French toast

I used to leave work early on Friday to stop at Cecil’s Deli in St. Paul on my way home to pick up a loaf of challah for Saturday french toast. The bread was melt-in-your mouth tender, a rich eggy joy. My daughter and I would stuff slices in our mouths as we waited for our french toast to cook. This recipe works well with cinnamon swirl bread, too.

3 eggs
1 cup milk (I use whole)
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract and pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Butter for the pan
8 slices bread, about 1 inch thick

Vigorously mix the eggs and milk. Add salt, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined. Heat a generous knob of butter in a frying pan and swirl around to coat. Dredge each slice of bread in the egg mixture, making sure to get both sides well saturated, and transfer to pan. Cook until desired shade of golden brown, flipping halfway through. Serve with syrup and berries.