568753 Fri Oct 31 12:30:30 -0700 2008 39 31 Home Cooking 0 4141201 My boyfriend loves French toast for breakfast. I've never made it and have only eaten it once or twice. We're more into pancakes and waffles than French toast in my family. I'm looking for a good variation of it - preferably made with challah bread. Any suggestions? Fri Oct 31 12:30:30 -0700 2008 43173 Heatherb 1 4141258 I have a very simple recipe for French Toast. In a shallow dish: Use 1 egg per 2 slices of any kind of bread. I prefer challah or italian (best day old). Add some milk (to dilute egg), Season with salt (as used to season eggs) and cinnamon Mix with fork Dunk bread slices in egg mixture and cook on griddle pan sprayed with cooking oil. Flip as required for even cooking. Since we love cinnamon at my house, I usually sprinkle more cinnamon while cooks. Have fun. Fri Oct 31 12:51:43 -0700 2008 4141201 147530 breadandcoffee 1 4141314 I whisk brown sugar into the beaten eggs, instead of cinnamon, and nothing else. Here's the part that makes this somewhat obscene: rather than griddle-frying, I fry the dipped slices in a deep skillet full o' butter-flavored shortening, turning and watching carefully, until it's golden brown all over. Drain briefly on paper towels, then serve with just butter and warm syrup. Yes - fat galore, I know - which is why we have this, maybe, once a year, for very special occasions. Fri Oct 31 13:08:01 -0700 2008 4141201 10787 Deenso 2 4143371 A diner near me serves French toast that is fried like that. Once you put the syrup on, it's like candy. mmm To the OP, make sure the bread is stale. It's called 'pain perdu' in French, meaning lost bread because it is best with stale bread. Sat Nov 01 18:33:49 -0700 2008 4141314 139219 Sooeygun 2 5023611 This sounds close to the French toast my Grandmother used to make us. No sugar or cinnamon in the egg mixture, tho. She'd use about 1/2 inch of vegtable oil in the pan, deep-frying the bread. SOO GOOD when I was younger. I haven't thought about making French toast in a -long- time. This thread is making me crave it something fierce! I love the idea of adding cardamom and brown sugar to the egg- it sounds heavenly. Egg nog French toast? SIGN ME UP! Fri Sep 11 18:57:53 -0700 2009 4141314 23858 Honeychan 1 4141348 My recipe is basically the same as breadandcoffee's but I use vanilla as well. Mix in a teaspoon for each egg. Then I brown them in real butter and top with powdered sugar. Around the holidays, I will make french toast using store-bought eggnog. And why are my posts all of a sudden double spacing?? Fri Oct 31 13:18:33 -0700 2008 4141201 80667 janetms383 2 4141395 I also use eggnog nearer the holidays with either challah or pannetone. Fri Oct 31 13:32:58 -0700 2008 4141348 19599 susan1353 1 4141775 All of these sounds similar to what I do, but I also like to add a little orange zest to the soaking/dunking mixture when oranges are in season. Enjoy! Fri Oct 31 17:03:23 -0700 2008 4141201 172962 squidly 2 5029269 I love the orange zest idea. Gonna try it. I put vanilla in with the eggs and milk and sugar and a pinch of salt. No cinnamon (might be good to sprinkle on top). Dipping the battered toast in corn flake crumbs before frying gives it a nice crispiness. Mon Sep 14 13:06:54 -0700 2009 4141775 24468 chicgail 2 5031030 I really like this Grand Marnier French Toast recipe from Epicurious. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grand-Marnier-French-Toast-715 Tue Sep 15 07:32:19 -0700 2009 4141775 12444 calpurnia 1 4141954 Our favorite is made with brioche (butter makes everything better) and sometimes stuffed with cream cheese and blueberry mixture. A must is maple syrup but cooked down with wild blueberries, the blueberries help to colour the maple syrup and add texture and flavour. Fri Oct 31 19:04:42 -0700 2008 4141201 193247 Pastryrocks 1 4141960 I'm on your boyfriend's team when it comes to French Toast and asking which is my favorite is like asking which of my kids is my favorite - I could never answer the question. I do fry it in a skillet sometimes but I prefer it baked. Pecans or Cashews seem to find their way into my French Toast recipes fairly often. If you're looking for French Toast variety, this web site is a great place to start: http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/0rec/05ftoast.htm Fri Oct 31 19:10:21 -0700 2008 4141201 203621 todao 2 4143437 Praline Apple French Toast Now, you do not need to do the apples, as the French Toast itself is sublime, But I will post both parts of the recipe. 