Warm, cinnamon-anise-spiced sweet roasted plums on a bed of golden-brown caramelized French toast, and an almond crunch with every bite - just my idea of autumn weekend breakfast.
According to Wikipedia, French Toast, also known as: Eggy Bread in England, Pain Perdu (lost bread) and Pain Doré (golden bread) in France, Arme Ritter (poor knights) in Germany, and Pavesen in Austria and Southern Germany, dates back to the Romans to the 4th or 5th century. It is mentioned in the oldest collection of Roman recipes, involving bread soaked in milk, and and served with honey, under the not so charming name: alter dulcet, or another sweet dish. In medieval Europe, French Toast was often served with game birds and meats.
This dish is so delicious and beautiful, with its lovely warm autumn colours. The plums are roasted with warm spices. The bread soaked in sweet egg-milk, quickly fried in the pan and then served together with the roasted plums and toasted almonds - the poor knight so poor no more! :-)
From start to finish the process is a bit lengthy, but fortunately, it involves only a few hands-on tasks. Naturally, the toughest part is having to get out of bed to prepare it... but there's nothing stopping you from returning while the plums roast and the eggy bread soaks. Happy Weekend!
How to prepare:
SPICED ROAST PLUM & ALMOND FRENCH TOAST
Warm, cinnamon-anise-spiced sweet roasted plums on a bed of golden-brown caramelized French toast, and an almond crunch with every bite - just my idea of autumn weekend breakfast.
Level: Easy - Cooking time: approximately 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Makes: Breakfast for 2 ❤️
For the spiced roast plums:
4 plums, halved and stoned
15 g (½ oz) light brown soft sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 star anise
2 tablespoons water
For the French toast:
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cream or double cream
2 tablespoons whole milk
seeds from ½ vanilla pod, cut in half and scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
15g (½ oz) caster sugar
2 slices of white bread or toast, thick, farmhouse style, one day old and a little dry, which helps the bread to absorb the liquid better without falling apart
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
To serve:
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Icing sugar
Optional: Greek yogurt
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180° fan/gas mark 6.
Spice and roast the plums: Place the plums, cut-side up, in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon and water and add the star anise. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft but still keeps its shape. Remove the plums when done, but keep the oven on for later.
Prepare the egg-milk: While the plums are cooking, beat the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and caster sugar together in a bowl.
Soak the bread in the egg-milk: Pour the egg-milk into a shallow dish and add the bread slices. Soak for 30 minutes, turning them over every now and then as the plums bake. The liquid will be fully absorbed at the end.
Toast the almond slices: Meanwhile toast the almonds over medium heat in a small frying pan until light golden.
Fry the eggy bread: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the sunflower oil. Fry the soaked bread for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet and place it in the pre-heated oven for 3 minutes.
Assemble: Remove the slices from the oven, cut them in half diagonally and divide them between two plates. Top with the roasted plum halves and drizzle over some of the plum juices. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, then dust with icing sugar.
Serve: serve immediately, with some Greek yogurt on the side if you wish.
TEXT-ONLY RECIPE
SPICED ROASTED PLUM & ALMOND FRENCH TOAST
Warm, cinnamon-anise-spiced sweet roasted plums on a bed of golden-brown caramelized French toast, and an almond crunch with every bite - just my idea of autumn weekend breakfast.
Level: Easy - Cooking time: approximately 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Makes: Breakfast for 2 ❤️
For the spiced roast plums:
4 plums, halved and stoned
15 g (½ oz) light brown soft sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 star anise
2 tablespoons water
For the French toast:
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cream or double cream
2 tablespoons whole milk
seeds from ½ vanilla pod, cut in half and scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
15g (½ oz) caster sugar
2 slices of white bread or toast, thick, farmhouse style, one day old and a little dry, which helps the bread to absorb the liquid better without falling apart
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
To serve:
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Icing sugar
Optional: Greek yogurt
DIRECTIONS:
Gather all the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180° fan/gas mark 6.
Spice and roast the plums: Place the plums, cut-side up, in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon and water and add the star anise. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft but still keeps its shape. Remove the plums when done, but keep the oven on for later.
Prepare the egg-milk: While the plums are cooking, beat the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and caster sugar together in a bowl.
Soak the bread in the egg-milk: Pour the egg-milk into a shallow dish and add the bread slices. Soak for 30 minutes, turning them over every now and then as the plums bake. The liquid will be fully absorbed at the end.
Toast the almond slices: Meanwhile toast the almonds over medium heat in a small frying pan until light golden.
Fry the eggy bread: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the sunflower oil. Fry the soaked bread for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet and place it in the pre-heated oven for 3 minutes.
Assemble: Remove the slices from the oven, cut them in half diagonally and divide them between two plates. Top with the roasted plum halves and drizzle over some of the plum juices. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, then dust with icing sugar.
Serve: serve immediately, with some Greek yogurt on the side if you wish.
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