I hated bananas from the tender age of 6 straight through until the ripe old age of 32.5. I remember it very distinctly. I was with my parents in the Disneyland parking lot. I saw a man eating a banana, chewing wide with his mouth open. I couldn’t take my eyes away because it was 100% disgusting. Have you ever seen anyone eat a banana, chewing with their mouth open? Even in my six year old brains I was like… WELP, there goes that fruit. BANANAS ARE DISGUSTING.
I had a similar experience in a chain diner with a plate of cold french toast. It was rubbery, and weird and no amount of powdered sugar or maple syrup could save it. In my child brains I was like.. WELP, there goes that fine breakfast food. Until, that is, last Sunday when I was staring down a fine loaf of soft brioche, two eggs, and some heavy cream think… I really should give this another shot.
I was so wrong. French Toast, especially when made in very small, personal-sized batches, is DELICIOUS! Not soggy or rubbery. Best eaten in silence with hot coffee and weird Internet news (as one does with the weekend).
If we’re going to take the time to turn our bread and eggs into French Toast, we might as well use the best bread we can.
Go for an eggy brioche. It’s like a pillow of bread, egg, and butter. It’s absolutely delicious on its own so, surely it will be extra divine as French Toast!
Sidenote: do the French eat French Toast?
Two eggs are whisked very well with heavy cream. Cinnamon is mixed with sugar and added to the eggs and cream. Mixing the sugar with the cinnamon will keep the cinnamon from being lumpy clumpy as it’s whisked into the wet ingredients.
Here’s the deal: I made two stellar slices of French Toast. Two for me… that’s right. If you’d like to make this a serving for two, double the bread, add more cream and a dash more sugar. Not hard. Easy as can be. The instructions for a small but double batch of French Toast are below.
Thick sliced brioche is dipped into the sweetened egg and cream. Allow to bread to sit and soak for 15 seconds. Enough for a creamy and eggy bread… not soggy.
Flip and do the same! For a single batch, you’ll have some extra egg mixture. That’s just how this goes. For a double bath, you’ll have less extra. It’s all good.
From the egg mixture to the hot pan with melted butter.
One flip will do, and we’re off to French Toast heaven.
Cool quickly, until all two or four slices are butter-toasted and browned. Top with more cinnamon sugar, a few colored sprinkles, and/or pure maple syrup.
I feel like I’ve figured out at least part of you weekend. I hope the rest is a good one.
Also… I mostly like bananas now. In case you were worried. (I can’t imagine you were.)
PrintFrench Toast for One or Two
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 4
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 2
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk (use 1/2 cup for 2 servings)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (1 1/2 tablespoon for 2 servings)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (heaping 1/4 teaspoon for 2 servings)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 or 4 thick slices brioche bread (4 slices will be for 2 servings)
- 2 tablespoons butter (3 tablespoons for 2 servings)
- pure maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and cream (or whatever milk you’re using). In a small bowl, stir together the granulated and cinnamon. Stirring the sugar and cinnamon together will keep the cinnamon from clumping up in the egg mixture. Whisk the eggs, cream, sugar and cinnamon until the egg whites are broken down and well mixed into the cream.
- Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a pat of butter, about 1 tablespoon and allow to melt. Dip one slice of brioche into the egg mixture. Allow to sit for 15 seconds then flip to moisten and coat the other side. Allow to sit for another 15 seconds.
- Place the dipped slice of bread in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Gently flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Don’t press down and flatten the toast. Keep it fluffy. Continue until both or all of the slices are cooked, adding more butter to the pan as necessary throughout cooking.
- Serve warm with more cinnamon sugar and maple syrup. Bacon, too… because always.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Justin
French toast is probably my favorite. This looks so delicious! I would make for two and eat all of it myself. :)
Julie
Love this recipe! Thx…
Beth
Thanks for thinking of us single folk. I enjoyed this very much. One thing, you call for vanilla extract but I don’t see it in your instruction. Did I miss it?
Pat Stevens
My idea of heaven is french toast for breakfast! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Sten Turpin (@stenwt)
Bananas are still disgusting. I yearn for the day when some random fungus makes good on its threat to destroy them all.
Elsie
Oh my gosh. I strongly dislike bananas too! Finally someone else!!! and great recipe of course! =)
Joan Bernstein
Don’t know if the French eat French toast but years ago, I met some French sailors and they didn’t know what a French kiss was. Also, the Dutch never heard of a Dutch oven and Belgians never heard of Belgian blocks – the rectangular granite blocks used to pave old streets, like in Philadelphia.
dc
I’m going to have to do this! I’ve only made french toast in casserole form for the last 24 yrs (the age of my eldest son). So time for “me” french toast…ok maybe my mom too! Thanks for sharing!
Brittany
The French do eat French toast! They call it ‘pain perdu’ which means lost bread, because it’s a way to save your day old bread that’s gone stale and would otherwise be lost.
Lindy Dugan
Nice, very nice to know!
Ala Lemon
I love French toast, especially when it’s slightly crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside
And to answer your question: yes, French people do eat French toast. We just don’t call it French Toast, but Lost Bread ;)
Kat
You MUST try this with Trader Joe’s new Bourbon Barrel aged Maple Syrup. I don’t even like maple syrup and I love that stuff. Also, brioche or challah bread are the ONLY way to make french toast.
juliejulie22
I made french toast just this morning! I will have to try it this way!! I have even heard of ‘banana bread french toast!’, and ‘stuffed french toast’ – where two slices are sandwiched with something fabulous like nutella – and the last version comes from my lovely Australian neighbour who tells me they eat it with ketchup!!!! would you try that? also, in french, it’s ‘pain dore’ (dor-ay) which translates to ‘golden bread’ – isn’t that neat!
Tom ~ Raise Your Garden
French toast is my love language. And not the soggy kind from Denny’s. This looks fantabulous. Thanks.
Sabrina - A Spoonful of Photography
Eating bananas with your mouth wide open is so disgusting – I once had a teacher who used to do that every. single. lunch break. Ugh! Needlessly to say that everyone instantly fled the room.. But I like bananas anyway and bet they are stellar with this single-serving weekend breakfast ;-)
Kristina
This is how I love my french toast as well, it’s sometimes even more desired than pancakes or waffles. Oh and if you stuff something in the middle of that brioche is even better! Dessert for breakfast anyone?
Cara's Healthy Cravings
French toast is a heavenly breakfast!
It’s one of the dishes that I taught my husband to make, so whenever I feel like a special breakfast, I count on him to whip it up :) Cheers to fresh, pillowy, cinnamony french toast!
Tori
I’m a recovered nana-hater too! I feel bad now when I think of how many good bananas I could have eaten the whole time I was busy hating on them. I love that you used them for your french toast. It looks and sounds incredible and small serving recipes are always nice for when you want something fast but don’t want to eat 12 servings. Yum!