Rainy Saturday Morning Breakfast

Saturday morning this weekend I woke up to the the sound of pouring rain.  In the Sierra Nevada, rain comes as quickly as it goes... but this storm had started Thursday night and had not let up.  In fact, as I write this on Sunday, it is still raining.

I felt like filling up with something hot and delicious that morning... and my kids were yelling "HUNGER" at the top of their lungs... so it needed to be something that didn't take long to make.

French Toast with Strawberry Compote Syrup

This recipe serves 4.  The most time is taken cooking the dipped bread slices one by one in a skillet...  if you have a griddle, you can do more slices at one time.

From the cupboard:

-8 piece

s of bread (preferably Brioche, or that King's Hawaiian, sliced)

-cinnamon (2 teaspoons)

-nutmeg (2 teaspoons)

-ginger (2 teaspoons)

-sugar (3 tablespoons)

-real maple syrup - not that fake stuff

From the 'Fridge:

-6 eggs

-about 10 strawberries, diced into small pieces

-Strawberry jam

-butter (for browning in pan)

-heavy cream (1/4 cup)

-creme fraiche (spoon full on top of each serving after cooked)

-fresh orange juice & champagne...  mimosas!

Preheat oven to 150, to keep french toast & syrup warm while you make more slices.

Mix eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a bowl.  When well mixed, pour into a 9x9 pan for dipping the bread slices into.

Meanwhile, pour about 1 cup of syrup in a small stainless sauce pan, add the diced strawberries and 1 large spoonful of strawberry jam.  Stir over low heat until jam is melted, heat thoroughly.  Put saucepan with syrup mixture in a 150 degree warming oven

Warm a skillet on the stove, medium flame.  Dip each slice of bread to lightly cover with egg/cinnamon mixture.  Lightly brown on each side, add to plate in warming oven until ready to serve.  For a tastier finish, take a stick of butter, rub it on the hot skillet before browning the bread on each side.

Serve a couple of slices of french toast on each plate, with a dollop of creme fraiche, and the strawberry compote syrup poured lightly over the bread.

You most likely will not need lunch after this richly textured breakfast...  so eat up!