So, as much as I love huge, hearty breakfasts, Husband doesn’t really care for them. Most days, my/our breakfast consists of muesli with fresh fruit, which I do love, and sometimes an egg white and tomato sandwich on weekends. Healthy? Yes. Comforting and satisfying? Um….no. However, if pressed, I will admit that if I ate French toast and pancakes and bacon and sausage and ALL THE BREAKFAST CARBS every day like I sometimes dream I can, I would balloon into the Hindenburg faster than you can say “I’ll have home fries with that.”
This is why I call this recipe Anniversary French toast. I only make it as a treat on special occasions. This was actually my first time making it with challah bread, which Husband thoughtfully picked up for me the night before our anniversary so I could make French toast the next morning like I had not-so-subtlety been going on about for a week beforehand.
I know you can make French toast with any old bread, but, really, challah steps up the game about 10 notches. Also, you need to use real butter. And, it has to be salted butter. I normally use only unsalted in my recipes, but once you get that hit of sweet syrup drizzled over the slightly salty, egg-battered fried bread, there’s no going back.
You can serve this with bacon and sausage, but, frankly, I was too excited to eat it to wait for accompanying sides. I threw some fresh fruit on my plate and was good to go. Husband ate it with cinnamon infused Vermont maple syrup, while I drenched mine in the finest syrup money can buy — Mrs. Buttersworth. (Please still read my blog even though I love fake syrup.)
What are some of your favorite decadent breakfasts (that could possibly double as desserts–no judgement!)? Waffles a la mode? STUFFED French toast? Nutella crepes?? Sound off below!
Anniversary French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 small loaf challah bread (day old bread is best)
- 4 eggs
- a scant 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp SALTED butter
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut four generous slices of challah bread; set aside
- Find a container deep enough for dredging and large enough for the bread slices.
- Have a fork and two dinner plates at the ready.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Crack the eggs into the container. Add milk, cinnamon, and vanilla and whisk all together so that eggs are broken up and ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Take once slice of bread and press it face-down into the egg mixture. Let it soak for about 20 seconds, then flip it over using the fork and press the other side into the egg mixture. After soaking for about 20 seconds, remove the slice to one of the dinner plates you have waiting.
- Repeat this with remaining slices of bread, stacking the soaked slices on top of each other as you go.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted and bubbling, add two slices of the soaked bread to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden-brown, then flip and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes. You might want to flip the slices one more time if one side starts to get too brown. Transfer to the remaining clean dinner plate when done and keep warm.
- Repeat with remaining two slices. Serve immediately with syrup.
Love this! The orange extract sounds like a delightful change that we will have to try. My husband is the French toast maker in the family, and sometimes we use sourdough instead of challah (though challah is a favorite). The stiffness of the sourdough stands up nicely to the dunking, yielding a tender inside but a stiffer exterior.
Mmmm, I love sourdough bread!! That sounds like an excellent candidate for French toast. Thanks for the suggestion!
Whoah, sourdough really does sound good. I feel like the tang of it against all of the other sweetness would be really interesting. Man, I’m hungry…
Mmmm…. that looks so good. Making me hungry for dessert for dinner. 😀
Breakfast (or dessert!) for dinner is always a good idea. Especially before a holiday! 🙂
Where did you get that pretty tablecloth?
I’m not sure since I’ve had it awhile. I actually think my mom gave it to me, and she shops a lot at Home Goods. I shop there a lot, too ( and at TJ Maxx and Marshalls) and they always have pretty tablecloths for every season..for really cheap!