Apple-Cinnamon French Toast Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 loaf country-style bread
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 to 2 apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar or sugar in the raw, divided
• Maple syrup, to serve, optional
• 2 12-cup muffin pans

Directions

1. Cut the bread into small 1/2-inch cubes with a serrated bread knife. Keep the crusts or trim them off — your call. Measure out 9 cups of bread cubes; depending on your loaf, you may have some bread left over.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon until the mixture is smooth and combined. Add the 9 cups of bread cubes, then use a large spoon to turn everything together until the bread is coated in the custard.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. Give it a stir now and then so the bread soaks up the custard evenly.
4. When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 350F.
5. Fold the diced apples into the bread and custard mixture.
6. Line 16 muffin cups with a double layer of muffin papers, dividing them between 2 muffin pans. Lightly spray the papers with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling into each cup, letting it mound a bit on top into a peak.
7. Right before baking, use a pastry brush to dab the melted butter over the tops of the muffins, then sprinkle each one with 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are golden. Let them cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then serve warm with maple syrup drizzled over the top, if you’d like. Refrigerate leftovers for several days, or freeze them for up to 1 month, and reheat in the oven or microwave.