365 in 365 - #98 - Real French Toast

Get ready....I'm about to blast all of those pieces of egg "dipped" bread out of the pan......

I am always surprised at what I see being labeled French toast.  Most of the time, the bread has barely had the briefest of introductions to the egg and then it is slapped in a pan to fry.  What comes out is simply a piece of bread with fried egg on it....BLECK!!!!!!

This version is not for the calorie conscious.  This is a "special occasion" version of the recipe.  Tomorrow, I will follow with the "heart healthy" version.  So please let your arteries rest easy tonite, salvation is on the way.

For the French toast that I am about to show you, you will need:
1 dozen eggs, beaten very will with 1/3 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract
1/2 cup of real maple syrup
Optional - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
6 - 8 slices of home-made bread, cut at least 1/2 inch thick, preferably cut 3/4 of an inch thick

A well seasoned cast iron skillet with cover, heated on low to medium low heat.
Plenty of butter
Real maple syrup for pouring over the French toast
Or...you can use my recipe for Strawberry Jam with Dark Chocolate balsamic vinegar......complete YUMNESS!!!!!!

Soak each piece of bread in the egg batter.  You may need to squish it down with a fork until it is well soaked with the egg batter.  You also might need a spatula to pick it up and place it in the hot pan.  Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and let it melt, but don't let it get browned.  Place 2 slices of the soaked bred into the pan and place the cover on the pan.

Let this cook for at least 10 minutes then check to see if it is browned on one side by gently lifting up a corner.  It might take an additional 5 to 10 minutes.  The trick here is to be patient.  Once the first side is browned, add a little more butter if needed and flip the toast over and place the cover back on the pan.  Let it cook an additional 10 minutes and check to see if  the second side is browned.  When the toast is done, it should be nice and puffy in the center of each piece.  When this comes out of the pan, it will deflate, so don't be surprised if it does.  Repeat the process until all the egg batter is gone.

This is a great make-ahead breakfast.  The toast freezes very well if wrapped tightly.  If you choose to reheat this in a microwave, reheat the toast by covering it with a damp paper towel on the defrost setting. This will keep the toast from becoming rubbery and tough.  I reheat this in a 325' (F) oven, wrapped in tin foil for about 15 minutes and then unwrap it and heat for an addition 5 minutes, just to crisp it up.

Tomorrow...the heart healthy version.

From my purple kitchen to you.

Have a great evening!!!
S.