Brioche French Toast with Brown Sugar-Cranberry Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine chopped cranberries with light brown sugar, orange zest, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are soft and sauce is ruby-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove cranberry mixture from heat and whisk in butter and heavy cream. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking, until butter is completely melted and sauce is hot, about 3 minutes. Discard orange zest. Keep cranberry sauce warm over very low heat. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. In a large baking dish, whisk eggs with heavy cream, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Heat a large cast-iron griddle and lightly butter it. Working in batches, dip half of brioche slices in egg mixture, turning them, until they are well-moistened. Transfer soaked brioche to griddle and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until French toast is golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer French toast to a baking sheet, cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining brioche slices. Serve French toast with cranberry sauce and whipped cream. Looking for more breakfast recipes? Start the day with one of our French toast recipes, easy quiche recipes, or breakfast casserole recipes that feed the whole family.