Pain Perdu is french toast , it literally means “lost bread”. I first saw this from Barefoot Contessa, I love the addition of sliced almonds and how thick and big each toast is and the strawberry makes it soo mouth-watering; while I was watching Ina make it, I was itching to try it too at once but I don’t have challah ( traditional Jewish bread) so that’s a problem. I could use other bread, of course, but since I’ve been meaning to try to make challah anyways ( it’s been on my list for a long time), I figured it’s the best time to make it already, and I did ( it turned out good.. but burnt on top :S, I will post the recipe that I used soon)! I reserved half of the challah loaf to let it stale and use it the next day for this recipe.
While making this post, I learned different ways to call french toast:
Pain Perdu in French; In German, it’s called armer ritter; In Spanish, it’s torrijas and it’s called eggy bread in England!:D
soak challah slices in custard mixture
dip in almond slices
fry until golden
sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with honey and serve with fresh fruits..yummmm!!!
PAIN PERDU
adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (I don’t have this, so I just use 1 teaspoon of orange extract mixed with enough water to make 2 tbsps of “orange-water”), divided
3 large eggs
1 cup milk or half-and-half
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-5 thick slices of challah ( or brioche) bread
Unsalted butter or margarine
Vegetable oil
1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds
Confectioners’ sugar, to serve
honey, to serve (optional)
For Serving:
1 – 1/2 cups fresh fruits like strawberries, mango, kiwi
2 tablespoon sugar
Here’s How:
Combine the sliced fruits, tablespoon of the sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, honey, 1 tablespoon of sugar, orange water, the vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Slice the bread in 3/4-inch slices. Pour the egg mixture into a large shallow plate and soak a few slices of bread for 4 minutes, turning once.
Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Take each slice of bread from the egg mixture, dip one side in almonds, and place in the saute pan, almond side down. (While you’re cooking each batch, add more bread to the egg mixture to soak.)
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked bread on a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil, and continue to fry the remaining soaked bread until they’re all cooked. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve hot with the strawberries or mixed macerated fresh fruits.
Enjoy!
♥ Have a nice day! Happy Mother’s Day to all mommies!!!♥
Pain Perdu (Challah French Toast with Almonds)
Ingredients
- 2 TABLESPOONS ORANGE LIQUEUR I DON’T HAVE THIS, SO I JUST USE 1 TEASPOON OF ORANGE EXTRACT MIXED WITH ENOUGH WATER TO MAKE 2 TBSPS OF “ORANGE-WATER”, DIVIDED
- 3 LARGE EGGS
- 1 CUP MILK OR HALF-AND-HALF
- 2 TABLESPOONS HONEY
- 1 TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
- 1/2 TEASPOON GRATED ORANGE ZEST
- 1/2 TEASPOON SALT
- 4-5 THICK SLICES OF CHALLAH OR BRIOCHE BREAD
- UNSALTED BUTTER OR MARGARINE
- VEGETABLE OIL
- 1/3 CUP SLICED BLANCHED ALMONDS
- CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR TO SERVE
- HONEY TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
- FOR SERVING:
- 1 – 1/2 CUPS FRESH FRUITS LIKE STRAWBERRIES MANGO, KIWI
- 2 TABLESPOON SUGAR
Instructions
- COMBINE THE SLICED FRUITS, TABLESPOON OF THE SUGAR IN A SMALL BOWL AND SET ASIDE.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 250 DEGREES F.
- IN A LARGE BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER THE EGGS, MILK, HONEY, 1 TABLESPOON OF SUGAR, ORANGE WATER, THE VANILLA, ORANGE ZEST, AND SALT. SLICE THE BREAD IN 3/4-INCH SLICES. POUR THE EGG MIXTURE INTO A LARGE SHALLOW PLATE AND SOAK A FEW SLICES OF BREAD FOR 4 MINUTES, TURNING ONCE.
- HEAT 1 TABLESPOON EACH OF BUTTER AND OIL IN A VERY LARGE SAUTE PAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT. TAKE EACH SLICE OF BREAD FROM THE EGG MIXTURE, DIP ONE SIDE IN ALMONDS, AND PLACE IN THE SAUTE PAN, ALMOND SIDE DOWN. (WHILE YOU’RE COOKING EACH BATCH, ADD MORE BREAD TO THE EGG MIXTURE TO SOAK.)
- COOK FOR 2 TO 3 MINUTES ON EACH SIDE, UNTIL NICELY BROWNED. PLACE THE COOKED BREAD ON A BAKING SHEET AND KEEP IT WARM IN THE OVEN. WIPE OUT THE PAN WITH A DRY PAPER TOWEL, ADD MORE BUTTER AND OIL, AND CONTINUE TO FRY THE REMAINING SOAKED BREAD UNTIL THEY’RE ALL COOKED. SPRINKLE WITH CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR AND SERVE HOT WITH THE STRAWBERRIES OR MIXED MACERATED FRESH FRUITS.