I don’t know about you, but I loooovvvveeee brunch. I love going out in Memphis at one of the many local brunch spots, but I told myself that I wouldn’t dine out in August. It’s been so hard! Anyway, Last Sunday I went to the gym and I was starving afterwards. I had been craving French toast for a while and I finally unthawed my bread (let’s be real, this is the ONLY reason I hadn’t made it), so it was time!
Brioche bread is buttery and light and it has a sweet taste to me. This works perfectly for my French toast since I usually don’t have syrup at home. You can use whatever bread you’d like.
How to get crispy French Toast?
The key to crispy French toast is making sure the griddle is HOT before adding the bread. Add oil or butter to the surface. This will allow the sugars from the milk and bread to crisp up very nicely. In addition to this, the shredded coconut in this recipe adds even more crunch. Now, if you like extremely crispy French toast, it’s better to use a skillet and you’ll need to add more oil.
Side bar. My hands down FAVORITE place to get French toast in the city (Memphis, TN) is Arcade restaurant. So good and so crispy!!! The best!!! Check them out here.
What are the benefits of coconut?
Coconut is found in many hair care, skin care, and food products promoting health. But what’s actually the benefit of coconut? Coconut is high in a certain type of saturated fat (medium chain triglycerides) that are processed differently by the body than standard saturated fats. Because of this, ingesting them may actually benefit heart disease. In addition to this, coconut has anti-inflammatory properties that may help with aging. However, I would still recommend using coconut in moderation and using a variety of heart healthy fats such as olive, canola, and avocado oils.
Stuffed Coconut French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick sliced brioche bread
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut milk or almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
- Optional toppings: sliced bananas raspberries, hemp hearts, nut butter, honey
Instructions
- In shallow dish, combine egg, milk, vanilla extract and shredded coconut. Add brioche bread once slice at a time and coat with batter (Really make sure the mixture soaks into the bread). At this point, the bread should be coasted with coconut flakes on each side. Pre heat griddle to 350 and coat with cooking spray. Place bread slices on griddle and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown and flip. Cook another 2 minutes on other side. Once French toast is cooked, place whipped cream cheese in between both slices. Top with desired toppings. Serve warm.
