This is one of my family’s favorite breakfasts. The entire loaf of challah is soaked in a delicious custard and cooked until golden brown. It disappears in minutes, despite them still being half asleep. I usually don’t like fruit added to dishes like this, but the addition of orange zest adds such a lovely brightness to the dish. All I had were clementines this time around, but it worked just as well.

Tips:

• Want to expedite the cooking in the morning? Make the custard and slice the bread the night before. Just cover the custard in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. The bread can be left out to dry out on your counter overnight.

• Store any leftover French toast in a covered container in the refrigerator for a few days. Just reheat for 30 seconds in the microwave. If you want to store the cooked French toast longer, place the French toast between pieces of parchment paper in a freezer safe bag. Reheat the French toast from frozen to enjoy!

• This recipe works great with brioche too.

Challah French Toast

Serves 4-6

PREP 10 minutes

COOK 6 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf challah, sliced into 12 thick pieces

5 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

pinch of Kosher salt

1 tablespoon of orange zest

For serving: maple syrup, berries and confectioner’s sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large baking dish combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, zest and salt. Use a fork or whisk to break the eggs and combine the custard together.

2. Preheat your griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. I set my griddle to 350 degrees. It is a nonstick surface so I don’t need to add any fat, but if yours will stick you can use butter or coconut oil.

3. Dip each slice of challah into the custard and allow the bread to soak up a little of the custard on each side. You want it to reach the center of the bread, but not get too soggy that the bread falls apart. It helps if the bread is stale.

4. Place as many slices on your griddle that will fit and cook each side for about 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown. If you use butter the bread may get darker quicker, so you may need to adjust the heat.

5. Place cooked pieces of French toast on a platter, overlapping the slices to keep them warm. If you are making a lot and are using a small pan, then store the cooked French toast in the oven to keep them warm as you cook. Just set the oven to 200 degrees.

6. I like to serve the French toast family-style, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Real maple syrup, softened butter and berries are great toppings to place on the table. Enjoy!