Recipe Background
Mimi knows how to make breakfast fun! Oh sure, partly it's the fun, dip-ready shape of Mimi's Famous French Toast Dunkers. But it's also because each one is coated in cinnamon-sugar. Come on, now that's just great. All of them being baked in melted butter? Even better. Mimi's Famous French Toast Dunkers make French toast truly a joy to make and to eat! Now all you need is enough maple syrup for dipping!
Mimi knows how to make breakfast fun! Oh sure, partly it's the fun, dip-ready shape of Mimi's Famous French Toast Dunkers. But it's also because each one is coated in cinnamon-sugar. Come on, now that's just great. All of them being baked in melted butter? Even better. Mimi's Famous French Toast Dunkers make French toast truly a joy to make and to eat! Now all you need is enough maple syrup for dipping!
Ingredients
- 8 (1-inch-thick) slices brioche bread
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- maple syrup optional, to taste, for serving
- mixed berries optional, to taste, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut each slice of the bread vertically into 4 (1-inch-wide) strips.
- In a medium bowl, add 3/4 cup of the sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and stir to combine.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the eggs, the half-and-half, the vanilla, the orange zest, the salt, the cardamom, the remaining sugar, and the remaining cinnamon and whisk until well-combined.
- Working with 1 bread strip at a time, dip the bread strip into the egg mixture, making sure to coat all sides and allowing the excess to drip off.
- Transfer the egg-coated bread strip to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat.
- Transfer the cinnamon-sugar-coated bread strip to a large sheet of aluminum foil and repeat the coating process with the remaining bread strips.
- Place a large, rimmed baking sheet in the hot oven to preheat for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheet from the oven. Place 1 tablespoon of the butter on the hot baking sheet and allow it to melt.
- Add the bread pieces in a single layer in the melted butter on the baking sheet.
- Bake the bread strips until the bottoms are golden-brown and caramelized, about 10-12 minutes.
- Cut the remaining butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Transfer the baking sheet from the oven and flip the bread strips over.
- Sprinkle the butter cubes evenly around the bread strips.
- Bake until the bread strips are golden-brown and crisp on the reverse sides, about 4-6 minutes.
- Serve with the maple syrup and the mixed berries.
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