Pure Almond French Toast
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Silk Pure Almond Original or Vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 thick slices day-old whole wheat bread
- 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds, for garnish
Directions:
- Whisk together eggs, Pure Almond, vanilla, almond extract and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Gently submerge bread in egg mixture, one or two slices at a time and place on griddle over medium heat.
- Cook each side until golden brown and serve with real maple syrup, fresh berries and toasted almonds.
Results: I made this recipe twice, with somewhat different results, but both were good. The first time I used homemade 100% whole wheat bread. I’d read recently in an article in Cook’s Illustrated
that in order to replicate “day old bread” you should dry the bread in an oven before proceeding with the recipe. I also cut the bread pretty thickly, about a half-inch or slightly more per slice. This first batch came out with a nice exterior, but the interior was still just like a slice of whole wheat bread. I’m not sure if it was the toasting, the thickness, or the denseness of the bread which caused this.
The second time I used slightly smaller slices of a whole wheat/white flour blend. This time I made the same amount of french toast mix, but got about half the slices, so the liquids definitely absorbed into the bread more fully. I also about doubled the almond extract this time, as the flavor was quite subtle in the first batch. This batch carried the french toastiness all the way through the bread and did have a slightly stronger almond flavor.
A few other notes:
- Rather than submerging the bread, I poured the mixture onto a toaster-oven sized baking sheet and placed the bread on it for 20 seconds each side. I’d start soaking the next pieces of bread just as the one in the pan was almost done cooking.
- Use a non-stick pan or griddle for cooking. I cooked my first batch in a regular pan, and despite ample use of butter the first slice stuck quite a bit. Subsequent slices cooked up better, but required more butter than the second batch which I made in a non-stick pan.
- I used Unsweetened Original Almond Silk, since that’s what I had on hand. The slightly sweeter original or vanilla versions may give you a somewhat different taste.
- I did not have almond slivers, so I didn’t put any garnishes on my toast other than maple syrup. Fresh fruits would be great, though.
- To keep the finished slices warm while cooking the rest, place them on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven. This will keep them warm, without making them soggy like keeping them under aluminum foil on the counter will.
- If you make more than you can eat in one sitting, store them in a Ziplock bag in the refrigerator. They heat up nicely in the toaster oven on 400 degrees.
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