The thick and fluffy challah slices soak up the egg, milk, and buttermilk mixture and bake to perfection. Once baked the slices are drizzled with a homemade magical piloncillo and cinnamon-infused syrup, topped with plump golden raisins, pecans, and a bit of orange zest giving this Baked Mexican French Toast a special twist.
Beat eggs in a bowl. Whisk in milk, buttermilk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.
Working in batches, dip sliced bread into the batter to coat. Overlap slices in a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour remaining batter over top. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 25 minutes.
Uncover; bake until top is golden brown and crunchy, 20 to 25 minutes more.
Serve with syrup, raisins, pecans, and orange zest.
Piloncillo-Raisin Syrup:
Combine water, piloncillo, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, creating a syrup. Simmer syrup uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep. Pour through a strainer and discard cinnamon sticks and cloves. Add raisins and set syrup aside.
Notes
Substitute:Piloncillo is not readily available and can be substituted with brown sugar.
Make ahead: You can assemble this casserole the night before, refrigerate, and bake it in the morning. If you want to bake your casserole right away, let the custard soak into the bread before baking.
Serve: Serve this dish drizzled with warm piloncillo syrup. This dish can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.
Toppings: Feel free to serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or a dusting of powdered sugar.