I have to admit, I was never really a breakfast person until about a year ago when I discovered that I actually liked eating it more than I previously thought… One of my favorite breakfast dishes is French toast. I’ve made it on numerous occasions but always wished that the bread was crispier and crunchier. I tried different techniques such as toasting the bread first, increasing and decreasing certain ingredients, increasing decreasing the amount of time the bread soaks and cooks, etc. They all turned out pretty good but I just found the winner today! Now I usually only cook for one so feel free to adjust the recipe accordingly so that it caters to the right amount of people.

The recipe below will be enough for one serving which yields either 2-3 toasts depending on how long you allow the bread to soak. However, I’ll add the ingredient amounts for 5 servings, which yields approximately 10 pieces of toast, in parentheticals in a red font.

18 April 2012 - Crispy French Toast

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 egg [4 eggs]
  • 1/3 cup skimmed milk (or whole milk) [2/3 cup]
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar [1 tablespoon]
  • 1/8 flour [1/3 cup]
  • pinch of salt [1/4 teaspoon]
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon* [1/2-1 teaspoon]
  • 1-2 drops of vanilla extract* [1/2 teaspoon]
  • 2-3 slices of whole-grain bread (or your choice) [10 slices]
  • canola oil for frying*

Optional Toppings:

  • fresh fruits and berries (blueberries, strawberries, bananas, etc.)
  • whip cream
  • jam (strawberry, grape, etc.)
  • syrup (maple, chocolate, caramel, etc.)
  • powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Mix the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon together
  2. Mix the milk and eggs together then combine with the flour, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon mixture
  3. Heat a large skillet [or pan] with the Canola oil. Make sure you have enough oil to cover your toast
  4. Soak the toast in the batter for 30-45 seconds depending on how crispy you would like [longer for crispier texture]
  5. Carefully place the soaked toast into the skillet [or pan] and fry both sides for approximately 20-30 seconds or until the desired consistency [keep a close eye in case the oil is too hot as to not burn the toast]
  6. Allow excess oil to drip off
  7. Place on a plate and serve with your desired topping

*You can choose to omit, decrease or increase the amount of vanilla extract and cinnamon. I just happen to be a cinnamon fanatic so I like to add a bit more

 

This is super easy to make and really only takes about 10-20 minutes depending on the preparation time. I added some powdered sugar to mine and cut up some fresh fruit on the side. Remember this can be served as a breakfast meal or dessert dish so you can get creative with your toppings. I personally like it with some powdered sugar and fresh fruits and berries. Hope you enjoy it!