It’s Christmas morning and I hear mom’s clanging of the coffee mugs muffled by the family room’s roar of “A Christmas Story.” The smell of cinnamon fills my lungs as my mom busily works away at her golden-brown masterpiece above the oven’s warmth. “I need twenty more minutes, girls, and then we can start,” she’d say every Christmas morning, as if that wasn’t an eternity.

With wrapping paper sprawled all over the living room floor, we dove into the rich perfection and rubbed our bellies. It was finally Christmas.

PHOTO: Taken from One-Dish Collection: 3 Cookbooks in 1- Publications International

My mom found this recipe in the “One-Dish Collection: 3 Cookbooks in 1” cookbook. From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and enjoy!

Ingredients (feeds up to 6 people):

• 4 ounces of day-old French or Italian bread, cut into ¾ inch slices
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 3 ounces of cream cheese, cut into ¼ inch slices
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups of milk
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Optional: Additional maple syrup

Materials:

• 11 x7 baking dish
• Non-stick cooling spray
• Medium and small-sized mixing bowls
• Electric mixer

Process:

• Spray non-stick cooling spray on 11 x7 baking dish before layering ¾ inch bread slices evenly in dish. Dust golden raisins and cream cheese over bread slices.
• Beat eggs with electric mixer in medium-sized mixing bowl until fully blended. Add milk, maple syrup and vanilla and mix well.
• Pour egg mixture carefully over layer of bread slices.
• Cover baking dish and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight).
• After dish has set for at least 4 hours, preheat oven to 350°
• Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Then, sprinkle a layer over bread.
• Uncovered, bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
• Drizzle additional maple syrup over the top for a richer taste.

Let cool, cut into slices and enjoy!