Baked French Toast with Blueberry Sauce

© 1991 "From Ellie's Kitchen to Yours"
 
8 oz loaf French or Italian bread
4 eggs
½ C milk
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
½ C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cornstarch
5 C (approx. 1½ lbs) fresh or frozen blueberries
2 T melted butter or margarine
Confectioners' sugar

Slice the bread into 12 to 14 slices about ¾-inch thick. Place on a 10½"x15½"x1" cookie sheet. Whisk eggs, milk, baking powder and vanilla together and slowly pour it over the bread, turning to coat the bread completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. Combine blueberries, cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch and place in a greased 9"x13" baking pan. Place bread, wettest side up, on the berry mixture. Wedge slices in tightly, cutting some pieces to fit, if necessary. Brush tops of bread with melted butter or margarine. Bake at 450° for 20 to 25 minutes or until the toast is golden and the berries are bubbling around the sides. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, lift toast onto plates and spoon blueberry sauce over it.

Hint: You might also like to try strawberries, raspberries or sliced peaches or apples to vary the flavor of your Baked French Toast. When blueberries are not in season, frozen, unthawed, blueberries may be substituted for fresh. Also, cholesterol free egg substitutes work very well in this recipe.