Using croissants to make French Toast is something that we would make when we wanted to have a fancier breakfast. The nooks and crannies in the inside of the croissants soaks up the custard and makes them different than using traditional bread. Also, unlike regular bread, you don’t want the croissants to be stale, but instead fresh and soft. Adding the caramelized apples makes it a perfect dish for autumn and if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to it, it also makes a wonderful dessert. Although it feels fancy, it isn’t really difficult to make and the presentation is really nice. We actually chose to make this for dinner because we love having breakfast for dinner sometimes, especially since we don’t eat breakfast often due to our busy days.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Fresh Croissants – cut in half lengthwise
- 6 Granny Smith Apples – peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch Fresh Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the white sugar into a large, non-stick skillet and heat over medium-low heat. As the pan gets hot, the sugar will start to melt and turn to liquid. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 to 3 minutes or until it turns a light brown. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, which will cause the caramel sauce to foam, continue to stir until it is smooth once again. Add the apples and slowly stir. The caramel will likely seize up a little until the apples come up to temperature and then it will loosen once again. Once it the caramel is loose again, add the syrup and brown sugar and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Run the nutmeg across a microplane once or twice over the bowl. Whisk everything together until the custard is smooth. Heat another skillet over medium-high heat and the other 3 tablespoons of butter. Working in batches, dredge the croissants through the custard mixture and quickly transfer to the skillet, cut-side down. After it starts to cook, gently press down on the croissant with the back of a spatula, this will ensure that the croissant cooks more evenly. After the bottom begins to brown, flip the croissants and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. To serve, place 2 of the croissant half French toast onto a plate, spoon a quarter of the caramel apple mixture over the French toast, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
