A Coconut French Toast Recipe Guaranteed to Knock Your Socks Off!

First off, the History of French Toast

One of the best cultural references to French toast is a key scene from the classic Kramer Vs Kramer (1979). In this scene, the father (Dustin Hoffman), fresh from his divorce, prepares French toast in such a clumsy, misguided way that it is hardly recognizable as the popular breakfast snack. But his six-year-old son (Justin Henry) knows better and corrects him. That's how popular French toast iseven kids know how to make it!

But has French toast always been so popular?

According to sources of Food News, the recipe emerged from a desire to not waste food. This was done out of economic necessity, but it also stemmed from the fact that wasting food carried social stigma at the time (with religious overtones).

According to several sources, French toast dates back to ancient Roman times. A recipe similar to French toast can be found in an ancient Roman cookbook known as Apicius from the fifth century BC. Romans dipped stale bread slices in milk, and sometimes eggs, before frying them. The ancient Romans called this dish Pan Dulcis or sweet bread.

A bread-like dish similar to French toast was later mentioned in 15th-century recipes at the court of King Henri V. But it was not until the 17th century that the name French toast appeared in an English cookbook. Like most things related to food, the origin and history of French toast have been debatable for centuries.

Interestingly, one theory suggests that the name French does not refer to the French language or country of origin at all, but to the verb 'French' which means to slice in Old Irish!

Classic French Toast Recipe

This recipe makes the kind of classic French toast for which people line up outside restaurants on a Sunday morning. You don't need special ingredients, tools or technology to make it, and you can even work with stale bread. Ideally, you should dip thick slices of white bread in an egg-milk mixture with heavy cream. This results in a toast that is buttery and fluffy, yet firm. Towards the end, sprinkle sugar on the bread to caramelize it and make it glossy. (Over-soaking is a non-no; the mixture should fill the bread, not break it.)

Ingredients-
Three farm-fresh hen eggs with yolks, half cup (120 ml) milk, plus two tablespoons (28 g) cream, one tablespoon (15 g) flour, one tablespoon (15 g) sugar, half teaspoon vanilla extract (optional), one-fourth teaspoon (two g) salt, one-eighth teaspoon (one g) cinnamon powder, one-eighth teaspoon (one g) nutmeg powder (optional), eight thick-sliced white bread, and three tablespoons (50 g) butter. To make cinnamon sugar, mix half cup (65 g) granulated sugar with two teaspoon (10 g) ground cinnamon.

Instructions-

1. To make the dipping batter, hand-whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl, mix milk, cream, flour, sugar, vanilla (optional), salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (optional) together until the mixture becomes smooth.
   
2. Heat up a cast iron skillet on the range over low to medium heat and add some butterjust enough to cover the base of the skillet. Dip two bread slices into the batter for five seconds on each side and make sure it does not over-soak.
   
3. Shake off any excess batter from the slices and place them in the hot skillet. Cook the slices for about two minutes and then put the butter back on and flip the slices until golden brown.
   
4. While the bread is on the pan, dust it with cinnamon sugar, then flip it so the unglazed side faces up. Next, dust the newly exposed side with cinnamon sugar. Press the center of the bread to determine if it is done- the dent should slowly bounce back, indicating that it is fully cooked. If it doesn't bounce back, cook for another couple of minutes at low heat, flipping it occasionally. Repeat the same process for the rest of the slices too.
   
5. Serve immediately with maple syrup, berries, jam, or sliced bananas.
   

French Toast With Coconut- Ingredients

Coconut Crusted French Toast is a variation on the classic dish that promises to bring delight to everyone, not just lovers of coconut. Thick slices of bread are covered in a batter of coconut extract, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. These are then dipped in finely grated coconut. The bread is cooked on a hot griddle until it forms a golden crust. It is best served with butter, maple syrup, and fresh strawberries.

Ingredients-
Three large eggs, three-fourth cup of coconut milk, half teaspoon of coconut extract, one-fourth teaspoon of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, one cup of shredded sweetened coconut, six slices of French bread cut into half-inch slices, butter maple syrup, and strawberries for serving.

(The choice of bread is completely yours. It could be brioche, sourdough, French bread, challah or plain old white bread.)

