Minimally Invasive

I’ll be honest with you: I didn’t think the chocolate added much to this. But I’m not a chocolate freak by any stretch of the imagination, so I’ll leave the decision to include it to you.

3/4 loaf brioche
5 eggs
1 large can fat free evaporated milk
whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons pure cane syrup (I use Steen’s)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 bananas
1 tablespoon rum
1 tablespoon sugar, divided
cocoa powder
semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter bottom and sides of small baking dish.

Tear bread into large pieces and place in a single layer on large baking sheet. Toast in oven for about 10 minutes, or until bread begins to dry out. Do not brown.

In a large bowl, whisk together, eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla and almond extracts, and cane syrup. Add bread, pressing down so it absorbs the egg mixture evenly. Let soak for a few minutes (or, if you’re using croissants, for one hour), adding milk as needed.

While bread is soaking, peel bananas and slice into thin rounds. Heat butter in skillet and add brown sugar, stirring until sugar has melted. Add bananas and sauté for a minute, then add rum and sauté for another minute.

To assemble, spoon a layer of bread into bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder and layer with half of bananas. Repeat with bread, cocoa, and bananas, and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Top with remaining bread and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until bread layer is evenly browned and custard is no longer runny.