Christmas morning should start with something warm from the oven, and this bake is made for exactly that. Cubes of brioche soak overnight in a rich eggnog custard with nutmeg, vanilla and brown butter, so the middle turns soft and custardy while the edges go crisp. A cinnamon sugar crumble goes on top before baking, so every slice has a crunchy, sweet crust. It is a breakfast casserole, not a dessert: you slice it like a cake, serve it warm on a plate, and pass the maple syrup. Assemble it the night before, then bake it in the morning while the coffee brews, and breakfast is ready with almost no work.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche, about 450 g, cut into 2 cm cubes — use day-old brioche, or dry the cubes in a low oven first (see method step 1); fresh soft brioche turns soggy
- 60 g unsalted butter, browned and cooled — brown butter adds a nutty depth to the custard
- 500 ml eggnog, shop-bought or homemade
- 4 large eggs
- 60 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus a little more for the top — nutmeg is the main spice in eggnog, so do not leave it out
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the crumble topping: 60 g plain flour, 60 g light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 60 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Maple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar, to serve
Method
- If the brioche is fresh, spread the cubes on a baking tray and dry them in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, until they feel dry on the outside but are not browned. Let them cool. Dry bread soaks up the custard without falling apart; fresh soft bread turns to mush.
- Brown the butter in a small pan over medium heat until it turns golden and smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the eggnog, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and the cooled brown butter in a large bowl until smooth.
- Put the brioche cubes in a buttered baking dish, about 20 x 30 cm. Pour the eggnog custard evenly over the top. Press the cubes down gently with a spoon so they all soak. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Make the crumble: rub the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces left.
- Take the dish out of the fridge and scatter the crumble evenly over the top. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp and the centre is set. Push a knife into the middle — it should come out with no runny custard on it. If the crumble starts to colour too fast, put the foil back on loosely.
- Leave the bake to rest for 10 minutes before serving, so it slices cleanly. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.
Common Mistakes, Substitutions, Serving and Storage
Common mistakes: using fresh soft brioche, so the middle stays wet and soggy; skipping the foil, so the crumble burns before the custard sets; cutting into it straight from the oven, so the slices fall apart.
Substitutions: use challah or a sturdy white bread instead of brioche; use a dairy-free eggnog if you need it, but check it is thick, not thin; use pecans in the crumble for extra crunch.
Serving ideas: serve warm in slices with maple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar, with coffee or hot chocolate. It is a Christmas morning breakfast, and it works for a holiday brunch with bacon or fresh fruit on the side.
Storage and reheating: refrigerate leftovers in a covered dish for up to 3 days. Reheat a slice in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 10 minutes, so the crumble crisps up again. Do not freeze the baked dish, or the custard turns watery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the brioche need to be day-old? Fresh brioche is too soft and soaks up the custard too fast, so the middle stays wet. Day-old or oven-dried cubes absorb the custard slowly and hold their shape, so you get a soft middle with crisp edges.
Can I skip the overnight soak? You can soak it for 4 hours instead, but overnight is better. The longer soak lets the custard reach every cube, so the bake cooks evenly and the middle sets properly.
How do I know the centre is cooked? Push a thin knife into the middle and pull it out. It should come out with no runny custard on it, and the centre should feel set, not wobbly. If it is still runny, cover with foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
Why cover it with foil first? The crumble topping browns fast, while the custard underneath needs time to set. The foil protects the topping for the first half of baking, then comes off so the crumble turns golden and crisp.
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Ingredients
Method
- If the brioche is fresh, spread the cubes on a baking tray and dry them in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, until they feel dry on the outside but are not browned. Let them cool. Dry bread soaks up the custard without falling apart; fresh soft bread turns to mush.
- Brown the butter in a small pan over medium heat until it turns golden and smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the eggnog, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and the cooled brown butter in a large bowl until smooth.
- Put the brioche cubes in a buttered baking dish, about 20 x 30 cm. Pour the eggnog custard evenly over the top. Press the cubes down gently with a spoon so they all soak. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Make the crumble: rub the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces left.
- Take the dish out of the fridge and scatter the crumble evenly over the top. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp and the centre is set. Push a knife into the middle — it should come out with no runny custard on it. If the crumble starts to colour too fast, put the foil back on loosely.
- Leave the bake to rest for 10 minutes before serving, so it slices cleanly. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.
