Mini French Toast!

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Bites by: Multiply Delicious

 I love breakfast! However, from Monday to Friday I am not all that great at finding the extra few minutes in the morning to do anything more than pour myself a bowl of cereal or add some water to instant oatmeal. On a recent trip to the grocery store I had checked out a few different breakfast items in the freezer aisle that might be good items to have available. 
 After a brief perusing and label reading of the options available I had decided that it would be healthier for myself to make at home and freeze. Personally I have a thing about being able to identify and pronounce all the ingredients in the food that myself or those I care about will be consuming...

 French Toast Bites (or Sticks depending on what you prefer.) 

 As a child french toast was one of my favorite breakfasts to have, smothered in syrup, powdered sugar and butter! It can also be made ahead in bulk and frozen for reheating in the toaster oven or microwave quickly and easily too for a quick breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:
 
  8- 10 Slices of Bread* ( I prefer Cinnamon Raisin Bread)
  4 Eggs
  1 cup Milk**
  2 tablespoons of Sugar
  1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  1/4 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
  1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup

  2 tablespoons of melted butter for brushing.

Preheat oven to 425*F

Stack the bread four to five slices high and cut into thirds lengthwise and again width wise to make small bite sizes pieces about one inch square. Set the bread aside until it is ready for dipping.

 In a large shallow bowl combine all of the ingredients (eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and syrup.) Whisk together all of the ingredients until fully combined. Add about 10 pieces of the bread at a time to the mixture using a slotted spoon to toss them around the mixture to get fully coated. Use the spoon to transfer the cubes to a non-stick or greased cookie sheet brush the tops of the bites with the butter. You might need two cookie sheets.

  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are browned. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the bites over and brush with remaining butter. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the the bites are browned.

  Set aside a few to eat right away and let the rest cool on a bakers racks. Once the bites are cooled transfer 9 bites to a snack back and put them in the freezer to freeze. I will add all the snack bags to one large Ziploc freezer bag for better organization in the freezer and label and date the large freezer bag. To reheat the bites either heat them in the toaster oven 3 to 5 minutes or in the microwave for 1 minute. They can be microwaved right in the bag for a really quick snack on the go.

*If you have some bread left over that is a bit stale or is on it way to getting there that is best type of bread to use for making french toast. It will hold up to the egg dip much better and won't be as mushy.

** Milk: When cooking with milk I find that either low fat or whole milk is best, skim milk has a tendency to get watery. Buttermilk can also be used for a different flavor.