Piquant Pumpkin French Toast

Chef Ricardo Castro


Cooking time: 8 to 10 mins
Prep time: 10 mins
Servings: 4
Things you need
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the pan
2 cups milk, at room temperature
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 Tbs. sugar
4-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
8 to 10 3/4-inch-thick slices of pumpkin bread
Maple syrup, heated, for serving


How to do it
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Transfer the mix-ture to a large baking dish.
Working in batches, add 2 or 3 slices of bread (or as many as will fit in your skillet in a single layer) to the mix-ture and soak, turning once, until saturated but not fall-ing apart, about 2 minutes total.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, melt about 1/2 Tbs. butter. When the foam subsides, use a slotted spat-ula to add the soaked bread in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, 1-1/2 to 3 minutes per side.
Repeat with the remaining bread, briefly re-whisking the batter before soaking, and wiping out the skillet and adding fresh butter between batches.