Over the years, breakfast has slowly replaced dinner as my favorite meal of the day. I’ve rarely met a breakfast food I didn’t like and there’s just something to starting my day out with a good, hearty meal. A normal breakfast day for me consists of eggs in some form, a bowl of oatmeal or a hearty grain breakfast bowl.
However, on occasion, I think we all should splurge and whip up a rich, indulgent breakfast (think pancakes, waffles or French toast), and this recipe fits the bill.
I was inspired to make this recipe by my parents, who start nearly every day with a piece of French toast. I learned to make my base French toast recipe from my mother, who I believe has found the perfect balance of a nice crust on the outside and moist on the inside. I, of course, take it up a notch by using brioche bread.
A homemade brioche dough is the foundation of many wonderful treats. The higher butter and egg content in the bread makes for a lovely outer crust (somewhat reminding of the flakiness of a croissant — another baked good I love), but the inside of the bread spongy and perfect for soaking up all that egg mixture in the French toast recipe.
As for the French toast recipe in particular, I swear by coconut oil (my mother’s trick) to form the perfect crust on the French toast. I also found that butter left the outsides just a bit soggier than I liked but the coconut oil does the trick (and doesn’t give the French toast an overwhelming taste of coconut.)
The bananas I include are my little extra treat since I only make this French toast on special occasions. If you’re going all out and making this recipe, don’t skimp on the maple syrup. This decadent breakfast deserves real maple syrup. Also, don’t be afraid to take this French toast one step further and top it with a dollop of whipped cream (because, why not?).
Recipe for brioche French toast with maple bananas
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Four ½” slices of day-old brioche bread
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 medium bananas
Step 1:
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon. On a griddle, heat coconut oil over medium-low heat until melted, brushing griddle as needed to evenly distribute the coconut oil. One piece of bread at a time, place the bread in the egg mixture for 30 seconds, flip, and let the bread soak for another 30 seconds. Place soaked bread on griddle and repeat with remaining slices.
Step 2:
Cook French toast for 2-3 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2. Each side should have a nice crust and be golden brown. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup or move on to step 3 to prepare bananas.
Step 3:
In a medium skillet, add butter and maple syrup. Heat over medium heat until warm then cut bananas into 1/4″ slices and add to maple syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bananas are soft, 3-4 minutes. Spoon over French toast and serve.
