Readers serve up French toast recipes

MCT

A Mount Pleasant reader asked if anyone had recipes for fancy French toast, like you would get at a nice bed-and-breakfast.

Well, French toast probably wasn't created in France. Some say it dates back to 4th-century Romans and others to the Middle Ages in Spain, and those are just two of the theories. It does exist in France as "pain perdu," which means lost bread, a fitting name for a dish made with bread going stale.

Many cultures have their own forms of "French" toast. In the United Kingdom, it may be called eggy bread, gypsy toast or the "poor knights of Windsor." I've also seen references to fairy bread, Bombay toast, torrijas, nun's toast, French fried pudding and German toast, to name a few.

What makes it universally popular? Perhaps it's the magic of reinvention: dressed-up everyday ingredients. Or just simply that custardy quality of good French toast.

Anyway, we heard from some B&B folks and several other readers as well. Many French toast recipes can be made ahead the night before, which is one reason they are popular with B&Bs.

Diane Weed, the innkeeper of Country Victorian B&B in downtown Charleston, says she has a huge file of French toast recipes.

"This one just happens to be my favorite and always receives raves from my guests. ... It's not only delicious, but easy with my busy morning schedule. I can prepare it the night before and put it in the oven the first thing when I enter the kitchen in the morning. While it is baking, I can set up and prepare the rest of the breakfast."

Oven-Baked Apple French Toast

3/4 cup brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tart apples, sliced (peeled or unpeeled)

1 loaf of French bread

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

Cook sugar, butter and syrup over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread apple slices over this.

Slice bread into 3/4-inch slices. Place on top of apples.

Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla; pour over bread. Top with raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Cover; refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered in 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

Serve with sausage links or bacon, fresh fruit, juice, coffee and tea.

Jane Orenstein of Summerville formerly owned a B&B. "This recipe is so great because it takes very little time in the morning. And, as a former 'I hate French toast' person, this made me a convert."

Overnight French Toast

Serves 6

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

12 French bread slices, each 3/4-inch thick

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

Spread butter over bottom of heavy large baking pan with 1-inch high sides. Arrange bread slices in pan. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla and salt to blend in large bowl. Pour mixture over bread. Turn bread slices to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake French bread 10 minutes. Turn bread over and continue baking until just golden, about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer cooked toast to plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with favorite syrup.

Cheryl Cote of Summerville says this is her most requested brunch recipe for French toast.

Stuffed French Toast

10 (1 1/2-inch thick) slices French bread

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (10-ounce) jar apricot jam

4 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Margarine, butter or oil for frying

Using a serrated knife, carefully cut a pocket in the middle of each bread slice, cutting 3/4 of the way through. Spread the cream cheese and jam in each of the prepared pockets, dividing the full amount of both among the slices. Place the stuffed slices in a 9x13-inch baking pan.

In a small mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour half of the egg mixture over the slices and let stand until the bread has absorbed the mixture. Turn the slices over and pour the remaining egg mixture over the slices. Let stand until all of the egg mixture has been absorbed by the bread slices.

In a large skillet or on a griddle over medium heat, cook the stuffed bread in a small amount of margarine, butter or cooking oil as needed.

Carol Kelly of Charleston writes, "My mother came across this recipe years ago and made it for my sons. They loved it and is now their most requested meal when they come home from college. You assemble it the day before and bake it right before you serve it. It is delicious served with bacon and a fruit salad."

French Toast Casserole

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons corn syrup

2 Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced)

1 loaf French bread, sliced 3/4-inch thick

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small heavy saucepan, cook the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup until syrupy. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Tilt the casserole to cover the entire bottom with syrup. Place apple slices over syrup. Place bread over apple slices (one layer only). In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

"I am not a morning person, but on the weekends ... I do like to serve impressive brunch dishes," writes Sharon Cook of Charleston. She recommends a glass baking dish over a metal one for more even cooking and to avoid a potential metallic taste.

"I also cut up fresh fruit and toss it together the night before to serve as a side dish. In the morning, while the main course is baking, I toss the fruit with a little poppy seed vinaigrette and some watercress greens. Another great accompaniment that takes mere seconds to prepare is pre-cooked bacon, which I season with fresh cracked pepper or drizzle with a little maple syrup and zap for about 30 seconds in the microwave."

She says this stands up fairly well to being kept warm in a 175-degree oven covered with foil for up to 2 hours "if necessary to accommodate late sleepers."

Orange Marmalade Baked French Toast

Serves 4

Nonstick cooking spray

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices (12 or more slices total)

1 cup orange marmalade

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon orange zest

Optional: warm maple syrup

Spray glass 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter and pour into baking dish. Combine brown sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle half of this mixture over melted butter in baking dish. Spread each bread slice with a thin coating of orange marmalade. Arrange bread slices (marmalade side up) over butter and sugar mixture in baking dish, overlapping as necessary. Sprinkle remaining half of brown sugar mixture over bread slices.

Whisk eggs, half-and-half and orange juice concentrate together until thoroughly blended. Pour over bread in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator about 20 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle orange zest evenly over bread. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve with warm syrup if desired.

Kay Roettger of Summerville says this recipe is a Christmas-morning tradition at her house. "It is good for a group for brunch. I do use Smuckers sugar-free apricot preserves without affecting the taste."

Stuffed French Toast

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup crushed pineapple

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 (16-ounce) loaf French bread -- deli baguette

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 (12-ounce) jar apricot preserves

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup orange juice

Beat cream cheese and pineapple at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in pecans.

Cut bread into 12 (1 1/2-inch-thick) slices, cut a pocket through top crust of each slice. Stuff each pocket with cream cheese, pineapple and pecan mixture and place in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Whisk together eggs and cream. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Cover and chill for 8 hours. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Combine preserves and next three ingredients in a saucepan, cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Pour over hot toast. Serve immediately.

'Moist and rich'

Maxwell Mowry of Charleston has a recipe for the person who asked about buttermilk cake. "This cake turns out moist and rich, particularly if made with real butter rather than margarine or shortening," he says.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

1 cup real butter (not margarine), softened

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and beat well. Sift the flour and soda together, and add alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix well, then add the flavorings. Bake in a greased tube or Bundt pan at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tests done. (Maxwell's note: "The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 hours in the oven, but my cake generally tests done after just 1 hour.")

Who's got the recipe?

Old restaurant connections needed:

--Shelvie Farthing of Summerville would like the recipe for the peanut butter pie that was served at the former Dock Restaurant in Moncks Corner.

--A reader is hoping to get the salsa recipe from the now-closed Cisco's Restaurant west of the Ashley.

Looking for a recipe or have one to share? Reach Food Editor Teresa Taylor at food@postandcourier.com, 937-4886 or The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403-4800.