Orange Ciabatta French Toast with Berries

Get this delicious meal cooking first thing in the morning and your kids will be out of bed before you can even say, Orange Ciabatta French Toast with Berries. This recipe will start the day right with thick, crispy and sweet slices of zesty orange French Toast topped with fresh berries. It’s a summer garden in your mouth!

Ingredients:
Zest of 1 medium orange
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey
2 large eggs
8 slices ciabatta bread, sliced 1 inch thick
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cups mixed in-season berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries
Powdered sugar for garnish, optional

Method:
1. In a large, shallow baking dish, whisk together orange zest and juice, milk, cream, vanilla, honey and eggs until well combined.

2. Partially submerge each bread slice in egg mixture for 15 minutes. Flip over.

3. Heat vegetable oil and butter in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 4 pieces of bread at a time until golden brown, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bread.

4. Divide French toast between 4 plates and top each with 1 cup berries. Dust with powdered sugar if you like.

How excited are you to make this in the morning? 

The Auntie Em’s Cookbook: A Musician’s Guide to Breakfast & Brunch is the first cookbook by Terri Wahl, owner and executive chef of Auntie Em’s Kitchen in Eagle Rock, California. Formerly the lead guitarist of the all-girl acclaimed punk rock band the Red Aunts, Wahl fuses her passions for food and music with a song pairing for each seasonal breakfast, brunch and dessert recipe; the cookbook is available on Amazon and independent bookstores nationwide.