Happy Mother’s Day

My kids made me a beautiful breakfast today in honor of Mother’s Day. I appreciate that they worked side by side, each doing what they could, to bring this meal together. My daughter prepared the Orange Pecan French Toast the night before, so all she had to do in the morning was pop it into the oven. While the French toast cooked, she cooked some sausage, and my son cut up some strawberries. Breakfast was delicious, but the best part of the meal was the pride in my children’s faces, because they had successfully planned and prepared a meal for me. I was thrilled with my Mother’s Day breakfast.

My friend Sandy recommended the Orange Pecan French Toast. The French toast was crisp on the outside, but moist and tender on the inside. The orange juice added a great flavor and aroma, and the pecans added a delicious crunch. This is a great breakfast recipe since you can prepare it the night before. Thanks for the great recommendation!

Orange Pecan French Toast
Adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (my daughter used the corn syrup, but Sandy used pancake syrup with good results.)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
12 (3/4 inch thick) slices French bread
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup 2% milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting.

Stir together the brown sugar, melted butter and corn syrup in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and spread evenly. Sprinkle pecans over the sugar mixture, and arrange the bread slices over the sugar and pecans in a single snug layer.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and eggs. Pour the mixture over the bread, and cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 1 hour.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the cover over the bread mixture, and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Place in the oven and bake 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Using a small spatula, remove the French toast from the pan and place on a plate with the syrup and pecan side on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Makes 6 2-piece servings.