There is something wonderful about the simple breakfasts often found in Europe. Just a flaky warm croissant and a perfect cup of coffee, enjoyed in a nice cafe while watching the world go by.

In a well-intentioned attempt to recreate this experience, my husband picked up croissants from the grocery store bakery. They were… fine. No shade to our local grocery store but they just aren’t on the same level as a Parisienne patisserie.

I decided to use the same trick as I use when bread isn’t at its best and make French toast. This did the trick, they went from a slight disappointment to a surprisingly good (and fancy-looking) breakfast that I would be happy to make again. Bon appetit!

Makes: A big breakfast for 2 or a small breakfast for more

Ingredients:

• Butter for the dish
• 2 large croissants (bonus points if they are a day old)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Butter the baking dish – don’t skip this step, not only would you have problems with sticking but you would miss out on the buttery edges which were honestly the best part
2. Slice the croissants and arrange in the buttered dish so that the top halves are displayed
3. Whisk together eggs (3), milk (1/4 cup), vanilla (1/4 tsp) and cinnamon (1/4 tsp)
4. Pour custard over the croissants and let sit for 30 minutes
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
6. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown and the egg custard has just set
7. Serve with maple syrup, fruit syrup, or even jam

Notes:

• I know French toast is traditionally fried rather than baked, but you’ve got to try it! Rather than hovering over a frying pan, just relax and let the oven do the work.