Crème Brûlée French Toast

Mmm... French Toast in the morning. There is something special for me about well-made French toast. It's probably my love of carbs, and especially bread. Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, with real maple syrup and of course berries or fruit to make me feel like it's a healthy choice - I love making this recipe when I have time for it. It doesn't take a lot of time, but my usual workday routine doesn't allow time for serious cooking. With residency finished in June, however, I had July to study for boards (painful), but break  did give me enough time in the morning to indulge in making French press coffee, reading the news, and of course this wonderful French Toast recipe! 

I used to make French toast by just whisking together eggs and some cream and then dipping the bread in it and frying. However, the toast always ended up tasting a little egg-y (which I despise) and the batter usually ended up not being evenly dispersed over the toast. Thus, I decided to make a batter like you would make crème brûlée, which significantly improved the final product. It does take a little bit more time and a couple more dishes, but in the end it's significantly worth it. This recipe is enough for 1-2 people (makes 3-4 slices of toast), but can be sized up easily. 

Crème Brûlée French Toast 

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1 medium-large egg yolk 

pinch of salt 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Optional: pinch of cinnamon +/- nutmeg 

3-4 pieces of slides quality bread (I like mild sourdough)

1 Tablespoon butter 

Fruit of choice for garnishing

Real maple syrup

Directions

1. Place the heavy cream in a saucepan and turn on medium. Scald the cream (heat it until it starts to mildly bubble). While you're waiting for the cream to scald, separate the egg yolk from the egg white and place the egg yolk in a small bowl. 

2. Once the cream is scalded, warm the eggs (whisk the egg yolk constantly while pouring 1/3-1/2 of the cream into the bowl with the egg yolk, continue to whisk constantly). Place the saucepan back on the stove and then transfer the warmed eggs to the rest of the cream mixture in the saucepan, again whisk constantly. Whisk for a minute to two or until the cream-egg mixture thickens. Once it is thickened, turn off the heat. Stir in the salt, vanilla extract, and any other flavors you want the batter to have. 

3. In a larger flat bottomed pan or (cast iron) skillet, place the patty of butter and allow it to melt on medium heat. Place a piece of bread into the cream-egg batter mixture and coat both sides of the bread. Once the butter is heated (but not burned), fry the bread in the butter until the sides are slightly crispy, about 1-2 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from the pan and put on a plate. Repeat with the other pieces of bread until all are pan-fried. 

4. Cut up fruit of your choice into bite-sized pieces. Serve on the plate with the French Toast. Drizzle with real maple syrup. 

5. Enjoy!