Baked Blueberry-Pecan French Toast

Ingredients

• Butter
• 12ounces Italian bread, cut into 6 to 8 slices (each about 1 inch thick)
• 5eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2cups milk, half-and-half, or light cream
• 2/3cup packed brown sugar
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2cups fresh blueberries
• 1cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/4cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4cup butter, melted
• Powdered sugar
• 1cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2cup pure maple syrup
• 1tablespoon lemon juice

• Directions

  1. Butter a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange bread slices in dish, overlapping if necessary.
  2. In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, the 2/3 cup brown sugar, the vanilla, and nutmeg. Slowly pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Press lightly with a rubber spatula or the back of a large spoon to moisten bread. Cover; chill for 8 to 24 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly sprinkle the 2 cups blueberries and the pecans over bread mixture. In a small bowl stir together the 1/4 cup brown sugar and the 1/4 cup melted butter. Drizzle butter mixture over pecans.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  5. Meanwhile, for blueberry syrup, in a small saucepan combine the 1 cup blueberries and the maple syrup; cook and stir over medium heat about 3 minutes or until blueberries have burst. Pour syrup through a sieve into a heatproof pitcher, pressing juice out of blueberries. Stir in lemon juice.

  From the Test Kitchen

  MAKE-AHEAD TIP

  The blueberry syrup may be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate; reheat before serving.