8 servings: 2-1/4 cups milk 9 eggs 1/4 C plus 2 T. orange liqeuer 1-1/2 T vanilla extract 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 pound day old French bread sliced 1" thick 10 T. Butter 1-1/2 LBS tart apples peeled, cored, and chopped 1-1/2 C chopped pecans 2/3 C firmly packed brown sugar 1 C hot water In a belnder mix first 5 ingriedents. Arrange bread in a single layer in a shallow pan. Pour egg mixture over bread and let soak about 20 minutes. In the mean time. Melt 7 T. butter in heavy skillet over med heat. Add apples and saute for 5 min. Reduce heat to med. low and add pecans, cook for 5 more min. Add sugar and 1 C. hot water, cook 3 more min. Meanwhile melt remaining butter in another heavy skillet. Add bread and cook until crisp and golden brown about 3 min. per side. Serve with apples and pecans. Sat Nov 01 19:27:35 -0700 2008 4141960 166707 JEN10 1 4143507 I have a recipe for Elvis French toast (French toast with peanut butter and bananas). http://eatanddrinkitall.blogspot.com/2008/06/having-elvis-for-breakfast.html Sat Nov 01 20:26:49 -0700 2008 4141201 184376 FlaHopper 1 4143542 Brie Stuffed French Toast from the Valley Green Inn in Philadelphia. Challah stuffed with brie, topped with sliced bananas and maple syrup. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-best-of/brie-stuffed-french-toast-recipe/index.html Sat Nov 01 20:57:57 -0700 2008 4141201 57288 EmmaToo 1 4143580 I use flavored coffee creamer instead of milk. Sat Nov 01 21:39:48 -0700 2008 4141201 52987 LARaven 1 4143720 I love this French toast recipe from Alton Brown: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/french-toast-recipe/index.html The addition of honey to sweeten the custard is very good, I like to add a little vanilla as well. They key here is browning your French toast and then finishing it in the oven. This gives you a nice crispy crusty and a custardy moist center. Sun Nov 02 00:19:35 -0700 2008 4141201 206877 jpc8015 1 4143892 i like a combination of cardamom and lemon essence of some kind in mine. i also soak mine until they can't hold any more liquid as well and then top it off with a 8%mf yogurt yums! Sun Nov 02 05:44:10 -0800 2008 4141201 10634 pinstripeprincess 1 4144874 Oh lord. That's a lot of options. I'm sure he won't mind if I experiment on him with the different recipes:-) Thanks everybody! Sun Nov 02 16:01:38 -0800 2008 4141201 43173 Heatherb 1 5023583 I tried a new variation (to me, anyway) on French toast this past week--ALMOND FRENCH TOAST. It's sooooooooo good and so simple. I just made it for myself, but need to make this again and share. For each egg, I added a splash of milk 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and 2 teaspoons of sugar. I used leftover slices of a wonderful baguette I picked up this week...what a treat! And, yes, I topped it with vanilla-infused maple syrup. So tasty. Has anyone else figured this out? I have to play with this a bit and see how it would be stuffed with some sort of almond cheese filling. Clearly, this would go great with candied bacon, too! Fri Sep 11 18:43:27 -0700 2009 4141201 249664 kattyeyes 2 5035844 Yup, I definitely add almond extract sometimes, or a little amaretto. Cream cheese mixed with almond paste would make a delicious filling, a bit reminiscent of a bear claw. Wed Sep 16 20:30:26 -0700 2009 5023583 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 5038127 Ooooh, Caitlin, NOW you're talkin'! I want to try that! :) Thu Sep 17 16:28:51 -0700 2009 5035844 249664 kattyeyes 1 5023752 My boyfriend loves oatmeal raisin cookies, so I started experimenting to make an Oatmeal Raisin French Toast. I take Cinnamon Raisin bread, or cinnamon swirl bread. Then I mix egg with a splash of milk, brown sugar and vanilla. In a separate dish, I mix pretoasted oats (either baked on a baking sheet or toasted in a pan) with some wheat germ. I dip bread in egg mixture and allow to soak up a little, then coat with crust. Fry in some butter, enough to coat the pan. He doesn't even have to use syrup, but he always throws a little on for good measure. Fri Sep 11 20:20:04 -0700 2009 4141201 15572 Emme 1 5027286 My standard recipe: eggs, milk, dash of salt, honey or agave syrup, vanilla and orange zest. fried in combo of butter/veg oil (butter burns too fast otherwise). Sun Sep 13 18:11:02 -0700 2009 4141201 75012 jencounter 1 5028134 One tip not yet mentioned reminds me of an anecdote I've related elsewhere on the boards: When I was 20 I tended bar up the road from the CIA, and was part of this exact debate one afternoon. [ETA: Original discussion was on the "lost" cooking skills of the US.] Two