Croissant French Toast

We are a firm believer in brinner. Usually once a week, one of our dinners is planned out to be omelets, pancakes, a breakfast casserole, or french toast. French toast is definitely one that we come back to very often - mostly because we almost always have all the ingredients for it (bread, eggs, milk, etc). It's also super cheap to make! Talk about a super-inexpensive and easy way to get dinner on the table, and fast. However, I always, against my husband's raised eyebrow, try to serve a green smoothie along with it to my boys; because, veggies always, always, always need to happen (especially at dinnertime). A little bit of bacon, shredded fresh hash browns, or a veggie scramble, would go lovely next to these lovely buttery bites of heaven, too. 

So why croissants? Well... 

I usually buy two large loaves of bread at Costco every two weeks. Sometimes every three, depending on how quickly the boys go through them. But a couple weeks ago, I found myself on a Thursday night (night before grocery day on Friday morning), without any bread in the pantry or waiting to be thawed from the freezer. Dang it! Drives me crazy when that happens! I did, however have some croissants leftover from when I made these amazing BLT Egg Salad Sandwiches. Instead of rushing to the store for some bread, I decided to use up what we already have, and make those buttery layers of croissant goodness into french toast. GUYS, oh man. It was amazing! 

I don't know how we'll ever go back to making french toast any other way. Seriously. There's just something about the way a croissant makes the typical french toast into a true masterpiece. 

Look at those buttery slices! It was amazing! Each slice was dunked in a recipe for french toast that I've had since the beginning of time. The secrets to making lovely french toasts with a lot of flavors are 1) Use some extracts, but don't go overboard. I use a bit of vanilla and a teeny bit of almond. 2) Make sure the eggs are completely broken up in the milk. 3) Using almond milk tastes incredible. 4) Cook the first side a lot, and the second side a little. 5) Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on the toasts after they hit the griddle. Just on one side. A little goes a long way, and it tastes incredible.

Fresh fruit also helps, too! Strawberries are still on the cheap here in the valley, so we've been indulging in getting the large container, soaking them in vinegar with a little water, and enjoying them all week long! I absolutely love french toast - the next time you make them, use what you have! Slice up the rolls super-thin, or use up that leftover hoagie bread, or in this case: croissants were a total win. 

 

Croissant French Toast
makes 4 servings

ingredients:

6 large croissants, sliced in half longways, making 12 flat circles

3 eggs

1/2 C almond milk (or whole milk, or whatever you have on hand)

1/2 t vanilla extract

1/4 t almond extract

1/2 T unsalted butter

2 T cinnamon sugar (1 1/2 T sugar, 1/2 T cinnamon

fresh fruit for garnish

method:

1. Preheat griddle to 350 degrees. In a medium flat bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and extracts. 

2. Melt butter on the griddle, spreading it around with a spatula to reach all the corners. One by one, completely submerge the croissant slice in the egg mixture (both sides should be coated, but not soaked), then place on the hot griddle. Repeat with remaining croissant circles (enough that can fit on the griddle - might have to do two batches if you have a smaller one). 

3. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar on up-facing side of the croissants. After about 2 minutes, when the down-side is browned, flip croissant french toasts over. Cook for about 30 seconds, then remove from griddle. Serve with fresh fruit and syrup. 

Recipe source: Baking with Blondie