Crunchy French Toast with Vanilla Bourbon Maple Syrup

By Sweet July

A classic brunch staple with a twist—or, in this case, crunch.

Serves: 6

Time: 30 minutes

Thick slices of brioche bread helps absorb the mixture of cream, vanilla and baking spices.

The key to getting the special cereal coating nice and crunchy is making sure the heat of the pan is just right. If your slices of bread are very thick, we recommend heating your oven to low and letting the French toast finish baking in the oven, which will ensure your bread is cooked through without the outer coating burning. If you're serving French toast for a group, it's also a great method to make a big batch and keep everything warm. Serve this up with a vanilla and bourbon-infused maple syrup that will have you scraping the bottom of your plate for every last drop.

Ingredients

- Crunchy French Toast
- 1 loaf brioche, cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2-4 cups rice cereal

- Vanilla Bourbon Maple Syrup
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

step 1

Add syrup, vanilla, and bourbon to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and remove it from the burner to cool slightly. Carefully whisk in the butter until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to serve.

step 2

Add eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla—and beat together in a large bowl. In a shallow baking dish, add cereal. Coat the brioche in the egg mixture and press both sides into the cereal to coat and set aside on a piece of parchment. Repeat with remaining brioche.

step 3

Heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook in the pan until both sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Keep a close eye on it to ensure the cereal coating doesn’t burn. Repeat with the remaining slices, wiping out the pan and adding more butter as needed. Serve immediately with a generous drizzle of Vanilla Bourbon Maple Syrup.