sweet saturday morning

Lazy, easy. Early sun through blinds striping the walls in my kitchen. Quiet and soft. So so sweet to wake and stretch, to take a deep breath, to feel the calm. I rarely sleep late - I have always been a morning person - but it is lovely to not have to leap out of bed and hit the ground running.

Before bed last night I took 5 quick minutes to compile an easy breakfast bake to toss in the oven this morning in my quiet, sunny kitchen. Nice to snuggle back into the soft sheets, to think and read, while breakfast baked and the house filled with warm smells. So worth the few simple minutes last night.

I have had breakfast-bake-things before and to be honest they have left me unimpressed. Sweet enough to make my teeth hurt for the most part and that is quite a feat (refer to my previous confessions re: sugar). But I love the idea of preparing the night before for a lazy morning and late last night I thought that it couldn't be so hard to combine the concept with a happy result - or at least one that I would like. I was pretty happy this morning; yummy and warm, healthy, tasty but not too sweet. Just right. 

I used sprouted whole wheat bread because I am converted to the idea of sprouting grains to release more of the goodness but use whatever bread you prefer. For the apple, I chose Jazz for the way they hold their form when baked and the sweet/tart flavour. The recipe as written makes enough to feed two but if you are feeding a larger crowd, it is easy to adjust for more by doubling (use an 8x8" baking dish) or even quadrupling the amounts (use a 9x13"). 

cinnamon apple raisin  breakfast bake

5 slices whole grain bread
1 medium sized apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dark raisins
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk (I used coconut milk from the dairy case)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp butter

Butter a 9x3" loaf pan. Cut or tear the bread slices into quarters and stack the slices on the sides in the buttered pan. Don't pack them in tightly - you'll see why. Slip an apple slice between each piece of bread and scatter the raisins over the top, pushing a few down between the slices with the apples.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sea salt. Pour over the bread and fruit in the pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.

In the morning, turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. Uncover the 'bake' and dot the top with the butter. Slip it in the oven for 45-50 minutes and slip yourself back to bed to enjoy the softness of a sweet weekend morning.

Serve with maple syrup to taste.