Baked Croissant with Caramelised Apples

There is no need to get out of bed at the crack of dawn to prepare this breakfast/brunch dish. It can be assembled the night before and left covered in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pop the dishes in the oven and the aromas will soon fill the kitchen – something Mum will love waking up to.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Caramelised Apples
4 Braeburn apples, peeled
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup melted butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup raisins

Filling
3 eggs
¾ cup milk
⅓ cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 croissants, sliced 1 cm thick

To serve
thick plain yoghurt cinnamon
4 x 225 ml capacity glasses or ramekins

METHOD

Apples: Quarter the apples, remove the core and cut into 1 cm slices. Sauté with the remaining ingredients for about 10 minutes, turning frequently until the apples are tender but not falling apart and the pan juices are reduced and syrupy. Cool.

Filling: Whisk the eggs, milk, cream and vanilla together. Add the croissants and the cooled apple mixture and turn to combine well. Keep turning the mixture every few minutes until the croissants have absorbed most of the liquid. Divide evenly between the glasses or ramekins, spooning over any liquid left in the bowl. Leave for 30 minutes or cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the dishes in a baking dish and add very hot water to come 1/3 of the way up the side of the glasses.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is a rich golden colour and the mixture feels set. Remove from the water bath and sit for 5 minutes.

To serve: Top with a dollop of yoghurt and a small pinch of cinnamon.

Menu: Serve with Chicken Hash Cakes, Strawberry ‘Margaritas’ and Blueberry Smoothies to drink.