1 large loaf of Cuban bread, cut into 4 equal pieces crosswise
6 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 quart whole milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon freshly ground canela (cinnamon)
1/4 cup diced kiwi
1/4 cup diced mango
1/4 papaya, diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1/2 cup orange juice
4 teaspoons butter
Powdered sugar, for garnish

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and milk. Add the cloves, cardamom, and canela and place mixture in shallow pan.
In another bowl, combine kiwi, mango, papaya, mint, and orange juice and set aside.
Have a nonstick pan getting warm. Soaking each piece of bread in egg mixture until bread has absorbed some of liquid, about 30 seconds.
Add 1 teaspoon of butter to the pan and cook bread on each side for 4 minutes until golden brown. Repeat process for the remaining bread.
Serve on plate with tropical salsa on top and sprinkle powdered sugar on each.

4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 peaches
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons sugar
4 croissants, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
Bourbon Pecan Maple Syrup, recipe follows

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnishPrepare coals on a grill and let heat reduce to a moderate heat.In a blender, combine eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until the ingredients are smooth. Set aside.

Slice peaches in half and remove the pit. Brush the flesh side of each half with melted butter. Place the peaches on the grill for 5 minutes, or until the flesh side is evenly caramelized and begins to soften. Remove the peaches from the grill and dice them. Transfer to a bowl and add lemon juice and sugar, to taste. Set the peach mixture aside.

Pour the egg batter into a pie plate. Dip the croissant halves into the batter, making sure that each side is coated. Place the croissants on the grill, flat side down. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the batter appears cooked and the croissant begins to darken; watch carefully, as they will cook quickly. Flip the croissants and grill on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the croissants from the grill.

Place the bottom half of 1 croissant on a plate. Add 1/4 of the peach mixture and place the top half of the croissant over the peaches. Pour Bourbon Pecan Maple Syrup over the top and garnish with fresh mint. Repeat with remaining croissants.

Bourbon Pecan Maple Syrup:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup bourbon
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecansMelt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter begins to brown, remove the pan from heat and add bourbon. Flambe the mixture until the alcohol has burned off and then add the syrup and pecans. Return the pan to the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
12 slices honey white bread
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and divided
6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Maple syrup
Fully cooked bacon slices (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Pour brown sugar mixture into an ungreased 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 bread slices in brown sugar mixture, cutting slices as necessary to fit in dish. Sprinkle raisins and 3/4 cup pecans evenly over bread. Top with remaining bread slices.

Whisk together eggs, next 4 ingredients, and 1 cup cream. Pour egg mixture over bread slices in baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Beat remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form.

Divide French toast evenly among individual serving plates. Top each serving with whipped cream; drizzle with maple syrup, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Serve with bacon, if desired.

1/2-pound loaf crusty French bread, sliced (not sourdough)
10 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon, for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen blackberries, defrosted, or 3/4 pint fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.Spread the bread slices on a baking sheet and turn off the oven. Place the sheet in the oven and leave it overnight until the bread is dried.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/4 cup sugar until all yolks are broken, and then add the milk and cream. Put the dried bread pieces on top of the egg mixture. Wait a few minutes, and then push the rest of the bread into the mixture and mix lightly. Place a small or medium casserole dish on a baking sheet that is lined with foil. Brush the dish with some of the melted butter.

Put half of the bread mixture in the dish to make a layer that covers the bottom. With a slotted spoon, arrange the berries evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle the berries with sugar. Using your hands, pull out the remaining bread and create a second layer, arranging it evenly and patting down any crusts. With a spatula, stir the remaining egg mixture and pour over the top bread layer. Using a flat pastry brush, lightly brush the rest of the melted butter over the top. Bake the French toast until it rises up about 1-inch on the sides, about 1 hour. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into servings and serve immediately with sausage patties and fresh fruit.

2 loaves par-baked sourdough baguettes
4 eggs, beaten
Melted butter, for brushing griddle, optional
Orange Bourbon Butter, recipe follows
Spiced Pecans, recipe follows

Preheat a large nonstick griddle or large skillet over high heat.Slice the bread on a diagonal into 1-inch slices. Thoroughly coat the bread with the beaten eggs, but do not soak the bread in the egg mixture—it will fall apart. Lightly brush the griddle with melted butter, if desired. Place the coated bread slices on the griddle. Cook over high heat until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan to warm plates. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon Orange Bourbon Butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Spiced Pecans. Serve immediately.

