At the BWNA board retreat held on a brisk, fall, early Saturday morning last year, my fellow board members and I ambled to the outdoor event bleary-eyed, rubbing our cold hands, and hoping for a hot cup of joe.
To our surprise and delight, board member Angela Frome anticipated our silent needs. She greeted us with jugs of steaming coffee—and a table laden with a veritable cornucopia of fresh fruit in every color, cheeses in a variety of shapes and textures, and something that at first glance appeared to be a pan of cinnamon rolls.
Upon closer visual inspection and the requisite taste test, the “cinnamon rolls” were melt-in-your-mouth spoonsful of warm and gooey sugar and spice. Angela was rewarded with generous applause for making this satisfying starter to the day. A slab of this dish served to me with a side of fresh fruit would say “love” in my book—maybe in your sweetie’s, too. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole (with Brioche)
10 servings, recipe from Kroll’s Korner
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (1 lb) day-old brioche bread, (so it doesn’t get soggy) cut into 1-inch cubes (use challah or French bread as substitutes)
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 8 large eggs
- 1 c 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 c whole milk
- ½ c heavy cream
- 1 recipe pumpkin pie spice mixture (see notes)
- ¼ c dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
For the streusel topping
- ½ c all-purpose flour
- ¼ c cold butter, cut into cubes
- ½ c dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ c chopped pecans
For the maple glaze
- 2 c powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 4 Tbsp melted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cut the brioche into 1-inch bite size cubes. If your bread is fresh, pop it in the oven at 300 °F for 10–15 minutes to dry it out a bit.
- Add the melted butter to the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, all of the spices, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Arrange the stale bread cubes into casserole dish.
- Pour the egg mixture (described in step 3) over the bread and gently press the bread down so it’s mostly covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork (or just use your hands!) until mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate this, too, separate from the casserole.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 °F. Sprinkle the streusel on top of casserole and top with chopped pecans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the middle is set. Tent with foil if tops get at all browned. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes.
- Make the maple glaze by mixing all ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup or cream as desired. Drizzle over casserole.
Notes
Pumpkin Spice Recipe: 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cardamom, ¼ tsp allspice, ½ tsp salt.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.