French Toast recipe

Those lucky enough to attend Hot Chocolate Morning this month at Mary Ellen's got to taste Apple Toffee French Toast.  Here's the recipe as published in the Costco Connection magazine November 2010.  It was Tree Top's America's Secret Ingredient recipe contest winner, Sweet catagory by Nadine Mesch of Mount Healthy, Ohio.

Ingredients Servings: 8

French Toast: 8 cups French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes 3 tart apples, peeled, chopped 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened ¾ cup  brown sugar ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup Tree Top Apple Juice ¾ cup milk 2 tsp vanilla, divided ½ cup English toffee bits 5 eggs   Apple Syrup: 1 cup sugar 2 TBSP cornstarch ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg 2 cups* Tree Top Apple Juice 2 TBSP lemon juice 5 TBSP butter * For thicker syrup, try reducing Apple Juice to 1 cup.

Directions

Place half the bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan; top with apples. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars, Tree Top apple juice and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth; stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples. Top with remaining bread cubes. In another large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended; pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. While baking French toast prepare syrup. Apple Syrup: In a medium size saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, Tree Top apple juice and lemon juice; heat to a boil; whisk constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Add butter. Serve over warm Apple Toffee French toast to 8 VERY lucky people.

Serving Suggestions

Spoon warm syrup over French toast. For real decadence, dollop a spoonful of whipped cream on top.