Amaretto Raisin Oven-baked French Toast

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 slices french bread or 8 slices challah or 8 slices brioche bread
• 8 tablespoons butter or 8 tablespoons margarine
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 -3 tablespoons amaretto or 2 -3 tablespoons other almond liqueur
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup toasted & slivered almonds, chopped
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 dash nutmeg
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 spray 13x9" baking dish, generously.
• 3 soak raisins in 2 tablespoons of amaretto only, add 1 tablespoon more if needed, after raisins are plumped, drain.
• 4 butter both sides of bread and place in baking dish, single layer, covering the bottom of dish.
• 5 in a bowl, toss almonds with sugar and sprinkle all over the bread.
• 6 drizzle maple syrup and amaretto-soaked raisins over almonds.
• 7 in a bowl, mix eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, half-and-half, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• 8 pour evenly over bread slices.
• 9 let baking dish rest for 30 minutes, before placing in oven.
• 10 bake for 30-45 minutes, until brown.
• 11 working rapidly, invert on serving tray, cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
• 12 enjoy and serve piping hot!