Challah French Toast with Roasted Apricots, Vanilla Mascarpone, and Toasted Almonds
Challah French toast with caramelized roasted apricots, vanilla mascarpone, and toasted almonds for added crunch.
Ingredients
Roasted Apricots:
- 1 lb (16 ounces) fresh apricots pitted and sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
Vanilla Mascarpone:
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese room temperature
- ½ vanilla bean beans scraped
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
Challah French Toast:
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180 mL) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4-5 (1-inch thick) slices Challah bread preferably stale or several days old
- unsalted butter
Toppings:
- ⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- pure maple syrup warm
Instructions
- Roast Apricots: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center position. Place the apricot halves, cut-side facing up, in a large baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the apricots evenly with the sugar and squeeze the lemon juice over them. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, or until soft and just starting to caramelize. Allow to cool on a rack.
- Prepare Vanilla Mascarpone: Combine the room temperature mascarpone cheese with the scraped vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside.
- Prepare Challah French Toast: In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Heat a tab of butter in a large non-stick (or cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat until small bubbles form. Soak the challah slices, one at a time, in the egg mixture, turning until just saturated. Allow excess egg mixture to drip off and place into the pan. The bread should immediately sizzle. Cook the french toast until golden brown on both sides. Note: Cook the French toast in batches to avoid over-crowding the pan.
- To serve, top the hot French toast with several apricot halves and a small spoonful of vanilla mascarpone. Sprinkle with toasted almond slices, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with hot maple syrup.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 621kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 236mg, Sodium: 498mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 48g