Ah, breakfast for dinner. It's always been a favorite. We don't do it too often around the Obi house because it usually entails a lot of carbs, but, hey, if you're going to do it, you may as well do it right.
Right?
In the tiny hamlet of Ellinger, Texas, there's a rural store/bakery called Hruska's where you can get some of the best kolaches and pigs in a blanket in Texas.
If you're scratching your head, wondering what a kolache is, it's a type of pastry that originated in central Europe. It holds a dollop of fruit, rimmed by a puffy pillow of supple dough.
To see one, click on the word kolache and it will take you to a picture.
But because Hruska's is a bakery, they also have everything from cookies to fresh-baked bread. And on a recent stop, I happened to spy a loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread. It was thick sliced with just the right amount of cinnamon and raisins.
And all I could think of was French toast.
When making French toast, this is your starting point. The bread.
I've made French toast with a variety of different breads, everything from plain old thin slice white bread (not the best candidate) to Texas toast (better) to wheat bread (not a fan) to Brioche (good, because it's a little more dense). And that was one of the things I liked about this cinnamon-raisin bread, it leaned toward the dense side.
After the bread, you will need eggs, half-and-half or milk, then vanilla or salt, depending on what type of bread you are using. Since this was a sweet bread, I added just a pinch of salt, but no vanilla. If I'm using a white bread, I would add a splash or two of vanilla, maybe even some cinnamon. And how many eggs you use depends on how many slices you'll be cooking.
I held off on mixing this right away because I needed to get my skillet ready. I used cast iron, but you use whatever you like and add a tablespoon or two (or three) of REAL butter and melt over medium to medium high heat. Yes, real butter makes a difference. Margarine can leave the outside soggy instead of crisp.
Now I mix up my custard.
And dip/soak my bread.
If you're using a thinner bread, you dip. But when I'm using something that's more dense, I will set it in there for a minute or so, flip it over and leave the other side in a minute or two to give the custard a chance to soak in some. Which I why I started with four eggs for five slices of bread.
Then the dipped/soaked bread goes into the skillet with the melted butter.
Let that cook until the bottom is golden brown, then flip.
If your heat is too high, it will brown the outside too quickly. You don't want the heat so high that the butter turns brown before you add the bread.
When both sides are brown, remove from pan.
And I highly recommend serving immediately so it's not only hot, but nice and crisp. You can sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar or drizzle it with syrup. I prefer syrup, but I put it on the side so my toast keeps that little bit of crunch.
Now that is one yummy dinner.
Funny thing about that cinnamon-raisin bread. It was perfect for French toast, but when I toasted a slice and spread it with a little bit of butter, I wasn't so impressed. I think it was because it was so thick, because I love the thinner cinnamon-raisin breads toasted.
Go figure.
Now it's your turn.
What's your favorite breakfast for dinner meal?
Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and kids. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com.
