Lunch: Lidey's Croissant French Toast

Recipe by Lidey Heuck Breakfast in bed just got a lot fancier.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Lidey's Croissant French Toast

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

2 croissants, preferably a day old, sliced in half horizontally
1 c. whole milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
1/4 c. granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur, divided
pinch of kosher salt
1 c. fresh raspberries
1 c. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Maple syrup, for serving
Whipped cream (optional), for serving

Instructions

Place croissant halves, cut sides down, in a shallow baking dish just large enough to fit them in one layer.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, vanilla extract, Grand Marnier, and salt until well combined. Pour mixture over the croissant halves. Soak croissants for 10 minutes, using a spoon to ladle the custard over them halfway through.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the raspberries and strawberries with the remaining 2 teaspoons of Grand Marnier.
Melt half the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. When the butter is hot, place both halves of one of the croissants, cut sides down, in the pan.
Immediately sprinkle the outsides with granulated sugar and cook for 4 minutes, until the cut sides are golden brown. Using a spatula, flip the croissant halves and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove and repeat with the remaining croissant. Serve immediately with the berries, maple syrup, and whipped cream, if using.