French Toast
is one of those breakfast dishes that doesn't really need a recipe. Slices of bread are
simply dipped in a
mixture of beaten eggs and milk and then fried in butter until the outsides
turn a nice golden brown color with crisp edges, while the insides remain
wonderfully soft. Depending on were you live, you may know French Toast as Bombay Toast, German Toast,
Spanish Toast, Nun's Toast, Poor Knights of Windsor, Pain Perdue,
Portuguese Toast, Arme Ritter, Arme Riddere, Torriga, or Egg Toast.
This French Toast recipe is very accommodating. You can add spices to the eggs and milk mixture; like
cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla extract, orange or lemon zest, or even
orange flower water. A splash of rum, brandy, or other
liqueur is favored by some and while you can use milk, others prefer cream
or even buttermilk. Betty Rosbottom in her cookbook "American Favorites"
even suggests using eggnog during the Christmas season. When it
comes to what bread to use, again, there are many choices. The
days of using that squishy white processed breads are over. Today,
we use fine breads like French, Italian, Egg, Rye, Panettone, Brioche,
Croissants, Sour Dough, Whole Wheat, Raisin, and even Banana Bread. The important thing is to use day old bread so that it will soak up the
egg mixture yet not fall apart.
Once you have cooked the French Toast
there is always the question of how it should be served. Many just
like to sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top while others like it
with pure maple syrup. As a brunch dish, serve with maple syrup
along with fresh berries, slices of peaches or bananas, or even sliced
apples that have been sauteed in a little butter, sugar, and ground
cinnamon. Yet another idea is to spread your favorite jam over each
slice and, if you are feeling indulgent, top with a little softly whipped
cream or clotted cream. French Toast is also excellent with berry sauces;
sauces such as Blueberry,
Strawberry, or even
Raspberry, with or without fresh
berries on the side.
French Toast: In a large bowl whisk together the
eggs, milk, salt, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon (if using). Transfer
the egg mixture to a large shallow glass or ceramic dish. Dip both sides
of each slice of bread into the egg mixture.
Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan,
over medium to medium-high heat, melt about one tablespoon of butter. Fry
the slices of bread until golden brown on one side and then turn and fry the
other side. If not serving immediately, keep warm in a 250 degree F (130
degree C) oven. Continue frying the other slices of bread, adding more
butter as needed.
Serve immediately
with a dusting of powdered sugar and pure maple syrup or fresh fruit.
Preparation time 10 minutes.
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