Whether you serve this French toast for Sunday brunch or a lazy Saturday morning breakfast, everyone will be wowed by this simple but richly delicious treat. I used a brioche style Pullman loaf that I sliced myself to make the French toast. Of course pre-sliced sandwich bread will work, but these thicker slices and the fresh from the bakery flavor makes for a tastier French toast. Challah bread is another good alternative. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the bread. Less time for thinner slices, and a bit more cooking time for anything thicker than the 1 inch slices I used here.
Serves: 3 people, 2 slices of toast per person
Ingredients:
- Six 1 inch thick slices of bread (I used brioche style Pullman bread)
- 1-2 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 Cup milk
- 1/4 Cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tspn. Vanilla or almond extract
For strawberry sauce:
- 1/2 lb. fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- zest from 1/2 of a lemon
- juice from 1/2 of a lemon
- 1-3 strawberries reserved for garnish (optional)
Method:
- In a small saucepan combine strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice, stir to mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer. Stir occasionally until sauce is thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
- In a large shallow baking dish whisk together eggs, milk, and cream. Whisk in cinnamon, nutmeg, and extract.
- Place 2-3 bread slices in egg mixture. Let stand for at least 10 seconds, and flip bread and let stand for another 10 seconds.
- Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in pan and add 2-3 bread slices, being careful not to overcrowd griddle or pan.
- Cook french toast on each side until brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Add more butter in between batches if needed.
- Serve with strawberry sauce spooned over french toast . You can also serve with powdered sugar and/or maple syrup.
Try different flavor combinations to make it your own recipe. I really like using a little orange extract in the egg mixture. A reduction with peeled apple slices and cinnamon would also be great over the toast.
