I'll be honest, french toast was never my favorite breakfast treat. Unless we're talking about those decadent little sugar sticks that Shoney's puts out on their breakfast bar...those I would beg for as a child.

As an adult, however, I soon discovered that french toast is one of the loveliest, and most versatile breakfast foods available, and it is SO EASY to make.

One of my dearest grandmothers lives in Plant City, Florida, which some of you may know, is the strawberry capital of the world. In fact, every year, they hold a most glorious celebration annually...the Strawberry Festival...at which, I have sampled their strawberry shortcakes to excess on many occasions.

Since we are currently in strawberry season, and I have great respect for anyone who can turn something fabulous into something extraordinary, I've added peaches to the filling portion. However, as previously mentioned, this is a super versatile recipe. Have fun with it! Add pecans. Add blueberries. Add bacon. Add bananas. Add chocolate...oh, definitely do add chocolate.

Speaking of extraordinary, a lovely blogger by the name of Annie (Annie's Noms) created a variation of this recipe which includes Honeyed Ricotta (pictured below). For those who want to go the extra mile and make this recipe that much more delightful, the optional Honeyed Ricotta instructions are at the bottom of the recipe. 

HOW TO MAKE SURE IT'S DIVINE:

1. Use great bread! A high-density bread with an almost cake-like crumb works best. Challah, brioche, a loaf of traditional country white bread: something with a dense crumb is going to really soak up the custard so you can get that drool-inducing creamy interior and crunchy exterior. Slice it thickly—about an inch wide works.

2. Use dry bread! Like, really dry (but not necessarily stale. Stale is tasteless). If you use soft, freshly baked or recently baked bread, you're going to get soggy slices. Nobody likes soggy slices. The best drying technique I know of is to slice your bread and then bake the slices on wire racks in a 300°F oven for eight minutes on each side. Cool for 5 minutes before handling.

3. Make sure your ingredients are room temp! Don't just chuck cold milk and eggs into a bowl and start whisking. If you do, there's a chance your butter will become solid and grainy, which will affect the texture of your custard.

4. Strain your custard! It only takes a few seconds and believe me, it makes a huge difference. No matter how well you whisk, sometimes lumps of egg white remain in the dipping custard, and that's just gross. That means a few slices will end up coated in egg white rather than custard. Taking the time to strain the soaking liquid will ensure that every piece of bread will be able to absorb that rich, flavorful custard you created.

5. Always pre-heat your skillet and use non-stick spray if you do not have a non-stick pan.

THE RECIPE

Prep Time: 15-30 minutes 

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Recipe Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the fancy-pants garnish (optional):

• 3 thin slices of peach and 1 leaf of fresh mint for each stack.
• 1/8 tsp powdered sugar

For the filling:

• 2 medium peaches, halved, pitted and diced.
• 1 cup (170 g) finely diced strawberries
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the French toast:

• 4 thick slices of dry, dense crumb bread.
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk (whole works best)
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp butter

For the honeyed ricotta (optional):

• 1/3 cup (85 g) ricotta cheese
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling first: Place diced peaches, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into a small bowl and stir until thoroughly coated. Place in your skillet over medium heat and bring to a soft boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously until slightly thickened. Take it off the heat and put it to one side.

2. Make the French toast: Place the egg, milk, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk until combined. Strain into a flat bottomed bowl or pan. The bottom should be large enough for one piece of bread to lay flat.

3. Place 1 tbsp butter into a large non-stick frying pan/skillet and melt over medium heat.

4. Once butter has melted, dunk one side of a slice of your bread into the egg mixture. Dunk for about 3-5 seconds.

5. Place the slice wet side down into the hot pan and top it with 2-3 tbsp of the fruit filling.

6. Butter one side of the second slice of bread and dunk the other side into your remaining egg mixture.

7. Place butter side down onto the slice with fruit filling. Press slightly and then fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden and slightly crisp. Flip and then fry the other side for 2-3 minutes until golden. Place on a plate to cool slightly. Repeat process with the other two slices.

8. Once cooled, sprinkle additional powdered sugar over the top and place the rest of the fruit filling (if there is any), 3 slices of peach, and 1 leaf of fresh mint on top of each stack. 

HONEYED RICOTTA VARIATION:

1. After step 7, make the honeyed ricotta by placing the ricotta, honey and vanilla extract into a small bowl and whisk until well combined and smooth.

2. Divide the honeyed ricotta into two and then place on top of your French toast.

3. Divide the rest of the fruit filling in two and top the ricotta with the fruit filling, 3 slices of peach, and 1 sprig of fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Worried about all that sugar? You can reduce the amount of sugar used in this recipe by skipping the powdered sugar garnish, or using a liquid sweetener like honey, agave, or maple syrup instead.