Good Morning! The windows have been open for the past week and the weather is teetering on cool days and chilly nights. It's not quite there yet...still in the high 70's during the day....but we're close, and that makes me ohhhh so very happy! With this cooler weather I find myself reaching for the hot coffee more than my beloved iced coffees and gooey bread recipes are on my radar.
Here in our little neighborhood of Ghent, we were greeted with a fancy new The Fresh Market last week! I've been anxiously waiting for this grocer to open and last Wednesday I dodged the raindrops after work {along with the rest of Ghent I do believe:/} to pop in and take a look. It did not disappoint, that's for sure. Everything is brand new and shiny and the staff is in the zone with customer service! The meat counter and dessert counter were by farrrrr the most popular places to be! I couldn't get close when I first came in....so I checked out the rest of the store and swung by on the way out. One item I picked up while there was a gorgeous, golden Challah loaf that was just begging me to bring it home! The braided perfection was just too beautiful to pass up...and although I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do with it, I grabbed it and ran!
The following recipe is a take on a recipe from Ina Garten. She uses orange zest for that extra zaa-zaa-zoom and I substituted some Jamaican rum instead:) You're welcome! It's very subtle, so no need to think you'll get drunk off your breakfast....unless of course you're having a Bloody Mary or Mimosa too;)
Challah French Toast {A Recipe from Ina Garten}
Ingredients:
6 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest {I substituted 1 tbsp Jamaican Rum}
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked.
Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar & enjoy!!
Stay Blessed,
Jenn
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