My dear sweet hubby, bless his heart, says my French Toast is simply the best. (I have trained him well, haven’t I? 😉 ) I don’t know that mine is “the best”. It’s a pretty big world. 😉 But I can tell you this, I’ve never had it’s equal and it really does live up to it’s name. There are some tricks to making great French Toast, though, so let’s just go ahead and get started! 😀

First thing’s first, the bread. I have tried many different kinds and I really like a fairly dense bread that is thickly sliced.

Regular sandwich bread slices just don’t hold up. Most sandwich breads are too light, fluffy and airy, end up quite soggy and just do not hold up well.

Some other breads, such as Brioche and Challah, unless you slice the loaves yourself and let them dry out overnight, which I really don’t care to do, also may not do well for french toast. To me, it ends up having a slightly stale taste that I don’t personally care for. And even after “staling” the bread, it still doesn’t want to hold up as well. 

But I’ve found an all-around winner, though, that’s easy to find in any grocery store that really does a great job for me, and that’s a simple, low-priced bread, made by Great Value, believe it or not, called Texas Toast Thick Sliced.  

 

 

 

 

This really works well every time, is a no-fail bread that doesn’t have a fancy bakery price tag, and the loaves are big enough that it really goes a long way to feed even a large family or small crowd if needed for pennies per serving. 

Next is the liquid. You can use milk or half & half cream, but if you want a superb, truly exquisite, real-deal special occasion only French Toast, heavy cream is the way to achieve this! (This is why French Toast is a royal treat at our house and not eaten on even a weekly basis! 😉 )

*I usually make this just when I have a bit leftover from another recipe, as it’s a great way to use up that last bit. 😉  

*Check out my new dish! I LOVE it! It is just a small part of a HUGE package of sets that I won from World Kitchen and this one is made by Pyrex. It’s my new go-to dish for making French Toast! It’s deep enough to whisk in, and the perfect size for soaking the bread! Though I received entire sets, if you’d like this particular one for yourself, you can check out the dish individually here. And with Christmas coming up, here is a link to the whole amazing set! *I’ll tell you all about everything in a later post as I’m waiting for a few things that are on backorder. 😉  

 

 

 

 

Secondly, is flavor! Flavor, flavor, flavor! Plain French Toast just doesn’t cut it anymore for us, so I add a very healthy amount of cinnamon-sugar mix, a little nutmeg and a splash of vanilla! (If no one’s looking, you can add a small splash of rum or bourbon, too. Not that I’ve ever done this. 😉 😉 )    

 

 

 

Lastly, the main trick is to not have the pan too hot due to having the heat turned up too high. You literally want to bake this on the pan, not fry it.

If the heat is too hot, you’ll brown it on the outside and the inside will be a wet soggy mess. Not cool. Kinda gross, actually.

So cook it slowly and take your time letting it get nicely browned on both sides and thoroughly done in the middle. You’ll know for sure when it’s done when the middle is firm and no longer wants to sink when you give it a couple of flips.  

I like to keep our plates in the oven with the light on to warm them, too. Nothing worse than putting hot food onto a cold plate! Use real butter, always.

And be sure to warm your maple syrup in a small pan or in the microwave. Cold syrup doesn’t cut it either. 😉

To add an eye-popping, finishing touch, do a little whipped cream and nice light dusting of powdered sugar! This really makes it extra special. 😉 If you have any fresh fruit or berries on hand, toss them on, too! 

I hope that you enjoy this simple, basic recipe that tastes anything BUT “basic”! This makes for one classy plate of French Toast that’s always a very special treat whether it’s for a special occasion or you simply want to spoil yourself and the ones you love! Take care all, and I’ll see you tomorrow! 😀 ~Kelly

 

 

 

 

Yield: 2-3 servings

Exquisite French Toast with Cinnamon & Nutmeg

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 jumbo or 3 large eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp. cinnamon-sugar mixture
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5-6 slices thick-cut Texas-style bread
• thin pats of butter
• powdered sugar
• maple syrup
• whipped cream, optional

Instructions

In deep square dish or bowl appropriate for size of bread, whisk eggs well.

Whisk in heavy cream until well blended.

Whisk in cinnamon-sugar, salt and vanilla.

Heat a large square non-stick flat griddle pan over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Turn down to medium-low. Coat 4 slices of bread on both sides letting custard soak in well, one at a time, and place onto heated pan. Let "bake" on pan until thoroughly speckled brown and deep golden in color. Turn and cook other side. *I cook this slowly to thoroughly cook the custard all the way through. You will know when it's done when the center stays firm and no longer sinks in the middle when turned. Anywhere from 15-20 minutes total. Repeat with rest of slices.

Cut slices corner-to-corner, place onto plate overlapping, top with pats of butter, drizzle nicely with warmed maple syrup, and dust with powdered sugar. Top center with a little whipped cream if desired. Serve immediately.