You're Missing One Ingredient To Make Your French Toast Even More Decadent

Sister to the American pancake and cousin of the Brazilian rabanada, French toast is a sweet, filling breakfast that ticks every textural box. Crispy on the outside, soft in the center, and toasty on the edges, this sweetened petite déjeuner is also a cinch to pull together with a couple of items from the fridge and a day-old loaf of bread. However, if you want to make the absolute best French toast that's deliciously decadent, rich and moreish, you should switch the milk for heavy cream.

While the most basic of French toasts can be assembled with nothing but eggs, milk, a dash of vanilla, and a dusting of powdered sugar, this classic combination can be elevated in seconds with the simple addition of heavy cream and some culinary chutzpah. When combined with beaten eggs, the heavy cream lends French toast a custardy interior that's silky and rich, transforming it into a decadent dessert. Place your slices of bread in this creamy mixture, which features all the best bits of a traditional creme anglaise, and they'll soak up the custardy sauce to become tastily tender in the middle but scrumptiously golden on the outside when fried. And if you can't entirely substitute the ratio of milk for cream, even the dash of dairy that's left at the bottom of the carton will go some way to turning your average brekkie into a morning feast.

The beauty of French toast is that you can eyeball the ratios. All you need to do is add some cream to beaten eggs and vanilla to create a mixture that's loose enough for the bread to soak up quickly. Over-soak flimsy slices in a runny mixture and they'll be too soft to handle, which will create a mushy center instead of a tender-bellied middle. Conversely, immerse doorstop-sized slices in a stiff blend of cream and eggs and the bread won't soak up the custard at speed. The key is to give the bread just enough time for the batter to penetrate the middle to elicit that perfect custardy texture. As mentioned, you don't need to substitute all the milk for cream. You'll still be able to add richness to your basic custard with a small splash of heavy cream incorporated into the milk. If you prefer a custard that has a firmer end result, add more eggs.

Why not dust your French toast in confectioner's sugar and serve alongside raspberry conserve for a fancier and faster version of a jelly doughnut? Another delicious move is to sprinkle cinnamon over your slices to lend them a warming spicy aroma and a touch of golden color. Or go all in and double-up the decadence with Nutella French toast with added cream. You could even give your French toast a savory twist by switching vanilla extract for dried herbs and chili flakes.