french toast sticks
if you also like sugar for breakfast
French toast sticks
Ingredients
1 loaf brioche or challah bread
2-3 cups whole milk (you can also use half and half for a richer flavor)
3 eggs
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (I prefer microplaning it myself)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla beans right out of the pod
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
1-2 tbsp sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar (I make this myself by combining granulated sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt—you can also use pre-made if that’s what you have!)
Butter and neutral oil, for cooking
Method
Preheat your oven to 300° F. Cut your bread into thick (1.5 inch) slices, and then cur off the bottom layer of crust. You can cut off all of the crust if you’d like, but I don’t mind the golden outer layer for this recipe! And I love avoiding waste. Cut slices vertically into (1.5 inch thick) sticks. Line the bread on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for about 10 minutes while you’re making your “custard,” or until very lightly golden brown. You don’t really want to toast the bread, but you want to dry the sticks out so they maintain their shape once soaked.
In a medium, shallow bowl or deep baking tray, whisk together the milk, eggs, nutmeg, vanilla, maple syrup, sugar, and salt until smooth.
Pour your cinnamon sugar mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Remove bread from the oven. Place your first round of toast sticks in the custard (I like to let them soak for about 1 minute per side, 2 minutes total). Repeat with the rest. Make sure they are completely soaked through with custard, but not too wet so that they don’t maintain their shape.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (I prefer cast iron) to medium/medium-low depending on the strength of your stove top. Melt 1 tbsp butter with 1/2 tbsp neutral oil once the pan gets hot and wait 30-seconds to one minute before adding your toast. Cook sticks for 2-ish minutes on all four sides, or until golden brown. If the butter starts to burn your heat is too high.
Move the finished sticks from the pan directly to the cinnamon sugar and toss. If for some reason your sticks are still too wet in the center, you can throw them back into the 300° oven for another 2-3 minutes on a baking sheet. You can also omit the cinnamon/sugar step altogether if you prefer something less sweet. Shake off any excess and then serve and enjoy!