Make the morning special with freshly-baked French toast for breakfast.
Monday through Friday, my breakfast typically consists of a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of avocado toast with scrambled eggs on top. Both of these breakfasts take less than 10 minutes to make, which is ideal during the busy workweek. (Even if my office is only, like, 10 steps from the kitchen, given that I work from home.)
But when the weekend rolls around, I like to cook up something special. The something special should be pretty hearty, too, given that we normally skip our lunchtime meal on the weekends.
This past weekend Dustin's parents were in town, so after making the best buttermilk pancakes for breakfast on Saturday, I made French toast on Sunday. This French toast tastes like a dream and is super-filling.
The key to delicious French toast is to use the right bread. For this recipe, I'd recommend either challah (which is what I used) or brioche bread. You'll want to use something light and fluffy. You could use white bread in a pinch, but I really think you need to use a quality eggy bread for the best results. The bread should also be slightly stale. When necessary, I cheat a little by popping the sliced bread in the oven for about 3 minutes as the oven is warming up.
When topped with fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a healthy drizzle of maple syrup, you've got the perfect breakfast meal for the weekend. Could someone please pass me a mimosa?
French Toast (printer-friendly version)
makes four servings
1 cup organic half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old challah bread
4 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
3. Dip the bread into the egg mixture for about 10 seconds per side. Place the dipped bread onto the prepped wire rack/baking sheet and let sit undisturbed for 1-2 minutes.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place two slices of bread at a time on the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Place the cooked French toast on a rack in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining slices of bread.
6. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, and maple syrup.
(adapted from this Alton Brown recipe)
makes four servings
1 cup organic half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old challah bread
4 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
3. Dip the bread into the egg mixture for about 10 seconds per side. Place the dipped bread onto the prepped wire rack/baking sheet and let sit undisturbed for 1-2 minutes.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place two slices of bread at a time on the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Place the cooked French toast on a rack in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining slices of bread.
6. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, and maple syrup.
(adapted from this Alton Brown recipe)
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