Recipe Of The Week: Simply Fabulous French Toast

MmmmMmmmmmm. There's nothing like a yummy warm cooked meal on the weekends when the kids are home. I love breakfast foods. I claim to make the best pancakes EVER, and most people who have tried them are quick to agree. It's like cheating! I mean, it's less like a meal and more like a dessert!

I was watching "Good Eats" with Alton Brown when I caught him doing French Toast (hahaa). He used stale bread that was left out overnight. I thought to myself "why isn't this common knowledge?" I thought that you just dipped the bread in the batter and threw it on the griddle, right? So, after watching his show I decided I wanted to try this new way of making french toast.

Here's how it went:

I bought a good loaf of Sourdough Bread and when I got home I put it in a Tupperware that the pieces could stand up in. Then this morning I followed the recipe as follows on their website.

Ingredients

• 1 cup half-and-half (though I did not have any of this on hand so I used 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup of my Coconut Milk Creamer - it was French Vanilla and added a pleasant flavor.)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds - add this immediately because it clumps back up quickly.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or chalah (I used sourdough and it was fabulous)
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes. (I did not have a cooling rack so I used my strainer and stood up the pieces of bread so they could still drain).

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2-3 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Everyone was pleased with this meal. I don't think I'll ever go back to making soggy french toast again. It was the perfect combination of sweet and was more firm and crispy then anything I've ever made or tried. It is simply delicious!!

Try it! Let me know how it went!!

~J.