Cooks Illustrated French Toast Recipes

PECAN RUM FRENCH TOAST (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Process 1/2 cup pecans, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in food processor until coarsely ground, 12 to 15 one-second pulses (you should have about 1/2 cup crumbs).
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
• Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, vanilla, and rum in large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking pan.
• Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. Sprinkle each slice of soaked bread with 1 tablespoon nut mixture.
• Heat ½ tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices soaked bread to skillet-nut mixture side down-and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If toast is cooking too quickly, reduce temperature slightly.) Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon of butter for each batch. Serve warm, passing maple syrup separately.

COOKS ILLUSTRATED FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300. Place bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain mostly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees. 2. Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. transfer mixture to 9x13 pan. 3. Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. 4. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices soaked bread to skillet and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towls. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time. Almond-Crusted French Toast Process 1/2 cup slivered almonds and 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar in food processor until coarsely ground, 12 to 15 one-second pulses. Follow recipe above, adding 1 tablespoon triple sec and 2 teaspoon grated orange zest to milk mixture in step 2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon nut mixture over one side of each soaked bread. Follow cooking directions in step 4, starting with nut mixture side down.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Microwave the cream cheese (in a large bowl) on high just until softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Check it. You'd be surprised how microwave ovens vary.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sugar and all of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir till smooth. Wrap tightly and chill for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Arrange the bread on a rack set over a rimmed baking sleet. Bake it until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. (I would say "or stale bread", but if you're familiar with their exhaustive testing approach, it's best to just trust them and do this step.).
• Spread the cream cheese evenly over 4 pieces of bread. Leave a 1/2-inch at the edges. ( If you do not leave the border clear, it will just come out while cooking and be wasted.) Lightly press the rest of the slices over the top to make 4 sturdy sandwiches.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk it with the milk, egg, vanilla, salt and the remaining 2 T. of sugar. Slowly whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour the batter into a large shallow dish.
• Slide 2 sandwiches into the batter and soak both sides, about 1 minute per side. Meanwhile, melt 1 more T. of the butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, swirling to coat the pan.
• Remove the bread from the batter. Let excess batter drip back in the dish. Lay two sandwiches in the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2.5 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the other two sandwiches.

FRENCH TOAST - EXTRA CRISP - COOK'S ILLUSTRATED RECIPE

Steps:

• EXTRA-CRISP FRENCH TOAST Serves 4. Published January 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated. For best results, choose a good challah or a firm, high-quality sandwich bread, such as Arnold Country Classics White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White. Thomas' English Muffin Toasting Bread also works well. If you purchase an unsliced loaf, cut the bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. To prevent the butter from clumping during mixing, warm the milk in a microwave or small saucepan until warm to the touch (about 80 degrees). The French toast can be cooked all at once on an electric griddle, but may take an extra 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and use the entire amount of butter for cooking. INSTRUCTIONS 1. Tear one piece of bread or challah into 1-inch pieces and process with 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in food processor until finely ground, 8 to 12 one-second pulses (you should have about 1/2 cup crumbs). 2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place remaining 8 pieces of bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees. 3. Whisk milk, yolks, remaining sugar and cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking pan. 4. Soak toasted bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon bread crumb mixture over one side of each slice of soaked bread. 5. Heat ½ tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices soaked bread, crumb-mixture side down first, to skillet and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If toast is cooking too quickly, reduce temperature slightly.) Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon of butter for each batch. Serve warm, passing maple syrup separately. Keys to Perfect French Toast 1. START WITH DRY BREAD Drying bread in 300-degree oven before soaking and frying leads to toast that's soft, not soggy. 2. HOLD THE WHITES Using yolks, not whites, in soaking liquid cuts down on eggy flavor. 3. SOAK PROPERLY Soaking bread in flat baking pan for just 20 seconds per side ensures even saturation and no sogginess.