Holiday French Toast

What better way to celebrate a three-day weekend than with a scrumptious, eat-it-in-your-pajamas breakfast? In honor our day off, I cooked us up some vanilla French toast (topped with maple syrup and a sprinkle of powdered sugar, of course) and served it along with some peppered bacon from my local meat market. I do use real sugar in the batter (just a tablespoon!), because it helps the toast caramelize in the hot pan. A little almond extract gives it that extra bit of pizzazz, and serving it is easy—just let eaters dress their own from any range of toppers. Oh, and this dish is gluten-free, too. (Thanks to the folks at Rudi’s Organic Bakery for making such versatile, non-dry gluten-free multigrain bread.)

Ingredients
2 eggs and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon almond extract (vanilla would work, too)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 slices bread (I used Rudi’s gluten-free multigrain)

Toppings
Powdered sugar
Pure maple syrup
Fruit (I used frozen berries warmed in the microwave, which also makes a nice fruity sauce.)

1. Warm a pan on the stove over medium-high heat.

2. Beat the eggs, almond extract and sugar in a bowl.
3. Dip individual pieces of toast in the liquid, then transfer them to the pan without overlapping any. (Work in batches to get them all done right.)

4. Let cook, without fiddling, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. If you notice that the pieces are burning, or just turning a little too dark, turn down the heat a bit.
5. Place onto plates and allow eaters to top with whatever they like.