It was one of those weekends where I didn't feel like baking. Not one little bit. A lazy Sunday morning (after catching up on the sleep that I lost during the week) needed French toast. It had to be done. I had a loaf of day-old brioche, a bar of white chocolate and a punnet of raspberries. Raspberries are totally out of season in Australia at the moment and stupidly expensive, but you know when you see something in the store that you just can't resist? I'm so glad I didn't fight the urge in this case because it led to this White Chocolate & Raspberry Brioche French Toast. So ridiculously good.
I didn't realise until I started looking at the photos just then how they look a bit like grilled cheese sandwiches, which I admit is a little gross. It's a pity because this was such an indulgent, delicious dish that I wouldn't want anyone to be put off by mistaken appearances. The similarity couldn't really be helped since I used white chocolate, you could probably use milk or dark chocolate and it would taste great. But I think white chocolate works the best with all the other flavours going on here.
The French toast mixture that I used was perfect, just like Martha promised. It's lightly fragrant with spices and fruit flavours, and when you bite into that thin, crisp outer layer (that I fried in some damn good cultured butter), you will want to do a little dance. The hit of cinnamon, the sweetness from the melted white chocolate and the burst of tangy raspberries, what a combination.
I'd definitely recommend going to the trouble of getting your hands on some brioche if you want to make this, store bought or homemade. Though regular white bread will work it doesn't have the same lightness of texture and beautiful richness that brioche bread has. This particular version doesn't even need any maple syrup on top, there's enough sweetness from the white chocolate. And make sure not to soak the bread for too long or it will still be soggy in the middle even after you fry it up. Have it for a very indulgent breakfast for a special occasion, or have it as dessert. Either way you won't be sorry.
White Chocolate & Raspberry Brioche French Toast
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Perfect French Toast, serves 2)
4 slices brioche, preferably day-old, sliced 1 inch thick (I bought mine this time, but you could make your own too)
3 large eggs
3/4 cups milk
Juice of 1/2 an orange (about 2-3 tbsp)
Zest of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tsp)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Butter for frying
100g good quality white chocolate, melted (either zapped in the microwave 30 secs a til melted or over a double boiler) - can replace with milk or dark chocolate
About 1/2 punnet raspberries (about 60g, fresh or frozen) - can replace with other berries
Icing sugar to dust
(If making a bigger batch, preheat oven to about 95°C (200°F) and keep toast warm in oven on a wire rack while making the rest of the batch) Whisk together eggs, milk, juice, vanilla, sugar, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a shallow baking dish. Place skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium heat and melt about 1 tbsp (15g) of butter in the pan.
Dip one slice of bread in mixture and allow to soak for 20 seconds. Place slice dipped side down in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. While frying, spread a layer of melted white chocolate on the top side of the bread and place a small handful of raspberries over the top. Dip another slice of bread in mixture and allow to soak for 20 seconds again. Sandwich this slice over the raspberries, dipped side facing up and press down to seal sandwich together slightly. Carefully flip over and fry the other side of the sandwich for the same amount of time, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices of bread, adding another tbsp of butter to the pan for each sandwich. Serve immediately, dusted with a light coat of icing (confectioner's) sugar. You can add maple syrup if you really want to, but it probably doesn't need it.
Gorgeous! Perfect pick me up for a monday morning. Or perfect reason to stay home in bed?
ReplyDeleteThat puts the French Toast I make to utter shame! It looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis is the perfect french toast!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely divine! My mouth is watering. I'd love someone to serve this to me as breakfast in bed!
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing! I am going to give your recipe a go next Saturday! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis looks gorgoeus and prbably teastes beyond gorgeous. Yum! A most elegant version of French toast.
ReplyDeleteThis looks soooo delicious....
ReplyDeleteThis looks heavenly! Looks like the perfect recipe for an indulgent weekend brekky
ReplyDeleteYum! This looks like such a decadent breakfast. It may look a bit like a grilled cheese sandwich, but I don't find anything wrong with that at all. Who doesn't like grilled cheese? :)
ReplyDeleteDelicious and beautiful! ♥ I`m totally taking in all this wonderfulness~
ReplyDeleteoh lordy, why do you do these things to me? this looks amazing, and i know what you mean about the raspberries! i may or may not have a sneaky, overly expensive punnet waiting in my fridge, and i'm pretty damn sure this is what they are about to become!
