Cooking the Chronicle – Jan 10

You’ll just have to trust me when I say that I have kept up with the 2025 slate of recipes from Jessica Grann in the Chronicle, even if my reviews are slightly delayed each week. It’s been a busy start to the new year with lots of entertaining my three-year old during winter break and snow days. On top of that, our twins are quickly emerging from sleepy newborn phase towards the schedule of babyhood with naps and playtime.
During one of these snow days where it was almost too bitterly cold to go outside that we tackled the croissant French toast bake. (“Croissant French Toast Bake,” Jan 10.) It felt appropriately cozy and like something we could pair with hot cocoa, the current obsession in our home.
Where does one get kosher croissants other than the trusty Costco? Growing up, my mom always kept Costco croissants in the garage freezer, so I didn’t mind buying a ton of them for this recipe and having extra. They are so good toasted with some jam.
My family has a similar French toast bake recipe that calls for challah instead of croissants, which is a wonderful use of the few pieces of leftover challah each Shabbas. Just toss the slices into a freezer and when you have enough to fill a baking dish, defrost and proceed. My recipe also calls for all milk and no heavy cream, which was a noticeable difference to me. Grann’s version was much richer and felt more decadent. I also liked the inclusion of nutmeg, which added some depth to the familiar taste of cinnamon.
Please butter your baking dish well—even with liberal cooking spray, my croissant bake stuck to the dish and was difficult to serve cleanly. I ended up serving it with a large spoon and we all scooped away at it. Along with Grann’s recommended pairing of berries and powdered sugar, my family tried it with Nutella to make things even more over the top. Like I said, it was a snow day and we had lost all semblance of a schedule or healthy eating. You want more Nutella? Sure! No rules on snow days!
This bake made great leftovers which we ate for days, and my toddler absolutely loved this dish. It’s winner in our book and we would make it again especially if hosting a nice brunch or having people over for breakfast. I imagine it’s a crowd pleaser and does away with endless dipping of single slices one-by-one into egg and tending to them on a griddle. This dish lets you do most of the prep the day before and serve everyone at once.
Yum!