This is not just any french toast, this is what french toast should be–substantial, but not overwhelming. This is what helped salvage my day today.
I was a bit of a curmudgeon this morning.
I didn’t sleep much last night, I found out that I didn’t get the job I was gunning for, I had writer’s block, and the people I needed to interview were not returning any of my phone calls or emails.
I needed something comforting. Something that could make the world seem right again, and this french toast that came to the rescue.
This is not just any french toast that’s done a skinny dip in an egg+milk bath. This is french toast that has been dunked, submerged, and soaked in a custard bath until it has soaked up everything that makes it so good.
The smell of this baking in the oven is something that’s hard to resist. This toast has a nice crust and a very fluffy interior. The milk custard base makes it richer in flavour than your typical french toast, but not so much that you feel like you’re eating bread pudding. I paired this with tart green apples sautéed in a little brown sugar, butter, and some cinnamon and nutmeg to give the dish a little more dimension.
Though things didn’t quite sort themselves out, and I still have writer’s block, having taken the time to make and eat this for brunch, the day seems just a little bit better.
This recipe is one that has picked me up for a couple of years now. Thank you to Chef John over at Food Wishes for letting me repost this.
french toast to the rescue (adapted from Food Wishes to make it a single serving)
4 slices of french bread cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (slices should be uniform)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of salt
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 teaspoon brown sugar
dash of ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
butter
warm maple syrup
method
1. PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. WHISK egg, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt in a bowl until well mixed.
3. SOAK slices of bread in egg + milk mixture until all the liquid is gone and the bread is well saturated.
4. MELT a bit of butter in a frying pan and place soaked bread in pan.
5. FRY bread for a 1-2 minutes on either side until it is just light golden brown. This creates a seal for the mixture inside. Don’t over brown the bread as it will continue to brown in the oven.
6. PLACE bread on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The toast will puff up a bit before falling back down.
7. TOSS apple slices with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
8. SAUTÉ with a bit of butter on medium heat until apples are soft and translucent.
9. REMOVE french toast from the oven.
10. SERVE french toast with apples and a bit of warm maple syrup.
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