F is for French Toast
First, a thought…I have seen some of the participants in NaBloPoMo posting About Me stuff, since we are meeting new people. Accordingly, I have resurrected and updated my About Me page, if anyone is interested. I’ve added it to my sidebar, above my blogroll. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Since yesterday’s post was a repeat recipe, why not continue? Longtime readers are perhaps thinking, wow, J sure is stretching the parameters of this NaBloPoMo thing, posting repeats like this. But these are tasty, and it makes me sad to think you might be missing out.
The story on this recipe is that it was a work in progress when my friend Paul sent it to me, which is why it doesn’t have specific amounts. It was a game changer for me, because while I like French Toast, prior to this, I would have the heat too high, and it would come out tasting like fried eggs more than anything else. Not at all what you want. If you are at all frustrated with your French Toast recipe, give this one a try.
Paul’s French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- Bread – I like thickly sliced sourdough, day old is good
- 4 or 5 eggs (depending on size)
- About 1/2 cup of milk and/or cream depending how rich you want them.
- 1/4 – 3/4 cup brown sugar. Depends on whether you are using syrup or jam or whatever. I used 1/2 cup.
Mix eggs, milk/cream, and brown sugar to make a batter. Whip the batter for a minute or so, until it thickens up and becomes the viscosity of melted ice cream.
(J’s note, have you ever seen Jacques Pepin make French Toast using melted ice cream? Genius.)
Soak the bread so that it gets water logged with the batter, that’s why fresh bread is not ideal, it will fall apart if it soaks too much. Cook on medium heat, even low/med (depending on pans, stove, etc.) Because of the brown sugar, keep an eye on the heat otherwise the outside can get burned while not fully cooked inside. Flip when the first side is nicely browned, and cook on the second side.
Optional: Add a dash of vanilla extract or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Original Post, which also has Paul’s excellent pancake recipe.
28 Comments
Jenny
This sounds delicious. I think your egg/milk/brown sugar recipe IS basically melted ice cream. The french toast must be delicious.
I actually have some vegan recipes for french toast (I know, I know- you’re probably thinking “Would you PLEASE stop commenting on my recipes and telling me they’re not vegan???”) Ha ha… I do like reading your recipes because I get ideas to up my vegan game. If I add brown sugar to my recipe my kids will probably go berserk (in a good way.) I might try it over the Thanksgiving break.
J
Um, NO, commenting about how to adjust a recipe to fit a different diet is interesting to me! And yeah, I’ve never had French toast with brown sugar in the custard before. I’ve never had it with any sugar, actually, I never used a recipe and just put egg and milk together. Probably why mine was always sub-par!
Elisabeth
I did not EVER have French Toast growing up and am not generally a big fan…BUT I make the Pioneer Woman’s Baked French Toast and it is amazing. It’s not as “wet” as normal French Toast and I can prep it the night before and let it sit in the fridge before cooking. Big fan of that recipe (as are my kiddos!) It also freezes well!
J
Nice! I tried baked French Toast once when my daughter had a sleepover, and it worked really well.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Ah you have me craving french toast now. It is not really something we eat in Germany for breakfast but every once in a while when I have old toast or bread in the house i do it and drown it in apple sauce. Becaus ethat is my way of eating french toast.
But one question… does tehe fried egg taste come from too much eat? i sometimes have that and its not prefereble.
J
Tobia, I think it’s from having the pan too hot, but might be too much egg as well. I love the idea of French Toast with applesauce, esp if it were homemade chunky applesauce. Sounds delicious!
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
Yum! I love sourdough for French toast.
J
Me too!
Margaret
I love French toast and usually add vanilla to the batter. Waffles are my favorite though, especially real Belgian waffles. (which taste more like a doughnut than a pancake)
J
Mmmm. Waffles. Now I’m thinking of waffles. Delicious!
Suzanne
I haven’t had French toast in ages! And I always make it taste like egg. Yuck. This sounds delicious though.
This is also a good reminder to me to update my own About Me page.
J
Thanks Suzanne, I will confess that I haven’t had any in a LONG time either. Perhaps since I made this batch 2 1/2 years ago. If you give it a try, let me know if it fixes the eggy problem.
Sarah
Ooooooh! Yum!
J
Yes, SO yummy!
San
Can’t go wrong with a tried-and-true French Toast recipe 🙂 Thanks for sharing this again. I like French Toast but hardly ever make it.
J
San, me too!
Jan
Since I’m not a lover of sweets unless they’re chocolate, I always put a ton of butter on my french toast! And yes, always sourdough bread.
J
Butter makes everything better…
Meike
Love French Toast (and half my family does, too). I think I will revisit this, when I am back home. Thank you for sharing
J
Meike, I hope you do! Delicious.
Ernie
This looks so tasty. I do love french toast. I don’t eat it now that I have celiac. I’m just thrilled when a breakfast place offers GF pancakes. Lately I’ve been noticing that many places have decent versions of GF pancakes, which is nothing short of amazing. French toast was the fist thing I learned to make by myself when I was in about 7th grade – of course my version was incredibly simple.
J
Ernie, do you think you could make French toast with GF bread?
Coco
My girls love French toasts. I make them regularly usually just egg milk some sugar and then top it with maple syrup. It’s comfort food for them for sure.
J
Coco, agree, totally comfort food. Carbs. Sugar. Yum.
Anthea Booysen
Okay, now I’m craving French Toast. I used to have it often growing up and it is lovely as breakfast (or anytime during the day).
This recipe sounds delicious.
J
Thanks Anthea, gosh, I haven’t had French Toast in ages, and now I’m craving it too.
Melissa
I love French toast but never put sugar in. When the kids were little and zi was going out at night I would often cook them French toast for their dinner, so I wouldn’t want to put sugar in the. Now they’re grown though and so I don’t need to worry about them.
J
I had never put sugar in my French Toast before either. I had no idea that was a thing. Seems extra, with the syrup and so on, but I think add a little brown sugar, use less syrup, gives a different flavor.