I’m not even going to try and justify the fact that I’m back with another French toast recipe. It means something when I push it five times, and then there’s this – this weekly occurrence. Not one bit sorry though, in fact so far from it that I’m seriously contemplating listing ‘French toast’ as a permanent tab on my website. High time I think.

This is similar to my doughnut French toast in that it has cinnamon and sugar, but it’s quite different in its application. The doughnut version is cooked like a regular French toastdunked in milk and eggs and fried in butterand then coated with cinnamon sugar whilst it’s still hot. Like a doughnut. This version however, starts out life as a regular French toast but after both sides are cooked in the pan, I sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top and flip to caramelize the sugared side. So the cinnamon sugar is cooked and caramelized in the pan; not just dusted over the top. Low and slow is key here to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn. The result, oh the glorious result – the bread crisps in spots and also stays moist within. The happiest medium.

The macerated compote couldn’t be simpler but you need to plan this in advance. The process is nothing more than tossing together plums, cinnamon, sugar, orange juice and zest and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. 12 hours is ideal but try to get at least 4 if you’re hard-pressed for time. The maceration process breaks down the natural sugars in the fruit giving you the most flavourful compote later.

Note: I used brioche in this recipe but use any bread you want or have. Crustier breads like sourdough will soak up more of the milk-egg dunking mixture. To make more, use 1 egg for every ⅓ cup milk.

CINNAMON SUGAR FRENCH TOAST + MACERATED PLUM COMPOTE

Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

French toast:

  • 9 slices of bread (see notes)
  • 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 40 grams butter, cubed into small pieces

Cinnamon sugar mix:

  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ tablespoon cinnamon powder

Compote:

  • 600 grams plums, pitted and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder)
  • 1 orange

Instructions

  • First make the compote: Ideally you want the compote to macerate in the fridge for 12 hours. Or at least 4 hours at a minimum. Combine the plums, sugar, cinnamon stick (or powder) and toss them together in a bowl.
  • Zest and juice the orange and add to the plums. Give them all a good toss again and refrigerate for 4-12 hours. The longer the better.
  • Add the plums to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until they break down and become jammy, about 7-10 mins.
  • Stir frequently making sure the sugars don’t catch at the bottom. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Cook for a few more mins if you add more. Remove the cinnamon stick and set aside.
  • Whisk together milk and eggs in a wide shallow bowl. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon powder in a small bowl.
  • Melt a cube of butter in a pan. Dunk a slice of bread in the milk-egg mixture and flip to coat both sides evenly. Fry in the butter until lightly browned on both sides.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix over one side and flip so the cinnamon sugar side caramelizes and browns. Keep the heat on low for this so the sugar doesn’t burn.
  • Repeat with the rest of the bread slices. Serve hot with the macerated plum compote spooned over the top.

Notes

I used brioche in this recipe but use any bread you want or have. Crustier breads like sourdough will soak up more of the milk-egg dunking mixture. To make more, use 1 egg for every ⅓ cup milk.
If your plums are sour, you may need to add more sugar to the compote.

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