Luxury French Toast

This is not a photo of my French Toast. Photo credit: Joshua Wickerham. Used with permisison.

I made up that name. I contrast this French toast with "Ghetto French Toast," which uses whatever bread you have on hand, eggs, milk, and not much else besides syrup. I far prefer this recipe:

Luxury French Toast

1 loaf of challah bread (or some other soft, eggy bread)
several eggs
milk
vanilla extract
cinnamon
salt
butter
syrup of choice (or powdered sugar for pansies)

Heat a large, nonstick pan to medium-high.
Crack 3-4 eggs into a casserole pan. Add some milk (1/2 cup?), and whisk it together. Add a dribble of vanilla, a dash of salt, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Whisk, whisk.

Cut the challah bread into thick slices. 3/4 inch slices or so are best. Soak the bread in the egg stuff. Flip it over when it is half-soaked.

Put some butter in the hot pan, and slide it around. Put two or three slices of soaked bread over it, and let them cook. Turn the heat down to medium at this point -- the pan should hold enough heat to brown it, but shouldn't burn it. Watch the bread, and when the bottom is browned, flip them over.

Cook them until they spring back when poked. If you aren't sure if the custard inside is cooked, then shank them to find out. I like them when the custard is still jiggly inside.

Top with more butter and warm syrup. Serve with crisp bacon on the side. Nom.