Breakfast: Chocolate French Toast

I'm not exactly sure when or where I heard about chocolate French Toast, but it sounded delicious. It must have been on a cooking show, because I recall the recipe calling for using chocolate pound cake/chocolate bread. However, when I saw this French Toast Recipe at Fine Cooking which uses a chocolate coating and our favorite base, Challah bread, I knew it was the one I wanted to make. While this is published under breakfast, it is really a dessert. Each of us had only 1 slice and that was quite enough. 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup granulated sugar 
1 oz. (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed) 
1/8 tsp. baking powder 
1/4 tsp. table salt 
1 cup whole milk 
4 large eggs 
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 
4 1-inch-thick slices challah bread (stale is fine)  (called for – you could go ahead and do 6-8 to not waste sauce)
2 oz. (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional) 

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended and no cocoa lumps remain. Pour in about half of the milk and whisk until the mixture is a lump-free paste. Add the remaining milk, the eggs, and the vanilla. Whisk until well blended.
2. Arrange the bread in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish (or similar vessel) and pour the cocoa mixture over the bread. Turn the bread once to get both sides nicely coated. Poke each bread slice repeatedly with the tines of a fork to encourage the bread to absorb the batter. Let soak, turning every 10 min., until the bread is well saturated, 20 to 30 min..
3. Set a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter and spread to cover the pan. (If using a skillet, you’ll need to cook the French toast in two batches, using 2 Tbs. butter for each batch.) Using your fingers and a large rubber spatula, carefully transfer the bread slices, one at a time, from the batter to the griddle. Cook until the underside looks browned and lightly crisp, 3 to 4 min. (Reduce the temperature if the slices are browning too fast.) Flip and continue cooking until the slices are slightly puffed in the center and are bouncy to the touch, another 3 to 4 min. Transfer the French toast to plates and serve immediately, dusted with confectioners’ sugar and fruit, if you like.

Other Details:

• Nutrition per slice. 
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Breakfast: French Toast

Fench Toast was one of my favorite breakfast meals growing up, but I rarely got it. I ended up always ordering French Toast at diner-style restaurants. Then, my husband started making and perfecting French Toast. We've hodge-podged our favorite parts of various French Toast recipes. What's important about French Toast? The Challah bread being sliced and layed out for several hours (overnight even) before using. As long as the dip is very eggy, then the spices are up to you. Here's one variation we recently made.

Ingredients:

Loaf Challah bread
6-8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
butter

Directions:

1. Cut Challah loaf into 12 or so 1.5-2” thick slices. Let sit overnight (about 8 hours or so.)
2. Beat eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla together. Pour into an 8 x 11” pan or larger. Soak each side of each slice of Challah bread.
3. Melt a little butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place 2-3 slices of the soaked bread in the pan and cook each side until a golden brown. Keep warm in a warm oven until all slices are cooked.

Other Details:

• Freeze uneaten slices and use as toaster French toast (like toaster waffles) a morning you don't have time to make such a delicious breakfast. 
• Nutrition data is per slice.
• Eat topped with cinnamon & sugar or whipped cream or syrup or powdered sugar or fruit (or all of it!)
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