apple almond french toast

I'm going to be honest. I was working from home last Wednesday and was having a hard time concentrating on work. Then I noticed the apples in the bowl on the dining room table were looking a little past their prime. Totally distracting. I needed to do something about that. So rather than force myself to sit and type up the recommendation I had been putting off, I took a brief reprieve and slide into the kitch.

(It turns out that this was actually quite productive - after taking a little break to deal with the apples, I was able to sit down and power through my work with new found fervor. Perhaps the fact that my stomach was newly full helped as well.)

This was one of those times in the kitch when no recipe was involved. I let my taste buds and the ingredients I had on hand guide me (which helps explain why I was cooking with liqueur at 10am!).

Apple Almond French Toast

Serves 2

Apple topping: 

4-6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/2 c. water

3 Tbsp. muscavado sugar

1 Tbsp. almond liqueur

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add apples and liqueur and mix to coat. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes (stirring occasionally), until apples are soft and liquid is absorbed. If you run out of liquid before the apples are soft, add a little more.

French toast:

1 Tbsp. butter

4 eggs

2 Tbsp. whipping cream

2 Tbsp. almond liqueur

4 slices bread

slivered almonds, toasted

Whisk together eggs, cream, and liqueur in medium bowl. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add half of the butter. Dredge the first slice of bread in the egg mixture, letting it sit 10-15 seconds to absorb some of the eggs. Flip to coat second side. Transfer the coated slice to the hot pan. Repeat with second slice of bread. Cook the two pieces 2-4 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Repeat process with third and fourth slices of bread (you can keep the first two pieces warm in a 300 degree preheated oven, or return them briefly to the hot pan to reheat immediately before serving).

Serve the french toast topped with warm apples and toasted almonds. (Optional: a dallop of cream whipped with a splash of almond liqueur. Yum!)