Bistro-Style French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters

My dad was known for his French Toast.  Among his grandchildren, his French Toast was legendary.  I’ve had requests from his grandchildren, my nieces and nephews, to put his French Toast on our blog, but sadly, I didn’t write down his recipe for French Toast and since he is no longer with us, I don’t have it to share!  But, I’ve been experimenting with French Toast to see if I can capture the essence of his recipe and my French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch is one such effort.

Now, he didn’t add maple pecan clusters to his French Toast, but I found this yummy cereal at Trader Joe’s and decided why not?  Why not add it and see what happens?  Thus, French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch was born.  Here’s what I did:

1. I had Challah bread that I’d purchased to make my White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Brown Butter Rum Sauce.  Well, I had another loaf of challah and used it instead, leaving this particular loaf available for something else!  Dad always used French bread, but challah works too!
2. I unpacked the round loaf.
3. Slice the pieces about 3/4 inch thick.
4. Slice the longer pieces in half.  I ended up with 8 slices of challah, enough for 4 servings of French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch!
5. Reserve the ends to feed the coots!  What are coots?  Check out my post, Running A-Fowl with Coots, to find out!

1. Next, I got out the box of Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch.
2. Put about 2 cups in a Ziploc bag and seal it.
3. Using your hands, roll and crush the Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch.
4. Pour into a shallow baking dish for dredging.

1. Next, get out your ingredients for the French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch:  eggs, vanilla, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, salt and the sliced bread.  Break the eggs into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, salt and whisk thoroughly to combine.
3. Pour the egg mixture into another shallow baking dish and set it beside the other baking dish with the crushed maple pecan clusters.  Get out a baking sheet and set it beside the dredging set-up.
4. Dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture.
5. Turn it over and dip the other side.
6. Dredge both sides of the bread in the maple pecan clusters.  You may have to use your hands to press the maple pecan cereal clusters into your bread slices.
7. Place on a baking sheet.

Place dipped and dredged bread on a preheated non-stick griddle (or large skillet) that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray or butter (I used my Misto!).  Fry over medium heat until lightly browned about 2 to 3 minutes.  Then, turn over and fry the other side (right photo) for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Watch carefully so that you don’t burn the maple pecan clusters!  You can see that I came close!

In the meantime, toast about 1 cup of pecans halves in a dry skillet for a few minutes.  Do not leave these unattended or they will burn!

Get your table ready!  This is where I enlisted Charlie’s help – he supervised the French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch cooking on the griddle while I set the table.  Set out pecans, extra Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch cereal, a bowl of mixed berries (these were frozen that I let defrost and they created their own syrup!) plus maple syrup and bacon!

Serve it up!

I put one serving on a cream-colored plate to see if it would photograph better.  The juice from the berries ran together with the maple syrup and the French Toast looks like a butterfly!

Why have one picture when you can have 10?

I must say it was pretty delicious and my Dad is smiling down on me in approval!

Here’s the recipe:

French Toast with Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch

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Easy and delicious, this French Toast recipe will quickly become a favorite!

• Author: Carole from Toot Sweet 4 Two
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 6 mins
• Total Time: 16 mins
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups Trader Joe’s Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch cereal or a similar type of cereal
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 8 slices of dense, thickly sliced bread (3/4 inch slices) such as Challah, Brioche, French or Sourdough
• Non-stick cooking spray or butter
• Maple syrup (for serving)
• Mixed berries (for serving)
• Butter (for serving)
• 1 cup of pecan halves, lightly toasted (for serving)

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Instructions

1. If you haven’t chosen bread that is pre-sliced, slice your bread into 3/4 inch thick slices and set aside.
2. Place Maple Pecan Clusters Crunch cereal in a Ziploc bag and seal.
3. Using your hands, roll up the bag to crush the clusters (don’t pulverize them; you want some of the chunky clusters!).
4. Pour clusters into a shallow baking dish and set aside.
5. Break 4 eggs into a mixing bowl.
6. Add milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, sugar and salt and whisk to combine.
7. Pour egg mixture into another shallow baking dish and set it beside the baking dish with the clusters.
8. Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture and turn to coat both sides.
9. Dredge each slice of egg bread into crushed cereal and turn to coat both sides.
10. Set finished bread on a baking dish until all slices are dipped and dredged.
11. In a small dry skillet, toast pecans for a few minutes, stirring occasionally; set aside.
12. Spray a non-stick griddle or skillet with non-stick cooking spray or add butter to griddle.
13. Heat non-stick griddle or skillet over medium heat.
14. Add prepared French Toast and cook over medium 2 to 3 minutes.
15. Once lightly browned, turn over and cook other side for another 2 to 3 minutes.
16. Remove from griddle and serve with butter, maple syrup, more crushed cereal, toasted pecans and mixed berries.

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I was trying to lighten the calorie load on this Sunday morning treat so I used non-fat half-and-half instead of milk, non-stick cooking spray instead of butter and sugar-free syrup.  This French Toast was creamy on the inside from the non-fat half-and-half and crunchy on the outside from the cereal.  The defrosted frozen mixed berries added a touch of sweetness and the toasted pecans added some protein.  The bacon, however, was a totally decadent treat; no way to lower that calorie load {grin}!

Tootles,

One Year Ago Today:  Easy Appetizer Party for a Crowd (click to read the post and see what we were up to a year ago!)

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