Orange French Toast, for rice night

This savory french toast is flavored with fresh orange juice. Using Challah bread makes the toast so moist, tender, and fluffy.

We are not a morning person to be honest. And the breakfast in our house has to be the simplest kind possible, otherwise it will be our family’s DIY (do it yourself).

However, on occasional weekends when we get ‘the breakfast feel’ floating throughout our body, we can cook some mean breakfast. And this Orange French Toast is one of our family favorites.

The recipe is from Emeril Lagasse and we adapted slightly to meet the taste bud of our family. It is an unfussy recipe but the taste is something you would expect in a fancy bed and breakfast. Freshly squeezed orange juice is a must to enjoy these lovely toasts.

Nothing sounds better when someone is serving a warm savory breakfast in bed when you are not expecting. And it is even better if they are made all from scratch, right? This might be the steady breakfast to serve the man of your life on Father’s Day.

If you like anything with orange flavor, you will love these toasts.

This is the Challah bread.

We highly recommend to use a day old challa bread or french bread. About 3/4″ thick slices would be ideal.

Zest the orange and squeeze out its juice.

In a shallow bowl (we used a pie pan), mix orange zest and juice, milk, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon.

Whisk well.

Melt butter in a skillet over med-low heat. We just use a stick of butter. Direct and short!

Dunk the bread slice and let it soak the milk mixture a little, but not to be drenched completely.

Place them in a skillet and cook for 3 minutes.

Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden brown. You will feel the bread slice gets slightly puffing up.

Here is our last slices. The given amount of milk and egg is good enough to soak 8 slices of toast.

As we cook the toast, we keep them warm in 200 degree F. oven until we finish the last slice. That way you can enjoy them warm. But don’t keep them longer than 30 minutes, though.

Dust with powdered sugar before you serve.

Serve these Orange French Toasts drizzled with heated pure maple syrup and breakfast sausage. And you will be able to embrace the glorious morning afterward! Not to mention how impressed your man of life would be on the morning of Father’s Day.

• Yield: 8 slices
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• 8 slices Challah or French bread, sliced into 3/4-inch thick
• unsalted butter, for cooking
• powdered sugar, optional
• pure maple syrup, warmed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175ºF. Place a baking sheet inside the oven
2. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Soak the bread slices in the egg mixture for 1-2 minutes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the soaked bread slices to the skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place the cooked toasts in the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven until the rest of batches are fried.
4. To serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with warmed maple syrup