French Toast With Coconut- Cooking Steps

Instructions-
1. Whisk together coconut milk, coconut extract, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in a shallow dish.
2. Keep the coconut (shredded) handy in a plate.
3. Dip the slices of bread into the custard (egg mixture) and then in the shredded coconut to coat.
4. Melt a little butter in a frying pan or griddle over medium heat and cook until golden brown on one side. Turn and cook the other side.
5. Serve immediately with butter, maple syrup, and strawberries.

French Toast Cooking Tips

Five tips to ensure your French toast stands apart.

1. French toast is a bread-based recipe. Stale bread to be precise. But if you are really trying to innovate, the choice of bread can make a big difference. Home cooks should remember that using store-bought French bread will likely result in a less flavorful final product. The best French toast use fresh-baked bread. Challah, brioche and even banana bread are good choices.
   
2. When you make French toast remember that adding too much dairy and sugar to the custard may ruin the toast. If there's too much, the egg in the mixture won't cook and your toast will be soggy rather than crisp. To avoid this, you need to make sure you add just enough dairy to let the egg cook through, but not so much that the surface of the bread remains wet.
   
3. The Cooking Temperature plays a huge role in the consistency of your toast. French toast should be cooked gently over medium heat for approximately three to four minutes per side. The sugar in the egg mixture (the custard) will caramelize and burn quickly, so it is important not to scorch the surface. Caramelized sugar tastes bitter. If you cook the bread at too high a temperature, the outside will dry out, but the inside will not cook entirely. This will result in a piece of toast that is hard and chewy, rather than soft and creamy. Cooking gently over medium heat allows ample time for the center of the French toast to finish cooking while keeping the outer edges moist.
   
4. Finish slices of French toast with ricotta and your favorite jams like cherry or apricot. Blending butter with sweet ingredients like honey, can also elevate your toast. You can even throw in maple syrup.
   
5. Non-stick pans are ideal for making large batches of French toast because they require less effort to clean than standard pans.
   

Variations on the Classic French Toast

Cheese-Crusted French Toast

This is essentially an eggy bread, minus syrup, and the addition of cheese. The custard-y center stays sweet but the melted cheese on top and other ingredients, like sour cream, add a salty touch.

To make this cream cheese-loaded French toast, combine the egg, milk, cheddar and a bit of salt and pepper in a bowl. Soak the bread on both sides while you heat up a non-stick pan over medium heat. Heat up your oil or butter and add the slice of bread to the pan, cooking until it is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about five minutes per side. Do not rush the cooking so that the cheese crisps up and the eggy insides cook through. When both sides are cooked to your liking, serve with sour cream and green onions.

Mexican French Toast

What's a recipe if it can't be adapted? Here's a tortilla twist on the classic French toast.

Tortilla French Toast is a modern twist on the classic French toast, or should we call it Mexican toast? For this, thick slices of bread are replaced by tortillas. Simply whisk milk, eggs, cinnamon, granulated sugar and vanilla. Blend it well. Cut each tortilla into quarters. Place them in the egg mixture. Stir gently to completely coat the tortillas. Soak for 10 minutes, or until the tortillas have softened. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add four of the coated tortilla quarters and cook for four to five minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway through cooking. Sprinkle the warm toast with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately with maple syrup and strawberries for topping!

The result is delicious, and the dish can be prepared quicklya great idea for breakfast in bed!

Spanish French Toast

There's French toast, and then there's torrijas- the Spanish version. Both versions likely began as a way to make good use of bread that's no longer fresh. This Spanish recipe uses Olive Oil instead of butter to give your morning meal a flavorful kick.

To make torrijas, half-fill a skillet with olive oil. Set over medium-high heat. Bring the oil to 350 F.
Accurate Food Temperature readings are key for best results. Then drop in a piece of bread. It should sink below the surface and then come back up quickly. Separately, combine milk, salt, sugar and eggs in a bowl. In another bowl, soak a slice of bread in milk. Dip it in egg. Remove the excess liquid. Move the soaked piece of bread to the oil. Fry until the edges are crisp. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar just before serving.

Conclusion

French toast is a dish that most people can prepare, but few know how to make it well. We really can't forget how Dustin Hoffman's character messes it up in Kramer Vs Kramer. The secret to making excellent French toast is drying out the bread beforehand. If you use soft bread and allow it to soak up too much egg mixture, you end up with soggy slices of French toast. But if you dry out the loaf in the oven first, you will have evenly cooked and flavorful slices. This also means that you can soak your bread in the egg mixture for an optimal custard-like center without worrying about the bread falling apart during cooking.