By August. The semester starts in two weeks and I have been using the remaining days wisely: extra hours at the daycare, extra time at the research lab, and cooking projects on weekends because the fall semester will leave less time for cooking projects.
I made croissants this weekend. This is the most technically demanding thing I have ever attempted: laminated dough, which means folding butter into dough over and over to create hundreds of thin layers that puff in the oven. You have to chill the dough between every fold. It takes two days minimum. My first batch: not enough folds, the layers did not fully develop, the croissants were good but not the shatteringly flaky thing I had in mind. But they were croissants. I made croissants. They existed and they were edible and the kitchen smelled like a French bakery and Priya stood in the doorway and said: you actually made croissants. I said: first attempt. She said: of course it is the first attempt. This is you. You are going to keep trying these until they are perfect. She is right. I am going to keep trying these until they are perfect.
Sunday Gloria made her biscuits herself for the first time in several months. Her hands have been better this summer, the rheumatologist treatment helping. She moved through the recipe with the ease she always has, her hands knowing everything they have always known. The biscuits rose. I watched her make them and thought: some things are not mine to carry. Some things stay with the person they belong to.
The croissants were not perfect — I know that, and I am already planning the next attempt. But standing in the kitchen two days into a laminating project, with the smell of baked butter still in my hair and Gloria’s biscuits cooling on the counter across the room, I wanted something that honored both of those mornings: the ambitious one that is still unfinished, and the easy one that belongs entirely to someone else. This overnight creme brûlée French toast bake is what I made the next day — it starts the night before, it demands patience, and when it comes out of the oven it fills the kitchen with exactly that smell. It is not croissants. But it is the kind of thing you make when you are still in the middle of learning what you are capable of.
Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast Bake
Prep Time: 20 minutes + overnight chill | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (about 1 lb) brioche or thick-cut French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the dish. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously. Arrange the bread cubes in an even layer in the dish.
- Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until fully combined and smooth.
- Soak overnight. Pour the custard evenly over the bread cubes, pressing gently so every piece absorbs the liquid. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Make the brûlée topping. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Remove the soaked bread from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Scatter the butter pieces across the top, then sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the entire surface.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and caramelized and the custard is set in the center. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Allow the bake to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Scoop into portions and serve warm, with fresh berries or a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 310mg