Despite the heat a great brunch dish is still a great brunch dish. Try this one from King Arthur Flour.
Ingredients:
1 baguette, about 18" to 20" long (12 ounces) 8 large eggs 3 cups milk 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt Topping: 5 to 6 apples, peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch of salt 2 tablespoons melted butter
Preparation:
Serve with confectioners’ sugar, glazing sugar, or cinnamon-sugar, maple syrup.
Lightly butter a 9″ x 13″ baking pan or similar-sized casserole dish. Slice a day-old baguette into 3/4″ to 1″ slices; you’ll need about 21 slices to fill the pan. Place the slices of bread into the pan.
In a medium-sized bowl beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Pour this mixture over the bread, and let it soak in while you’re preparing the topping.
In a large bowl, toss apple slices with the apples thinly. Toss them with sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Spread over bread in the pan. Drizzle with butter.
To bake immediately, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To bake up to 48 hours later, cover the pan, and refrigerate.
Bake the French toast in a preheated 375°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the apples are soft and the eggs set. If it’s been refrigerated, remove the cover, and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with the sugar of your choice, if desired; or drizzle with maple syrup.