Spacedoubt's Awesome French Toast

Once a year, I have a glut of REAL maple syrup.
Some comes from a Friend who visits upstate New York every summer.
Some comes from the Farm of a family friend, he makes gallons and gallons every year.

I don't waste this on Eggo's or basic pancakes.
This stuff belongs on my Homemade French toast.

Pretty simple actually:

Start with thickly sliced White Bread. slightly stale is best.
Some places sell something called "Texas Toast"..that works great.


Beat 5 eggs with some milk, and a little cream if you have it.
add 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
a little ground cinnamon
a touch of nutmeg
Sweeten it a little with sugar, but not too much.
Salt and pepper.
Beat it all again.

Get your oiled Frying pan hot, and test it with a sacrificial spoonful of your egg batter..Make sure it sizzles, but doesn't cook too fast.

Turn your oven on, to 350-400 degrees.(more on that later)

When the pan is right, dip your bread into the batter..really soak it up.
You'll have to use your hands, the bread will fall apart if you use a fork.

When the bread is done absorbing the batter, drop it in the pan, and fry it slowly..checking to see the it's lightly browned on both sides..

then!

Place all of your browned french toast on a cookie sheet and bake it!
Seriously, bake it until it gets a bit more brown. It might even rise a little because you are essentially making a mini souffle out of each piece of toast.


Butter them.
Pour your REAL maple syrup on top.
Eat

go jogging




[edit on 27-9-2007 by spacedoubt]

Would you come over and make me breakfast sometime?

That sounds so good. I wonder if I have any eggs ...

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
Would you come over and make me breakfast sometime?

That sounds so good. I wonder if I have any eggs ...

You bet!

Batter up!

one of my neighbors fancied himself a bit of a chef. He had a french toast recipe too. I make it once in a blue moon.

Take a loaf of challah, cut thick, two inches or so. Let the slices go stale over night.

Mix up some eggs, half and half, a little OJ, cinnamon, orange honey and nutmeg. Soak the bread in it until thoroughly wet.

Cook slowly in cast iron until done.

Meanwhile, mix up some fresh whipped cream -- no RediWhip. Roast walnuts, pine nuts, almonds and pecans in a pan until nicely browned.

Plate the toast, top with nut mixture, top again with whipped cream, drizzle with orange honey.

Fat thighs, anyone?

Originally posted by spacedoubt
go jogging

Best tip in the whole post! Man, I love French toast.......or is it freedom toast now?

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
challah

BTW kiddies, don't ever pronounce this word the correct way while drinking hot coffee with somebody standing right in front of you.

I watched the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Channel make French toast with challah. Damn it looked good!

Peace

[edit on 28-9-2007 by Dr Love]

Now that sounds bloody lovely.

I'm rather keen on F - word Toast, but to really fatten those thighs (MM) use 2 bits of bread and spread peanut butter in the middle.

Yummy!!

MonKey

here's an added twist to french toast that I incorporate for the kids.

For starters, let me state that I use the same ingredients you do, minus the salt and pepper, and I don't bake it (I'll give that a go as I can see how that might make it even better).

Soak the hell out of the bread and then cover each piece in crushed cereal. corn flakes, raisin bran, frosted flakes, cheerios, etc. All are good but go with a cereal you like. Fry it up. stack the pieces with cream cheese between the slices. that's right, I said cream cheese.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
Once a year, I have a glut of REAL maple syrup.

And really, real maple syrup isn't bad for you when you compare it to Aunt Jemima's/Log Cabin/Elmer's glue. Stuff's expensive though.

Peanut butter and cream cheese???? The French might actually think that worse than the German occupation. Sounds good to me though.

Peace

[edit on 28-9-2007 by Dr Love]

Really good suggestions.
I've had it with Cream cheese before at a diner..thats was guuuud.

Never tried the crushed cereal idea though. Sounds like it adds a whole new flexibility.

About baking the toast afterwards.
It's a restaurant trick that my grandmother taught me.
turns the inside of the toast into a custard-like consistency.

BTW adding the Salt and pepper creates a near umami essence, without adding MSG.
Umami?

This seems like pretty much the standard French Toast recipe, and yes it is very good.

I usually use thick sliced challah bread, or maybe brioche as it makes it a bit richer. Oh also I usually just use half and half.

Standard?
STANDARD? LOL

Maybe for an exceptional cook, like yourself.
Most people I knew growing up, and still today make the plain scrambled egg mixture without much flavoring. I rarely see anyone bake it afterwards.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
I rarely see anyone bake it afterwards.

OK, yes that is pretty unusual. I put it in the oven afterwards, but just on the lowest setting to keep it warm.