Orange Croissant French Toast

 

A funny thing just happened. I have a cookbook that was printed back in 2009. In it are recipes that received the greatest number of kudos from guests and family alike. Don and I are doing a cooking class demonstration on Thursday and, you guessed, while preparing everything and, of course, sampling the fare before we go, Don said I should print off this recipe so everyone can follow through. Yea, I said….then I tried to find it. HA! I never did post it.

Here it is….it is an elegant, exceptionally fine cuisine and a real WOW factor.

 

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1  1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 – 3 tsp. Grand Marnier
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • grated zest of one orange
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp. icing sugar
  • 4 croissants, one day old
  • 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp. Crisco oil
  • orange syrup (recipe follows)
  • 2 segmented oranges

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs, cream, Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and zest in a medium bowl. Stir together the cream cheese and icing sugar in a small bowl.

Cut the croissant in half lengthwise and spread the outside bottom with cream cheese mixture and the outside top with the marmalade. Place back together (they will be inverted with cut side out) to seal. (they will look inside out)

Place the stuffed croissants in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the egg mixture over them and soak for 5 minutes. Turn over and soak for another 5 minutes or until soaked through.

Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. Crisco oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Fry each side until golden brown. Place on a wire rack and place in the oven while cooking the remaining croissants.

Wipe out the frypan and repeat with the oil, butter and croissants.

 

Orange Syrup

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp. corn starch
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Combine juice and cornstarch in a bowl and then mix into the sugar syrup. Simmer gently until thick. (About 6-8 minutes). Add butter and stir until it melts. Serve warm over the croissants.