Cinnamon-Almond French Toast

We've come to conclude that there are two types of people in this world – those that love breakfast food, and those that could take or leave it. To this day, we still don’t understand our mom’s ambivalence towards decadent treats like Baked French Toast Casserole with Praline Topping, Brown Sugar-Bacon Buttermilk Waffles, or the world’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes. She does love our scones, though – the Cinnamon-Sugar and Dark Chocolate Chip are her favorites. It goes without saying that we didn’t get our love for all things pancake, waffle, bacon, and sausage from our mom. We could easily eat breakfast food for, well, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a fluffy stack of pancakes with breakfast sausage for dinner. Who’s with us?! Needless to say, we won’t be whipping up any breakfast-centric meals for our mom on Sunday for Mother’s Day, but thought that you might be, and wanted to share an awesome French toast recipe with you.

A little over a year ago when our Chief Culinary Consultant and we were down in Florida visiting his parents, they took us to a popular breakfast spot called John G’s. When we ordered, his parents both got the cinnamon-nut French toast and said it was a standby thing on the menu. We apparently didn’t listen closely enough, and went ahead and ordered other things. Breakfast came, and when we were offered a bite of the French toast we didn’t hesitate. We immediately regretted our decision not to get it. We haven’t been back there since, but that French toast dances in and out of our mind every so often. With Mother’s Day coming up, we thought it would be the reliable time to try to recreate that wonderful French toast with an almond and cinnamon-sugar coating. We used a basic Cook’s Illustrated French toast recipe, dressed it up a little, threw on some pearls, and made some adjustments. The end result is now our favorite French toast – the bread is crisp on the outside, soft inside, and coated with sliced almonds and the crunch of a cinnamon-sugar layer.

It’s just fancy enough to make it something extraordinary, but not the least bit fussy. That’s the reliable recipe for a special, stress-free breakfast!

One year ago: Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie {Kentucky Derby Pie}
Two years ago: Snickery Squares
Three years ago: Coffee-and-Espresso Cheesecake

Cinnamon-Almond French Toast

Yield: 4 servings Not just your normal French Toast recipe

• 8 large slices challah or good-quality sandwich bread, sliced ½-inch thick
• 1½ cups (366 ml) whole milk, warmed
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + 2 tablespoons for cooking
• ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Triple Sec, optional, can substitute orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• ¾ cup (107.25 g) sliced almonds

For the Topping:

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the bread on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking dish. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly plush), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, vanilla extract, Triple Sec, and orange zest until well blended. Stir in the sliced almonds. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; set aside.
• Soak the bread in the milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, about 20 seconds per side, ensuring that some almonds adhere to the bread. Using a slotted spatula, pick up a bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar topping over one side of each slice of soaked bread.
• Heat ½ tablespoon unsalted butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When the foaming subsides, use the slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices of the soaked bread to the skillet, cinnamon-sugar side down first, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. While they cook, sprinkle the top of the bread with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flip and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If the toast is cooking too quickly, reduce the temperature slightly.) Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon butter for each batch. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and/or drizzled with maple syrup.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 25 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 large slices challah or good-quality sandwich bread, sliced ½-inch thick
• 1½ cups ( 366 ml ) whole milk, warmed
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + 2 tablespoons for cooking
• ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Triple Sec, optional, can substitute orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• ¾ cup ( 107.25 g ) sliced almonds

For the Topping:

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the bread on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking dish. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly plush), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, vanilla extract, Triple Sec, and orange zest until well blended. Stir in the sliced almonds. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; set aside.
3. Soak the bread in the milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, about 20 seconds per side, ensuring that some almonds adhere to the bread. Using a slotted spatula, pick up a bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar topping over one side of each slice of soaked bread.
4. Heat ½ tablespoon unsalted butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When the foaming subsides, use the slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices of the soaked bread to the skillet, cinnamon-sugar side down first, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. While they cook, sprinkle the top of the bread with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flip and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If the toast is cooking too quickly, reduce the temperature slightly.) Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon butter for each batch. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and/or drizzled with maple syrup.