French Toast with Butter-Braised Strawberries in a Cassis & Sugar Syrup

Every episode embodies Nick’s belief that cooking with passion is one of the best ways to connect with those you love. This week, Nick shows us how to make Breakfast Favourites.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • For the French Toast:
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, clarified (see directions below), divided
    • 8 tablespoons C&H® or Domino® granulated sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 cup cream
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 8 1-inch-thick slices day-old brioche
    • Whipped cream cheese
    • C&H® Powdered Sugar or Domino® Confectioners Sugar (optional)
    • Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
  • For the Butter-Braised Strawberries & Syrup:
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • ½ cup packed C&H® Golden Brown Sugar or Domino®Light Brown Sugar
    • 2 cups strawberries, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
    • ½ cup crème de cassis liqueur

Directions

  1. To Prepare the French toast:
    1. First, clarify the butter. Place the butter in a saucepan and melt it slowly over low heat. Pour the melted butter into a fat separator and let it rest; the milk solids will separate out. Once the milk solids are at the bottom of the separator, pour them into another container and dispose of them. The golden liquid that you are left with is the clarified butter you’ll need for cooking the French toast.
    2. Whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the cream, cinnamon and vanilla until combined.
    3. Make the French toast in two batches. Start by heating 4 tablespoons of the clarified butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat until the butter starts to foam.
    4. Transfer the egg-and-cream mixture to another receptacle, such as a pie plate or baking dish, for soaking the slices of bread. Place 4 slices of the bread in the egg-and-cream custard, immersing both sides until the bread is soaked through. Remove with a slotted spatula to allow the excess custard to run off. Cook over medium heat until the toast is golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
    5. Transfer the French toast to a baking rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a warm oven while you cook the second batch with the remaining butter and bread. Keep the French toast warm until ready to serve.
  2. To Prepare the Butter-Braised Strawberries & Syrup:
    1. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to sizzle. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture has thickened slightly.
    2. Add the strawberries and cook until slightly softened. Remove from the heat and add the crème de cassis. Return to the heat and cook until the alcohol has burned off.
    3. Serve 2 slices of toast per person, topped with some of the strawberries and their syrup, a dollop of the whipped cream cheese and a sprinkling of powdered / confectioner’s sugar, if desired. Garnish with mint.