There are some days when you just don't feel much like cooking. We all get them. Even I have those days once in a while. Those are the days when I just can't be bothered to do much of anything, and yet . . . I am still hungry and we do need to eat.
That is when recipes like this beautiful Lemon French Toast come in really handy. This day I accompanied it with the last of the berries from our garden, but you could use any fresh berry and it would be just as lovely. Even poached rhubarb would be nice.
Lemon is a wonderful fruit enhancer. I adore the flavor of lemons and I try to incorporate them in a lot of my cooking. Today it's this fab French Toast. You will want to use nice thick bread for this. You don't necessarily need an artisnal loaf, but you don't want really cheap bread either.
I used Roberton's EXTRA thick white bread . . . each slice is about 1 inch thick. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I think the American equivalent is Texas Toast. This extra thick bread is perfect for toasting as well. Yum!
It's a pretty simple recipe. You can make more than the servings I have suggested quite easily. Just follow the basics of 1 large free range egg, 1 TBS single cream and 1 tsp of sugar for each serving. One slice of thick bread, a bit of lemon extract and lemon zest. A pinch of sugar and Bob's your uncle. You will have the tastiest French Toast ever!! I kid you not!
You don't need to serve fruit with it, but it is awfully nice with some fruit. Just sayin' is all. This is the perfect excuse to use some of those fresh summer berries in the most delightfully delicious way!
*Lemon French Toast with Berries*
Serves 2 to 4(depending on how greedy you are) Printable Recipe
French toast, nicely flavoured with lemon and topped with delicious summer berries. This is quite simply fabulous!
4 really thick slices of bread (you can use brioche if you want for a richer result,I like to use the extra thick sliced soft white bread, or Texas Toast as I think it is called in North America)4 large free range eggs, beaten4 TBS single cream (light cream)the finely grated zest of 1 lemon1 TBS sugar1/2 tsp lemon extractbutter for cooking
For the berries:1 small punnet of fresh strawberries, halved or quartered if large1 TBS sugar
Maple syrup to serve
Mix the berries with the sugar and set them aside to macerate until your toast is done and you are ready to eat.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, lemon zest, 1 TBS of sugar and lemon extract. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and once it begins to foam start cooking the French toast. Soak the bread in the egg mixture, one slice at a time. I like to cook this one slice at a time, keeping the already cooked warm in a low oven until I am done. Fry the soaked bread in the knob of butter for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Repeat until all of your toast is cooked.
Serve the cooked French toast with the strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup. Delicious!
Note: I would say that as a breakfast this recipe would serve four amply, especially with a link or two of sausage or a couple of rashers of bacon on the side. As a light supper, I don't feel it would feed much more than two regular eaters.