gentlemen, obviously instructors/chefs at the Culinary (the pompous German or perhaps Austrian one wore his toque through the entire time spent at the bar) were debating cooking skills in America. The German wheeled around, pointed at me and rather viciously bellowed "YOU!" (perhaps sensing weakness in my high heels, short skirt and overall 20yo-bartender-in-1990 rock-chick look) "How do you make French Toast?" The American was obviously pleased when I replied sweetly (after all, there was still a tip to be had here) "Crispy American style or classic custard-style with thick French bread?" ------ So, bear in mind that you may prefer either thinly or thickly sliced. Personally, I don't much care for the classic prep, but love thin & crispy. Mon Sep 14 07:16:07 -0700 2009 4141201 20991 shanagain 1 5028232 Pumpkin Egg Nog dipped in challah bread and pan fried on both sides, served with pumpkin butter is my son's absolutely fav "brenner" meal and his birthday breakfast request for the past 20 years. Must try! Mon Sep 14 07:52:03 -0700 2009 4141201 36312 HillJ 2 5028295 the very idea of pumpkin egg nog makes me swoon. how is it that I am 40 and have yet to try this manna from heaven? Mon Sep 14 08:10:10 -0700 2009 5028232 75012 jencounter 3 5028305 jencounter, what a cute response. Welcome fellow pumpkin egg nog lover-it's never too late! Mon Sep 14 08:13:17 -0700 2009 5028295 36312 HillJ 4 5028880 I'm going to have to search for it this year. Mon Sep 14 11:06:39 -0700 2009 5028305 75012 jencounter 5 5029003 http://www.hphood.com/products/prodDetail.aspx?id=1046 Does your local market carry Hood products? Mon Sep 14 11:44:02 -0700 2009 5028880 36312 HillJ 6 5031814 I'm on the west coast, it doesn't appear so. :( Tue Sep 15 11:33:25 -0700 2009 5029003 75012 jencounter 7 5031849 I'm a big fan of Hood's PEN, but I think you could approximate it quite well blending canned pumpkin pie filling into storebought eggnog. Of course you haven't tasted Hood's so you won't know what flavor you're shooting for, but try a little filling at a time until it tastes good to you. Obviously, Hood can't be using a large amount, because the stuff isn't noticeably thicker than regular eggnog. Tue Sep 15 11:48:54 -0700 2009 5031814 159317 greygarious 7 5031865 I would even suggest using pumpkin butter in a traditional egg nog product to achieve a rich flavored batter. Tue Sep 15 11:55:49 -0700 2009 5031814 36312 HillJ 1 5029159 Cook's Illustrated recommends using only egg yolks, not whole eggs, in its French Toast Recipe. Mon Sep 14 12:36:32 -0700 2009 4141201 11646 Norm Man 1 5031365 The claim-to-fame of a Halifax, MA restaurant called Pogo's II is that they serve French Toast made from a variety of baked goods, including Danish, coffee rolls, and quick breads. Tue Sep 15 09:15:08 -0700 2009 4141201 159317 greygarious 1 5031398 An old boyfriend made me french toast with Captain Morgan in it...it was quite tasty. I like lots of cinnamon in mine. I think french toast and bacon may be on the dinner menu this week! Tue Sep 15 09:22:52 -0700 2009 4141201 87282 lawgirl3278 1 5031868 i'm sure i'll regret admitting this in a public forum but i love soaking bread in a standard custard concoction and then rolling the bread in crushed up cinnamon toast crunch cereal. fry in butter (obviously) - so so good. the most artery clogging french toast i had was in austin, tx - it was carrot cake slices, battered, fried and then topped with a praline topping similar to the icing for a cinnamon roll. i think i lost 5 years off the end of my life for eating it but i'm oddly ok with the trade-off Tue Sep 15 11:55:55 -0700 2009 4141201 207355 jmullen1251 2 5032489 I have used melted Blue Bell Vanilla Ice cream instead of milk. Tue Sep 15 15:43:50 -0700 2009 5031868 277493 DallasDude 3 5032617 That's obscene. Highly tempting, brilliantly innovative, but totally obscene. In a good way, of course. Tue Sep 15 16:30:11 -0700 2009 5032489 24468 chicgail 4 5032635 DD-I felt naughty just reading that!! *my baked french toast is so easy-you can add whatever you want and not screw it up. Slice crusty french bread and place in buttered baking dish- cover with 8 beaten eggs + 3 cups half-n-half, cinnamon, splash of good vanilla and let it sit overnight. Bake in the AM- cover w/powdered sugar and serve w.warm syrup- can top with cut fresh fruit, throw almonds in there, etc- it bakes up happy and custardy and one tray serves a gazillion people. the overnight part is not optional, the bread soaks up the liquid and bakes up puffy and happy-i promise. Tue Sep 15 16:45:07 -0700 2009 5032617 110426 Boccone Dolce