Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast

Last Updated on May 28, 2014 by Karen

Breakfast is not something that gets me out of bed in the morning (weekend brunch…that’s a very different story).  Usually, I need to ease into the day with a cup of coffee or tea, check my emails, and then I’ll start thinking about food.  But guess what?  French toast was the first thing that came to mind today!  And it’s not even the weekend yet.

Making French toast is the perfect way to use up any day-old or stale bread and then turn them into a sweetly satisfying treat.  With a blend of eggs, milk, and sugar, and a generous amount of sizzling butter, the toasts cook up beautifully and provide a great canvas for your maple syrup or fruit compote.  And the intoxicating aroma of butter and warm maple syrup…MmmMmmm… Oh, and be sure to use real maple syrup.  It makes all the difference in the world!

Now what are you waiting for?  I dare you try it this weekend.  Or tonight, for dinner perhaps?

Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast
(serves 4)

4 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
8 slices of stale or day old bread, sliced one inch thick (I used raisin loaf, but brioche or challah work really well too)
Unsalted butter, for cooking

Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and salt together in a shallow bowl.  Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, allowing bread to soak up some of the mixture.

Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook few slices of bread at a time (don’t overcrowd the skillet). Fry until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.

Serve hot with maple syrup.

*The recipe calls for stale bread, preferably the crusty kind; fresh bread tends to fall apart during cooking.  If you don’t have any stale or day-old bread, you can place the fresh bread slices for a couple of minutes in the oven (about 300°F) to dry them out a bit before soaking them in the custard mixture.

*If making a large batch, transfer the cooked ones from the skillet to a baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and place in the oven at 200°F to keep them warm while you cook the rest.