Orange Bourbon Butter:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted sweet butter, softened
1 tablespoon bourbon (recommended: Jack Daniels)
2 tablespoons orange zestCream butter in a mixer. Add the bourbon and orange zest and mix well. Leave at room temperature and serve with the French toast. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: 8 servings

Spiced Pecans:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 egg white, beaten until foamyPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and spices and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the pecan pieces with the egg white until well coated. Add the sugar and spice blend to the pecans and toss together until well coated. Turn the nut mixture out onto a nonstick cookie sheet and bake until nuts are golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and then chop into small pieces.

Yield: 8 servings

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch diced) firm pears
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
4 (1 1/2-inch thick) slices whole grain bread
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
Butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray

Heat the canola oil and butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Once the foam from the butter has subsided, add the pears and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook the pears until just warmed through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cream cheese; stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from skillet to stop the cooking and transfer to a bowl.Lay bread on a cutting board and make a 2-inch incision into the side to form a pocket inside the bread. Be careful not to pierce the other side of the bread. Repeat for each slice of bread. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the pear mixture into each pocket and set aside.

Combine egg whites, whole egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; whisk together. Transfer egg mixture to a shallow 6-inch wide plate.

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat for 1 minute. Lightly spray the griddle with cooking spray.

Take 1 stuffed French toast and lightly dip both sides into the egg mixture, and then lightly dip each edge. Place the French toast on the griddle and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. While each piece of French toast is cooking on its first side, repeat the dipping process with the next one. Once the
toast is golden brown, remove from heat. (You can keep the toast warm in a low-temperature oven while you are making the rest.) Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pinches ground cinnamon
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick) slices brioche, challah, cinnamon raisin bread or any moist and fluffy bread you like
2 tablespoons butter
Orange-Rum Bananas, recipe follows

Beat the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into a baking pan large enough to give you room to turn and soak the bread. (A 13 by 9-inch pan works well.)

Lay the bread slices in the egg mixture and let them soak, turning them several times, until the bread has soaked up all the egg. Turn them gently so they don’t break apart on you.

Heat the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When it starts to bubble, lay the soaked bread in the pan. Cook, turning once, until the bread is nicely browned and the egg in the center of each slice is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve warm with the Orange-Rum Bananas.

Note: If your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the bread slices at once, cook them in batches. Before you start your first batch, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F (or “Warm”). Keep the cooked slices warm on a baking sheet in the oven while you cook the rest.

Orange-Rum Bananas:
2 tablespoons rum
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 large bananas sliced thinly on an angleHeat rum, sugar, butter and orange juice in a large skillet until the butter is melted. Add the bananas. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat so the sauce is bubbling gently. Cook until the bananas are softened, about 4 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

1 large banana — ripe
2 large large eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 slices bread
3 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup maple syrup — warmed

Blend first 4 ingredients in processor til smooth. Transfer to 13×9 inch pan.

Place bread in milk mixture and soak til all liquid is absorbed, turning bread occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Melt butter in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bread and cook til golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Serve; pass warmed syrup separately.

1 cup milk
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
5 vanilla beans
9 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 loaf French or Italian bread cut into 1 1/2-inch wide sticks
2 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Maple syrup, to taste

In a medium saucepan add milk and cream to saucepan. Using the tip of a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the insides of the vanilla beans into the milk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside for 30 or 40 minutes to allow the vanilla to infuse into the milk. Pour through a fine sieve and strain into bowl and set aside.Preheat griddle to medium heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix together well with a wooden spoon. Little by little add the milk mixture, stirring well with the wooden spoon to blend. Pour mixture through a fine sieve and strain into a clean bowl. Cut bread into 1 to 1 1/2-inch wide strips.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter on the griddle. Dip bread sticks into creme brulee mixture. Cook a few at a time for 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Add additional butter as needed to keep pan greased. Sprinkle French toast sticks with powdered sugar and serve with syrup.

1 (1 pound) loaf cinnamon raisin bread, cubed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, diced
1 cup diced peeled apples
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup

1. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of the cubed raisin bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the cream cheese evenly over the bread, and top with the apples. If you like extra raisins, add them now. Top with remaining bread.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, butter, and maple syrup. Pour over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and press down so that all bread pieces are soaked. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

4. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 12