Baked Blueberry Pecan French Toast

October 2022. The channel crossed 420,000 subscribers and I've been posting more consistently than ever — four videos a week, alternating longer technique videos with shorter quick-recipe ones. Mason has become my co-producer now that he's home from the intensive: he manages the camera, does most of the editing, and has opinions about lighting that have genuinely improved the production quality. He's fifteen and working at a professional level and he finds it natural because, he says, "I've been watching you do it for four years."

The book is selling steadily. Susan says it's "performing above expectations," which in publishing means something specific and good. The review in the Salt Lake Tribune ran a month after publication and included a line I've kept: "This is a book about loss, but it reads like a book about repair." That's exactly what I wanted it to be. I told Claire and she said, "That's because that's what it is."

Ethan is figuring out his next steps. He's applied to two universities with strong Italian studies programs and is also talking to a chef in Salt Lake who has a small restaurant and might take him on as a line cook for a year while he decides about school. I have opinions about all of this and I'm keeping most of them to myself. He's twenty, he came home from two years of genuine self-examination, and he knows what he's doing. My job now is to keep his plate full and stay out of his decisions.

I make him breakfast every morning anyway. Not because he needs it. Because I can.

Ethan’s back, the book is out, Mason is lighting our shots like a professional — and somehow the thing that feels most like mine right now is 6 a.m. in the kitchen, before anyone else is up. He doesn’t need me to make breakfast. That’s exactly why I do it. This baked blueberry pecan French toast has become the October ritual: I assemble it the night before, slide it into the oven while the house is still quiet, and by the time he comes downstairs it’s golden and smelling like fall, no performance required. Technique without fuss. Care without commentary.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr (plus overnight rest, optional) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 loaf brioche or day-old French bread (about 12 oz), cut into 1-inch cubes
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans, divided
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp brown sugar (for topping)
Maple syrup and powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the pan. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer across the bottom of the dish.
Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until fully combined and smooth.
Soak the bread. Pour the custard evenly over the bread cubes. Press the bread gently with a spatula so every piece absorbs the liquid. Scatter the blueberries and 1/2 cup of the pecans across the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
Prep the oven. When ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add the topping. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup pecans and the brown sugar evenly over the surface. Dot the top with the small pieces of cold butter.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the custard is set in the center, the edges are golden brown, and the top has a slight crunch from the caramelized sugar and pecans. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
Rest and serve. Let the French toast rest for 5 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Baked Blueberry Pecan French Toast — The Breakfast I Make Because I Can