Cinnamon French Toast and Bacon Candy (or Maple Roasted Bacon)

I try to cook breakfast at least once on the weekends. Most of the time it is plain old fried or scrambled eggs, biscuits and sausage, you know classic breakfast. Then sometimes it my personal favorite of French Toast. Nom, nom, nom!

This weekend I tried making it with Cinnamon Raisin Bread and it worked but I most likely won't use it again (note the almost burnt look in the picture, it's not burnt, it's raisins). So without further ado- the recipe.


Cinnamon French Toast

1 cup whipping cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale bread, your choice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
splash good vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, honey, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip both sides of bread into mixture and place in prepared pan (read below directions), you do not want to let the bread sit in liquid.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. When all bread it done place cooling rack in the oven for 5 minutes.

Serve warm with butter and syrup. Yum.

Maple-Roasted Bacon

3/4 pound thick-cut smoked bacon (16 slices)
1 to 2 tablespoons good maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon begins to brown. Remove the pan from oven and brush the bacon slices with maple syrup and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the bacon is a warm golden brown.

Serve warm.