Easy, Fancy, French Toast

I am not really a sweets person in the morning, most of the time. But once in awhile I feel like having a giant piece of french toast with peanut butter slathered on top. Since it is so easy to make, I don't really see the point in going out to have someone make it for you.  My "recipe" isn't really a recipe but it's how I generally throw this together, and I am pretty sure just about anyone who can use a spatula can make this.

First thing is first though, you need a nice loaf of challah bread. Many of you will be able to find this in the bakery section of your well-stocked grocery stores. Even better you may find it made locally at a bakery. My favorite to use is the challah bread from The Bread Farm in Bow, WA. Challah is an eggy, braided loaf, similar to brioche, that is traditionally served in Jewish communities on Sabbath and holidays. This rich, sponge-y bread lends itself quite well to French toast as well. If you cannot find it, feel free to use some other form of fresh loaf such as French Bread or Farmers Bread if you still want to try this out. Feeling ambitious? Find a recipe and make a loaf yourself on Friday and you will have it ready for breakfast on the weekend.

Here is what you will need:

1 loaf challah bread
milk (any fat %)
eggs
cinnamon
nutmeg
vanilla extract

The amounts you use will all depend on how much you are making. But start with this batch and just make more milk/egg mixture as needed if you need more. This recipe is suited is suited to my personal taste, feel free to adjust the ingredients as needed.
1. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium heat.
2. Mix 1 cup milk with 2-3 eggs (sub egg whites for some or all eggs if you wish), dash of cinnamon and nutmeg and about 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Whisk to mix well.
3. Slice the bread, on the diagonal, into 1-2 inch thick slices.
4. Soak one piece of bread in the milk mixture, on each side, for about 10-20 seconds. You want it to soak into the bread, but you don't want the bread to be mush! also, remember that this bread already has plenty of egg in it, so you don't need to worry about the flavor getting all the way through.
5. Spray skillet/griddle with cooking spray or a tiny pat of butter to coat.
6. Cook bread on each side until browned and heated through.

If you need to keep the french toast warm while you finish cooking all of the bread, use a large skillet cover to cover the plate with the finished pieces.

tah dah! Fancy French toast. I don't really know what the precise makings of french toast are, but this is mine and we love it. Two pieces is more than enough, challah is filling, and don't be afraid to try it with peanut butter on top!