Chamomile French Toast Recipes

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I'VE EVER MADE

Steps:

• Choose your bread. If you like very thick french toast (you should try it at least once!), find a local bakery and get yourself a loaf of challah or brioche bread (buy a day-old loaf if they have it.) I don't like using French bread or the regular loaves you find in the deli at the grocery store; the crusts turn out too chewy. You want a nice soft edge. If you can't get to a bakery, head to the grocery store and buy the thickest and softest white bread you can find. (3/4 inch or thicker.) Texas toast is great. I like to use the Artesano brand of bread; they sell a pre-sliced brioche loaf that is pretty legit. But their white bread is also nice and soft. See photos.
• Slice your bread with a serrated knife if you are working with a whole loaf. See photos. I like my slices to be about 1 and 1/4 inch thick, which feels a little ridiculous, but trust me. You can even go up to 2 inches if you're feeling wild. Don't slice thinner than 3/4 inch.
• Set your bread aside, spread out so that it gets a little dried out. Day old bread is great for French toast. In France, they call this dish "Lost Bread" because it's what you make when you have dried out bread to use up. (I experimented with toasting the bread first, but thought it dried out the finished product too much.)
• Make the egg mixture. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl,* whisk together 3 egg yolks, 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream* or half & half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg, if you like. Whisk until it is completely smooth and the cinnamon is well incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow dish like a pie plate, or an 8x8 inch pan. Place a slice of bread in the mixture and let it sit there for 10 to 20 seconds. How long you soak it depends on how thick your bread is. It should be soft when you touch it, but still hold itself together. Flip the bread and soak the other side. You can start cooking the French toast right away, or you can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them.
• Cook the French toast: Heat an electric griddle or large 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any oil with a high smoke point.) Swirl it around until the pan is coated. Place the French toast on the pan with 1 to 2 inches in between each slice of bread. Cook on medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. The timing depends on your oven or griddle, so stick around and keep an eye on it.
• Caramelize. When the bottom of the first side is LIGHT brown (we are going to cook this side twice), sprinkle about a half tablespoon granulated sugar on the top (raw) side of the bread. Flip the toast, sugar side down, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Be sure to swirl the pan so oil re-coats it, or add more butter/oil if necessary). Then, sprinkle another half tablespoon of sugar on the cooked side, and flip it over again so that it lightly caramelizes the first side.
• Keep your toast warm. Preheat your oven to the "keep warm" setting, about 170 degrees F. As you finish frying the toast, transfer each one to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Keep toast warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• I honestly don't even put maple syrup on caramelized French toast. I feel like it doesn't really need it, plus it makes the caramel edge not as crunchy. I like to eat it plain, or with a little jam. But maple syrup is really delicious if you are in the mood! A sprinkle of powdered sugar and a berry garnish never hurt either.
• Keep leftovers stored covered in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or the toaster. Or heat your oven to 350 and heat the toast all together on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Preheat a greased griddle over medium heat., Dip bread in egg mixture, letting it soak 5 seconds on each side. Cook on griddle until golden brown on both sides. Serve with toppings as desired.

FRENCH TOAST "JUBLIEE"

Steps:

• For the jubilee sauce: Combine the cherries and lemon strips and juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rum and return it to the heat to burn off the alcohol, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, swirl in the butter and maple syrup.
• For the French toast: Add the cream, honey, almond extract, cardamom and eggs and yolks to a blender and blend until combined. Transfer to a shallow container and soak the bread in the custard mixture.
• Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until frothing. Drain off the excess custard from the bread, add the slices to the pan and cook on both sides until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes a side.
• Serve by placing the French toast on a platter along with the cherry jubilee sauce. Finish with the lemon zest and a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

CHAMOMILE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a small pot, combine the heavy cream and tea bags. Bring to a simmer, then take off the heat immediately. Let sit and cool, then remove the tea bags.
• In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice and 1/3 cup of the honey and whisk. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chamomile cream, milk, vanilla, eggs, remaining 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of salt. Whisk until completely combined.
• Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and let melt. Put 2 slices of bread into the cream mixture and let it soak through. Put the soaked bread in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet and hold in the oven. Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan, soak 2 more slices of bread in the cream mixture and cook. Repeat with the remaining butter, bread and cream mixture.
• Top the French toast with a dollop of mascarpone, some fresh berries and a drizzle of the lemon honey.

CHAMOMILE SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Place sugar and filtered water in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add the chamomile tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes, then discard tea bags. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

FRENCH TOAST BLTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place the bacon on the prepared baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Decrease the oven temperature to 200 degrees F.
• While the bacon cooks, lay the bread in a single layer in a large shallow dish.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, chives, Parmesan, and flour in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the bread and soak 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the bread halfway through.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it sizzles. Working in batches if necessary, add the bread in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the French toast to an ovenproof plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• To serve, sandwich the tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon between the slices of French toast.

CLASSIC FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Place bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold bread slices in a single layer. Pour egg mixture over bread; soak 10 minutes. Turn slices over; soak until soaked through, about 10 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry half the bread slices until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack; place in oven while cooking remaining bread. Wipe skillet, and repeat with remaining butter, oil, and bread. Keep in oven until ready to serve. Serve warm with pure maple syrup, if desired.

CLASSIC FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees, and place a wire rack on a sheet pan inside.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, additional yolks, milk, vanilla (if using) and salt until foamy and smooth. Set aside. Place a small lump of butter (enough to coat the bottom of the skillet when melted) in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over low heat. It will melt very slowly.
• When butter is just melted and bubbling, raise heat and bring to a sizzle. Place 2 slices of bread in the bowl with the egg mixture. Turn them a few times in the mixture until evenly saturated, about 5 seconds on each side. Do not soak.
• Lift a slice out of the egg mixture, gently shake off any excess, and place in the pan. Repeat until the skillet is full, and let the slices cook at a sizzle for about 2 minutes, until just turning golden brown on the bottom.
• Add another small lump of butter to the pan and flip the slices over, swirling the pan so that the fresh butter coats the bottom. (This will allow the second side to brown.)
• Continue cooking over low heat until the second side is golden brown. Dust with cinnamon sugar, flip again, and dust the other side. Test for doneness by pressing the center: The dent should slowly spring back. If it remains, the interior is not yet cooked. Continue cooking at low heat, flipping occasionally, until done. Serve immediately, or transfer to the oven to keep warm while cooking remaining bread. Serve as soon as possible. Top with maple syrup, berries, jam, sliced bananas, orange supremes - whatever you'd like.