Fancy French Toast with Blueberry Sauce & Whipped Cream Cheese

December is nearly here - which means, the time for fancy food is upon us. Between the holiday soirées with intricate canapés and cocktails and the marathon family dinners that take days to prepare, people tend to go a little overboard with sensory delights at this time of year - and we love it. Especially when that overboard attitude is applied to brunch, like in this recipe for Fancy French Toast. Can you think of anything more over-the-top delightful than orange-scented French Toast with not just one ooey-gooey delicious sauce, but two? We surely can't. (Unless, of course, you were to pair that French Toast with a fizzy Mimosa.)  So naturally, this is our new go-to recipe for a homemade holiday brunch.

To keep our holiday to-do list to a manageable length, we employed one of our favorite shortcuts for this brunch: ordering groceries from Milk & Eggs. Having farmers-market-quality groceries dropped at our doorstep feels a little bit like getting a visit from Santa himself - fortunately, these gifts are available year round. 

Whether you make it for a crowd or for yourself, this decadent brunch treat is exactly the right amount of fancy to celebrate the season. Happy Brunching! 

Fancy French Toast with Blueberry Sauce and Whipped Cream Cheese

Ingredients

For the French Toast
1 loaf challah or brioche, cut to 1" thick slices
4 eggs
1 1/4 c half & half or milk of choice
1/4 c fresh orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 c sugar
pinch of ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
butter or neutral oil for pan-frying

For the Blueberry Sauce
2 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 c fresh orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c water
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved into 1/4 c water

For the Whipped Cream Cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c cream or half & half
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Begin by preparing the whipped cream cheese. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the cream cheese and cream or half & half. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until just combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 
2. Next, prepare the blueberry sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries, orange juice and zest, sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Stir gently, and bring to a low boil. Once the mixture has reached a boil, stir in the dissolved cornstarch mixture and simmer for about three minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries and remove from heat. If mixture is too thick, add more water to achieve desired consistency. Cover and set aside until ready to serve. 
3. In wide mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add in the half & half or milk, orange juice and zest, vanilla, sugar, ginger, and salt and whisk until well combined. 
4. Working in batches of two, soak bread slices in egg mixture for 1-2 minutes per side or until soaked through. 
5. Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon of butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is hot and bubbling, place the soaked bread slices in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp on the edges. 
6. While the first slices are cooking, heat the oven to 250 degrees F, and begin soaking next two slices of bread. Once first slices are done, remove from pan and place on a baking sheet in the heated oven to keep warm. Repeat frying process with remaining slices of bread, replenishing butter or oil in frying pan as needed. 
7. To serve, top each serving of hot French Toast with a generous drizzle of warm blueberry syrup and a large dollop of whipped cream cheese. If desired, garnish with fresh blueberries, powdered sugar, or orange slices. Enjoy!

Groceries for this post were kindly provided by Milk & Eggs, our favorite grocery delivery service! All opinions are our own.