Need a delicious brunch recipe? Or simply want to spoil your overnight guests? My friend fixed this for our first morning at her house…she prepared it the night before, slick!

Baked French Toast

• 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.
3. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

This dessert was a hit our first night at Jana’s house! Even my hubby who is not a chocolate person, told me to “get this recipe”! Jana served it warm–it makes its own fudgy sauce–with vanilla ice cream! To-die-for! And well worth leaving my diet and exercise plan at home, lol! (I gained three pounds but promptly lost it! Whew!)

Crockpot Cake from Jana–thanks, girl!

*Ingredients that say plus 1/3 cup are for the second part of the cake. Happy eating.

• 1 c all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 6 TBSP butter
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate (or 1/3 c choc. chips)
• 2/3 plus 1/3 c sugar (white granulated)
• 3 TBSP plus 1/3 c Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 c milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c hot water
• Whipped cream or ice cream (Ice cream is definitely a must with this. It melts on it and tastes sooo good)

Coat the inside of crock pot with cooking spray. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave and mix well. Whisk in the 2/3 cup sugar, 3 TBSP of cocoa, vanilla, salt, milk, and egg yolk. Add the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour the batter into the slow cooker and spread it evenly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining white sugar (1/3 cup), cocoa (1/3 cup), brown sugar (1/3 cup) and the hot water until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the batter in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 1 1/4 to 2 1/4 hours, depending on the size of the crock pot. Even when done, the cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate, but you’ll know it’s ready when nearly all of the cake is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot. ( As you check, try not to let the condensed steam from the lid drip onto the cake.) When it’s done turn off the power and remove the lid. Let it cool for 25 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings. I haven’t cooked it the full 2 1/4 hours. It usually takes less. Uncovering is important when done as it still keeps cooking.

YUM. Hope you all enjoy!