“Flexibility is the key to stability.” – John Wooden
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Germany travelers returned this week, Beata and I celebrated our August birthdays (continuing without Nancy), and Kennedy celebrated her 28th birthday (can she really be that old already?!)
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
When I was growing up I remember having French toast for breakfast every weekend. When we moved to the Twin Cities we discovered Byerly’s cinnamon circle baked French toast which was my staple for a number of years. I was hungry to discover a new amazing French toast and created it by combining recipes from delish.com and thekitchn.com. Maddie said ‘this is REALLY good’ when I made it for Wednesday night dinner a few weeks ago, but it was when I ate the leftovers that it hit me how good it really was! The trick is to cut the bread in 1″ slices (I measured and marked where to cut with toothpicks) so it can soak up the custard… problem is, it can get mushy. The solution is to dry out the bread in the oven first so you can get a contrast between a slightly crispy outside and a creamy, custardy center… a French toast that is “soft and fluffy and pillowy, but but not soggy.”
BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST
- Unsliced 1-pound loaf of brioche bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (can also use cream or half-n-half, but not low fat)
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Dry the sliced bread in a single layer on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for 8 minutes, then flip and bake another 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes.
Combine 1 1/2 cups milk or cream, 6 large eggs, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until fully combined with no streaks. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Add as many slices of bread as will fit in a single layer. Soak, flipping once, until drenched but not falling apart, 1-2 minutes per side. Return to wire rack, letting excess drip off into the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When butter is sizzling but not brown, add 4 soaked slices. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook about 3 minutes more, until the other side is browned. Add more butter as need to cook the rest.
Serve warm with more maple syrup.
