On mornings we can afford to slow our roll, I’ve taken to making the kids french toast. Leo crushes it and Tessa is quite a fan as well, taking 20 minutes to eat her breakfast instead of her standard 45 (she’s the chattiest of Cathys).
It being the sort of recipe you can free hand, I add the general components and they’re always happy. That being said, my version is unlike the french toast I see in restaurants – that thick, golden brown crust that’s so flavorful the syrup becomes an afterthought. If I were to make french toast for guests, I would follow the recipe below which has been on my site for five years now (it was actually one of my very first posts from the breakfast unit at school).
America’s Test Kitchen calls for the addition of flour to coat the bread in a true batter. It’s thicker for sure, and the end result is that restaurant-style I mentioned before. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s panfried in butter rather than the nonstick spray I usually use. Looking to take things up a notch for family breakfast this weekend? Give this a try and let me know how it goes!
Restaurant Style French Toast
Serves 4
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
8 slices bread (any type works)
1/4 c. butter
1 c. milk
1 egg
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter and whisk it together with the milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Slowly whisk in flour until smooth.
3. Soak both sides of each slice, about 15 seconds per side. Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp. butter in 12-inch non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat, swirling to coat the pan.
4. Remove bread from the batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into dish. Lay in hot skillet and cook until deeply golden brown on both sides.
5. Add remaining butter and repeat with remaining four slices. Serve.
