WYWH. Wish you were here. A message to family and friends when enjoying a great meal somewhere. A snapshot usually accompanies the missive. I promise to reproduce my favorites back home.
Such is the case with a plate of beautiful, golden brown brioche French toast rectangles at a recent brunch in Maryland. Topped with swirls of an aromatic orange syrup, this standard breakfast dish ascends to company fare.
Rich, soft brioche bread, with its light and airy texture, absolutely transforms ordinary griddled French toast. Brioche proves a marvelous medium for soaking in a milky egg mixture for a sumptuous French toast.
Luckily, brioche, France’s egg and butter enriched, slightly sweet, yeast bread, has gained in popularity and availability in this country. Bakeries often sell the classic round, fluted shape with the small ball of dough baked on top as well as small loaves studded with chocolate or fruit. Brioche burger buns, sliced loaves, and whole, uncut loaves regularly line bakery shelves at large and specialty supermarket shelves.
For a holiday brunch with company, change up the classic French toast slice by cutting large rectangles from an unsliced loaf. Cook the rectangles to brown all the sides for a crisp exterior and exceedingly light interior.
French toast cooking is a bit of a choreographed dance—you’ll need to heat the pan while the bread soaks briefly and then oil the pan just before adding the perfectly soaked bread. During the cooking, adjust the heat under the pan so the bread browns nicely without burning. Keep adding oil and butter to the pan as needed during the cooking process. Be sure to use an oil suitable for high-heat cooking such as safflower, sunflower, or expeller-pressed canola oil. Other oils can give the toast an off flavor from excessive heat.
To make mornings easier, have the egg-milk mixture made in advance (it will keep refrigerated for several hours), cut the bread, and store it in a tightly covered container for up to a day. Assemble a fruit salad and refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance alongside freshly squeezed juice and sparkling wine for mimosas. Set the table the night before.
A Holiday Brunch Menu
- Orange Blossom Honey French Toast with Orange and Mascarpone Syrup (recipe follows)
- Chicken and apple sausages, crisp bacon slices
- Fresh fruit salad
- Fruit juice
- Sparkling wine mimosas
- Coffee, tea
Orange Blossom Honey French Toast
Other breads to use here include rich varieties such as challah, raisin bread, and panettone. For a heartier dish, use crusty sourdough bread or whole-grain bread. Brioche burger buns, split and cut into half-moon shapes, are fun here, too.- 2 loaves (14 ounces each) unsliced brioche bread, challah, or panettone
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom honey
- 1 or 2 teaspoons orange blossom water, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon each: pure vanilla extract, salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Expeller-pressed canola oil, safflower, or sunflower oil for high-heat cooking
- Softened butter for cooking
- Orange and Mascarpone Syrup (recipe follows)
- Fresh orange slices
- Pomegranate seeds, optional
- Mint sprigs
Whisk together eggs in a large shallow dish. Whisk in milk, half-and-half, honey, orange blossom water, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Use right away or refrigerate covered up to several hours.
Shortly before cooking, heat oven to 200 degrees F. Have a large baking sheet with a rack ready.
When ready to cook, set the bread pieces and egg mixture out near the stove. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot (a drop of water added to the pan should sizzle and evaporate).
Dip a few bread pieces into the egg mixture, turning gently, to soak them through with egg mixture. Nearly at the same time, add a thin coating of oil and a small pat of butter to the hot griddle and spread it out over the surface of the griddle. Carefully lift bread out of the egg mixture, letting excess egg mixture drip back into the dish, and place the soaked bread onto the griddle. Cook, turning to brown each side, until all sides are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes total. Remove to the baking sheet and set in the warm oven while you cook the remaining bread pieces.
Orange and Mascarpone Syrup
Makes about 2 cups- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, from about 2 oranges
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese or crème fraiche (or heavy whipping cream)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- Pinch salt
Mix orange juice and cornstarch until smooth. Whisk mixture into the sugar mixture in the pan. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and boiling, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in mascarpone until melted. Whisk in orange zest and salt. Serve warm.
