Sugar Crusted French Toast With Honeyed Apples Recipes

APPLE-CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST BAKE

Steps:

• Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray to coat. Layer 4 slices bread on the bottom of the baking dish; sprinkle with 1/2 of the apples. Repeat layers.
• Combine eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Mix well. Pour over the bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Pull out of the refrigerator 1 hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix butter, brown sugar, pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Spread over the top layer of apples.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

SUGAR-CRUSTED FRENCH TOAST WITH HONEYED APPLES

Steps:

• For poached apples:
• Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes. Add apples; cover and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer apples to bowl. Boil syrup in saucepan until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Add syrup to bowl with apples. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• For french toast:
• Whisk eggs, yolks, milk, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt in 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Place bread in single layer in egg mixture; spoon egg mixture over bread and let stand until soaked through, about 3 minutes.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Sprinkle each skillet with 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 3 bread slices to each skillet; cook until deep golden on bottom, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle top of bread slices with sugar, using 2 tablespoons for each skillet; turn slices over and cook until deep golden on bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer French toast to plates. Place 1 apple half alongside each serving. Drizzle French toast with some of syrup from apples and serve.
• *Brown star-shaped seedpods sold at Asian markets and specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets.