French Toast Alert - Elevated!

The French Toast Alert is now at ELEVATED, meaning we interrupt our regular programming to bring you three things:  1). Our Snow Bunny (above),

2). Our HOTT Crew friend Lola Matisse's still-life painting titled "Approaching Storm" (and now hanging in the lobby of the Eastern Point Yacht Club on Cape Ann) showing what you need to buy,

and 3). Our HOTT Crew's favorite French Toast recipe!  Ingredients needed are:

12" cast iron skillet . The French DO NOT use teflon skillets!
5 large egs
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon granulated cane suger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 1/2 cups lightly packed sourdough bread cubed into 3/4 inch pieces.
5 slices thickly cut bacon, sliced into 1/2 pieces
3 large Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Then add bread cubes and stir thoroughly until mixed.

Peel, core and then slice apples into 10 sections each.

Cook bacon on medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned. Scoop out bacon and put in a bowl by itself. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from skillet. Add butter (skillet still on medium heat) and then stir in light brown sugar and maple syrup.

Add sliced apples evenly on skillet and let caramelize for 10 mins.

Sprinkle half of the bacon on top of apples. Pour on bread mixture evenly across apples. Sprinkle remaining bacon on top.

Place skillet in oven for 30 mins. Remove, flip onto serving dish immediately and then let sit for 5 minutes to firm up.

Slice and serve warm with maple syrup or save for later and reheat in microwave.

Serves 6 to 8 people!