French toast was the first thing I ever learned to cook as a kid. With a lot of practice and tweeking over the years, I've created the best French toast ever: this recipe.
Grocery list:
Syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
Toast
1 loaf challah bread
3 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, plus 2 yolks
3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey bourbon or regular bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Make the syrup in a small saucepan by whisking together the maple syrup, sugar, butter, and cream until smooth. Keep warm.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium. Slice bread into 8 - 1/2 inch pieces. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, half and half, heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla paste, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
Dip bread pieces in the mixture and turn, completely soaking on both sides. The pieces should be completely soaked - I let mine sit in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Butter the skillet and cook the bread for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden but stil slightly squishy soft in the middle. Serve with the cream syrup.