Dinner: Baked Croissant French Toast Casserole with Bacon and Bourbon Infused Maple Syrup and Caramelized Shallot Hazelnut Butter

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Baked Croissant French Toast Casserole with Bacon and Bourbon Infused Maple Syrup and Caramelized Shallot Hazelnut Butter

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

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup raw sugar
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Small pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup dried blueberries
6 day-old croissants (preferably made with butter), torn into large pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing casserole

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Making the baked croissant French toast casserole: In a large bowl beat the milk, cream, sugar and eggs until well blended. Add the sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dried blueberries and croissants, and let it all sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the croissants absorb the liquid. Grease an 8-inch square, high-sided casserole dish with the butter. Pour in the croissant/egg/milk mixture. Bake in the center of the oven until no liquid rises when the center of casserole is pressed, 45 to 55 minutes. Making the bacon and bourbon infused maple syrup: Mince the bacon and fry until very crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain all the fat. Mix the maple syrup and bourbon and add the bacon. Refrigerate. Making the caramelized shallot hazelnut butter: Saute the shallots in the unsalted butter over medium heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the shallots to a medium bowl. Add the softened salted butter, hazelnuts and vanilla extract to the bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter and add the shallot hazelnut butter. Roll the butter in the plastic wrap to form a cylinder. Chill until firm. Serve the baked croissant French toast casserole warm, adding a slice of caramelized shallot hazelnut butter to each portion. Drizzle generously with bacon and bourbon infused maple syrup.