Berry Croissant French Toast Puff

You eat seven breakfasts a week, thirty (or so) breakfasts a month, 365 breakfasts a year. And we bet most of them are probably the same. Maybe you favor black coffee and a bagel, or tea and a bowl of oatmeal, or toast and some scrambled eggs, but most of us are creatures of habit when it comes to our morning routine. Most days, breakfast favors the basic. And that’s fine; we get it. But some days… some days call for something a little more special. And that’s where this Berry Croissant Breakfast Puff comes in. It’s a custardy, oven-baked delight that balances the tartness of lemon zest and berries against the butteriness of croissants. (And even with all that deliciousness, it’s terribly simple to make.)

Think of this as a french toast bake, expect the base is croissants instead of bread. Croissants bring more of a buttery flavor to the party, and they really give the sweet custardy sauce a chance to soak down into every flaky nook and cranny. With this breakfast bake, there’s no need to let the croissants sit out to get stale as you would with a classic french toast, they hold up just fine as is.

After cubing the croissants, you toss them with a mixture of berries. We’ve used raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries here, but you could use just one of those, or whatever combination suits your fancy. From there, it’s just a matter of mixing up a sweet batter – cream cheese, eggs, milk, a little sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest – and pouring it over the croissants and berries.

It goes into the oven to bake for a bit, and when it emerges, the croissants have puffed a bit in that delicious batter. The top is lightly crisped and buttery, while the layers beneath are soft and custardy and punctuated with bright bursts of berry. Will this replace your everyday basic breakfast? No. And that’s okay. Will it become your go-to pick for that special brunch or lazy Sunday morning? We’re absolutely sure of it.