In Good Taste
A Toast to Savoring the Season
Skip the Black Friday shopping and soak up a slow morning with this spicy-sweet French toast
Story and Photograph by Jasmine Comer
Pumpkin spice can be a polarizing topic — but, then again, so is the great breakfast debate: pancakes, waffles or French toast? Most people have a preference. Me? I’ll take pancakes, and when it comes to pumpkin spice, I like a gentle whisper over a full-blown blast of fall flavor. So it may seem surprising that this recipe brings together two things I would normally pass over: pumpkin spice and French toast. But thick, buttery brioche soaked in a silky pumpkin custard changed my mind. Golden at the edges, soft and creamy in the center, and finished with, you’d never guess it, bright, tangy raspberries. This French toast strikes a delicious balance — warmly spiced, not overpowering, and worthy of a slow, post-Thanksgiving brunch.
One thing I discovered while perfecting this recipe is that there’s a fine line between custardy and soggy — and French toast can cross it quickly. The secret here is a two-step cooking method: first, just after soaking in custard, the brioche is browned in a skillet to create crisp, caramelized edges; then, it finishes in the oven for a few minutes so the center can gently set. The result is French toast with a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth texture that holds its own, even under a generous pour of maple syrup. Its flavor comes from a rich pumpkin butter made from scratch and seasoned with just the right amount of pumpkin pie spice — enough to taste like fall without overwhelming every bite.
If you are not really a French toast person, this recipe might change your mind. It definitely changed mine. OH
Pumpkin Butter French Toast
Makes 6 thick slices
Ingredients
4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cooled, homemade pumpkin butter (recipe below)
6 thick slices brioche, about 1 1/2 inches thick
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for cooking
Raspberries, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until completely smooth. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Add the pumpkin butter from the recipe below and whisk until the custard is smooth and evenly combined.
Pour the custard into a shallow baking dish. Add the brioche and soak for about 1 minute per side.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to low-medium heat heat. Add the soaked brioche and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until deeply golden with lightly caramelized edges.
Transfer the French toast to a baking sheet and bake for 7–10 minutes or until the centers are set but remain soft and custardy.
Serve warm with maple syrup and fresh raspberries.
Note: What you want to put on your French toast is another controversial subject. Definitely try the raspberries with maple syrup. If you’re one of those who can’t get enough pumpkin this time of year, adding some of the leftover pumpkin butter is worth a try. Or just dot it with raspberries and dust it lightly with confectionary sugar.
Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons McCormick pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Combine the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, maple syrup, water, butter, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin butter is darkened, glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it becomes too thick, stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool completely. Reserve 1/2 cup for the French toast custard. Refrigerate the remaining pumpkin butter in an airtight container and store up to two weeks.