This is a beautiful thing to do with the leftovers of a loaf of Cranberry Pecan Bread. I love this as a weekend brunch; it’s pretty easy and most of the work is fairly inactive. You’re just waiting for things to soak and cook through, so you have plenty of time to brew tea, search your fridge for tasty toppings, and entertain any company you might be lucky enough to have.
French toast is pretty easy to make, but by paying attention to a few key details you can elevate the quality of your French toast from tasty to mind-blowing.
First off, use good bread. Like this cranberry pecan bread. Or challah or brioche. Something that’s not just plain old white bread. We’ve got that covered. And be sure to slice it nice and thick.
Next, make sure you let the bread get completely soaked with the milk/egg mixture. Totally. It should be almost falling apart because it’s so soggy.
Third, add a bit of flour and baking soda (USA / Canada) to your milk/egg mixture. And a bit of heavy cream never hurt, either.
Fourth, don’t be afraid to use lots of cinnamon and vanilla! And, lastly, cook the toast for a long time at a relatively low heat on a pre-heated and buttered griddle. Give it lots of time to cook all the way through (nice, thick slices of bread that are totally soaked in custard can take up to 10 minutes per side to cook through).
Cranberry Pecan French Toast
4 thick slices day-or-two old cranberry pecan bread
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
Butter, for the griddlePreheat your griddle/skillet to medium-low heat.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, white sugar, and cinnamon. Add a couple tablespoons of the milk and whisk into a paste. Slowly thin it out with the remainder of the milk, and then whisk in the vanilla, eggs, and cream.
Pour the milk/egg mixture over the slices of bread in a shallow pan and let soak until thoroughly saturated.
Butter the grill and cook the slices until golden brown on each side. You’ll know a side is done when you can flip it easily. If it feels like it’s fused to the griddle, it’s not done cooking yet. If you aren’t sure if they’re cooked through, feel free to cut into the centre of one with a knife. It shouldn’t ooze.
Serve hot with sour cream and maple syrup. Yum!
