SERVES 8
You can make the bread pudding and stop there or you can cut it up and turn it into French toast. To say that this “needs” anything extra would, frankly, be decadent but to elevate it to the realm of a serious brunch dish, some stewed seasonal fruit or fresh berries would not go amiss.
For bread pudding:
2¾ cups full-fat milk
¾ cup cream
1 orange rind, shaved into long strips
3 long cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1 pound brioche, crusts removed, cut into eight 1-inch-thick slices
6 eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup sugar
For the French toast:
¼ cup unsalted butter
8 teaspoons powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
Maple syrup to serve
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the milk, cream, orange rind, cinnamon, and vanilla pod and seeds in a medium saucepan. Heat gently over medium-low heat and remove just before it comes to the boil, about 5 minutes. Set aside for about 20 minutes so the cream cools a bit and the flavors infuse.
Line a 9 × 13-inch rectangular baking dish with parchment paper and lay the brioche slices flat on top.
Place the eggs, maple syrup, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk well. Pour the warm milk gradually into the eggs, whisking the whole time. Strain the custard. Pour two thirds of it over the brioche so that the pieces are fully covered. Place the remaining custard in a wide, shallow bowl and set aside.
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the custard is cooked through and golden brown. Set aside to cool. Then slice into eight squares.
To make French toast: Place half the butter in a large nonstick frying pan and place on a medium-high heat. Dip half the bread squares into the remaining custard mix, transfer to a plate, and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of powdered sugar over each square.
Put the bread squares immediately into the pan sugar side down, and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute to caramelize the sugar. While the squares are frying, sprinkle another ½ teaspoon of powdered sugar onto each slice. Flip over and cook for the same amount of time, until the sugar is dark brown and crispy.
Remove from the pan, rest on a wire rack, and repeat process with the remaining butter and bread squares.
To serve, place a slice of French toast on each plate with 2 tablespoons of sour cream and as much maple syrup as you like.