Let's talk about bread for a moment. I'm all for super fancy artisan bread, but when it comes to indulgent, moist, thick french toast go for the slightly-past-date-under-a-dollar Texas Toast. For a Saturday breakfast, open the bag of toast on Friday night, just take the twist out, shake the bag to loosen the slices a little and put it on a counter overnight.
Tools to Use:
Mixing bowl, medium
Whisk or stick blender
Baking dish, 2" sides
Jelly Roll Pan x 2
Large skillet or electric griddle
Your Shopping List:
*the 'serving size' for this is about 2, but you should make the whole loaf, its good in the fridge up to a week and rewarms in the toaster (bagel setting) or toaster oven in just a couple minutes.
12 large eggs
1 loaf of Texas Toast, just past it's sell by date
1 cup half and half (or whole milk)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, plus a little to sprinkle on top
2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
The Mise.
- Bread out, twist out of the bag, on the counter overnight
- Beat eggs until well blended. I use a stick blender, makes it really easy.
- Pre-heat oven to 350
- Line one of the jelly roll pans with parchment
The Assembly.
- Mix all the ingredients together with the whisk or the stick blender until the sugar is dissolved into the liquid.
- Pour an inch of the mix into the baking dish
- Dip the slices in the baking dish and let them sit for 30 seconds on each side.
- Place the dipped slices on the unlined jelly roll pan.
- Repeat with filling the dish, dipping the slices and placing them on the pan.
- When all of the slices have been dipped once, repeat the process starting with the first piece.
- Handle the already wet slices carefully, the Texas Toast is hearty, but it will still fall apart
- Pre-heat the griddle/skillet
- Sprinkle the tops of each slice with more cinnamon.
- Brown slices in the skillet until they are browned on both sides.
- Arrange the browned slices on the lined jelly roll pan side by side, with the edges touching.
- When the pan is full, put it in the pre-heated and cook it for 30min.
Final step: Cover it in butter and maple syrup (don't cheat with the HFCS crap). Eat it while it's hot!