Pecan Rum French Toast Recipes

PECAN RUM FRENCH TOAST (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Process 1/2 cup pecans, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in food processor until coarsely ground, 12 to 15 one-second pulses (you should have about 1/2 cup crumbs).
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
• Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, vanilla, and rum in large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking pan.
• Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. Sprinkle each slice of soaked bread with 1 tablespoon nut mixture.
• Heat ½ tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices soaked bread to skillet-nut mixture side down-and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If toast is cooking too quickly, reduce temperature slightly.) Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon of butter for each batch. Serve warm, passing maple syrup separately.

BUTTER PECAN-RUM MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• Combine the pecans and rum in a small bowl and let soak at least 30 minutes.
• Whisk the flour, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and 1/2 cup confectioners¿ sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the pecan-rum mixture and the vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners¿ sugar in a medium bowl. Gently roll the cookies in the confectioners' sugar, returning to the racks as you go, then reroll the cookies to fully coat.

BUTTER PECAN FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• In a large bowl, combine the milk, eggs, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk together until everything's combined and smooth.
• One by one, dunk the slices of bread into the egg mixture and place them on the buttery skillet.
• Fit as many slices in the skillet as you can, cooking them until golden on the first side, about 2 1/2 minutes. Flip to cook them on the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove them to a plate. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and repeat with the rest of the bread slices until they're all cooked.
• To the same skillet, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, and the salt. Stir and cook over medium heat until the butter and sugar are melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat completely, pour in the bourbon and stir, allowing the fumes to dissipate for about 1 minute. Turn the stove on medium heat and continue to stir and cook for another minute, or until the mixture is starting to thicken. Add the pecans, stir to combine. Keep cooking the sauce, stirring constantly, until the mixture is deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to cook it too long as it will become chewy, you want a nice caramelly sauce. Turn off the heat.
• Serve two pieces of French toast with a little butter. Sift over some powdered sugar.
• Spoon on a generous amount of the sauce then top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

RUM FRENCH TOAST A LA MODE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Cut the baguette on the diagonal into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices. Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, sugar and 3 tablespoons rum in a large baking dish. Add the bread and soak, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. (Remove before the bread is soggy.)
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the bread and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and repeat with the remaining bread.
• Meanwhile, mix the maple syrup and the remaining 1 tablespoon rum in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve the French toast with the maple-rum syrup and ice cream.

BAKED PECAN FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Place the eggs, milk, sugar, nutmeg or cinnamon and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
• Mist the bottom of a 12 by 8-inch glass casserole with vegetable oil spray or brush with melted butter.
• Place the bread slices in a single layer in the pan.
• Pour the egg mixture over the bread, distributing it evenly.
• Turn the bread slices once.
• Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
• The next morning, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove the pan from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle the bread slices with pecans and drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bread slices puff up and pecans are deep brown but not burned.
• Serve warm with maple syrup.
• Instead of a cup of milk, use 2/3 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup of the milk.
• You can vary this further by adding a little grated orange zest with the pecans before baking.

FRENCH TOAST PECAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
• Combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a bowl, breaking up any large lumps of brown sugar. Stir butter, egg, vanilla extract, and rum-flavored extract into flour mixture until dough forms; add chopped pecans and mix until well blended. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Press a pecan half on top of each ball.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Sprinkle salt onto each cookie and gently press each with the back of a spatula to set the salt.

PECAN FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and salt; pour over bread. Let stand for 10 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; cook over medium heat until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with pecans. Top with bread. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 30-35 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve immediately.