BREAD 10 slices of Brioche or French Bread, sliced 1" thick
CARAMEL SAUCE (BRULEE) 1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar 2 Tbl Dark Corn Syrup 1 stick unsalted Butter
SYRUP 1 bag frozen Peach Slices or 3-4 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/4 cup Peach Brandy 1/2 cup Sugar
Combine egg custard ingredients except for spices, set aside.
In a small sauce pan prepare caramel sauce, (brulee). Melt the butter over medium heat and add the corn syrup and brown sugar. Cook over medium to medium low heat until the brown sugar is melted and the sauce is smooth. Do not boil it or it will become candy-like. Pour the warm sauce into a large baking dish such as a 13"x9" and spread around to thoroughly cover the bottom of the pan. Place the slices of french bread or brioche on top of the sauce. Pour the prepared egg custard over the bread and sauce making sure to get all the bread moistened. Sprinkle bread with nutmeg and/or cinnamon, if desired. I typically only use nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to bake it. After 30 minutes, place the pan in the center of a preheated oven set to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the french toast is a medium golden-brown color.
While the bread is baking, make the syrup. In a medium saucepan bring the brandy and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar and let the brandy reduce a bit to intensify the flavor and burn off the alcohol taste. Add the peaches. If using frozen peaches, do not thaw before cooking. Add them to the saucepan and cover with a lid. When the mixture returns to a boil reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until frozen peaches are thoroughly thawed and warmed through, but not mushy! If using fresh peaches slice them over the pan to catch all the natural juices. Do not bring the mixture to a boil again but slowly warm up the peaches. Do not overheat or they will break down. You can also use canned peaches in their natural juices. Keep warm.
To serve, plate the french toast and drizzle with the peach and brandy syrup.
