Overnight French Toast Casserole

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and lay on a sheet pan. Bake for 4 minutes, turn and then bake another 4 minutes.

2. Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking dish and set aside

3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. 
4. Add 1/2 of the cubed (lightly toasted bread) to the casserole dish. Spread 1 1/4 cups of berries on the bread layer. Next add the remaining bread and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of berries. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread. WIth your hands, press the bread down to make sure it is all soaked in the milk mixture. 

5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight!

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. The french toast will look set and the top puffed and lightly browned. Keep an eye on your french toast and if its getting to brown you can top with foil. 

7. Optional Step: The day before, or while the french toast is baking, make the toasted hazelnuts.

   Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. In a baking pan toast hazelnuts in one layer in for 10 – 12 minutes, or until lightly colored. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in towel to remove loose skins – its okay if they don’t all come off!.

8. To a saucepan, add the butter and 1 tbsp of sugar and the cinnamon on medium heat. Once melted, add the toasted hazelnuts and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and spread the nuts over parchment paper. Next, sprinkle the remaining 2 tsp of sugar over the hazelnuts and allow them to cool.  If desired, you can make the 2 tsp cinnamon sugar by adding 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the sugar and mixing together before topping the nuts.

9. Serve the fresh toast with a sprinkle of icing sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup and dollop of fresh whipped cream. Top with the toasted hazelnuts!