Caramelized French Toast

I know I've mentioned before that I have a deep love for breakfast.  The smells, the comfort, it's all there for me!  With this being spring break week for us, the joy of cooking a nice breakfast for my kids is that I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to prepare it, and we don't have to shove it down our throats before we rush out of the house.  It's more relaxed...the way I like it!
So I bought 2 loaves of Challah bread from Trader Joes over the weekend.  This bread is delicious all by itself, but it makes the perfect french toast as well.  The buttery texture and sweetness of the bread makes it easy, because there's not much that needs to be added to make it a perfect french toast.
I made an overnight baked french toast with the first loaf for Easter morning and this morning I made the caramelized french toast.  Very quick and easy and the raw sugar gives the french toast this wonderful crunchy, chewy, caramely texture.


Caramelized French Toast {my recipe}

INGREDIENTS: {serves 4-6}

• 1 loaf Challah bread, cut into 1-1/2 inch slices {or any other french bread}
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk {I used half and half }
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 Cup raw {turbinado} sugar
• butter for skillet

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pie plate, mix together the eggs, milk, salt, and vanilla.  In another plate, mix the raw sugar and cinnamon.  

Heat a large skillet to medium.  Add butter {generously}.  Dip the bread, one at a time, in the egg mixture, then sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the bread {both sides} and rub it around with your fingers.  You don't want too much of the sugar mixture on your bread, because it will burn in the pan and give you "burnt sugar" french toast.  Place the bread on the buttered skillet and cook until golden brown {watch to be sure the sugar doesn't burn}, then turn and cook a little longer {about 1-2 min. per side}.  

Place finished french toast side by side on a large plate.  Do not stack them because they will stick to each other.  Serve warm with syrup or berries. 

Challah bread sliced up

eggs, milk, salt, vanilla

Here's the raw sugar and cinnamon mixture

frying em up...