The Very Best French Toast of All Time

Little Palm Island serves a unique french toast for brunch. It is the very best french toast I have ever tasted.  Faye decided that the bread was a brioche.  I figured it was coated in crushed cornflakes and we could both see the chopped hazelnuts on top.  After requesting the recipe multiple times and having that request denied, I went on an internet search and found two recipes for this delicious breakfast treat. Below is the picture of the French Toast at Little Palm.

Saveur (Savor a World of Authentic Cuisine) has a recipe that seems most like the one we tasted.  The Saveur recipe is based on the french toast served at the Lafayette restaurant at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington D.C.which is a cornflake crusted  focaccia french toast with warm pear compote and caramel sauce. 

Photo Credit:Penny De Los Santos

The recipe from Saveur which serves 4 is as follows:

1 loaf brioche bread (about 1 lb.)
⅓ cup half and half
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. fine salt
¼ tsp. orange zest
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice brioche loaf into eight 1"-thick slices with a serrated knife. Using a 3" round cookie cutter, cut each slice into a circle and set aside.

 
2. In a shallow dish, whisk together half and half, sugar, cinnamon, salt, orange zest, and eggs. Put cornflakes into another shallow dish. Working with 1 circle of brioche at a time, dip in the egg mixture, allowing brioche to soak for 10 seconds on each side, then coat in the cornflakes. Transfer to a sheet tray lined with waxed paper.

3. Heat 3 tbsp. of the butter in a 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat until just foaming. Transfer 4 slices of brioche to the pan and cook, turning once, until both sides are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Divide the french toast between 2 serving plates. Wipe out skillet, add remaining butter, and repeat process. Dust the french toast with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. 
 

Add some chopped  hazelnuts to this recipe and I think we would have a match to the Little Palm Island Recipe.  I discovered another recipe at Coach & Counselor that is worthy of mention as well because it uses peanut butter.   Click here to see a similar recipe with a peanut butter sauce--yum yum.

We don't have any brioche or focaccia on board or I would be making this treat this morning...sorry Steve, it's an instant breakfast and peanut butter toast kind of day.  

Joy