Pain Perdu

Name: Pain Perdu
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cajun & Creole
Ingredients: 8 thick slices day-old French bread; 4 large eggs; 1 cup whole milk; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 3 tbsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp orange zest; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 tbsp unsalted butter; powdered sugar and cane syrup for serving

The Creole "lost bread," a decadent New Orleans French toast made from day-old French bread soaked in a vanilla-orange custard and fried golden.

25 minutes

Serves 4

Breakfast

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy Wheat

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Instructions

5 steps

1
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup cream, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tbsp orange zest, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon until fully blended.

2
Submerge each slice of day-old French bread in the custard for about 20 seconds per side, allowing the dense bread to soak up the mixture without falling apart.
3
Melt 1 1/2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat until it foams and just begins to brown.
4
Add the soaked bread slices in batches and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, adding the remaining butter as needed between batches.
5
Transfer the cooked pain perdu to a warm plate, dust generously with powdered sugar, and serve hot with a drizzle of Louisiana cane syrup.

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