Heavy Cream, Butter, Syrup... and Gran Marnier.

There are all those healthy mornings: the granola mornings, the egg-white omelet mornings, the hold-the-sugar-add-the-soymilk and the cereal with yogurt and fresh fruit mornings. Healthy Stuff. And then there are mornings like this morning.

Can anybody say "heavy cream"? Greg may have been too hungover to enjoy this breakfast, but I definitely wasn't.


I'm not going to say too much about this French Toast, except that it was Full Fat Fantastic. I toasted several slices of whole grain sandwich bread until crispy, sliced some strawberries and preheated the oven, containing a well-buttered cast iron skillet, to 350.


I added eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and... Gran Marnier!


This was the best part. The Gran Marnier was a perfect splash of flavor, helped along with the other spices. I'd highly recommend this rather thrown together recipe. With heavy cream, it literally can't go wrong. Next time I'd think about adding sliced oranges, or layering the toast with bananas and cream cheese. Or maybe even topping the whole thing with some whipped cream (not doing this today took some severe self restraint, folks, saved only by the fact that I ended up adding a splash of heavy cream to my iced coffee, woops, I wasn't going to tell you that).


You could probably simplify things by making it all the night before and popping it in the oven straight from the fridge. Otherwise, enjoy.

Gran Marnier Baked French Toast
Serves: 2

2 tbsp butter
4 slices whole grain sandwich bread
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup organic milk or soy milk
2 large organic eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp Gran Marnier Liqueur
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp cinnamon

Strawberries for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter to baking dish or cast iron skillet and place in oven as it preheats.
   
2. Toast bread to a golden brown. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining ingredients.
3. When bread is toasted, arrange slices in single layer in skillet. Pour egg mixture over and swirl to coat. Return skillet to oven and bake until set in the middle, about 15-20 minutes. Broil for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, slice strawberries for garnish*.
5. Assemble and enjoy

*I sauteed the sliced strawberries with a pat of butter, just until warmed through. I told you this was a "heavy cream" sort of morning...