Bourbon Apple Baked French Toast

Check our Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen Blog Post – Choose Your Own Christmas Adventure: Holiday Side For You And Yours

1 pound softened cream cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 each fresh eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
8 slices ciabatta bread
1 cup Bourbon Stewed Apples (see recipe)

Beat softened cream cheese in mixer with paddle attachment until smooth. Add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs one at a time, while mixing. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again. Slowly incorporate milk while mixing. Place two slices of bread in each of 10 casserole dishes, flat sides to the center. Top bread with 3 ounces of custard mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and top each portion with ¼ cup of bourbon stewed apples. Serves: 4.

Bourbon Stewed Apples

¼ pound Bourbon Butter (see recipe)
1 cup Apple Pie Filling (see recipe)

Heat apple pie filling in a sauté pan. Add butter in chunks. Stir until butter melts. Makes 1 cup.

Apple Pie Filling

2 ½ pound apples – peeled, cored and sliced
¼ cup apple cider
1 ½ tsp corn starch
1/8 pound butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 oz granulated sugar
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Dissolve corn starch in apple cider. Melt butter in skillet. Add apples and sauté until coated in butter. Add sugars and cinnamon and cook until syrup is thick. Add corn starch – cider mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Makes 1 cup.

Bourbon Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, ¼ lb
3 tbsp bourbon, Jim Beam

Allow butter to come to room temperature, and then combine with remaining ingredients in a mixer. Using a rubber spatula, remove mixture to a sheet of wax paper and roll into a log. Place in freezer until set. Slice off a coin as needed. Makes ¼ pound.

Disclaimer: All our recipes were originally designed for much larger batch size. This recipe has been reduced – but not tested at this scale. Please adjust as to your taste and portion size.