If you miss going out to brunch, here’s a favorite you can easily make at home — French toast. Even if you’ve been making French toast for years, there are ways to make it even more delicious.
— “The beauty of French toast is that it has kind of a Lazarus effect,” said chef Jessica Bright McMullen, owner of KitchenAble Cooking School and Catering at Lake Ella. “It brings new life to bread, but it’s also a food to enjoy in a pinch, or you can make it for an over-the-top indulgent brunch.”
— When making French toast, a few crucial issues:
— First: What type of bread should you use? McMullen’s favorites are brioche or croissants, but “in reality, you can use sandwich bread, leftover French bread, banana bread — pretty much anything you can dip in an egg mixture.”
— As for milk, she prefers whole milk, but you can use coconut milk, almond milk, or cream. You can even use juice or a splash of water if you’re using buttery bread like a croissant.
— Cinnamon and vanilla extract are two of the most popular additions to elevate French toast, but you can also use nutmeg and more extravagant ingredients like Grand Marnier, rum, or Chambord Liqueur — even eggnog at Christmas, said McMullen.
— Another factor to remember is “the importance of order when mixing ingredients,” she said. “If you’re going to do spices, you don’t want them to float on top.”
— Here’s a recipe from McMullen. Learn more on her video at learnfromalocal.com/how-to-make-classic-french-toast.
Classic French toast:
½ TSP ground cinnamon.
1 TSP granulated sugar.
1 TSP vanilla extract.
1 egg.
2 TBSP whole milk.
2 slices of bread of your choice.
1 TBSP butter (for pan).
Optional toppings: real maple syrup, powdered sugar, fruit.
— In a medium bowl, whisk together cinnamon and sugar. When evenly mixed, add vanilla and continue stirring to dissolve some of the sugar. Add the egg to the cinnamon mixture and whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in the milk.
— Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, add butter to the pan to coat. Dip bread slice in the prepared mixture, turn to coat both sides evenly, then transfer it to the hot griddle. Add as many slices of toast as you wish to the pan without crowding. When the bottom has browned, and the egg looks cooked and dry, turn it over to brown on the other side. Remove from heat when fully cooked. Remove from the pan, top as desired, and enjoy.
The recipe will yield 2- 4 slices, depending on the type of bread you use.
