I admittedly have not really been cooking these past two weeks, and I don’t even have a good reason for it. It’s like I had suddenly reverted back to my college self, having nothing but ramen and instant miso soup for dinner and playing a lot of bad acoustic guitar. (You guys should hear my rendition of “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” it’s excellent. And by “excellent,” I do mean “really awful.”)
But yesterday, I broke the streak by making a monstrous loaf of challah.
Breakfast will always be my favorite meal of the day, though I rarely eat it during actual designated breakfast hours (TOO EARLY, PEOPLE). The food served before noon is so delightfully decadent and absurd; we don’t bat an eye to crispy pieces of fatty bacon, or to stacks of flat cakes smothered in syrup. It’s breakfast, after all, the most important meal of the day.
When you feel like upping your breakfast game, though, beyond just fried eggs and toast, or Jiffy pancakes, consider French toast. Possibly made from that loaf of challah you baked earlier this week (or bought from the grocery store, whichever). You guys, there is no higher calling for challah than to become French toast. Crispy on the outside, just barely custardy in the middle, and full of sweet, cinnamony goodness — this is breakfast luxury.
I like to serve mine with a drizzle of syrup, a giant dallop of fresh whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, and berries. Because after you dip pieces of bread into whole milk and fry them up in butter, who is really counting calories anymore?
Challah French Toast
Based on Alton Brown’s recipe
Yield: 4 pieces of French toast
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 31 minutes
- 3/4 cup whole milk or half-and-half
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tbs honey
- scant 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 4 slices of day-old or stale challah (about 3/4″ each)
- butter for pan
Warm the milk slightly and whisk in the honey, cinnamon, and salt. When the milk has cooled, whisk in the eggs.
Pour this mixture into a cake or pie dish. Soak each slice of bread in the custard mixture for about 1 minute per side. Let the excess drip off and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the soaked bread sit for about 2 minutes.
Heat a pat of butter in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Cook 1 or 2 slices at a time for about 4-5 minutes on each side until the bread is nicely browned and plumped up. Serve warm.
