Blueberry-Orange French Toast

The fresh, enticing flavors of orange and blueberry paired with French toast -- it was meant to be.

Recipe Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons granulated sugar - divided use
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed and drained, if frozen)
1 loaf unsliced French bread, cut into 8 (1 1/4-inch) thick slices
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Blueberry Orange Sauce:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup orange sections (about 2 oranges)

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Lightly grease a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl beat eggs, peel, juice, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt until well blended. Pour into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine blueberries and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
4. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a 1 1/2-inch wide pocket in the side of each bread slice.
5. Fill pockets with reserved blueberry mixture, dividing evenly.
6. Place filled slices in egg mixture. Let stand, turning once, until egg mixture is absorbed, about 5 minutes on each side.
7. Arrange bread on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with almonds.
8. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning slices after 10 minutes. Serve with Blueberry Orange Sauce.
9. For Blueberry Orange Sauce: In a cup combine sugar, cornstarch and salt; set aside. In a small saucepan bring orange juice and 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add blueberries and orange sections. Return to a boil; cook until liquid is released from fruit, about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Makes 2 cups sauce.

Makes 16 pancakes.