Weekly Recipe: Tatyana Nesteruk's Best French Toast

Nothing spells brunch like French Toast. With wonderfully-sweet and caramelized bread, soft and creamy whipped cream and the freshness of berries, French Toast has become an American brunch staple.

Why wait until Sunday brunch to enjoy this delectable breakfast dessert? Especially when food blogger Tatyana Nesteruk of Tatyana’s Everyday Food shows us how to make her favorite French Toast recipe. It's easy enough for an ammatuer cook, but certainly as decadent and beautiful as that boutique brunch spot with the line around the corner.

The breakfast favorite was originally called “pain perdu” in France, translating to “lost bread," and early recipes called for day-old bread as a means to avoid waste. Some recipes recreate this “day-old” effect by calling for the bread to be left out and dried overnight, but Tatyana’s recipe is truly no fuss.

No need to bring any ingredient out and let it warm to room temperature, though you will need ground nutmeg to add a little complexity to the classic custard. Home-made whipped cream and bourbon-aged maple syrup elevate the classic into an elegant, home-made start to your day.

Nesteruk is a two-time cookbook author specializing in Eastern European cuisine, an homage to her own community. Her blog is a hub for all her elegant and delicious recipes, with accompanying YouTube videos.

This French Toast recipe is her favorite go-to for breakfast and brunch, providing all the comforting flavors of this restaurant favorite any time, any day, anywhere.

Ingredients:

French Toast

• Pre-sliced brioche bread (you can also use day-old leftover bread and cut into ½ in thick slices)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup of white granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon maple syrup extract (or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup)
• ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of butter (per frying batch)

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• ⅓ cup confectioners or powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Toppings

• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries

Special Tools:

• A stand or hand mixer*

*only if you plan to make your own whipped cream, Tatyana uses store-bought in her video.

Preparation

1. Start off making the custard by adding the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup extract onto a bowl. Whisk until well combined.
2. Then add the cinnamon, granulated sugar, nutmeg and salt into the same bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
3. Start pre-heating the pan to low temperature and place 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of butter into the heating pan.
4. Dip brioche bread slices onto the custard for at least 10 seconds, letting drip leftover custard.
5. Place up to 3 slices (depending on the size of your pan) of the custard-covered brioche into the pan.
6. Fry the french toast at medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes per side, letting the sugar caramelize.
7. Repeat for the rest of the loaf, adding more butter to the pan if needed.
8. Stack done French toasts onto a plate to keep warm
9. For the whipped cream, add all your ingredients into a mixer and whisk on high speed for 3 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
10. Serve the French toasts and top with bourbon-aged maple syrup, fresh berries, and whipped cream!

For more of Tatyana’s recipes and French Toast tips head over to her website.