get my hubby to make this for me…
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