More breakfast favorites to try!
Breakfast is a BIG deal. Well, at least to me! There’s nothing like a lazy weekend big ol’ breakfast. Or brinner, aka breakfast for dinner – a regular occurrence in our household. If you love breakfast as much as we do, you are going to love trying out these other favorites! But the joke was on me. To pass the time, she started playing the piano. She played the same two notes in a row, over and over, like a battering ram, overandoverandoverandover until Eric finally yelled, GO OUTSIDE ALREADY. Valentine: 1. Parents: 0. Welcome to parenting in a pandemic, where you make up the rules as you go and break them just as quickly. It’s like an eternal game of Calvinball. Well, is it turning into fall where you are? The only thing “fall” about California in September are the menus at Starbucks. But that doesn’t stop me from getting excited! Fall means good food. I don’t think of a French toast recipe as a fall food, but hey it’s got cinnamon in it, right? Everyone needs this classic recipe, anytime of year. Here we go!! Solution? You’re going to caramelize the edges! It’s FANTASTIC. It’s kind of like eating the crackly top of a crème brûlée, right there on your French toast. You don’t even need syrup. I’ll show you exactly how to make it! I don’t like using French bread, or whatever random loaves they are selling in your deli. I know, I know, this is French toast, we should be using French bread, right? Well the joke’s on you, America. (See below to read more about Americans calling things French that aren’t even French.) The crust on your average loaf of French bread is too tough and chewy. Nobody wants to have to use a knife to cut through the outer of edge of their toast. It should be perfectly fork-able. The great thing about starting with a loaf of bread is that you can slice it yourself. Most sliced bread is 3/4 of an inch or less. I sliced mine at 1 and 1/4 inch. You could even go up to 2 inches. Just look at these gorgeous thick slices! The answer is to use only egg yolks. The result is a super rich and creamy mixture. You are basically going to be soaking your bread in creamy custard. Here is my French toast dream: I want perfectly toasty, crisp edges that are not AT ALL tough. I want a perfectly cooked THICK center that is soft as a pillowy cloud. I want a rich, custardy flavor from my French toast recipe. And if I taste even a hint of scrambled egg edge, get outta here. Here’s how to achieve this phenomenon: I learned this method from my new friend Jade, who is French. I asked my Instagram followers if they had any tips for making amazing French toast, because I was several batches into testing and hadn’t found a recipe that was making this French toast-hater into a French toast-lover. Jade messaged me and explained how her mother taught her to make French toast: use half oil and half butter so that the edges don’t burn (butter will burn and smoke much faster than oil, but we want some butter for the magical flavor.) And then here is the kicker: sprinkle sugar on the bread right before flipping, so that it gets a gorgeous, crackly sugar edge that shatters in your mouth when you bite into it: You guys. It’s like having the top shell of a Crème Brûlée, right there on the edge of your French toast. IT’S AMAZING. I’m sorry I’m yelling, but this method of caramelizing the edge that Jade told me about has officially turned me into a French toast lover. So if you ALREADY love French toast, imagine how much more you are going to love this! I will never go back. Thank you Jade’s mom!! I also asked Jade what they call French toast in France. Here’s what she said: She said the first time she was in England and heard someone call it “French Toast” she was very confused! (We also talked about how Americans love to add “French” to the title of their recipes to make them sounds fancy, like French Silk Pie. I sent her that recipe and she said, “Oh that looks delicious! But definitely not French, I’ve never seen that in France once in my life.” Oh, ‘Merica. Fakin it til we make it. I guess we could call ourselves charlatans! (Which is definitely a French word, by the way. Just going full circle here.) You can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them, and wait to fry all the bread after it has all been soaked.
Add a bunch of eggs (like, at least 6), whisk it up and make scrambled eggs. But don’t come crying to me when you can taste the vanilla and cinnamon. Refrigerate up to 5 days and use it to make another batch of French toast Freeze it (up to 3 months) and use it later to make more French toast. Let thaw completely in the fridge.
You may be asking yourself, can I freeze French toast? Yes, you can! Quite successfully. Your edges will no longer be caramelized, but it will still taste good. Place cooled leftovers in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the sealed bag at room temperature. Here is how to reheat leftovers:
Microwave on 50% power until warm. Toast pieces in the toaster. Pan fry leftovers in a mixture of butter and oil, just as when you prepared it the first time. You can even add the sugar and caramelize it again. Heat your oven to 350 and place the toast in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.
If you are not already looking up a bakery near you, or recipes for challah bread, then tell me what else I need to say to convince you that you need to make this French toast recipe this weekend. Make this your life mission!!!
Truly The Best Crepes I’ve Ever Had » the best of your life, right here in ‘Merica Best Pancake Recipe EVER » just about everyone who tries these agrees that they are the most amazing they’ve ever had Best Waffle Recipe from Scratch » a classic recipe I’ve been making for more than 15 years Best Breakfast Casserole Recipe with Sausage » everything you love about savory breakfast all wrapped up in one dish Creamy Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd » make these first, make everything else, and they’ll be waiting and perfect when you’re ready Bake Bacon in the Oven in 10 Minutes » my favorite addition to anything else breakfast The Only Breakfast Burrito Recipe You Need (Freezer friendly!) » amazing, and make-ahead! Sweet, Creamy Breakfast Grits from Chef Lola’s Kitchen Breakfast Rolls from Butter With a Side of Bread
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