Itsy Bitsy Foodies

This fuss-free french toast is perfect for busy mornings or breakfast parties because you simply put the ingredients in a pan and broil the french toast in the oven.  In addition to being easier it’s also healthier, using far less butter than traditional French toast.  Use the bread of your choice: crusty white bread, cinnamon bread, banana bread, whole wheat bread, etc.  The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and baked in a larger pan.

I have broiled my French toast two ways with similar results.  It all comes down to your textural preference.  Sometimes I pour the egg mixture into a greased pan, dip and flip the bread and then broil everything like a French toast casserole. The resulting French toast has a softer texture.  Other times I dip the bread slices in the egg mixture, let excess egg drip off and then broil the bread on a greased baking sheet.  This French toast has a bit more texture with a slightly crusty exterior (although it’s still very soft, especially when drenched in syrup).  I prefer the second method with firmer French toast but my boys devour it both ways.

Serve the french toast with jam, syrup, berries, fruit, powdered sugar and other toppings of your choice.

Believe it or not, french toast is not actually a French invention.  References of it date back to Roman cookbooks of the 4th and 5th century.  It is popular in many cultures as a breakfast and dessert item.  Another common name for it is pain perdu (“lost bread” in French) because it is a way of reclaiming old, stale bread by softening it in an egg mixture and frying it to golden perfection.