Have you ever been so sleepy in the morning that you put the wrong ingredient in breakfast? I’ve poured cereal into a coffee cup, and cream into a sugar bowl. However, some great ideas are born from stupid actions, like the time I ground black pepper into the French Toast batter I was making for John instead of grinding it onto the eggs I’d just scrambled for Michael. A fine mistake, as it turned out to be the perfect spice to complement the sweetness of maple syrup and cinnamon.
What you will need:
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk (1/3 for thick slices of bread)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a sprinkling of cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 2 slices of bread–fresh, frozen, or day-old–or 3 slices of challah bread
- 1 Tablespoon butter
What you will do:
1. Beat the egg, milk, and vanilla in a shallow dish or pie plate. Beat in flour, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
2. Heat non-stick skillet with a few drops of water on medium heat. When the water boils, the pan will be ready.
3. Put bread slices into the egg batter and let them sit for a minute. Then flip them and let them soak in the egg on the other side.
4. When the pan is hot, melt the butter in the pan and spread it around with a spatula. Add the battered slices of bread, and pour any remaining batter on top of the bread.
5. Cook each side for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Remove slices, turn off heat, then pour maple syrup into the skillet. As it bubbles, add a pat of butter and let it melt into the syrup, making a warm, delicious topping for your French toast.
Notes: Challah or brioche bread, cut thick, are ideal for French Toast. Use the 1/3 Cup amount of milk.
We generally don’t buy expensive ingredients for most cooking, but maple syrup is an exception. Even a store-brand 100% pure maple syrup is considerably better than the maple/corn brand-name syrup that is most common on store shelves. Vermont Maple Syrup seems to be the best, but maple syrup from other places are plenty good.