Brioche French Toast

Let me just preface this post by saying this french toast recipe is not limited to just Brioche bread! Make it with whatever bread you prefer. However, using Brioche, or some other rich bread will yeild a much more decadent french toast than normal. This is like happy-birthday-french toast..or, congrats-on-your-new-job-french toast. Or more like YOLO-french toast.

I just saw a guy the other day in a neon green "YOLO" hat. Is that still a thing? I mean, I know I just said it.. I usually say it in satire, but people are still wearing stuff with "yolo" on it? I thought that was over... I swear I'm still young! I at least thought I was up with the latest pop-culture. Maybe not.

Anyway, FRENCH TOAST. This is indulgent as ever (shouldn't it be?). If you're going to go french toast, you might as well go ALL IN, am I right?

This recipe creates more of a custard base, with egg yolks and lots of milk and spices. The Brioche takes the richness up a whole level. But any bread will do!

It's best to use bread that is a little stale. The loss of moisture in the bread makes it easier to soak up all the goodness. If you're bread isn't stale, it's okay. Toast it in the oven. That step is included in the directions below.

Brioche French Toast

Ingredients

• 6 large slices hearty sandwhich bread, brioche, or challah
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1/4 tea. cinnamon
• 1 Tb. + 2 Tb. butter (for mixture and for cooking)
• pinch salt
• 2 tea. vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 and line a cookie sheet with the slices of bread.
2. Toast bread in the oven for 12-15 minutes on one side, flipping bread over and toasting another 12-15 minutes on the opposite side, until bread is just starting to turn golden brown. This is to dry it out so it soaks up the egg mixture better.
3. Meanwhile, microwave milk and 1 Tb. butter together until butter has melted and milk is warm.
4. Whisk together warm milk, melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla and spices in a wide, flat container that you can dip bread slices into.
5. Turn the stove on to medium, and melt the remaining butter in a pan.
6. After the stove is ready, working with 1-2 slices at a time, dip bread into egg mixture until saturated but not falling apart.
7. Let each slice sit 10-15 seconds on each side before lifting out with a slotted spatula onto the preheated pan on the stove.
8. Cook for about 4 minutes, until golden brown.
9. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
10. Don't prep the next slices of bread in the batter until you're ready to cook them, or they will be too soggy.
11. Keep the finished slices on the cookie sheet in the oven at 200 F to keep warm while you cook the remaining slices.
12. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated