Sugared French Toast Food

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I'VE EVER MADE

Steps:

• Choose your bread. If you like very thick french toast (you should try it at least once!), find a local bakery and get yourself a loaf of challah or brioche bread (buy a day-old loaf if they have it.) I don't like using French bread or the regular loaves you find in the deli at the grocery store; the crusts turn out too chewy. You want a nice soft edge. If you can't get to a bakery, head to the grocery store and buy the thickest and softest white bread you can find. (3/4 inch or thicker.) Texas toast is great. I like to use the Artesano brand of bread; they sell a pre-sliced brioche loaf that is pretty legit. But their white bread is also nice and soft. See photos.
• Slice your bread with a serrated knife if you are working with a whole loaf. See photos. I like my slices to be about 1 and 1/4 inch thick, which feels a little ridiculous, but trust me. You can even go up to 2 inches if you're feeling wild. Don't slice thinner than 3/4 inch.
• Set your bread aside, spread out so that it gets a little dried out. Day old bread is great for French toast. In France, they call this dish "Lost Bread" because it's what you make when you have dried out bread to use up. (I experimented with toasting the bread first, but thought it dried out the finished product too much.)
• Make the egg mixture. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl,* whisk together 3 egg yolks, 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream* or half & half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg, if you like. Whisk until it is completely smooth and the cinnamon is well incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow dish like a pie plate, or an 8x8 inch pan. Place a slice of bread in the mixture and let it sit there for 10 to 20 seconds. How long you soak it depends on how thick your bread is. It should be soft when you touch it, but still hold itself together. Flip the bread and soak the other side. You can start cooking the French toast right away, or you can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them.
• Cook the French toast: Heat an electric griddle or large 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any oil with a high smoke point.) Swirl it around until the pan is coated. Place the French toast on the pan with 1 to 2 inches in between each slice of bread. Cook on medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. The timing depends on your oven or griddle, so stick around and keep an eye on it.
• Caramelize. When the bottom of the first side is LIGHT brown (we are going to cook this side twice), sprinkle about a half tablespoon granulated sugar on the top (raw) side of the bread. Flip the toast, sugar side down, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Be sure to swirl the pan so oil re-coats it, or add more butter/oil if necessary). Then, sprinkle another half tablespoon of sugar on the cooked side, and flip it over again so that it lightly caramelizes the first side.
• Keep your toast warm. Preheat your oven to the "keep warm" setting, about 170 degrees F. As you finish frying the toast, transfer each one to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Keep toast warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• I honestly don't even put maple syrup on caramelized French toast. I feel like it doesn't really need it, plus it makes the caramel edge not as crunchy. I like to eat it plain, or with a little jam. But maple syrup is really delicious if you are in the mood! A sprinkle of powdered sugar and a berry garnish never hurt either.
• Keep leftovers stored covered in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or the toaster. Or heat your oven to 350 and heat the toast all together on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, and salt (as well as the optional vanilla extract and cinnamon, if using) in a medium shallow bowl until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one bread slice at a time, soak the bread in the egg mixture for 3 to 4 seconds per side. Don't let the slices sit too long; they will turn soggy and fall apart.
• Once butter is melted and bubbling, add 3 soaked bread slices to hot pan and cook until golden brown, or about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (There may be some spots that do not brown; that's normal.)
• Flip each slice, and cook until gold brown, or about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and egg-soaked bread. Serve hot with toppings of choice.

FRENCH TOAST WITH BROWN SUGAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Mix together all the ingredients-make sure the brown sugar is dissolved.
• Pour into a deep baking pan and soak the pieces of bread (you can soak them overnight if you want) with a large spatula. Take pieces of bread out and put on a baking sheet and then you can pour the excess batter over the bread again.
• Cook for 6-8 minutes, then flip each piece of bread over and cook for about 6-8 minutes more.

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and set aside briefly.
• In a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie plate. Dip bread in egg mixture. Fry slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup.

SUGARED FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Allow bread to sit out while mixing (bread is better a bit stale than fresh).
• Whisk eggs, continue whisking while adding milk, vanilla and your desired amount of cinnamon.
• Dip bread in mix and flip.
• Place bread on greased frying pan or skillet (medium heat).
• Flip after browned (like grilled cheese).
• Toast is done when no longer saturated with mixture.
• Butter toast (like waffles or pancakes) and sprinkle desired amount(s) of sugar (not syrup.trust me, you'll be hooked!).

CINNAMON SUGAR FRENCH-STYLE TEXAS TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F, and place a rack on a sheet pan.
• Whisk the milk and eggs in a glass pie or casserole dish until evenly combined.
• Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add about 1/2 a tablespoon of butter to the skillet, swirling the pan to coat the surface. Dip 2 slices of bread into the egg mixture and immediately lay in the skillet. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top and cook until the undersides are brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Add a nut-sized bit of butter to the skillet, as needed, and flip the toast, cook until golden on the underside, about 3 minutes more.
• Serve immediately or transfer to the rack in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining bread and batter. Serve with jam or maple syrup.

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• 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.
• Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 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.

FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE WITH BROWN SUGAR-WALNUT CRUMBLE

Steps:

• For the casserole: Generously butter a 3-quart casserole dish. Arrange the bread slices over the bottom of the dish in three rows of 6 slices, shingling slightly.
• Whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl until combined and smooth. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread slices, making sure that all slices have been coated. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 12.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• For the crumble: Toss the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and work it in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly with pea-sized bits of butter. Mix in the walnuts.
• To assemble: Give the bread slices in the casserole dish a gentle push into the custard. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top.
• Bake the casserole until the top is puffed and browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes (it will still be a little wiggly but will continue to cook a bit out of the oven); check halfway through the baking time and tent with foil if the topping is browning too quickly. Serve hot.

CINNAMON SUGAR FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, eggs, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and salt and mix until blended.
• Cut bread into 3/4 inch slices.
• Dip in milk/egg mixture long enough to soak through.
• Place a hot skillet with the melted butter or oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.
• Remove from pan and roll in confectioners' sugar mixed with the remaining cinnamon.
• Serve with syrup and butter.

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Lay the brioche slices in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour the egg mixture over them. Allow to soak for 2-3 mins, then carefully turn over and soak for 2 mins more.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Carefully lift 2 slices of the soaked brioche out of the dish and add to the frying pan. Fry for 3 mins on each side, until golden and crisp, then place on a wire rack over a baking tray in a warm oven while you repeat with the remaining slices.
• Serve dusted in icing sugar and scattered with fresh berries, if you like.

SUGAR-FREE, FAT-FREE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together-whisk thoroughly in a small dish.
• Dip both sides of the bread and set in a small overnight dish.
• Add remaining of the egg wash to the french toasts.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Uncover and cook on stovetop with non-stick spray.
• Serve warm with Ideal Confectionery (substitute powdered sugar), sugar free syrup or sugar-free jelly/jam!

BAKED CINNAMON SUGAR FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place butter on 10x15 baking sheet and melt in oven.
• Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon (as much as you like).
• Beat together rest of ingredients and dip bread in the batter, letting them soak for a bit.
• Lay bread slices on sugar cinnamon mixture and bake for 30 minutes.