Holiday Brioche Brunch Board
Made on 26-inch BIG BOARD
Ingredients
Cranberry Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast Cups:
- 1 14 oz loaf Brioche Cinnamon Twist bread
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 c heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp c brown sugar
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ c dried sweetened cranberries
- Maple syrup and powdered sugar for dusting
Monte Cristo Breakfast Sliders:
- 1 pack Brioche sliders, pulled apart into individual rolls
- 6 slices Swiss cheese, cut in half then folded into a smaller square (12 squares total)
- 12 Canadian bacon slices
- ¼ c raspberry jam, heaping
- ¼ c Dijon mustard, heaping
- 6 strips cooked bacon, halved (optional)
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp thyme, minced, heaping
- 10 eggs, beaten
- Salt to season
Other board ingredients:
- 1 large apple, sliced (and tossed in lemon juice prevent browning, optional)
- 1 Red Anjou pear
- Blackberries
- Seasonal cookies, shortbread biscuits, ginger snaps
- Peppermint dark chocolate bark
- Chocolate truffles
- Hot chocolate ornaments, or use real ornaments
Instructions
How to make Cranberry Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast Cups:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin with butter or nonstick spray.
- Cut bread slices into ¾’’- 1’’ thick cubes and transfer to a large baking sheet. Spread into a single layer and bake for 10-15 minutes until dried out (but not toasted).
- As the bread toasts, make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt. Pour over the bread cubes, gently stir to coat all the cubes in the egg mixture, then gently stir in the cranberries and let sit 10-15 minutes to absorb.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a spoon or scoop, fill muffin tins and press down gently to fill all of the space. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden on the tops and edges, and baked through the middle. Remove from oven, let cool 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges. Once cooled enough, carefully remove the French toast from the tin.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
How to make Monte Cristo Breakfast Sliders:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium skillet, add the butter. Once melted, add the thyme and black pepper. Stir until fragrant, 30-60 seconds, then add in the beaten eggs. Cook over a medium-low heat until just coming together, but still glossy and wet. Remove from heat immediately—then eggs will continue to cook even off the heat, and additionally, the eggs will cook more in the oven.
- Arrange the rolls onto a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the mustard on the top, jam on the bottom, followed by a square of Swiss cheese, bacon, a (folded) slice of Canadian bacon, and a scoop of scrambled eggs. Assemble all tops and bottoms, skewer if desired, cover completely with foil, and bake 25-30 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sliders are fragrant.
- Serve warm.
- TIP: For the Swiss cheese, I cut it down to fit onto the sliders by first halving the large slice of cheese into two strips, then folding each strip into a smaller square. If you want, double up on the cheese slices (using 12 instead of 6), for even more decadent cheesiness.
- TIP: This recipe calls for pulling the rolls apart. I do this because it allows all of the delicious cheese and sauces to drip down onto the pan, crisp up, and caramelize. If you want to save time, keep the rolls together.
How to arrange the BIG BOARD:
- Arrange the cups and sliders on separate side of the board. If serving hot, place on small plates (to preserve the board). Both of these recipes can be served "warm." Arrange the fruit, chocolate, and ornaments on the board. Add syrup to a small pitcher and set on the board. Dust the French Toast Cups with powdered sugar and serve!