Baked apple french toast wins recipe contest

RALEIGH — Jackie Boegel of Raleigh earned first place and $200 with her Baked Apple French Toast in the North Carolina Apple Growers Association’s apple recipe contest at the N.C. State Fair.

Craig Partin of Garner placed second and earned $150 for Caramel Apple Crumble Muffins. Sarah Stallings of Raleigh placed third and earned $75 for Apple Biscuit Muffins. Honorable mention and $25 was awarded for Southern-style Apple Bruschetta on Crostini with Cream Cheese submitted by Domino Ireland of Raleigh.

Entries into the contest must have two cups of N.C-grown apples and could be a dish to serve for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. Recipes were judged on taste, appearance and creative use of apples in the recipe.

The winning recipe is below.

Baked Apple French Toast

4 cups day-old whole grain bread, cubed
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
5 tablespoons coconut-palm sugar
2-3 apples, cored, peeled and sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×9 baking pan. Add bread cubes to the baking pan. In a medium bowl whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and coconut-palm sugar. Pour over the bread, pushing the bread down to soak up the liquid.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the apples and butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, stir and cover to steam for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Continue cooking with cover off until tender and slightly caramelized (you don’t want them to get mushy). Remove from heat to cool slightly. Spoon caramelized apples over the bread.

Bake on center rack for 20-30 minutes. Knife inserted in the middle should be dry. Remove from oven. Drizzle with maple syrup.

— North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

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