French Toast Two Ways

Author and Photographer: Zachary Sarmoen

French toast is a versatile breakfast food that dates back to the Roman Empire. In its simplest form, it is bread soaked in a milk and egg mixture and then pan-fried. Of course, modern versions add in various toppings, mix-ins, sauces, and syrups, which leaves the basic French toast as a delicious vessel to fit your specific tastes.

French Toast Stack

I have always seen French toast as a way to empty out some lingering ingredients in my kitchen. French toast only requires bread, milk, and eggs, but it pairs so well with a range of sweets and breakfast foods that I always see making my favorite breakfast dish as an opportunity to clear out the last of my soon-to-expire ingredients.

The basis of my French toast recipes revolves around the idea of using anything and everything already at your disposal. Thus, before diving into my recipes, I ask that you do three things:

  1. Keep an open mind

  2. Do not be afraid to try substitutes (I will try to add as many suggestions as possible!)

  3. Look in your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator and take out any ingredients that you think might pair well with your French toast (you won’t know until you try it)

I have prepared French toast two ways: a traditional challah French toast topped with stovetop cinnamon apples and peanut butter stuffed French toast sticks with a blueberry compote—my take on a PB&J. 

The processes for preparing each of the variations (as far as the French toast itself is concerned) only differ in a few steps, so the recipes are condensed into one with explicit instructions where they differ or where other options can be substituted. While I use apples, peanut butter, and blueberries here, the recipes are meant to be adaptable to any fruit or stuffing. Therefore, while I offer substitutions, there may be even more options (some fun ideas include s’mores, cannoli, and bananas foster French toast), and for the proportions of the fruit toppings, exact measurements are much less necessary, since cooking down fruit accomplishes most of the job on its own. Additionally, this French toast recipe was prepared in bulk, so scale it down as needed.

Ingredients

French Toast

  • 3 Eggs

  • ½ Cup of Half and Half Milk

  • ½ Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

  • ½ Teaspoon of Cinnamon

  • Pinch of Salt

  • 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (add more as needed)

  • ¾ Tablespoon of Brown Sugar

  • Maple Syrup can be substituted

  • 1 Loaf of Challah cut into 1-inch thick slices

  • Brioche and French Baguette can be substituted

  • If your bread is pre-cut and is too thin, I suggest opting for a stuffed French toast

  • 1 Cup of Peanut Butter (Optional for stuffing the French toast) 

  • Nutella and Marshmallow Fluff can be substituted

Cinnamon Challah

Apple Topping

  • 4 Apples sliced (any kind; I used Honeycrisp)

  • Bananas, pears, peaches, and mangoes can be substituted

  • 4 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

  • 4 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

  • ½ Teaspoon of Cinnamon

French Toast and Apples

Berry Compote

  • 1 Pint of Blueberries

  • Any berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, etc.) can be substituted or mixed

  • 4 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

  • 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

  • ½ Teaspoon of Cinnamon

Berry Compote

Instructions

French Toast

  1. Slice your bread into even 1-inch-thick slices unless you have pre-cut slices or are looking to stuff your French toast. If you are stuffing your French toast, slice ½-¾ inch thick slices or use pre-cut slices. Your bread should be slightly dry or stale, not fresh, for it to best absorb the custard. If your bread is not dry, you can lightly toast it for a minute or two in the toaster or for about ten minutes in the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Crack your eggs into a bowl or container and beat them (I suggest using a rectangular Tupperware that is slightly larger than your bread slices or a large bowl, so you can evenly submerge them) 

  3. Mix your milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla with the eggs until a somewhat homogenous custard is formed. If the cinnamon settles back to the top of the liquid, mix again before dipping your bread.

  4. (Optional Step) Spread about a spoonful of peanut butter on one side of each slice of bread. Put a light amount of peanut butter around the edges of the bread to help seal the creases without causing the peanut butter to leak out while cooking. Fold the slices of bread in half or stick two slices together, trapping the peanut butter within and forming pieces that are about 1-1½ inches thick.

  5. Soak the bread in your custard mixture. Make sure that the custard coats all sides of the bread. If you like the center of your French toast to be more wet and eggy, soak your bread for longer, but do not let it soak for more than 30 seconds because the bread may become too mushy to cook properly.

  6. Heat your pan to medium-high heat, and then butter it. You want your butter to immediately start to melt and lightly bubble. If the butter begins to burn, lower the heat, and if it does not melt immediately, raise the heat.

  7. Add your French toast to the pan and cook for about 45-60 seconds on each side, or until golden brown. I suggest doing a test piece to see if your toast burns or does not cook through to your liking during this time span. In both cases, lower the heat (and cook longer if you want a more well-done toast). 

  8. Plate with any toppings of your choosing. Recommendations include powdered sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, and fresh and/or cooked fruit.

*I suggest preparing your fruit toppings in a separate saucepan while you are preparing your French toast because they can be left to cook with less attention while you focus on your toast

Apple Topping

  1. Wash and peel your apples (optional, I did not peel them in my recipe)

  2. Slice your apples into ¼-½ inch thick slices

  3. Heat a saucepan to medium heat and melt half of the butter

  4. Add the apple slices to the pan and let them cook for about five minutes

  5. Add in the rest of the butter in addition to the brown sugar and cinnamon, and stir until the sugar and butter have melted in

  6. Lower to medium-low heat and let the apples cook, stirring or flipping them every 3-5 minutes, until they have softened to your desired texture. Mine cooked for about 20 minutes, and had some firmness but could still be broken with light pressure from a spoon.

Challah French toast with Cinnamon Apples

Berry Compote

  1. Rinse your berries

  2. Heat a saucepan to medium heat and melt half of the butter

  3. Add your berries and let cook for about three minutes

  4. Some of your berries should begin to blister, at which point, you can use a masher or the back of a spatula to mash the berries. This should have a mostly liquid consistency.

  5. Add the rest of your butter in addition to the brown sugar and cinnamon, and stir until well combined

  6. Let your compote cook, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until the liquid part of the mixture thickens. The compote liquid should have a slightly thinner consistency than a syrup. My compote took about 10 minutes to finish cooking.

Peanut Butter Stuffed French Toast Sticks with Blueberry Compote

Plate your French toast creatively, topping it with your cooked or fresh fruits, syrups, whipped cream, or anything else you think will pair well…and enjoy!

RecipesMelanie Wang1 Comment