ReplyDeleteThat looks beautiful, and very decadent! :) I love the combo of white chocolates and raspberries.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so delicious!! =D Yeah sometimes I make pancakes when i'm having a "lazy no bake" day too~ thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteslurp! :-P
ReplyDeleteThis really does sound good -- and raspberries should be in season here soon in California.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, miss my french "pain perdu". Looks delicious, like in France! :)
ReplyDeleteThis should be illegal!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious and your photos are absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThis is stunning! I love everything about it! Yum!
ReplyDeleteSugar rush via laptop!
ReplyDeleteoh.my.goodness!
This looks incredible, I'll have to make it soon!! Have a great day!! :D
ReplyDeleteOoooh what an indulgent breakfast. I love the combination of white chocolate and raspberry. It works soooo well together. I love the look of the white chocolate almost spilling out of the brioche.. looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing! Not too much like grilled cheese, in my opinion. French toast has been my comfort food since I was a kid, and adding raspberries in? I'm totally going to make this next weekend. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to feature the yummy image above in my foodporn roundup list. Hope you don't mind. I'll link back here of course.
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious! I've been trying to think up a yummy breakfast to have while watching the Olympics opening ceremony this weekend - thanks to you, I have found it!
ReplyDeleteThis looks mouthwatering! I've been quite sick of plain old french toasts recently so I'm sure the white choc and raspberries will step it up 100 notches! Can't wait to try it out!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely compelling!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! I wouldn't have made the grilled cheese connection, but I don't mind it at all! These sound ridiculously sinful :)
ReplyDeleteYou seriously have me drooling every time. This looks so delicious! x
ReplyDeleteKate {Modette}
http://modetteblog.com
Also drooling in Prague! I have no idea where to get Brioche but there is a bread called Vanocka here that is similar to challah which might work well. I want to try the recipe this weekend and I have an entire bag of white chocolate chips that I was looking for an excuse to use.
ReplyDeleteLamb
http://www.lamb411.com
I love how you edit your pictures! All of the food looks good, I want to try a couple of recipes :) xo
ReplyDeleteOh wow, this dish looks divine! I love the oozy white chocolate and raspberry combination. Thanks or sharing :) x
ReplyDeleteHi Steph, where did you find that butter? I saw it in a magazine not long ago and haven't been able to locate it!! Thanks!
ReplyDeletePs looks absolutely divine!
X
It's SO good! I got it at Harris Farm :)
DeleteThank You so much! Must have a look next time I'm there!!
DeleteWho cares if this looks like a grilled cheese sandwich, it also looks de-licious. All that oozing gooey chocolate makes me want to dive right into the computer screen :-)
ReplyDeletebrioche, white chocolate AND raspberries? i don't think could get any better :P
ReplyDeleteI want to reach through my screen and wipe up the dripping chocolate with my finger. So good!
ReplyDeleteFrench toast is the best! And this recipe sounds great. Another variation: I tried some with my homemade mandarin marmalade AND chocolate and it's fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThe french toast looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThis french toast looks so sinful and indulgent... Raspberries and white chocolate on french toast? What could get better than thiss?? :D Great job!
ReplyDelete-SimplyBakes
Can't waite to try this one too :-)
ReplyDeleteThis looks so delicious! I shared it in my collection of 37 White Chocolate Recipes to try http://kristendukephotography.com/37-delicious-white-chocolate-recipes/#comments
ReplyDeleteThis looks so perfect, I never thought french toast could be served like this. when i am feeling really naughty i eat it with cheese. (YUM)
ReplyDeleteI think I may actually have gone to heaven. This sounds like the perfect recipe, I've never thought about putting chocolate in French toast before! The juicy raspberries would be perfect with it.
ReplyDeleteDelish! I made these with lindt coconut white chocolate and frozen raspberries. To make sure the berries warmed and chocolate melted, I just cooked them on a lower temperature and with a lid on! :)
ReplyDelete