French Toast
/This post is a collaboration with photographer and blogger Love Les.
I love breakfast food. I'll eat it at pretty much any time of day, so when Leslie suggested a breakfast food, I was more than happy to oblige. My hopes for this food blog are that it will be one 1) delicious, 2) relatively simple to make, 3) accessible for those with food sensitivities 4) adaptable from single folks to families. Since I live alone, I've gotten pretty good at figuring out how to make meals in either single portions or meals that will be good as leftovers. This is one of my favorites to make for a group of friends or family. If people are coming over and offer to bring something, I usually have them bring berries or OJ and prosecco (mimosas are always welcome in my home).
Part of making recipes accessible means finding alternatives to allergy-prone ingredients. We've definitely got a long way to go, but we're starting with finding gluten-free alternatives. The bread we used for french toast was so good that even I (a lifelong gluten lover) couldn't tell the difference. I didn't go to a fancy grocery store before we cooked, so I picked up an ordinary loaf of fluffy looking sandwich bread. French toast is definitely best with thick and sturdy varieties, but really, anything yummy works.
This french toast is truly best with homemade whipped cream. Don't even bother with the canned stuff. Homemade whipped cream is so easy to make and so delicious. I don't make mine very sweet, so it just adds a delicious creaminess to the meal. For the first time, I used an immersion blender to make it and it only took about 20 seconds. I couldn't believe it! Beaters or a Kitchen Aid Mixer will definitely work, but if you have an immersion blender, I highly recommend using it. If you don't have a lot of kitchen supplies, this is a great option. It pulls quadruple duty and doesn't take up much room.
If you're making this for a group, turn the oven on low, and put a baking pan in the oven covered in foil. That way, when you finish a batch, you can keep them warm in the oven until everything is ready.
And of course, as with all of my recipes, the ingredient amounts are just suggestions. Make enough egg mixture to cover the amount of bread mixture and adjust portions accordingly. Most of all, don't overthink it. Just enjoy delicious breakfast food!
French Toast
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Whipping Cream:
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 TB Granulated or powdered sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1. Beat ingredients together in a small bowl with beaters or an immersion blender, until stiff peaks form.
I tend to make my whipping cream less sweet than canned whipping cream. Stop the mixer after a few seconds to taste and add more sugar if desired.
Ingredients:
4 slices Brioche, challah, or wheat bread OR
Gluten-free bread (we recommend Udi's)
2 Eggs
1-2 TB milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Dash of Salt
Toppings:
Butter
Syrup
Whipped Cream
Berries
Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar
Directions:
1. Make whipped cream according to the recipe above.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, milk, and spices in a flat bowl or pan. Use a fork to break yolks.
3. Dip slices of bread on either side into the mixture, then pile on a plate to be cooked. If you are cooking with both gluten-free and regular bread, do the gluten-free bread first in the mixture and pan.
4. Heat a flat-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When warm, add butter (or other cooking oil) and place several slices in the pan.
5. When slices are free to move around when nudged and starting to brown on the bottom, flip and cook on either side. Repeat with remaining slices. Keep cooked french toast in the oven if you're cooking for a large group.
6. Top french toast with: berries and whipped cream, peanut butter and syrup, powdered sugar, or plain old butter and syrup. To sprinkle powdered sugar evenly, sift over the french toast in a fine mesh sifter.
