Vanilla scented French toast with soft baked pear slices, crunchy pecans and sweet maple syrup - a brunch dish so delicious you’d never guess how effortless it is to make.
Choosing the Right Ingredients.
For the best texture, I like to use ciabatta as the base. Its airy crumb and sturdy crust hold up beautifully as it soaks in the maple custard, staying soft in the centre without ever turning soggy.
The pears play an equally important role, so it’s worth choosing a firm, crunchy variety. They soften just enough in the oven to become tender and sweet, but still keep their shape among the toasted pecans and golden edges of the bread.
The combination creates a lovely balance of textures in every slice, making this an easy, comforting bake to bring to the table on chilly mornings.
MAPLE PECAN & PEAR BAKED FRENCH TOAST
Prep time: 10 minutes. Bake time: 45 minutes.
Difficulty: Everyday bake.
INGREDIENTS
For the French toast:
250g ciabatta (or similar bread), sliced
4 egg yolks
300ml whole milk
75ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 large or 3 small pears
For the topping:
100g pecans, roughly chopped
45g butter, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup
Method
Step 1: In a bowl or jug, beat the egg yolks. Add the milk, cream, vanilla extract, nutmeg and maple syrup and whisk together. Set aside.
Step 2: Arrange the slices of bread in an oven-proof dish. Slice the pears thinly and add to the dish with the bread, alternating the pear and bread slices.
Step 3: Pour over the egg mixture. Cover with baking foil and leave for 30 minutes for the bread to soak up the liquid.
Step 4: Prepare the topping by mixing together the melted butter and maple syrup in a bowl, and coat the pecans with it.
Step 5: Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan). By the time the oven is up to temperature the bread should have soaked up most of the liquid mixture. Gently agitate the dish to distribute the remaining liquid through the bread, then top with the coated pecans.
Step 6: Return the foil cover and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and take off the foil. Return it to the oven, uncovered, for a further 20-25 minutes until the pears are soft, and the top is golden brown.
Step 7: Serve warm with some extra maple syrup!
